Panasonic TF 42PH20E Plasma

[Steve Shaw]

As I know the question of displays come up a lot I hought you might like to hear my review of the Panasonic TF 42PH20E Plasma displays as I have just spent 2 day really getting to grips with them, performing full calibration and profiling.

The results were very interesting.

Looking at just the underlying calibration the displays do not calibrate well at all.

The controls are either too course, or too fine.
The default settings are not at all accurate.
For example, we found the 2.6 gamma setting to actually be closest to 2.2.
And the colour gamut is far too large in Green, with Red a bit over gamut, and blue just about right.

In the end we got the displays as close as possible with the following basic setting:
(Note: peak white measurement with a quarter screen patch was 100Nits)

Picture Menu - Normalise

Picture Mode - Normal
Contrast 4
Brightness 0
Colour -15
Hue 0
Sharpness 0
White balance Normal
Colour Management off

Advanced Settings

Black extension 1
Input Level 0
Gamma 2.6
AGC Off
W/B High R -4
W/B High G 0
W/B High B -11
W/B Low R -2
W/B Low G 0
W/B Low B 10

Extended hidden menu (OSD Language & hold down enter for 5 secs to get into this)

Onscreen display on
Initial input off
Initial vol level off
Maximum Vol level off
Input Lock off
Button lock off
Remocon user level off
off-timer function enable
Initial power mode normal
ID select 0
Remote ID off
Serial ID off
Display size off
Studio W/B off
Studio Gain off
Slot power off
Power on screen delay off
Clock display off
All aspect off
Auto setup manual
Rotate off

Profiling and the final LUT

After getting these setting we had the best possible underlying calibration, but it was still not accurate.
A full profile of the display (1000 flats done with LightSpace CMS and Hubble) gave us a full profile of the calibration, showing where it's no accurate, and where it is.

Screen grabs of this can be provided if wanted (showing the gamma and gamut).0


The Gamma (grey scale) and Gamut (cube) were close, but green is over saturated (as is the case with most 'new displys' with the profile LUT generated bringing it back into alignment, as well as non-linear inaccuracies in the total colour space, seen by the points in the cube not being in perfect alignment (in the image that can be requested).

With the LUT installed in a HDlink Pro the calibration was near perfect, as the LUT corrects these issues.

I hope this info is of help.

Steve

 

[Dave Blackham]

Steve calibrated these displays for a facility I have just completed building for a client.

They now look very good and Id recommend this procedure to any one interested in using them.

Dave

 

[Kaku Ito]

Panasonic Plasma being saturated on green seems to be unavoidable. My PF12 is the same way.

 

[Dave Blackham]

The LUT steve created for the Black magic HD link sorted it out well. Even prior to the LUT being built is wasn't that bad but its now quite accurate. Id say the HD link is an essential component for the monitoring chain or a Davio. The LUT could have been applied with in the Mac but would have been tied to the app in which the LUT was applied. In this case the decision was to ensure the display and HD LInk worked as a calibrated pair so displayed any HDSDI signal correctly. The HD link is not expensive either.

 

[Kaku Ito]

Yeah, I read in the Calman page about the similar thing that they recommend video eq to solve that problem, good to know that HD link works well.

 

[craigjkharris]

With the LUT installed in a HDlink Pro the calibration was near perfect, as the LUT corrects these issues.

I hope this info is of help.

Steve

Is it possible to get the LUT settings for the HDLink?

 

[Dave Blackham]

I don't have them but Steve does......

I don't think they will be much help though as they are specific to the display's.

Up to Steve, he's the expert on this. LightSpace CMS and Hubble and are fantastic tools........

 

[craigjkharris]

I don't have them but Steve does......

I don't think they will be much help though as they are specific to the display's.

Up to Steve, he's the expert on this. LightSpace CMS and Hubble and are fantastic tools........

Is LightSpace able to work on a MAC system?
I have a friend locally who owns a Hubble who could help me do the calibration. I've been looking at the Panasonic for a few weeks now after many good reports of the black levels and color accuaracy - when calibrating with the right tools.

The LUT for the HDLink would still be helpful.

Cheers,
Craig

 

[Steve Shaw]

LightSpace CMS is a Windows program, but will run on a cheap notebook. It can then calibrate any display attached to any OS system.

As Dave says, the LUTs a specific to each display, so having a copy really isn't any help.

As for CalMan, it makes 1D calibrations only, so will never be accurate enough as 3D LUTs are required for cross-colour control and saturation (gamut) alteration.

I've just added pages on this to the Light Illusion website - under LightSpace CMS.

 

[Erfort Kuke]

TF 42PH20E or TH 42PH20E

TF 42PH20E or TH 42PH20E

Hello Steve,

Did you mean the TH 42PH20E Plasma?? i cannot find a TF 42PH20E in google.

Thanx

 

[Steve Shaw]

Sorry, it was the TH-42PF20ER, although I have now calibrated many different plasmas...

 

[Paulo Américo]

10 or 8 bit?

10 or 8 bit?

Is the Panasonic Plasma connected with the HDlink Pro capable of displaying 10 bit per channel images if one were to use the DVI>HDMI output route (assuming feeding it with a 10 bit HD-SDI signal)?
I can't find any reference to the color depth output capabilities of the HDlink Pro when used to convert from HD-SDI to DVI (or HDMI) on the Blackmagic website.
Thanks for any help.

 

[Steve Shaw]

That is actually a mute point as no plasma is capable of displaying full 10 bits... The screens are limited to a lot lower than that, so regardless of the input bit depth you will see no change on the screen.