Author Topic: Philips Pixel Plus (Read 54971 times)

DViant · « **Reply #120 on:** Jul 02, 2003 at 04:30 PM »

Quote from: jpadua on Jul 02, 2003 at 04:17 PM

So Pixel Plus or Sony.. this is another issue, Pixel Plus is an upgraded version of their recent HDTV only Model, which had a lot of problems daw.

I can vouch for the problems. I bought a 29" Philips HDTV Matchline TV and I couldnt get the other component to work. Neither could Philips Philippines & they made me try out 2 other sets. All duds. It was really a bad experience for me and wasted my time. Just show how primitive customer-oriented service is here in the Philippines is.

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So if you are after only the HDTV lang I dont suggest you get the philips, go with Sony.. Although I'm not so familiar with Sony, just make sure that it can handle 480p 720p or 1080i
and also very important is that it has a VGA connector at the back. The VGA connector allows HDTV Set Top Boxes to be connected to your HDTV in the future. If your HDTV does not have a vga input, you might have to buy a VGA to Component Transcoder which is not readily available here and is expensive. What ever you decide, just make sure your TV has a VGA input at the back... this will allow future upgrades to your player and set top box. The pixel plus is not a bad choice either if you want a CRT based TV for the price.

Image at Harisson Plaza is offering the Sony 36"XBR800 for P125-130K. Only drawback with this set is the weight. I think it's about 230lbs. You'd need at least 4 people to help you lug that thing around.

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I was comparing a sony DRC29" of the same price and the Pixel plus kicks ass... pixel plus has progressive scan, regular component, VGA in... has Digital Natural Motion (which makes regular component and s-video and composite signals look lifelike)

pts to remember...

VGA in (RGB)
Progressive Scan input 480p
HDTV output 720p 1080i

Hope this helps you make your decision

I havent had any experience with the Pixel Plus but a lot of review magazines love it. Question is what type of service can you expect from Philips. If you're considering getting the Pixel Plus Philips is offering a 16:9 model. Perfect for anamorphic widescreen DVD viewing.

jpadua: dude how did you manage to get the extra lines of resolution out of your DVD? If I recall correctly NTSC DVDs only support up to 720 x 480.

DViant · « **Reply #121 on:** Jul 02, 2003 at 04:45 PM »

Quote from: levi on Jul 02, 2003 at 01:36 PM

jpadua,

Im looking for a new TV. Im looking at the 34" Akira or TCL but if I go for Philips most probably I will be getting a 29" only. Based from your explanation do I have to get a Pixel Plus model if it is only for HDTV? How do you explain about the DRC of Sony compared to Philips and when and how do you use these features? Thanks

Levi

The current gen Sony DRCs can convert any Video source into progressive scan. It also serves as a line multiplyer. It also accept progressive scan signals from any source may it be a DVD video player or current gen game console.

v0elker · « **Reply #122 on:** Jul 02, 2003 at 05:25 PM »

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and also very important is that it has a VGA connector at the back. The VGA connector allows HDTV Set Top Boxes to be connected to your HDTV in the future.

or DVI input

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I was comparing a sony DRC29" of the same price and the Pixel plus kicks ass... pixel plus has progressive scan, regular component, VGA in... has Digital Natural Motion (which makes regular component and s-video and composite signals look lifelike)

then ull be happy to learn that the new philips sets feature a revamped version of PixelPlus...

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/news/frame.html?http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-bin/displaynews.php?id=4194

levi · « **Reply #123 on:** Jul 03, 2003 at 01:20 AM »

Quote from: DViant on Jul 02, 2003 at 04:45 PM

The current gen Sony DRCs can convert any Video source into progressive scan. It also serves as a line multiplyer. It also accept progressive scan signals from any source may it be a DVD video player or current gen game console.

