New Pioneer 8th Gen Plasmas 508 Etc

[chrisb03]

Sorry, I'm not familiar with a decorative board - do you mind clarifying ? Thanks

It would be DIY. Buy a large piece of MDF board (high density partical board from bunnings) that is larger than the panel and also extends past the top of the entertainment unit. You have paint this the same colour as the wall or make it a feature by painting with dulux effects etc. Or you can have material glued to it. Just mount it with some spacers onto the wall, mount the panel on the board. If done correctly it will look good I suppose.

[mikeh_au]

Having panels wall mounted, how have people concealed the cables?

I don't have a wall cavity available and thus cannot run the cables inside the wall.

Was toying with the idea of conduit, but the Missus didn't like that.

I appreciate all ideas

I have the speaker removed and do not use it. The TV looks like a large picture frame and has great WAF. All my cables are run inside the wall. The decorative cover plate idea seems far better than conduit. If you have a cabinet below the distance should be minimal.

Michael

[quintessence]

Having panels wall mounted, how have people concealed the cables?

I don't have a wall cavity available and thus cannot run the cables inside the wall.

Was toying with the idea of conduit, but the Missus didn't like that.

I appreciate all ideas

You could always chase the cables into the wall, patch over with some plaster/render and paint the wall. It's not hard to do if you set aside a day to do it.

otherwise the floating MDF panel is also a good idea and will allow for future cables to be installed.

[ern]

Hi

I bought an MXE pio in the last group buy and I wall mounted it on a brick feature wall. I found the best way(and best looking) was to purchase a plasma wall mount kit from Big Picture people (jason knows which one) I assembled it and mounted my 50inch pio with no dramas (15yo son helped). Looks good.

[fawlty99]

You could always chase the cables into the wall, patch over with some plaster/render and paint the wall. It's not hard to do if you set aside a day to do it.

I have done this & it works if you have the SAME paint as was originally used and you can finish the plaster off so you can't see the edges. Same colour/brand is not good enough IMO because each mix is different although if the area is not large or not brightly lit then you could get away with it. You could always repaint the whole wall of course.

[hermes_2k5]

I have done this & it works if you have the SAME paint as was originally used and you can finish the plaster off so you can't see the edges. Same colour/brand is not good enough IMO because each mix is different although if the area is not large or not brightly lit then you could get away with it. You could always repaint the whole wall of course.

Thanks all, I'll work out the $$$ for time\resources for all options and make a decision.

FYI

http://www.smh.com.au/news/articles/big-sc...5321793571.html

November 22, 2007

Jason Hill takes a look at some screens that really do justice to games.

Gamers are famous early adopters driving the acceptance of many technologies that are now commonplace, including CD-ROM, DVD, broadband, 3-D graphics and sound cards.

With the slow uptake of digital television and high-definition movies, gamers are again leading the pack in the adoption of high-definition displays. But choosing the right screen is anything but easy, even for the most technologically savvy shopper.

First there is difficult decision of which technology to choose: LCD, plasma or projection, then whether to spend the extra money for "full HD" 1080p resolution (the maximum number of pixels on screen).

Each technology has strengths and weaknesses, with LCD currently the most popular choice for moderately sized screens because of rapidly falling prices. A good option for those on a modest budget is a quality widescreen computer monitor such as Dell's 24-inch LCD.

But gamers looking for a significantly bigger screen should consider a quality plasma because of its darker blacks, along with its bright, rich colours and far superior handling of rapid movement.

The best plasma this reviewer has tested is the new 50-inch Pioneer Kuro PDP-508XDA, which offers unprecedented contrast, vibrant colours and astonishing detail. It is a 720p model (the 1080p version is $2000 dearer) but this alone highlights the fact that you cannot trust specifications alone, as this is superior to most 1080p competitors.

Playing high-definition PS3 and Xbox 360 games such as Call of Duty 4, Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction and Assassin's Creed on the Kuro was spectacular with the screen handling fast-moving motion with ease, unlike many cheap plasma and LCD screens.

It is certainly tough to go back to playing games on a standard-definition television after enjoying them in all their high-def glory.

For gamers craving the biggest possible display, a quality projector such as Epson's new 1080p EMP TW2000 is worth considering.

The projector uses 3LCD technology so it doesn't suffer from the disconcerting "rainbow effect" of DLP models and can deliver a huge yet crisp 100-inch display.

www.blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay

Edited November 22, 2007 by hermes_2k5

[chrisb03]

I need help connecting and setting pc to display on my new LX508A. I have XP and 7600GT video card. Therefore DVI to HDMI. I have successfully seen desktop on plasma but it is overscaned and videos don't show up on the plasma but do on the pc monitor.

