Magnavox MLCD32

[Merkava]

Thanks for the prompt reply Grim... Good to know it does things beyond the manual (which is crap anyway). I want decent pc support for general web browsing and for the better half, who has a bit of World of Warcraft addiction happening. Not my thing really, mad for Halo myself.

Mossy I tried to quickly look into the Full & Half Scart thing last night. I didn't really have too much luck but I think it may be that a Full Scart works 'both ways' (it is an input and output) and that a Half Scart is an input or output only (not sure if it can be either input or output, or only one of them though). I'm sure someone else on here would be able to answer, and if I can get a definite answer soon I will post.

The manual for many of these 'no brand' tv's really leave alot to be desired, have lots of basic turn it on and use it info but fall way short on covering what the sets can really do.

I have just now also come across the Prima Australia (Akai etc website) and the new / current Telefunken lcd's look like they are the same rebaged set.

[mossy1503559706]

Anyone else got this LCD yet? Anyone tried the Scart or know what Full or Half scart is?

[blackreqiuem]

I have the set but am just as mystified by the SCART as you are and would love it if anyone else could give some info on it. Also if anyone knows if this set accepts RGB over SCART as my STB has that as an output option, but when I plugged it in I just got black and white image, oh well...

[steveo1503559696]

Long shot but try www.magnavox.com. They have some info and FAQs for the US models which would be similar.

SteveO

[mossy1503559706]

No go with magnavox.com unfortunately. The 26" model there not only looks different, but has different resolution specs and doesn't mention Scart as one of the inputs.

Mossy

[Merkava]

For those wondering about scarts, I just came across this link...

SCART info

It does mention them being bidirectional, so I think I may be correct that a full scart works in both directions and a half scart is only an input or output.

[Dickie]

Pick mine up tomorrow so will alos update with my Xbox 360 experience. Thanks to eveyone for their input and helping with my decision in choosing.

[steveo1503559696]

No go with magnavox.com unfortunately. The 26" model there not only looks different, but has different resolution specs and doesn't mention Scart as one of the inputs.

Mossy

Gee I'm an idiot - I forgot US still doesn't generally use SCART.

Had a look at the support page for the 30" LCD. One significant difference was that it had AV out which this set doesn't. This would support the earlier suggestion that the full scart is bi-directional and provides an AVin and out function probably via composite.

The plugs provided were input only which supports the suggestion that half SCART is input only.

I'll have a dig round the garage tomorrow as i think I have a bidirectional SCART/RCA cable somewhere that I can use to see if I get an input and output.

SteveO

[KevK]

The DVI input does not seem to work on my 26" Magnavox.

Have others found it so or was it simply a plug and go procedure.

I would like some feedback

I did ring Mistral for advice and was told that if I swapped the panel for another one it would probably behave the same as the DVI input was more an input to be fed by a devise giving the native resolution or it was a DVI connecter incompatible with my computers Radeon card.

Other panels I have with DVI inputs work fine with my PC.

I think it is broken.

The panel seems good value.

Photos from a computer are squashed at the recommended PC resoulution of 1024x768 and in normal proportions at 1368x768, but text is not good at the latter resolution.

Feeding it from an HD stb through the RGB input gave a pleasing picture but small black bands down each side suggested you would probably need access to the service menu codes to have a perfect picture.

These funny resolutions such as 1366x768 are a pain for computer use. A bit like the 852x480 reolution on my SD Plasma which I run from a computer with Powerstrip at 960x540 to fit the picture on the screen and get the text to look better from the PC.

[Grim Reaper]

easy way to test your DVI, Turn your PC off and disconnect all outputs (VGA/TV out) and just have dvi plugged in. Put the TV onto DVI mode then power on your PC. You should see your pc boot on your LCD then. If not then id say your TV is stuffed

Ive uninstalled powerstrip as i can get the native 1366x768 res running with just the nvidia drivers. :ph34r:

[steveo1503559696]

The DVI input does not seem to work on my 26" Magnavox.

Have others found it so or was it simply a plug and go procedure.

I would like some feedback

I did ring Mistral for advice and was told that if I swapped the panel for another one it would probably behave the same as the DVI input was more an input to be fed by a devise giving the native resolution or it was a DVI connecter incompatible with my computers Radeon card.

Other panels I have with DVI inputs work fine with my PC.

I think it is broken.

The panel seems good value.

Photos from a computer are squashed at the recommended PC resoulution of 1024x768 and in normal proportions at 1368x768, but text is not good at the latter resolution.

Feeding it from an HD stb through the RGB input gave a pleasing picture but small black bands down each side suggested you would probably need access to the service menu codes to have a perfect picture.