This is what Im looking for. Something like a line doubler that would convert any source to progressive scan. Is the Pixel Plus the same function as the DRC or the DNM? Does this Progressive scan feature of Sony and Philips the same for all models of TV that are equipped with DRC and Pixel Plus? Is there an advantage getting newer models compared to older models in terms of function( prog scan ) other than looks. Im not yet after the HDTV because I doubt if we will have this for the next 5 years and I dont want to spend too much for the TV. I just want to upgrade my set to a bigger TV that is why Im also considering the 34" unknown brands as long they have component input or stick with a 29 but prog scan and better brand.

DViant · « **Reply #124 on:** Jul 03, 2003 at 04:46 AM »

Quote from: levi on Jul 03, 2003 at 01:20 AM

This is what Im looking for. Something like a line doubler that would convert any source to progressive scan. Is the Pixel Plus the same function as the DRC or the DNM? Does this Progressive scan feature of Sony and Philips the same for all models of TV that are equipped with DRC and Pixel Plus? Is there an advantage getting newer models compared to older models in terms of function( prog scan ) other than looks. Im not yet after the HDTV because I doubt if we will have this for the next 5 years and I dont want to spend too much for the TV. I just want to upgrade my set to a bigger TV that is why Im also considering the 34" unknown brands as long they have component input or stick with a 29 but prog scan and better brand.

Hi levi,

I actually dont use the DRC1250 (line multiplyer. I preffer DRC progressive as the images from VCD, SVCD or DVDs rarely, if ever, shakes. The image using either DRC1250 or progressive is still dense. I dont see the black gaps between the lines. The problem with my DRC-MF is that if it isn't well encoded (high bitrate) SVCD or p* DVD (DVD-5) disc the image looks awful. My DRC-less Wega looks better when the source isn't that great. Heck a 15" Singer TV beats the crap out of my DRC-MF when it comes to SVCDs. Ang ganda. It beats the Solar showing of Star Trek DS9

Actually you only need pscan when your monitor's bigger than 27" so if you're planning to get a 34" I'd suggest the 34" ver of my set. It's going for 105T last time I checked with Image at Harrison.

If i didn't get my X1 projector I would have swapped my 29" DRC-MF for a 36" XBR800. I would get the pixel plus but my experience with philips and there local reseller left a bad taste in my mouth.

jpadua · « **Reply #125 on:** Jul 03, 2003 at 08:47 AM »

Quote from: levi on Jul 03, 2003 at 01:20 AM

This is what Im looking for. Something like a line doubler that would convert any source to progressive scan. Is the Pixel Plus the same function as the DRC or the DNM? Does this Progressive scan feature of Sony and Philips the same for all models of TV that are equipped with DRC and Pixel Plus? Is there an advantage getting newer models compared to older models in terms of function( prog scan ) other than looks. Im not yet after the HDTV because I doubt if we will have this for the next 5 years and I dont want to spend too much for the TV. I just want to upgrade my set to a bigger TV that is why Im also considering the 34" unknown brands as long they have component input or stick with a 29 but prog scan and better brand.

Yeah the pixelplus has its own line doubler, whatever you plug into the set, its automatically converted to progressive scan.

The Pixel Plus has two kinds of built in scalers
There is an option for Progressive Scan and Pixel Plus
The progressive scan option simply converts any signal into progressive (normal 480i is now single scanned into 480p). really good too. Pixelplus option uses the Pixelplus scaler which also includes DNM and upsampling of the pixels: here are the comparisons:
Standard NTSC
Vertical - 525 Horizontal -720
pixelplus
Vertical - 2048 Horizontal - 1050
HDTV
Vertical - 1920 Horizontal - 1050

As you can see the upsampling of the pixel plus is really huge, you can really see the difference in clarity when you switch on the Pixelplus Demo, colors are more vibrant, detail is much sharper (you can actually see the skin pores on the actors in a movie hehehe) really sharp!

So the Pixelplus actually does a really good job in upconverting standard NTSC signals into Progressive whether be it uses the Progressive Scan Option or the Pixel Plus option.

