FAQ

Digital AV

Plasma & LCD TV

Question1. I've heard that plasma TVs can burn-in over time. What is burn-in exactly, and is it really a concern?
Answer1.
Burn-in, which is an uneven aging of the phosphors in a display device, can occur on any display that uses phosphors to generate an image, including tube TVs, projection TVs that use CRTs, and plasma TVs. Such uneven aging happens when bright, static images are left onscreen for an extended period of time, which can leave a permanent "shadow" that is always visible. It often occurs because the contrast and brightness settings on the TV are too high. Use common sense when it comes to your plasma TV; don't pause video games or watch TV stations with station logos onscreen for long periods of time, and use one of the many display calibration DVDs available today for properly setting brightness and contrast.

Question2. How long can I expect my plasma TV to last?
Answer2.
All displays that use phosphors lose brightness over time. Believe it or not, that old tube TV you have in the den isn't as bright as it was when you bought it 10 years ago. Most displays naturally dim as they age, and they'll dim faster if you set the brightness and contrast very high. With proper adjustment of the brightness and contrast settings, your plasma TV will offer many years of use with a sufficient level of brightness.

Question3. What are the minimum requirements of HD-Ready displays?
Answer3.
The minimum native resolution of the display must be at least 720 physical lines in aspect ratio 16:9. The display must be able to resolve 720p, 1080i or 1080p.

The display device must accept must accept HD input via:

Analog Component Y-Pb-Pr, and/or
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) or DVI(Digital Visual Interface)
HD capable inputs msut accept the following HD video formats:

1280x720 @ 50Hz progression (720p)
1920x1080 @50Hz interface (1080i)

Question4.
Answer4.
In order to enjoy the full benefits of HDTV broadcasting, you should consider investing in the following:

An HD-ready TV
A set-top HD receiver capable of at least 720p and up to 1080i resolution
An off-air antenna to receive HDTV signal from Mediacorp or subscription to SCV digital cable when HDTV programmes become available on cable platform.
A Dolby Digital home theatre system with speakers. Surround sound will give you the fullest audio experience, but isn't compulsory

Question5. What is HDMI? Is it compatible with DVI?
Answer5.
HDMI, which stands for "High-Definition Multimedia Interface", is the consumer electronic industry's first connection capable of transmitting uncompressed digital audio/video signals. Components featuring HDMI can transmit both digital audio and video over one convenient cable, replacing the tangled mess that resides behind many home theater components. HDMI also offers improved quality over traditional analog connections thanks to all-digital transmission. Digital sources like DVDs and HDTV programming can now be transferred digitally from source to display without analog conversions that can degrade the original signal.

Unlike the HDMI interface, DVI only handles digital video. Through the use of an adapter, a DVI device can be connected to an HDMI device, but only video content can be transmitted. The audio signal would have to be transmitted through other methods such as analog RCA outputs or an optical digital output.

Question6. Why do I still see black bars on my widescreen TV when viewing certain widescreen DVDs and HDTV broadcasts?
Answer6.
Your widescreen TV has an aspect ratio of 16:9 (1.78:1), which is the aspect ratio of HDTV. However, movies are filmed at several different aspect ratios, including 2.35:1. Also referred to as "scope", 2.35:1 is a very panoramic aspect ratio that provides a wide field of view in the theater. Scope is much wider than your widescreen TV, so it still requires the use of letterboxing ("black bars") to fit the entire image on screen. Some TVs and DVD players have a zoom function that allows you to blow up the image so it fills the screen, but the sides of the image must be cropped in order to do so.

Question7. What will 4:3 broadcasts and DVDs look like on a widescreen TV?
Answer7.
There are multiple settings for adjusting the appearance of 4:3 material on Panasonic widescreen TVs. It can be viewed with black bars on the sides, preserving the way it was originally intended to be viewed. Some viewers find the black bars distracting, so they might prefer one of the stretch modes that lets you fill the entire TV screen with the image. One such mode is the JUST (justify) mode, which stretches only the outer portion of the picture while leaving the center untouched.

Question8. How do Plasma TV and LCD TV differs?
Answer8.
Since they use different methods to display images on the screen, they produce different results. Plasma TVs are best at producing powerful big-screen images with lots of impact, whereas LCD TVs are good at producing subtly modulated images in brightly lit rooms.

With their powerful Large-screen images, plasma TVs are ideal for the whole family to watch together. A wide variety of LCD TV models are available, perfect for personal viewing.
Large screen
Living Room
Family Viewing
Medium or Small Screen
Personal Viewing
In a plasma TV the panel itself emits light, so the entire screen produces bright images with deep, expressive blacks under typical living room lighting conditions. Dynamic sequences with lots of motion, such as sporting events or action movies, are rendered smoothly and fluidly. The wide viewing angle and powerful impact of plasma TVs makes them ideal for group viewing by the whole family together. In an LCD TV the screen is illuminated by a backlight. They are relatively unaffected by reflected glare and deliver bright, subtly modulated images even in brightly lit rooms or near windows through which the sun is shining. They are lightweight and can be moved about easily, which means they can be placed almost anywhere the user likes. LCD TVs in screen sizes of 32 inches or less are ideal for personal use and offer plenty of flexibility.
Plasma TV and LCD TV Comparison Table
Plasma TV LCD TV
Screen size In screen sizes of 37 inches and up, ideal for group viewing by the entire family. In screen sizes of 32 inches and below, a variety of models are available for applications ranging from individual to family viewing.
Visibility EXCELLENT: Provides a bright picture for family viewing in the living room. EXCELLENT: Provides a sharp picture in brightly lighted locations.
Viewing angle EXCELLENT: The wide viewing angle means the picture is sharp even when viewed from the sides. Ideal for family viewing. GOOD: Best for personal viewing because the brightness varies when viewed from an angle, whether above, below or the left or right side.
Dynamic content performance EXCELLENT: Smooth, fluid reproduction of content with lots of motion, such as sporting events. GOOD: Some afterimages when viewing content containing extremely rapid movement.
Power consumption EXCELLENT: Low power consumption. Uses less power than a conventional CRT TV. EXCELLENT: Low power consumption. Uses less power than a conventional CRT TV.
Service life EXCELLENT: Panel service life of approximately 60,000 hours.(*1) EXCELLENT: Backlight service life of approximately 60,000 hours.(*2)