Pioneer Plasma Thread

[lwm999]

anybody tried to feed a 1920x768 or 1280x720 to a 1024x768 plasma successfully? How's the PQ on non-movie stuff? eg, web-surfing, gaming etc?

It'll be a great news to skip the "stretched" suffering.......

I have tried 1024x768 through PC input on the 427, looks decent to me.

 

[cal127]

I have tried 1024x768 through PC input on the 427, looks decent to me.

Hows the PC gaming experience on 1024X768

 

[ahber79]

the cheapest i've ever seen the 427 is $2099 at HN Central
they were having a promo of some sort
didn't get it coz wanted to see what 428 launch got to offer
topped up $200 to change the DVD player to a 160GB recorder
good deal to me

2099 is really a very good price....

 

[iMbEst]

Hows the PC gaming experience on 1024X768

if it's stretched, then it's kns. Panasonic can accept 1920x1080 or any other 16:9 resolution and convert them nicely to fit the 1024x768 16:9 screen, not sure if Pioneer can.

$2099 for 427XG? zhun boh? then the Panasonic $1999 can go jiasai liao lor....

 

[purpledinosaur]

Actually, its slightly different. When using a DVI or HDMI connection, the display (TV) actually tells the video card what resolutions it can accept. For a TV, normally only the HDTV resolutions are allowed, for example:

1280x720 at 50/60 Hz
1920x1080 at 25/30/50/60 Hz

This data is contained in something called the EDID. So the video card will choose one of these valid resolutions to send to the display.

But, as you are probably aware, most video cards are able to "scale" any desktop resolution to fit the actual resolution of the TV or display. This is similar to laptop screens - lets say the laptop screen resolution is 1024x768, but you are playing an old game that supports only 640x480. Does the game display on only a small box in the middle of the laptop screen? In most newer laptops, no. The laptop's video card will most of the time have an option to "scale" other non-native resolutions (not the resolution of the screen) to "fit" the screen - but of course the non-native resolutions will not look as sharp.

Now back to your HTPC. Some video cards (like the ATI cards) will allow you to choose PC resolutions like 1360x768 even though your display is a HDTV connected using HDMI (which only allows HDTV resolutions like 1920x1080). The video card will then resize your desktop to "fit" the 1920x1080 signal being sent to the TV, so it appears full-screen on the TV. So if you check your Windows Display properties it says maybe 1360x768 but if you check on your TV what signal it is receiving it might say 1080p (1920x1080).

I see what you mean now. Thats really dumb (and a waste of resources!) if the video card has to upscale to 1080p and then TV downscale to the native 1366x768.

Other than Media Classic HT, does the media center application in Vista do the same (as in output native 1080p) in full screen mode?

 

[applefreak]

2099 is really a very good price....

it was those in-house promotion thing
didn't get the tv but got a fridge instead
it's HN at central, maybe someone can go check it out see if it's still on

 

[lwm999]

I see what you mean now. Thats really dumb (and a waste of resources!) if the video card has to upscale to 1080p and then TV downscale to the native 1366x768.

That's why if you have a good TV, it does not make sense to get a upscaling DVD player which the signal will go through more stages of upscaling/downscaling.

 

[iMbEst]

if the TV can accept 1080p input via VGA/DVI, then it should be okay one, except you may not be able to use it for normal surfing.....

 

[HardCORE]

I see what you mean now. Thats really dumb (and a waste of resources!) if the video card has to upscale to 1080p and then TV downscale to the native 1366x768.

Other than Media Classic HT, does the media center application in Vista do the same (as in output native 1080p) in full screen mode?

I'm not sure if the Windows Media Center can configure the fullscreen resolution separately. If not, you might just want to run it at 1920x1080 and sacrifice a bit for web surfing, or use the Zoom function in IE7.

Its not really dumb lah, its the same way LCD monitors for desktop PCs work (if you use DVI). Something must do the scaling to fit the panel resolution - either the video card, the monitor itself, or a combination of both. You just have to imagine the plasma or lcd tv is just a big computer monitor... which can only accept HDTV resolutions. Heheh...

BTW for those who are asking about gaming on a 42 inch plasma. I play C&C3 and Supreme Commander just fine on mine. Game resolution is 1360x768, so its not "stretched". And the ATI cards can correct the overscan as well, so the edges dont get cut off.