I'm not so sure about the service, according to Dviant the service daw isnt great, but I guess I never really had to deal with service cause the Pixel plus was great out of the box. Beware lang talaga of the Older models, dahil maraming complaints about it.. so far sa lahat ng na research ko, pixelplus has great reviews, and no problems that Ive heard of so far.

If you want more info about the pixel plus this is the
official website:
http://www.pixelplus.philips.com/index_main.htm

If you can find the 16:9 version, thats way better pa... Too bad I already asked a philips rep, and they said they dont sell that daw in the philippines kasi daw ang market dito is mostly for 4:3 daw... but I'm hoping i pasok nila since most RPTVs being sold here are mostly widescreen. CRTs wala pa akong nakikita.

Oh and also, if you plan to use the TV lang for the Sound, it comes built in with Dolby Pro Logic... and has and option for Rear surrounds. Ive tried it na.. pretty good too

jpadua · « **Reply #126 on:** Jul 03, 2003 at 09:25 AM »

Quote from: DViant on Jul 02, 2003 at 04:30 PM

jpadua: dude how did you manage to get the extra lines of resolution out of your DVD? If I recall correctly NTSC DVDs only support up to 720 x 480.

Good question friend! Regular Component Inputs (NTSC) is natively 720x480. The RGB input is natively for HDTV set top boxes which is either 720p or 1080i

These are higher resolutions than the standard 720x480
by using the HDTV input, I am able to use higher resolutions. Particularly 960x540p (540p is the same as 1080i only progressive)

Currently I am emulating the same output frequency of an HDTV Set Top box by using the Video card on my PC.
HDTV Broadcast:
ATSC Signal -->Set Top Box -->HDTV Frequency-->HDTV monitor
Upsampled DVD:
DVD Source-->HTPC video Scaler-->HDTV Frequency-->HDTV monitor

I am basically emulating a Set Top Box and using Regular DVDs as my Video Source.

Another issue, DVD's are natively 720x480 right? With software I am able to upsample the current resolution to 1440x960, and my Video Card translates it into an acceptable HDTV frequency and resolution of 960x540p

jpadua · « **Reply #127 on:** Jul 03, 2003 at 09:29 AM »

Quote from: v0elker on Jul 02, 2003 at 05:25 PM

or DVI inputthen ull be happy to learn that the new philips sets feature a revamped version of PixelPlus...

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/news/frame.html?http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-bin/displaynews.php?id=4194

Waaaaaaah! another Pixelplus!? this is great news for those planning to buy a new TV as for me nakabili na ako! heheh pero ok lang... I'm happy with my pixelplus naman eh

levi · « **Reply #128 on:** Jul 03, 2003 at 12:56 PM »

JPadua,

Thank you very much for the info. Im only planning to get a 29" if ever I choose Sony or Philips. At least I get to understand more about the Prog Scan of Philips.

v0elker · « **Reply #129 on:** Jul 03, 2003 at 03:35 PM »

nah dun worry bout it, i doubt if the new pixelplus will reach our shores anytime soon (indi pa nga ata available overseas). baka labas na yung ps3 wala pa yang bagong pp dito, hehehe.

Quote from: jpadua on Jul 03, 2003 at 09:29 AM

Waaaaaaah! another Pixelplus!? this is great news for those planning to buy a new TV as for me nakabili na ako! heheh pero ok lang... I'm happy with my pixelplus naman eh

jpadua · « **Reply #130 on:** Jul 04, 2003 at 04:50 PM »

Quote from: levi on Jul 03, 2003 at 12:56 PM

JPadua,

Thank you very much for the info. Im only planning to get a 29" if ever I choose Sony or Philips. At least I get to understand more about the Prog Scan of Philips.

