# Should I Exchange or Return New Plasma?



## paul780 (Apr 10, 2010)

I few weeks ago I purchased a new 50" 1080p Panasonic Plasma (TC-P5S02) to replace my 37" 720p Toshiba LCD. Since installing the new TV I am extremely disappointed with the picture quality. Basically the colors seem very blocky and where colors blend together, like the sky, it just looks awful. I am not sure if this is because my viewing distance is too close for a 50"...couch is appx 7 feet from TV, or if the display has something wrong with it, or the TV just stinks and I need a better model. I have tried several HD inputs, Comcast, XBox360, HTPC, Blu-Ray, and even the 1080p Blu-Ray looks bad. I've tried several different HDMI 1.3 cables from Monoprice to ensure it wasn't a cable issue, and even did a calibration using a DVE Blu-Ray but still the video quality stinks.
So with all this backstory my question is should I exchange this TV for another or should I just return it and get a different model. This is the first plasma I've owned but from all my research I was expecting a better picture quality, but instead HD looks worse on the new TV then SD content looked on my old 720p TV. Though maybe I need to downsize the TV size to a 46 or 47" since the viewing distance is 7'. Don't know what to do and looking for some suggestions. 
Thank you in advance....


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

Even at 7' I wouldn't think screen size is the main issue here.
Sounds to me like the TV is getting a reduced resolution image. Usually there's a "display" button or the like on the tv remote that will tell you the resolution the TV "thinks" it's getting.


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

Right on, definitely sounds like a 'compatibility' issue similar to what I had. I had to read the manual to get the settings correct as I believe the TV was converting the signal, but didn't need to do it. My pic from less than 7-8ft can show pixels, especially 480i signal and being a 720p TV, but beyond that it looks perfect.


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## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

Yep, sounds like user error to me, too.


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## paul780 (Apr 10, 2010)

I have the TV resolution set to "auto" right now. I have tried manually setting it at 1080p but saw no difference in quality. There is also a "size" button which I have set to "normal". From your comments it sounds as though I shouldn't be seeing the degraded quality though, so maybe returning and getting a different model is the answer. I did do lots of research before buying and this model had very good reviews....just don't understand what's up.
As a side note, I did observe the sales guy put the box on its side where it sat this way for a good 30 min before I purchased it. My understanding is that there can only be a potential problem if the TV is set on its back, but I figured I'd mention this.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

How are you sending the video signal to the display?


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## paul780 (Apr 10, 2010)

I currently have an HDMI cable from the TV to an Onkyo TX-SR508 receiver. My Comcast box, Blu-Ray, and XBox360 are all connected to the Onkyo receiver using HDMI also. The Onkyo receiver is brand new also...newer then the TV actually, so for the first couple weeks everything was hooked up directly to the TV through HDMI and I still had the video issue.
I actually noticed the bad quality as soon as I powered the TV on and the built-in setup menus appeared. The built in menus had blocky blue coloring and the text looked blocky also.


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

Could be the Onkyo receiver as well. Try bypassing the receiver and go directly from the source to the tv.


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## tcarcio (Jun 27, 2007)

I would just take it back and get another Panny. They are really the best plasma's out there and you probably just got a bad one. It does happen. Also go back to the store and watch the same set there and see what you think of the picture.


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

Your picture should be pristine, if the source material is hd. Colors could be off, but the clarity should be like a thin crust pizza- crispy! Oh, it's lunchtime :whistling: Make a last check of the manual and settings, then bring it back.


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## bambino (Feb 21, 2010)

When i first set up my LCD the picture was blocky and bad then i went into my AVR settings and adjusted somthing to do with upconverting or somthing (it's been awhile) but after that the picture was great. I have all my sources going to the AVR then to the TV.:T


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

As mechman said, just run a source directly to the TV using HDMI. Try your Xbox with an HD trailer. Make sure the XBox is set to output 1080p.


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## paul780 (Apr 10, 2010)

Just to update, after spending more time reading the owners manual I found a setting that drastically improved the quality once enabled, MPEG NR. Between this and bumping up the sharpness, HD video is now what I expected it to be.
Thank you for all the suggestions...


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## bambino (Feb 21, 2010)

Good to hear it, amazing what the owners manual and messing around with the different tweeks can do for a component.


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## Bigggdaddy72 (Jan 10, 2010)

either you have it set up wrong or your tv is malfunctioning.I have the same tv and the picture is pure beauty,The blacks on the set are awesome.I used to have a lcd,and did not think the blacks on a plasma would make the picture better.Blu-ray looks absolutely stunning as well as video games,and hd channels.So its not the brand or tv itself that is bad,might be you have a wrong connection somewhere


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