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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Kremlar on July 04, 2015, 05:02:18 AM
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I have an old 42" commercial Panasonic plasma that I absolutely love. It's only 480p, but the picture is just great - not as sharp as the latest LCDs but it just has a certain depth about it that I've always liked.
I've had this plasma for 10+ years - my first flat panel display. Bought it without speakers but added them after. It's been solid as a rock for me, most recently installed in my master bedroom.
Decided to get a Fire TV Stick for my master bedroom but the plasma does not have HDMI. Funny how a $35 purchase can trigger a $500 purchase. :) So, I replaced my trusty old plasma with a new Insignia 55".
Anyway, I always though the Panasonic plasma would rock as a display for my old Commodore/Amiga stuff and I was right! Brought it down to my basement home/office and mounted it to the wall. Tested with my C64 (composite), Amiga 600 and also my Amiga 4000T (RGB > VGA and also RGB > VGA > BNC) and the display performs great. There's also an NTSC/PAL switch in the menu options but I haven't tested PAL. All Amiga modes I tried seem good.
My model has VGA, composite/svideo and BNC which is switchable from RGB to component. I believe there's a DVI card available as well but I never owned one.
Anyway, I love it and would definitely choose this over an old CRT or new LCD for a low res retro display. My model is a 42PWD6UY but I'm sure there are others in this series that would perform just as well.
It doesn't do the picture justice, but here are a couple of pics:
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma1.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma2.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma3.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma4.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma5.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma6.jpg
The C64 and Amiga Workbench pics show a pattern on the screen but it's not there in person - image is very smooth.
I thought this was worth sharing so cross-posted to a few different forums.
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Awesome, it looks great! I like your A600 too. I didn't know you could fit 256 megs of ram in a 600.
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Awesome, it looks great! I like your A600 too. I didn't know you could fit 256 megs of ram in a 600.
Thanks! Sorry, the 256MB screenshot was from my 4000T. The 600 is playing Lemmings and Battle Squadron.
I bought the 600 from a local guy who bought it for his son and barely used it - it really looks new, boxed and everything.
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It looks aaawesome.
I have a friend that he likes them better than lcd too and I think he is right.
Did you noticed any ghosting on scrolling or delay while you were playing?
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It looks good but the screen seemed stretch horizontally somewhat from true 4:3 on some of the game pics. Does this bother you? Is your tv set to 4:3 mode?
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It looks aaawesome.
I have a friend that he likes them better than lcd too and I think he is right.
Did you noticed any ghosting on scrolling or delay while you were playing?
No, I didn't notice anything but will pay attention and watch for it. I need to get setup with more games to play, right now I still only have a dozen or so disks - some of which don't work. :(
It loks good but the screens seem stretch horizontally somewhat from true 4:3 on some of the game pics. Does this bother you? Is yor tv set to 4:3 mode?
Most of the pics are in a stretch mode but I took 1 or 2 of Workbench in 4:3 mode (with gray bars on the side). Stretch mode didn't bother me during testing but will have to see depending on what I'm doing.
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Kremlar,
good to see you are still alive and well. Looks good on the plasma! can you try out pal mode stuff when you have time? also what model is the panasonic?
Mech
I have an old 42" commercial Panasonic plasma that I absolutely love. It's only 480p, but the picture is just great - not as sharp as the latest LCDs but it just has a certain depth about it that I've always liked.
I've had this plasma for 10+ years - my first flat panel display. Bought it without speakers but added them after. It's been solid as a rock for me, most recently installed in my master bedroom.
Decided to get a Fire TV Stick for my master bedroom but the plasma does not have HDMI. Funny how a $35 purchase can trigger a $500 purchase. :) So, I replaced my trusty old plasma with a new Insignia 55".
Anyway, I always though the Panasonic plasma would rock as a display for my old Commodore/Amiga stuff and I was right! Brought it down to my basement home/office and mounted it to the wall. Tested with my C64 (composite), Amiga 600 and also my Amiga 4000T (RGB > VGA and also RGB > VGA > BNC) and the display performs great. There's also an NTSC/PAL switch in the menu options but I haven't tested PAL. All Amiga modes I tried seem good.
My model has VGA, composite/svideo and BNC which is switchable from RGB to component. I believe there's a DVI card available as well but I never owned one.
Anyway, I love it and would definitely choose this over an old CRT or new LCD for a low res retro display. My model is a 42PWD6UY but I'm sure there are others in this series that would perform just as well.
It doesn't do the picture justice, but here are a couple of pics:
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma1.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma2.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma3.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma4.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma5.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma6.jpg
The C64 and Amiga Workbench pics show a pattern on the screen but it's not there in person - image is very smooth.
I thought this was worth sharing so cross-posted to a few different forums.
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I don't think I could handle the 480p.
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Strangely enough, I've had a similar 42" Panasonic plasma for years too. Used to be my living room TV, but it ended up being used for my computers as it does PAL and NTSC. I can't remember what model I have, but mine is a 720p (1280x720).