Hi Levi, have you decided on a TV yet? get na the 34" para di ka mabitin!

levi · « **Reply #131 on:** Jul 04, 2003 at 10:25 PM »

Im only planning to spend 30-40T for the TV so my only option would be a 29 or if I decide to get a 34, I can only get an Akira or TCL. Im still checking if they have components input but I just have to give up the Prog Scan features. I went to Sights and Sound this afternoon and they were offering Sony 29M66, They said its DRC equipped but I need to check the features. They dont have stock of Pixel Plus only older Philips.

Mr. Big Boy · « **Reply #132 on:** Jul 05, 2003 at 12:14 PM »

JPadua can you please send me the service code for the Pixel Plus, Thanks.

How do I know if my DVD is progressive kasi the one that comes with the TV LX2000D - I think is not progressive. Its the one with a built-in amplifier and radio tuner and with 6 speakers.

Another thing, in the instruction manual it was mention when connecting the cable to the TV - "For best picture quality use the supressor-aerial cable supplied" what is a supressor-aerial cable, there was no other cable only the male-male coax cable that comes with the TV.

Thanks.

P.S. The TV is AWESOME, when it comes to playing DVD atleast. The clarity is mind blowing I watched Ice Age, Shreck and Fifth Element wala akong masabi sobrang linaw. But the Cable TV reception is another story medyo noisy ang picture even when DNR is in maximum. I hope I can find a way to improve the Cable TV picture.

daigoro · « **Reply #133 on:** Jul 25, 2003 at 09:52 PM »

is the 29pt8419 matchline hdtv 29' a good buy at 49.8k with free philips progressive scan dvd player? been thinking about it. kasi

Qman · « **Reply #134 on:** Jul 26, 2003 at 02:20 AM »

Quote from: daigoro on Jul 25, 2003 at 09:52 PM

is the 29pt8419 matchline hdtv 29' a good buy at 49.8k with free philips progressive scan dvd player? been thinking about it. kasi

prog scan dvd na pala ang free niya. Ive got the same tv last jan pro ang free niya ang HTiB. That was a good catch kasi the HTiB alone cost around 20K kahit hanggang ngayon with free upgrades pa kasi initially the dvd can only read R3 and P***disk then me umbrella pa

.

Good buy na yan pre, If the prog scan dvd player was offered to me before malamang iyan ang kinuha ko kasi di ko rin nagagamit ang speakers ng free HTib ko ngayon. The TV itself is a prog scan na rin eh.

pero kung kaya mo pang i-stretch budget mo better get the pixel plus it's the best

What's the model of the free prog scan dvd player?

daigoro · « **Reply #135 on:** Jul 26, 2003 at 02:31 AM »

i think its the 727. the pixel plus is almost twice the price eh of this model. at this rate, i mite just wait for them to bargain that model na lang.

jpadua · « **Reply #136 on:** Jul 28, 2003 at 08:41 AM »

Quote from: daigoro on Jul 25, 2003 at 09:52 PM

is the 29pt8419 matchline hdtv 29' a good buy at 49.8k with free philips progressive scan dvd player? been thinking about it. kasi

Hi Diagoro, based on reviews I've read about the older Philips HDTVs, it might not be a good buy. Some say they are problematic. If you are really ready to splurge, I suggest you go for the PixelPlus, they have covered most of the bugs from their previous models, and has excellent reviews. I have one.. and I have no complaints, a few small hindrances but the pros outweigh the cons. And if you can splurge even more.. get the 34" baka mabitin ka sa 29" I'm happy with it, but I'd have to admit, I wish it were a 34" di lang nakayanan ng budget ko hehehe.

doughn · « **Reply #137 on:** Aug 02, 2003 at 08:53 AM »

first of all i just bought my tv last january before buying, i looked around for what suit my taste within my working budget, im looking a 34 or 36 incher flat crt tv, why crt ? simply because of picture quality, black level, and stuff.