[mwd]

I need help connecting and setting pc to display on my new LX508A. I have XP and 7600GT video card. Therefore DVI to HDMI. I have successfully seen desktop on plasma but it is overscaned and videos don't show up on the plasma but do on the pc monitor.

You need dot to dot mode ( second row of buttons from bottom far right on remote )

In the Nvidea controls you need to make the plasma the only monitor if you use clone mode the video only shows on the primary monitor.

[chrisb03]

You need dot to dot mode ( second row of buttons from bottom far right on remote )

In the Nvidea controls you need to make the plasma the only monitor if you use clone mode the video only shows on the primary monitor.

Hey mwd "second row of buttons from bottom far right on remote", isn't that the aspect ratio button?

[chrisb03]

Hey mwd "second row of buttons from bottom far right on remote", isn't that the aspect ratio button?

Got it!........excelleeeeeeeent!!!!!

[chrisb03]

Got it!........excelleeeeeeeent!!!!!

Audio is out of sync...doh! Will have to work on that now. Any suggestions? I have a analog out going from pc to plasma.

Edited November 23, 2007 by chrisb03

[nickmm]

The best plasma this reviewer has tested is the new 50-inch Pioneer Kuro PDP-508XDA, which offers unprecedented contrast, vibrant colours and astonishing detail. It is a 720p model (the 1080p version is $2000 dearer) but this alone highlights the fact that you cannot trust specifications alone, as this is superior to most 1080p competitors.

I agree, had it installed today and I am AMAZED at the quality, money well worth spent.

[Goldy]

The best plasma this reviewer has tested is the new 50-inch Pioneer Kuro PDP-508XDA, which offers unprecedented contrast, vibrant colours and astonishing detail. It is a 720p model (the 1080p version is $2000 dearer) but this alone highlights the fact that you cannot trust specifications alone, as this is superior to most 1080p competitors.

I agree, had it installed today and I am AMAZED at the quality, money well worth spent.

Roughly how far is the distance from the panel to your seating position?

I am still not sure which size to get.

[diesel]

Another review - Pioneer PDP-LX608A

The Pioneer's screen is sufficiently bright to perform well under fluoro lighting, with sufficient black levels and a lack of reflections. Of course, turn the lights off and the blacks deepen even further -- putting every other panel on the market to shame.

[The D-Train]

Roughly how far is the distance from the panel to your seating position?

I am still not sure which size to get.

Goldy,

I am about 2.5 metres away from my 608 and it feels about right.

No way in the world would I want to go to a 50" or smaller.

If anything a bit bigger.

[wilsact]

Guess the question at the moment is more would you take a Kuro 1080p for around $7000-7500 or two same size panasonic 1080p's for same money!!!!

As much as I love the Pioneer's, this is going to be a long hard question when buying when funds available......

Edited November 24, 2007 by Tim_

[mwd]

Not many people paying $7500.00+ unless you are looking at 60"

I will take 2 X 60" Kuro still better than a 70" Sony LCD and still have change for a car, boat, jetski. you get the drift.

Edited November 24, 2007 by mwd

[Guest RabbitTheRat]

What is the maximum PC resolution of the LX508A?

[nightbreed]

What is the maximum PC resolution of the LX508A?

1920x1080 using HDMI/DVI

[Jackal939]

Roughly how far is the distance from the panel to your seating position?

I am still not sure which size to get.

If u can get a good price on the 608 LX pioneer go that, i was in the same posion as you, not sure if 60 inch would be to big at 3.5 meters. Finally went with the 608 and DAMN iam so glad i did, 50 would be wayyyyy to small, i could even go bigger now. Took me 10 minutes to get use to the size. And omg what a tv, the darn picture is fantastic on everything. Money well spent. Blu rays i sit around 2 meters on a bean bag, HD same and foxtell 2-3m. Iam so amazed how good the foxtell picture is, i dont even bother now watching HD FTA via the tuner, i watch the FTA through foxtell. Just bloody amazing.

[hermes_2k5]

Guess the question at the moment is more would you take a Kuro 1080p for around $7000-7500 or two same size panasonic 1080p's for same money!!!!

As much as I love the Pioneer's, this is going to be a long hard question when buying when funds available......