 

[cal127]

I'm not sure if the Windows Media Center can configure the fullscreen resolution separately. If not, you might just want to run it at 1920x1080 and sacrifice a bit for web surfing, or use the Zoom function in IE7.

Its not really dumb lah, its the same way LCD monitors for desktop PCs work (if you use DVI). Something must do the scaling to fit the panel resolution - either the video card, the monitor itself, or a combination of both. You just have to imagine the plasma or lcd tv is just a big computer monitor... which can only accept HDTV resolutions. Heheh...

BTW for those who are asking about gaming on a 42 inch plasma. I play C&C3 and Supreme Commander just fine on mine. Game resolution is 1360x768, so its not "stretched". And the ATI cards can correct the overscan as well, so the edges dont get cut off.

Nice to know... but I would imagine everything to be a lil oversized which isn't that good for rts games, much worse at 1024 if Im getting the 42" kuro. You should try World in Conflect and play with some nukes

Btw I jsut went to my neighbourhood HN, apparantly they already stock up the Kuro series albeit still in boxes so its a good time to go check them out yeah. But dun think yall gonna like the pricing. I was quoted $4500 and $7200 for 42" and 50" respectively. For discounted price probably take off ard $600.

 

[iMbEst]

official price $4299 and they are quoting $4500? ask them to go fly kite lah, that's why I never like harvey......u know what? they are not even interested to do business with you, if you're getting Pioneer......there is no number to report to HQ, why bother? move other brands easier mah....

 

[ahber79]

I finally took the plunge n bought the 427 tv at the HN expo sale. from what they say, they are now going all out to clear the 7G panels. price is the same if u buy at normal HN outlets but at the expo sale, they throw in a free upscaling dvd player. now awaiting delivery. now gotta go source for cables to connect my exisiting players to the new tv. thanks to everyone in this forum. really had lots of information compared to the salespersons.

 

[petetherock]

Congrats on your buy, I think you will like it
This thread as well as this one gives lots of info
Feel free to add your self to the owners:

http://www.xtremeplace.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=45450.0

 

[game goondu]

I finally took the plunge n bought the 427 tv at the HN expo sale. from what they say, they are now going all out to clear the 7G panels. price is the same if u buy at normal HN outlets but at the expo sale, they throw in a free upscaling dvd player. now awaiting delivery. now gotta go source for cables to connect my exisiting players to the new tv. thanks to everyone in this forum. really had lots of information compared to the salespersons.

how muchie is the 427?

 

[iMbEst]

dun think it's lower than $2888 offered by HL b4 negotiation....

 

[HardCORE]

Nice to know... but I would imagine everything to be a lil oversized which isn't that good for rts games, much worse at 1024 if Im getting the 42" kuro. You should try World in Conflect and play with some nukes

Btw I jsut went to my neighbourhood HN, apparantly they already stock up the Kuro series albeit still in boxes so its a good time to go check them out yeah. But dun think yall gonna like the pricing. I was quoted $4500 and $7200 for 42" and 50" respectively. For discounted price probably take off ard $600.

By oversized you mean being limited to the 1360x768 resolution? Its okay lah... still very playable. Besides, my video card is only an ATI x1600 so higher resolutions are going to be quite slow...

But I am expecting delivery of a 50PY700 full hd plasma next Tuesday... then I will definitely try the game at 1920x1080... even if it runs are a few frames per second hahaha... or maybe its time to get quicker (but still silent) video card.

 

[applefreak]

saw s HN promotion over the weekend
$999 for the first 50 sets of 427XG
hopefully someone here managed to lay their hands on it

the Kuro launch was done with HN leh
and when i went down to upgrade my player to a recorder
they were very nice about it

 

[sAxman_Returns]

$999 at the expo or their own shop? zhun boh? $999? like that I will kop 2 sets!!!!!!!

 

[ahber79]

saw s HN promotion over the weekend
$999 for the first 50 sets of 427XG
hopefully someone here managed to lay their hands on it

the Kuro launch was done with HN leh
and when i went down to upgrade my player to a recorder
they were very nice about it

$999? sure not? I got it at $2999 plus a dvd player. couldn't manage to bring down the pricing like wat iMbEst saw.

 

[petetherock]

I think someone has a faulty "2" on their keyboard, or they are about to dissapoint many aiming for a $999 Pioneer when they withdraw that claim....