The standard connections were component, composite, RGB, VGA and S-Video. I added an extra card to give it HDMI.
Here it is playing Elite:
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/darrin01311/Computer/SDC10256-1.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/darrin01311/media/Computer/SDC10256-1.jpg.html)
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Interesting but from the weight, heat and watt consumed point of view, it is awfull !
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And I can see issues with burn in so may not be the best choice in the long run.
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good to see you are still alive and well. Looks good on the plasma! can you try out pal mode stuff when you have time? also what model is the panasonic?
Hey Mechy! Yes, still no time to play with and refamiliarize myself with this stuff but I'm getting there. Hope you are well!
Strangely enough, I've had a similar 42" Panasonic plasma for years too. Used to be my living room TV, but it ended up being used for my computers as it does PAL and NTSC. I can't remember what model I have, but mine is a 720p (1280x720).
Awesome! How did you like the quality?
Interesting but from the weight, heat and watt consumed point of view, it is awfull !
Weight is irrelevant. It's hanging on my wall! Heat? It does generate warmth but I don't see that as a downside. Might keep me a bit warmer in the winter. :)
It uses about 100W in dynamic mode. If I use it 2 hours per day for a year (which I won't) it will cost me about $5.11.
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Strangely enough, I've had a similar 42" Panasonic plasma for years too. Used to be my living room TV, but it ended up being used for my computers as it does PAL and NTSC. I can't remember what model I have, but mine is a 720p (1280x720).
The standard connections were component, composite, RGB, VGA and S-Video. I added an extra card to give it HDMI.
It's a very similar model - yours has the same handles as mine has. Heavy sucker, good thing they had those handles!
I thought about buying a pedestal stand like yours but the cost was ~$100+ at least on eBay for something compatible with mine. Maybe $70 if I went with a universal pedestal mount. I had a cheap wall mount hanging around from Monoprice so decided to use that instead. It's nice because it saves me some desk space. The original mount I had in the bedroom would not work because I could not center the TV and also hit 2 studs.
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Interesting but from the weight, heat and watt consumed point of view, it is awfull !
Really? We are posting on a server that must consume so much energy that it requires an air conditioned room, and the discussion turns to the "Green" aspects of computing?
May the Lord Bless you!
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A plasma pixel is a small tube as I understand it. This is why it looks like a CRT and takes almost as much power as one. You also get some of the burn in "features".
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Really? We are posting on a server that must consume so much energy that it requires an air conditioned room, and the discussion turns to the "Green" aspects of computing?
May the Lord Bless you!
Thx you have a good point !
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I picked up three Sony Aquos 480p LCDs. They have composite and Svideo inputs and look great with my CD32 even my 600 looks good with composite on them. Upside to these is, they are small and because of that very inexpensive on ebay. Downside is no VGA, but with Commodore 8Bit machines you have no need. Amigas can benefit from that but I have a VIP that converts Amiga RGB to s-video as well.
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I have an old 42" commercial Panasonic plasma that I absolutely love. It's only 480p, but the picture is just great - not as sharp as the latest LCDs but it just has a certain depth about it that I've always liked.
I've had this plasma for 10+ years - my first flat panel display. Bought it without speakers but added them after. It's been solid as a rock for me, most recently installed in my master bedroom.
Decided to get a Fire TV Stick for my master bedroom but the plasma does not have HDMI. Funny how a $35 purchase can trigger a $500 purchase. :) So, I replaced my trusty old plasma with a new Insignia 55".
Anyway, I always though the Panasonic plasma would rock as a display for my old Commodore/Amiga stuff and I was right! Brought it down to my basement home/office and mounted it to the wall. Tested with my C64 (composite), Amiga 600 and also my Amiga 4000T (RGB > VGA and also RGB > VGA > BNC) and the display performs great. There's also an NTSC/PAL switch in the menu options but I haven't tested PAL. All Amiga modes I tried seem good.
My model has VGA, composite/svideo and BNC which is switchable from RGB to component. I believe there's a DVI card available as well but I never owned one.
Anyway, I love it and would definitely choose this over an old CRT or new LCD for a low res retro display. My model is a 42PWD6UY but I'm sure there are others in this series that would perform just as well.
It doesn't do the picture justice, but here are a couple of pics:
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma1.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma2.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma3.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma4.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma5.jpg
http://www.techav.com/misc/retro/plasma6.jpg
The C64 and Amiga Workbench pics show a pattern on the screen but it's not there in person - image is very smooth.
I thought this was worth sharing so cross-posted to a few different forums.
Have you tried it with Uridium 2? Next to a CRT?
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I have wondered about Plasma TV's and if they still make them.
A long while back I heard that they found a way to stop or reduce screen burn.
I can not site the source. :(
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A quick look at Amazon shows they still make them.
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I have wondered about Plasma TV's and if they still make them.
A long while back I heard that they found a way to stop or reduce screen burn.
