# Panny p55gt50 calibration



## justin72

I just bought a gt50 and can't seem to get the picture as crisp as my 5 yr old Samsung LCD. I am using HDMI and in custom mode. No matter what I do, I jus can't shake a very subtle 'fuzz' (for a lack of a better term) that keeps it from equalling the crisp, detailed picture of the old Samsung. Frustrated.....


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## lcaillo

Where is your contrast set?


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## justin72

Contrast is +76


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## mvision7m

justin72 said:


> I just bought a gt50 and can't seem to get the picture as crisp as my 5 yr old Samsung LCD. I am using HDMI and in custom mode. No matter what I do, I jus can't shake a very subtle 'fuzz' (for a lack of a better term) that keeps it from equalling the crisp, detailed picture of the old Samsung. Frustrated.....


I've got a 55VT30 which may respond differently to setting adjustments than your more current GT50 but I find that on my set, a contrast setting of over 72-74 introduces dither. Blue specks/fuzz in blacks. My incoming cable signal is straight to the TV from the wall, no cable box and with an HD signal the picture is realistically crisp with the sharpness setting at 14. Factory preset is 50 for mine and likely yours as well but I'm not sure. I do think the Panasonic plasmas inherently have a slightly softer picture quality than their LCD counterparts. To my eyes, the picture of a lot of the LCDs I've seen in stores appear artificially sharpened and not as natural as our plasmas. Since you really liked your LCDs image sharpness/detail I'm not sure the Panasonic is going to fully satisfy you in that area of performance. 

I use THX and my settings are: 
Contrast - 69
Brightness - 54
Color - 52
Tint - 0 
Sharpness - 14 
Color temp - warm2
Color mgmt - off 
Cats - off 
Video NR - off

ASPECT ADJUSTMENTS
Screen format - full
HD - size 2
Block NR - off
Mosquito NR - off
3:2 pulldown - on 

Don't know if any of that info will be helpful to you but I hope so. Good luck.


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## justin72

mvision7m said:


> I've got a 55VT30 which may respond differently to setting adjustments than your more current GT50 but I find that on my set, a contrast setting of over 72-74 introduces dither. Blue specks/fuzz in blacks. My incoming cable signal is straight to the TV from the wall, no cable box and with an HD signal the picture is realistically crisp with the sharpness setting at 14. Factory preset is 50 for mine and likely yours as well but I'm not sure. I do think the Panasonic plasmas inherently have a slightly softer picture quality than their LCD counterparts. To my eyes, the picture of a lot of the LCDs I've seen in stores appear artificially sharpened and not as natural as our plasmas. Since you really liked your LCDs image sharpness/detail I'm not sure the Panasonic is going to fully satisfy you in that area of performance.
> 
> I use THX and my settings are:
> Contrast - 69
> Brightness - 54
> Color - 52
> Tint - 0
> Sharpness - 14
> Color temp - warm2
> Color mgmt - off
> Cats - off
> Video NR - off
> 
> ASPECT ADJUSTMENTS
> Screen format - full
> HD - size 2
> Block NR - off
> Mosquito NR - off
> 3:2 pulldown - on
> 
> Don't know if any of that info will be helpful to you but I hope so. Good luck.


Thank you! I'm not sure that was what I wanted to hear but I will test out your settings and see what happens. Thanks.


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## AVoldMan

mvision7m said:


> I've got a 55VT30 which may respond differently to setting adjustments than your more current GT50 but I find that on my set...
> 
> ASPECT ADJUSTMENTS
> HD - size 2


Something that I would check is the Aspect Size control (as listed above). Make sure that is pixel for pixel = Size 2 otherwise, there will be overscanning and blurring of HD content. I believe the default is Size 1 and does overscan (why Panasonic does this is beyond logic). This setting is under Aspect Control on the Setup Menu.


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## michael tlv

AVoldMan said:


> ... why Panasonic does this is beyond logic ...


Greetings

The answer to this question is found here.

It is hardly beyond logic ... and if you owned a TV company, you would be doing what they do as well. Or else it is going to cost you ...

Regards


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## AVoldMan

michael tlv said:


> It is hardly beyond logic ... and if you owned a TV company, you would be doing what they do as well. Or else it is going to cost you ...


I read and see your point. However, does this give the manuafacturer's Owner Manual or service person the free pass not to explain the problem with the possible choices. I have looked up the Manual on Panasonic's website for the GT and the manual has nothing. It doesn't even tell you what's in the Setup Menu. It only goes over the initial startup choices and nothing further. If it was in the manual and someone did not read it shame on them, but for the manuafacturer not to thoroughly explain there own product is *inexcusable*!

BTW this is not an inexpensive HDTV! All manufacturer's give little or no feature explanations on their own product!


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## justin72

Yes, I have it on 2....not happy with this tv. My old LCD has a superior picture, all there is to it. Thanks for the advice. Going to return this thing and start over.


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## rab-byte

What sources are you playing and what are you using to calibrate the picture?


Usually what people think is an issue with sharpness is really an issue with dynamics. Most TVs running digital sources need their sharpness set very low. Also have you set your HDMI? Limited/full?


