The Perfect Vision
Panasonic TH-58PZ75OU Additional Notes and Technical Ratings
Under the Hood | Adjustment Notes | Test Discs | Technical Ratings
Under the Hood
One of the most notable tech features is a preset picture mode called Studio Reference. I measured this mode after adjusting the main picture controls, and I found it to be fairly accurate in terms of grayscale and color accuracy (though green was still oversaturated).
HDMI version 1.3 is starting to appear on many TVs and other A/V components. The TH-58PZ750U implements this version of HDMI with CEC (Consumer Electronics Control), which Panasonic calls EZ Sync HDAVI (High-Definition Audio Video Interface). CEC allows multiple HDMI-connected devices to be controlled from a single remote and automatically select the appropriate input, mode, and so on for the intended activity.
Unlike many TVs with 1920x1080 resolution, this one cannot accept a 1080p/24 signal, though it can accept 1080p/60. Most TVs that can accept 1080p/24 display it at 60Hz anyway, so this isn't really a big deal. However, if your disc player can send 1080p/60, try sending 1080i as well to see which type of signal looks better; the 1080p/60 output from many players is inferior to a TV's ability to deinterlace 1080i.
Adjustment Notes
The picture controls are tied to picture modes, not inputs; the only exception is the Custom picture mode, which can be adjusted independently for each input. When setting a picture control, the rest of the menu disappears, but the control slider remains in the same location as when the entire menu is visible; also, the menu returns after only 1 second, which prevents careful consideration of the setting.
Studio Reference picture mode closest to ideal (in fact, it’s very close), but I set up the Custom mode. Interestingly, sharpness seemed to have no effect on ringing, even at its highest setting, so I left it at 0.
Only the Custom picture mode provides grayscale controls; interestingly, they are high and low red and blue only, no green. Because this set is relatively expensive, it's likely that buyers will hire a professional to calibrate it, so I performed a full calibration; the Grayscale Tracking and Color Accuracy charts reflect fully calibrated performance.
1:1 pixel mapping is set by the HD size control in the Other Adjust submenu; the very non-intuitive value of Size 2 enables 1:1 pixel mapping. The aspect-ratio setting is available on the remote, not in the menu; select Full for normal 16:9 images.
Test Discs
The detail tests on the HQV Benchmark DVD looked good in general, but there was some banding in the high-frequency horizontal burst and some noise in the vertical burst. Jaggies were moderate and obvious in the waving flag. The Block NR (noise-reduction) control was somewhat effective without softening the picture, but the Mosquito NR control didn’t seem to do much. It took more than 1 second to lock onto 3:2 pulldown the first time through the test, but much less time thereafter.
This observation was verified by the film resolution loss test on the HQV Benchmark HD DVD, which flickered for more than a second before settling down, after which it flickered only occasionally and momentarily when the pattern changed direction. The video resolution loss test was solid, and there were no jaggies.
The test disc from Microsoft engineer Stacey Spears confirmed the set’s slow response to 3:2 pulldown, taking more than a second to lock on. The high-frequency bursts were visible, but the vertical had some noise, and the horizontal had some faint diagonal lines. There was moderate shimmering on the gently curving yellow trim on the sailboat, but no jaggies on pans across diagonal lines. The screen door in the montage did exhibit a little moiré distortion.
Technical Ratings
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