I can not site the source. :(
There was a solution found to double the original life-span from adequate to "really more than adequate." See -- http://plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatv/plasmatv-lifespan.html
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I've used panasonic plasma and various LCD, and nothing beats CRT.
except, perhaps OLED or laserTV or such.
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I see. It looks like they are still more than I can afford.
The 720p units appears to be used.
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Trust me burn in is still an issue even with the newest ones. I have a 50" Panasonic HDTV that's Plasma and it's the last model that Panasonic made before stopping production last year and it has some burn in from a TV station identification logo.
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I got the panasonic viera tx-p42c10y (1280x720 resolution), bought it when it was new (2008-2009 something) and without doubt the best flatscreen TV I have had, super responsive and really nice and clean picture.
I still use it even if I have other TV's today (it's really responsive and has really low input delay), but funny enough I do not even to this day have any burn-in issues, not a trace of anything and I have had a HTPC on it since it was new and multiple times forgot it on with static images from forums and games etc via both the HTPC and consoles but the shadow image dissaperes after a few hours so no permanent damage, so it's a kickas plasma display.
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I see. It looks like they are still more than I can afford.
The 720p units appears to be used.
Take a look at those refresh rates, No motion blur there I bet!
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I got the panasonic viera tx-p42c10y (1280x720 resolution), bought it when it was new (2008-2009 something) and without doubt the best flatscreen TV I have had, super responsive and really nice and clean picture.
I still use it even if I have other TV's today (it's really responsive and has really low input delay), but funny enough I do not even to this day have any burn-in issues, not a trace of anything and I have had a HTPC on it since it was new and multiple times forgot it on with static images from forums and games etc via both the HTPC and consoles but the shadow image dissaperes after a few hours so no permanent damage, so it's a kickas plasma display.
Thumbs up!
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I have the very same Panasonic PWD6. It was used for 10+ years as both a TV, monitor (for Linux box) and gaming device (XBox, later Xbox360). It never suffered burn in although I was very careful the first few months of its life - when the display is apparently at its most vulnerable. This is despite often being left on TV channels with logos (by the ex!) or displaying static images from the Xbox for long periods of time.
I still have the panel; being the best SD panel I've ever seen, I'm reluctant to part with it. Even new panels (plasma or LCD) look poor in comparison when running SD content. I'm currently using an LG 47" LCD in the living room, but every display I considered looked poor when feeding standard def content.
If I had space I'd be using the PWD6 as an Amiga monitor myself!
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Glad I'm not the only one! One of the best electronics purchases I've made.
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My model has VGA, composite/svideo and BNC which is switchable from RGB to component. I believe there's a DVI card available as well but I never owned one.
I got inspired by your post and I ordered a SOLARA 19" LED TV; 125EUR P&P included.
Just did some testing. CVBS input from A1200 does not give a high quality output but I did find a DB23->SCART cable and that gives good de-interlaced output + sound. See attached picture. VGA output from the scan doubled A3000 output or CV64/3D on a A4000 also works perfect. Did not test the HDMI input yet but none-the-less incredible what one can get at this moment for less than an Indivision. The TV should even allow playing music and videos from an USB stick.
Sure, the screen is rather small but nothing worse than the 1084S it is replacing.
I moved around a year ago (you can see that the F7 did not survive the move). I just get to being settled to start some hard work again (development etc) but I now just had a session of Slamtilt. Switching to the hires screen in that game still gives a rock-solid picture. I blame you for my lost productivity ;)
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I got inspired by your post and I ordered a SOLARA 19" LED TV; 125EUR P&P included.
Just did some testing. CVBS input from A1200 does not give a high quality output but I did find a DB23->SCART cable and that gives good de-interlaced output + sound. See attached picture. VGA output from the scan doubled A3000 output or CV64/3D on a A4000 also works perfect. Did not test the HDMI input yet but none-the-less incredible what one can get at this moment for less than an Indivision. The TV should even allow playing music and videos from an USB stick.
Sure, the screen is rather small but nothing worse than the 1084S it is replacing.
I moved around a year ago (you can see that the F7 did not survive the move). I just get to being settled to start some hard work again (development etc) but I now just had a session of Slamtilt. Switching to the hires screen in that game still gives a rock-solid picture. I blame you for my lost productivity ;)
Sell the 1084s. Not everyone is happy with the output of el-cheapo lcd's (especially with fast moving images)
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Sell the 1084s. Not everyone is happy with the output of el-cheapo lcd's (especially with fast moving images)
May do but the 1084s is somewhat battered. PCB got a knack and has cracks. You need to fiddle with RGB connector to get all colors. Also on/off switch got some special 'paper arangement' to get it fixed in the on state. Don't know if people are interested in the monitor in such a state.
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May do but the 1084s is somewhat battered. PCB got a knack and has cracks. You need to fiddle with RGB connector to get all colors. Also on/off switch got some special 'paper arangement' to get it fixed in the on state. Don't know if people are interested in the monitor in such a state.
I think those are easily fixed. I've been offered around 100eur for 1084s.