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## justin72

rab-byte said:


> What sources are you playing and what are you using to calibrate the picture?
> 
> Usually what people think is an issue with sharpness is really an issue with dynamics. Most TVs running digital sources need their sharpness set very low. Also have you set your HDMI? Limited/full?


Sharpness is at 0. I've tried d. Katzmaiers settings among 3 or more 'pro's' settings, none of which can shake the lack of crispness. Only on close ups can I see detail I remember in the old days of my LCD. I have u-verse, to my onkyo tx-nr709, HDMI to tv.


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## rab-byte

Set your HDMI range to limited

Download the rec709 calibration files and use the clipping/crushing slides to get your dynamics set right...

Have you tried just switching your color temp back to cool?


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## justin72

I have it on cool1 and HDMI dvi rgb to auto


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## rab-byte

Black level set to light?


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## justin72

Yes


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## rab-byte

The go a head return the plasma and get an led.


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## mvision7m

When I first got my 55VT30, I was a little bit surprised and disappointed at the slightly softer image quality it displayed compared to some LCDs that I had seen in various stores. I've never owned an LCD (or a plasma for that matter) before but I had seen a lot of LCDs in stores that had a great, sharp and detailed image (along with other qualities I didn't like as much). 

At that time I was using a PS3 as my blu-ray player and I also had my VT30 professionally calibrated so the only thing missing from the otherwise fantastic picture quality of my set was that last bit of detail in the image that I had seen on some LCDs. About six months ago I purchased an OPPO BDP-95 blu-ray player which has excellent video processing and in the OPPO I adjusted the sharpness control to +1 and thats all it took to finally give me the very natural but still highly detailed sharpness I wanted this TV to have and that looked as sharp or just about as sharp and detailed as those LCDs. 

I personally prefer plasma to LCD for most areas of outright picture quality but I have noticed that plasma tends to have a slightly softer image quality than LCD in a lot of cases. Thankfully my blu-ray player does an excellent job giving me the sharpness of the best LCDs I've seen without over exaggerating things or bringing with it any of the other things that I personally don't like about LCDs. 

Plasmas generally have a dimmer and slightly softer, more film like image quality compared to most LCDs which turns off many previous LCD owners but I personally find plasmas to have a more realistic and true image quality overall than LCDs. Especially when professionally calibrated and I don't mean at Best Buy.


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## rab-byte

mvision7m said:


> When I first got my 55VT30, I was a little bit surprised and disappointed at the slightly softer image quality it displayed compared to some LCDs that I had seen in various stores. I've never owned an LCD (or a plasma for that matter) before but I had seen a lot of LCDs in stores that had a great, sharp and detailed image (along with other qualities I didn't like as much).
> 
> At that time I was using a PS3 as my blu-ray player and I also had my VT30 professionally calibrated so the only thing missing from the otherwise fantastic picture quality of my set was that last bit of detail in the image that I had seen on some LCDs. About six months ago I purchased an OPPO BDP-95 blu-ray player which has excellent video processing and in the OPPO I adjusted the sharpness control to +1 and thats all it took to finally give me the very natural but still highly detailed sharpness I wanted this TV to have and that looked as sharp or just about as sharp and detailed as those LCDs.
> 
> I personally prefer plasma to LCD for most areas of outright picture quality but I have noticed that plasma tends to have a slightly softer image quality than LCD in a lot of cases. Thankfully my blu-ray player does an excellent job giving me the sharpness of the best LCDs I've seen without over exaggerating things or bringing with it any of the other things that I personally don't like about LCDs.
> 
> Plasmas generally have a dimmer and slightly softer, more film like image quality compared to most LCDs which turns off many previous LCD owners but I personally find plasmas to have a more realistic and true image quality overall than LCDs. Especially when professionally calibrated and I don't mean at Best Buy.


Like all companies there are good and bad employees. I was a calibrator for geek squad for a while before getting promoted. I used sencore equipment with CalMan. I calibrated at 10pt or 2pt and would adjust CMS when available. I had my testing done by Bob Fucci and he seamed to be okay with my level of understanding. 

I can speak for most of my coworkers when I say we have a commitment to quality service and have a general since of pride in our work. If you personally had a bad experience I'm sorry, but please don't judge me and my team when you haven't met us.



Back to the point at hand. Some people like led/LCD better them plasma. It sounds like this my be the case. If so then you're better off just getting what you like.


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## mvision7m

rab-byte said:


> Like all companies there are good and bad employees. I was a calibrator for geek squad for a while before getting promoted. I used sencore equipment with CalMan. I calibrated at 10pt or 2pt and would adjust CMS when available. I had my testing done by Bob Fucci and he seamed to be okay with my level of understanding.
> 
> I can speak for most of my coworkers when I say we have a commitment to quality service and have a general since of pride in our work. If you personally had a bad experience I'm sorry, but please don't judge me and my team when you haven't met us.
> 
> Back to the point at hand. Some people like led/LCD better them plasma. It sounds like this my be the case. If so then you're better off just getting what you like.