Take two 508XDA's on the GB or two Pana's and upgrade in 2-5 years when the warranty is finished or when technology is better, but hey if you have the money get a hi-def kuro.

[ben1680]

Guess the question at the moment is more would you take a Kuro 1080p for around $7000-7500 or two same size panasonic 1080p's for same money!!!!

As much as I love the Pioneer's, this is going to be a long hard question when buying when funds available......

Most people forget that current Pana Full HD draw A LOT MORE electric current compared to Pio. If you factor this in, plus additional bill for Air Conditioning in summer month, the price difference is not that big.

Here is the comparison:

Max current draw:

Panasonic PZ58 58" Full HD: 680Watt (36% higher)

Pioneer LX608 60" Full HD: 505Watt

Panasonic PZ50 50" Full HD: 640Watt (54% higher)

Pioneer LX508 50" Full HD: 415Watt

Panasonic PX50 50" HD: 528Watt (43% higher)

Pioneer 508XDA 50"HD: 369Watt

Plus the fact that contrast ratio is A LOT HIGHER in Pioneer TV. For me, this differences can be seen straight away. Full HD Panasonic only have 5000:1 contrast, while their HD deliver 10.000:1 contrast. Pioneer have 20:000:1 contrast in their Full HD range, and 16:000:1 contrast in their HD range. Also, Pio can accept 24fps while Pana can't. This is very important feature for Blu-Ray and HD-DVD to eliminate jerkiness. You don't want to buy Full HD only to see FTA, right? Another thing is in home 5 years warranty on Pio. If they need to take away your TV, they will provide replacement while your TV is being repaired.

So Pio is still the choice in term of quality. It is money well spent, IMHO.

For people on a budget, I believe Pana still deliver more bang for the buck compared to Pio.

[twain1503561795]

I'm looking for a suitable replacement for my existing Sony trinitron CRT (which was calibrated to show a superb picture) but of course now I want wide screen.

I've made up my mind to go for a Kuro and have a slight preference for a 428XDA because of room size & short viewing distance, plus I don't want the set to dominate too much in the room.

But 428XDA is 1024x768 I think, while 508XDA is 1366x768.

Most viewing will be FTA HDTV (ABC only!) and some DVD's

Which of the above two models will provide the better picture quality in terms of sharpness & detail at a viewing distance of 2.2 metres -given that ABC HD is only 720p?

Thanks in advance for any replies

[Goldy]

I'm looking for a suitable replacement for my existing Sony trinitron CRT (which was calibrated to show a superb picture) but of course now I want wide screen.

I've made up my mind to go for a Kuro and have a slight preference for a 428XDA because of room size & short viewing distance, plus I don't want the set to dominate too much in the room.

But 428XDA is 1024x768 I think, while 508XDA is 1366x768.

Most viewing will be FTA HDTV (ABC only!) and some DVD's

Which of the above two models will provide the better picture quality in terms of sharpness & detail at a viewing distance of 2.2 metres -given that ABC HD is only 720p?

Thanks in advance for any replies

Hi Twain,

I have been looking for a while and i am looking at the kuro 42 also and i have been tossing up between 42 and 50 and my distance is about 2.8m to 3.0m and i have stood at this distance at stores and i just see too many imperfections with a 50".

But if you watch blue ray 24 hrs a day and no FTA a 50 would probably be ok.

It's funny how quite a few sales guys I have spoken to have said how many people have returned there panels to get a smaller one because when they get it home they think it does not work properly because it's not a sharp picture but it is because they are sitting too close to it.

That's just my opinion and I bet plenty of people will probably howl me down for it.

[The D-Train]

Hi Twain,

I have been looking for a while and i am looking at the kuro 42 also and i have been tossing up between 42 and 50 and my distance is about 2.8m to 3.0m and i have stood at this distance at stores and i just see too many imperfections with a 50".

But if you watch blue ray 24 hrs a day and no FTA a 50 would probably be ok.

It's funny how quite a few sales guys I have spoken to have said how many people have returned there panels to get a smaller one because when they get it home they think it does not work properly because it's not a sharp picture but it is because they are sitting too close to it.

That's just my opinion and I bet plenty of people will probably howl me down for it.

I reckon you need to decide exactly what your getting it for.

If its basically for FTA tv get a smaller one but if you want a good size screen for movies then get a 60".

A 42" from that distance for movies wont give you much of a HT feel, IMHO but would suit normal day to day viewing. The 50" may give you a bit of a compromise. I put a 68cm in the same room as my 60" for this purpose.