These funny resolutions such as 1366x768 are a pain for computer use. A bit like the 852x480 reolution on my SD Plasma which I run from a computer with Powerstrip at 960x540 to fit the picture on the screen and get the text to look better from the PC.

My experience with the DVI connection from an upscaling DVD player was that it would only display 576p and 768p in 4:3 format. It wouldn't show 720p or 1080i.

I am running my Hydef STB via the VGA input and have no problems, and get a full screen, with 1080i using the native mode setting but have problems if I use the CRT display setting.

SteveO

[KevK]

Thanks for your help guys and good to see you exercising your addiction so early in the morning.

Yep I have tried everything and get only the Windows boot screen before windows starts and the blue screen of nothingness appears.

So you are confirming that if it will not boot and display off the DVI input it is faulty and the Mistral Technician is making things up about the native input res and the different types of DVI inputs.

Powerstrip is a real pain and it may be worthwhile to buy some Nvidia cards. Can they be low key ones.

[steveo1503559696]

Thanks for your help guys and good to see you exercising your addiction so early in the morning.

Yep I have tried everything and get only the Windows boot screen before windows starts and the blue screen of nothingness appears.

So you are confirming that if it will not boot and display off the DVI input it is faulty and the Mistral Technician is making things up about the native input res and the different types of DVI inputs.

Powerstrip is a real pain and it may be worthwhile to buy some Nvidia cards. Can they be low key ones.

Mistral was said they would get back to me on DVI but haven't heard from them. Pointed out that their advertising was misleading if they claimed you could run DVDs and STBs over DVI but it doesn't work satisfactorily. I have a DVI output STB but only DVI HDMI cables and don't intend to waste money buying a DVI DVI cable on the off chance it might work.

SteveO

[digitaladvisor]

I do not have the display but a far as I aware the latest Catalyst version (full interface version with configuration panel and ALL features simular to nVidia HDTV setups.

The trick here as suggested to ensure you DISCONNECT all outputs to alternatives - even nvidia have difficulty in plug and play with dual monitor setups.

Yes I now own an nvidia 6600GT as well as a Radeon 9600XT - both on testing have EQUALITY FEATURE to feature in their native drivers with one exception - 60Hz to 50Hz via DVI required another program to enforce 50Hz vertical. <-- updates coming ATI to enable a user to set timing frequencies which are seperate and distinct from resolutions - like 720p.

Allow detection as primary before you do anything else with Radeon drivers. Then setup for HD and yes you may have resort to PowerStrip if no luck with native drivers.

However IMHO - a Radeon card (9600XT) delivers OVERALL better processing picture quality derived from divergent sources of DTV broadcasted MPEG 2 then a 6600GT. Getting native like mentioned is abit of a pain however.

Many reviews also confirm this fact on a few web sites who do not get cashed up with outrageous propaganda from either ATI or nVidia.

Lets be very specific here. DVI/Component work almost identical in setting up for HDTV on BOTH cards.

Overriding the lousy EDID in many many digital panels is vital in achieving native.

DA

[steveo1503559696]

Did some playing with the inputs and settings and came up with the following:

TV RF normal but doesn't work if you have an VGA input switched on although AV out still displays the tuner picture

AVI rear normal

AVI side normal

S video side audio needs to be plugged in at the side also and svideo setting selected not side AV - I inly got black and white s-video from my camcorder but that may not be a general issue

Half SCART AV in and out but out only the tuner. It did not pick up a side AV input even though that was what the TV was displaying

Full SCART As for half SCART Cable was only AV so not sure of SCART inputs with YCbCr adaptors

YCbCr accepted an SD component output but had to use TV menu to set to full screen

YPbPr displayed SD component and 576P, 720P and 1080i from STB. Only 720P from up scaling DVD player. Also accepted 1080i if the DVD player was set to interlace

DVI Accepted 576P and 768P from DVD player but not 720P or 1080i but in 4:3 format only and no option to expand

Edit: Interesting quirk as I left the component cable off by mistake when reconnecting and it now shows 576P, 720P and 768P in full widescreen on DVI.

VGA accepts 576P, 720P and 1080i from STB in native mode - some problems of breakup if set to CRT display mode also accepted 1028x1280 32 bit colour from monitor but not higher (out of range) Image stretched to fit the screen - others have more info in using as a monitor using VGA abd DVI

Set top box was a hydef GR 3200T and DVD player was a Samsung HD850. Some of the DVD experiences may be due to its upscaling approach.

Any other observations would be useful.

SteveO

[mossy1503559706]

Thanks SteveO

I'm going to get one of these and try. See how I go. I can always return it if it doesn't work properly, plus the fact they advertise PIP when it hasn't!

Might have to wait awhile until they get one if sold out.

Mossy

[KevK]

DVI input from a PC still eludes me.

I don't know how you did it "Grim"

I even swapped it for another panel as I found a Kmart that had more delivered.

