# Panasonic ET5 -



## expresso (Oct 12, 2008)

Hi - i got the 42 inch ET5 - its about a month now - new to 3D - 

would anyone else have this model TV ? i am trying to figure out all the 3D options i can use with the TV - 
most of mines are grayed out and dont seem to have many options other than to make it 2D to 3D - 

i know i am missing something - 

any one else know more about all the 3D options you can do with this model 

thanks -


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

expresso said:


> Hi - i got the 42 inch ET5 - its about a month now - new to 3D -
> 
> would anyone else have this model TV ? i am trying to figure out all the 3D options i can use with the TV -
> most of mines are grayed out and dont seem to have many options other than to make it 2D to 3D -
> ...


Hello,
Well it does 2D-3D Upconversion as well as standard 3D. I am not sure what other options you might be looking for? Just last night I finally put together the 2 Pairs of Samsung $20 3D Glasses that had been sitting on my Coffee Table for over a week. They were purchased by my friend as my Panasonic TC-60GT50 does not come with Glasses like the rest of the 2012 lineup and you can now use any of the Full 3D Initiative Glasses from Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, and others.

When we watched 3D, it was pretty cool for a few minutes, but I got bored of it. Handy to have them I suppose. I really need to purchase a 3D copy of Avatar. I just do not know what you could be missing when you mentioned 2D-3D and regular 3D.
Cheers,
JJ


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## expresso (Oct 12, 2008)

hi - thanks for your input - i agree - 3D is ok for a while - maybe a cartoon movie - if it has good effects built in - its not a big deal - this is why i went with the passive version - free cheap glasses - might never use all of them - 

well i always heard you can adjust it in steps etc, - i am not sure - this is my first 3D TV -- some settings i notice are greyed out also - not sure if i have to have a 3D movie active playing to get those settings - these manuals today dont offer much in explaining details - 

i am playing around with 3D - 

thanks -


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## RBTO (Jan 27, 2010)

I have the same receiver. When you view a 2D input in 3D simulation (still nowhere close to a post-converted 3D feature), you _don't have many options_ and don't think that's what good 3D should look like (like comparing apples and oranges). Although the ET5 does an impressive conversion of 2D to 3D, there are a lot of artifacts and things the conversion doesn't get right. This mode is more for novelty than anything else, and I question why a manufacture would even include it. I will rarely use this feature.

If you input a 3D source (3D blue-ray player with 3D movie), you will get a _*far*_ better idea of the capabilities of this TV. I used regular movie theater glasses and they are just as good as the ones supplied with the TV. One thing you will notice is the presence of scan lines since in 3D, since each eye only sees every other scan line and the picture is actually 540 instead of 1080, but with good 3D source material, this TV "shines" and does a great job delivering a 3D picture without the need for active eyewear.

You really shouldn't need to _adjust_ anything with a native 3D picture. The ET5 will handle the three main 3D formats; over and under (top and bottom), side-by-side, and frame packed full HD. It will automatically adapt to the input so there is no selection involved.

Oh, if you want information, don't look in the owner's manual provided with the TV which is really lame. You need to go to the on-screen guide which is pretty extensive and has a lot of sub-files that cover most everything. It's _really _too bad that Panasonic doesn't provide the PDF version of this guide to owners via their website. If the TV isn't working, no on-screen guide!!!


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## expresso (Oct 12, 2008)

hi - thanks for the replay - i didnt know you couldnt find a manual online - that lame - like you said - if TV is not working correctly and you cant get to the Ehelp file on the TV - its useless then - - i guess if thats the case - you need the TV fixed either way - who knows how they think - Common Sense is not there - 

anyway about the 3D - i have played a 3D movie - which looked good - i seen coming attractions for animation movies in 3D - and some looked very good - worked great - i didnt notice any lines etc, when watching 3D - a few people mentioned that also - i am not looking for them either - 

this is the reason i went with passive - cheap glasses that work fine - keep it simple - since who watches 3D movies all the time - The TV in 2D blu ray is very good - and like you said - depends on the 3D movie - some are great - some are so so - the 2D to 3D on one movie was ok - and another not that much of difference - 

i am using a panasonic blu ray - which has another option for 3D - it has a option which i can change the distance i think - its normally at -2 and i can adjust it up to +5 -- and down to -1 - something like that - i think it suppose to change how much 3D is applied - etc, - not sure really - i tried it and didnt notice much - could be the movie i was using - 

but on the TV itself - when watching a 3D source - i think i have one or two settings which are greyed out - this is what bothers me - i have no idea how to get those settings where i can adjust them and dont know why they are greyed out etc, - this is where the manual dosnt help - 

i know if something is greyed out - means it dosnt apply at the time - or with the source etc, - 

i dont have any 3D movies other than Avatar - i have to check it out again and see what settings i can change with a real 3D movie - 

the TV itself is very nice -


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## RBTO (Jan 27, 2010)

expresso said:


> hi - thanks for the replay - i didnt know you couldnt find a manual online - that lame - like you said - if TV is not working correctly and you cant get to the Ehelp file on the TV - its useless then - - i guess if thats the case - you need the TV fixed either way - who knows how they think - Common Sense is not there - ..................
> 
> ..........but on the TV itself - when watching a 3D source - i think i have one or two settings which are greyed out - this is what bothers me - i have no idea how to get those settings where i can adjust them and dont know why they are greyed out etc, - this is where the manual dosnt help - -


What specific settings are grayed out in which menu? Is this in the 2D mode, in 2D converted to 3D, or in actual 3D mode? You're right, there is probably a reason those aren't adjustable.