I don't know you or your team so I can not and DID NOT make any judgement against you or them personally whomever you/they are. In fact, I didn't say anything about any one person or persons. I didn't name any names or the names of any teams like Geek Squad. I didn't even write the words Geek(s) or Squad, Geek Squad or team(s) and I never said anything about a lack of any sense of pride or lack of any form of commitment either on anyone's part. I wrote 'Best Buy' and was speaking generally so why you took what I said so personally, I can't and don't understand.


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## rab-byte

mvision7m said:


> I don't know you or your team so I can not and DID NOT make any judgement against you or them personally whomever you/they are. In fact, I didn't say anything about any one person or persons. I didn't name any names or the names of any teams like Geek Squad. I didn't even write the words Geek(s) or Squad, Geek Squad or team(s) and I never said anything about a lack of any sense of pride or lack of any form of commitment either on anyone's part. I wrote 'Best Buy' and was speaking generally so why you took what I said so personally, I can't and don't understand.


All best buy installation services are performed by geek squad (home theater, computer, car-audio/alarm). We're the same company. When you say not 'best buy' you are literally saying not geek squad. Since that's who I work for you're telling people not to do business with me. I see us getting slammed a lot around various forums and I've started saying something about it because it bothers me. 

I'll leave it there and if you would like to continue this topic ill happily do it with you via PM as I would rather not side track this persons thread about image quality of his gt50


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## michael tlv

Greetings

I had one THX class attended by 7 or 8 Geek Squad guys (THX Video Level 1) and many of them seemed distracted through the entire class and not really paying attention to the instructors. Then they would not follow the instructions during the lab sessions so some had to be scolded ... 

Seemed like an overly cocky bunch ... and when their most senior member said they used the color of grass on the golf channel to judge color ... I shook my head. They really didn't listen to anything we said at all. 

Regards


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## rab-byte

michael tlv said:


> Greetings
> 
> I had one THX class attended by 7 or 8 Geek Squad guys (THX Video Level 1) and many of them seemed distracted through the entire class and not really paying attention to the instructors. Then they would not follow the instructions during the lab sessions so some had to be scolded ...
> 
> Seemed like an overly cocky bunch ... and when some said they used the color of grass on the golf channel to judge color ... I shook my head. They really didn't listen to anything we said at all.
> 
> Regards



Trust you generator and verify with content you know. Art and a science right 

Would you agree with regard to Justin's issue that perception of sharpness is often more an issue with dynamics and grey scale then that of the actual sharpness settings? And some people simply like the LED/LCD picture more then plasma.


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## michael tlv

Greetings

Sharpness ... figure out what means first. 

If I put up a resolution chart and I can see all the detail that 1080p has to offer, then it certainly would not be about seeing detail.

Sharpness in real life = more detailed ... by default.

Sharpness controls on TVs decrease real detail so they work like oxymorons.

Sharper it looks, the less detailed the image gets. Edge enhancement.

Now if one is transitioning from a 720p display to a 1080p display, there might be a feeling that 1080 is softer. People always felt that 720 were crisper than 1080. Certainly not real detail. But scaling 480 material to 720 is easier than all the way to 1080.

regards


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## rab-byte

Yes I agree with you about sharpness. Just like brightness is blacks... Go figure. 

My point was that dynamics and gamma make a bigger impact on the pop of the display and often this pop will be wrongly attributed to the lay interpretation of what "sharpness" is. 

That's assuming thing like dot noise / mpeg "fix feature" have been addressed.


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## michael tlv

Greetings

Also have to do apples to apples comparisons. Versus condemning an orange for not tasting like an apple.

Sharpness control in the THX mode is a giant placebo anyway for those that have not noticed. 

We can only do so much ... lead a horse to water ... 

Regards


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## Yiannis1970

michael tlv said:


> Greetings
> 
> Sharpness ... figure out what means first.
> 
> If I put up a resolution chart and I can see all the detail that 1080p has to offer, then it certainly would not be about seeing detail.
> 
> Sharpness in real life = more detailed ... by default.
> 
> Sharpness controls on TVs decrease real detail so they work like oxymorons.
> 
> Sharper it looks, the less detailed the image gets. Edge enhancement.
> 
> Now if one is transitioning from a 720p display to a 1080p display, there might be a feeling that 1080 is softer. People always felt that 720 were crisper than 1080. Certainly not real detail. But scaling 480 material to 720 is easier than all the way to 1080.
> 
> regards


You are quite right!! Sharpness and image clarity are two different things at least as it concerns their use in electronic devices and not as a general definition. A crisp image contains the right amount of sharpness (nor more or less) in order to see all the details its resolution allows.

Sharpness control is nothing more than an edge enchancement control with different name.


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## michael tlv

Greetings

The original poster never identified what their 5 year old Samsung LCD to be. 720p? 1080p? and the size of the tv as well. 

Going from smaller to bigger ... while keeping the detail constant ... of course results in a softer image. TVs are not smart enough to create new detail out of thin air. Unless of course the original poster has watched CSI a lot, and thus thinks that is possible. 

Regards


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