The new one behaves the same.

I can set up the DVI to be working on a 17" LCD monitor and then shut everything down.

Change the DVI cable to the Magnavox without anything else connected.

Turn on the computer and get no further than the windows boot screen on the Magnavox.

It must be something to do with the Radeon 9200 graphics card in my computer or your Magnavox has extra magic properties mine don't have.

I checked my Living room PC and it has a Nvidia Gforce FX5200 card in it.

If I install up to date Forceware Vers 84.21 drivers will that provide the 1366x768 res and do they also have 852x480 res for SD plasma panels so I would not have to use powerstrip that often chucks a wobbly anyway and needs you to key in all the numbers again. Even with the latest Catalyst drivers for the Radeon there are no drivers for that res.

The new panel seems the same as the old one. Similar picture quality. No noticeable dead pixels and even the same label glued with camel snot on the front speaker that should take half an hour to scrape off

[KevK]

An update to the above:

The DVI input works, no sweat, on the Nvidia Gaphics card.

I down loaded the latest Nvidia drivers and tried to make a custom res of 1366x768 and it said it was invalid, as was one for 852x480.

The provided resolutions of 1360 an 1368 suggests it only works in 8 pixel increments as indicated by others.

I now wonder how to get the Radeon card to detect the Magnavox as effiecently as a Nvidia and how do you get the native res without the Powerstrip hootananny. Text looked good from the DVi input whereas I am struggling to pick the difference on a pair of LCD panels I use in unison, one on a VGA input the other on a DVI from the Radeon card

The DVI television I saw from a computer digital tuner was pretty ordinary, but that is the nature of most of it by the providers who do not seem to use HD cameras much and get by with handicams. It does seem to be folly to spend lots of money on HD gear in the home

[Dickie]

Hooked mine up to my Xbox 360 tonight and was not disappointed, an amazing picture and only 900 bucks. A great TV for the bedroom. Recommended.

[digitaladvisor]

Kev,

Install latest Catalyst for your RADEON CARD as same for your nVidia card.

Try them...ONLY connect DVI -- use downloadable UNISTALL application for Radeon drivers FIRST though!

DA

[Grim Reaper]

yea im now running the latest official 84.21 drivers too. It simply seems the problem with this panel is the crappy info the panel sends to the Video card (so it has no idea what settings it should use). I take it off auto detect and use General Timing Formula (GTF). Then find some kind of timing page where you can type in the custom res. You just have to stuff around with the drivers until it works

I agree with the scaling issues though (since the tv doesnt let you manipulate this). On my dvd player some dvds were stretched wrong. I dont plan to use it anyway. DVD through the DVI on the PC blows the crap out of the dvd player quality and you can stretch the video anyway you want to get it perfect So i guess this panel is perfect for someone like me who only wants to use with PC (with DVD drive and HDTV card). But seems very troublesome when hooking up stuff like dvd players and setop boxes with what youve said steveo.

[steveo1503559696]

But seems very troublesome when hooking up stuff like dvd players and setop boxes with what youve said steveo.

Hey Grim

Think I've now got it sorted from a pensioner like me's point of view.

Only give the sucker one active input at a time.

Now have the STB running beautifully at 1080i on VGA and the upscaling DVD running at 768p on DVI as required. PC is not an issue for me.

SteveO

[KevK]

Kev,

Install latest Catalyst for your RADEON CARD as same for your nVidia card.

Try them...ONLY connect DVI -- use downloadable UNISTALL application for Radeon drivers FIRST though!

DA

Thanks for the suggestion DA.

Am running Radeon driver Vers 8.231 of 21.02.2006.

Maybe I installed it without removing the old driver? Think I just ran it rather than saved it.

The panel did work straight off with very old Nvidia drivers on the Living room TV computer. I then downloaded the Nvidia update in the fruitless search for 1366x768 res.

I could swap the graphics cards from computer to computer, but I think I bought the Nvidia to run with the Dvico tuner software to drop less video frames and that Dvico software is a real hassle as it is.

The Catalyst software seemed overly complicated and just using Contol Panel, Display, Settings enabled the two computer screens to be run at different resolutions at the same time.

So to do it properly I have to first download a uninstall application Then down load and install the latest driver again.

I am currently of little faith and energy.

[KevK]

Did it all again as you directed DA and no joy.

Also updated computer BIOS as suggested by some Radeon troubleshooting page.

Life always seems too short for the time consumption that computers cause or is it "A pox on Magnavox for making such a crap DVI input!"

[Digital Addict]

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/6839/settings6vx.th.jpg

. But anyway you can now have native res with DVI

Wow these settings look great!!! At last I have the real resolution of the monitor (thank you!!)

I am curious though...how did you get these values.