I'm working on a pdf of the ET5 on-screen Help. PM me, and when (if) I finish it, I'll send you a copy. When you pay several hundred dollars for a TV, you'd think the manufacture could afford to include a pdf copy of the _REAL_ users guide which goes beyond the hook-up and turn-on instructions of the print copy they include in four languages!


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## expresso (Oct 12, 2008)

thanks - yeah i would like a copy of you finish one -- at the very least a online manual you can down load - i have to double check what is greyed out on my menus - i will try it with a 3D movie - Avator -only one i have - haha - came with the blu ray player - i will try it and write down everything thats greyed out - i have a few things greyed out - would be nice to know if they ever work or adjustable - 

have you had any luck with the smart features ? i was able to connect to my amazon - netflix and you tube - i then figured let me try Facebook - which i am not a big fan of but since it was there - i wanted to see how it worked - i was never able to get it to work - always showed some kind of error or something - i just gave up - dont know if its facebook or the TV- or both - it really is a pain to enter passwords etc, - 

this is my first Smart TV - i think i like Roku much better - easier and faster also - i didnt buy the TV for those features - but since its there - 

have you calibrated your TV ? would you have any Calibrated settings you like to share if you did ?

thanks -


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## RBTO (Jan 27, 2010)

I haven't used the smart features since I don't have high-speed internet at the location where I have my ET5. Might buy into it (DSL) later this year since I have one more reason now to do so. Like you, I'm not into internet on a TV so I won't miss the smart features that much if I don't get internet.

I had some initial issues with Viera Link since turning on my Panasonic BD player would steal the screen away from the on-screen menu. At first, I had an HDMI issue (due to something not at all related to the player or TV), and when I would turn on the player, my screen would go blank with the "NO HDMI source" message. I couldn't troubleshoot the problem until I killed the Viera Link feature (not easy to do when my menu kept disappearing). I don't like that feature anyway (prefer to choose my own sources manually), so I left it off.

The first thing I did with my set once that problem was solved, was to move the smooth motion feature to its LOW setting. It defaults to the maximum when first turned on, and I can't stand the soap opera effect it gave everything. Another thing I did was change the C.A.T.S. screen backlighting to manual (from automatic) and set it to a mid level consistent with the ambient lighting. I calibrated the black level and color using a calibration DVD ("Video Essentials"). I haven't gone much beyond this so far since the picture is great as is, with little to complain about. Everything now feeds into the set on one HDMI line and works just like it should.

Considering the rear mounted, small-profile speakers, I was impressed with the sound quality. Lows are not there, but the mid-range frequencies do well. I haven't played with the audio menu yet.

One primary reason I got this set was for its low power consumption since I'm using it where the house power is solar. I was hesitant to get 42 inches but it was the smallest size Panasonic offered in LED. This 42 inch set consumes _less than half the power_ the 20 inch CRT set it replaced used, and now that I have it, 42 inches is "just right"! Happy on that note!


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## expresso (Oct 12, 2008)

i cant live with out high speed internet for my computer - with the TV i dont care much - but its nice to have netflix and amazon working on the TV this way - you really do need high speed if you want those functions to work correctly - i am not sure what DSL speed you can get - but i had DSL at first and only able to get up to 3mps download - and its just not enough to work smoothly - i could not upgrade it using DSL so i had to switch and now get about 20 mps speed - 

i turned off the CATS - and i agree with you about the PQ - even in its standard mode which i leave it there - looks very nice - almost not much to calibrate - 

just curious - would you mind postings your Calibrated settings - ? do you like it better after calibrated or before ? since this is my bedroom TV - i am not too fussy about it that way - my main TV - yes - and its a plasma - big difference - it does use more power thats for sure - i can feel the heat coming off that thing - but the PQ and black levels are amazing - thats my main movie TV - the others are LCD - LED models for bedroom are fine -


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## RBTO (Jan 27, 2010)

expresso said:


> .........just curious - would you mind postings your Calibrated settings - ? do you like it better after calibrated or before ? ....... -


I'll be happy to post them. That TV is at another location and I won't be back there until the end of the week, but I'll update this post with those cals then.


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## expresso (Oct 12, 2008)

thanks - no rush -


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