we (me and my audition buddy name ORVEN) first we saw sony drc 34 and philips pixel plus together so we ask the salesboy to demo us both tv using one source with splitter to compare the picture quality, and wow the pixel plus have the advantage when it comes to detailed pictures but you can see artifacts with it , which is for me a big turn off and really annoying. and the SONY DRC much less detailed picture but no artifacts. (but i didnt buy the sony drc)

when i san the sony 36inch xbr 800 series , i fell in love with it .
picture quality is far superior than the asian counterpart DRC SERIES (Picture more redish).

plus a memory stick slot for picture viewer. and 7 video inputs, styling wise different than drc (better looking) hdtv ready, and only negative thing is it is only NTSC unlike DRC is multisystem. and really heavy about 220lbs.

audition for this unit, wont let u dont

Mr. Big Boy · « **Reply #138 on:** Aug 02, 2003 at 02:13 PM »

jpadua can you please send me the Pixel Plus service code please. Or can you tell me where I can get them from. Thanks

jackryan · « **Reply #139 on:** Aug 02, 2003 at 07:10 PM »

Jpadua,

Would you know if DNM is a third party technology under license with Philips or it is more of a proprietary technology that we won't ever get from the likes of Sony in the near future.

I think that is the main selling point of Philips Pixel Plus units --- digital natural motion (DNM).

-jackryan

jpadua · « **Reply #140 on:** Aug 04, 2003 at 08:11 AM »

Quote from: jackryan on Aug 02, 2003 at 07:10 PM

Jpadua,

Would you know if DNM is a third party technology under license with Philips or it is more of a proprietary technology that we won't ever get from the likes of Sony in the near future.

I think that is the main selling point of Philips Pixel Plus units --- digital natural motion (DNM).

-jackryan

I think it's proprietary, every company has their own special features for added market pull and I believe DNM is a philips only thing, I could be wrong, pero DNM has been out for about 2 yrs na havent heard anything like it from Sony. In anycase, if a TV claims to have Motion Judder Elimination, then that should be similar to DNM, the only product I know with motion judder eliminator would be DScaler (software) for TV PC/TV cards, but still not as good as DNM of the PixelPlus.

jpadua · « **Reply #141 on:** Aug 04, 2003 at 08:18 AM »

Quote from: Mr. Big Boy on Aug 02, 2003 at 02:13 PM

jpadua can you please send me the Pixel Plus service code please. Or can you tell me where I can get them from. Thanks

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK-- but of course you should know what you're doin when you tweek right? heheh so here it is...

Press the power off button on the remote. As soon as the TV shuts down key in 062596 + on the remote.
On some remotes, instead of you have to hit the [menu] See what works... if the code doesnt work you can try these:
162596 + - adjustment mode
062597 + - convergence mode
The TV should turn on, but with the service menu open.
Look for the geometry settings... you should only tweek that area for the moving the picture around. Since I am not familiar with the others settings, Id rather not touch them cause I might screw up the TV hehe.
Always remember original settings before you change anything so you know where to put it back to incase of problems.

kakahiya naman if you have it serviced cause of a setup screw up hehehe.

Happy Tweaking!

YrNeH · « **Reply #142 on:** Aug 04, 2003 at 08:47 AM »

tanong lang ulit bago gawin, pag nakapasok ka na sa setup at nag-tweak ka na, paano ka naman lalabas ng setup? thanks

jpadua · « **Reply #143 on:** Aug 04, 2003 at 09:15 AM »

Quote from: YrNeH on Aug 04, 2003 at 08:47 AM

tanong lang ulit bago gawin, pag nakapasok ka na sa setup at nag-tweak ka na, paano ka naman lalabas ng setup? thanks

make sure to save settings first.. tapos i power off and on mo lang yung TV

Jay

Mr. Big Boy · « **Reply #144 on:** Aug 05, 2003 at 08:18 PM »

Quote from: jpadua on Aug 04, 2003 at 08:18 AM

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK-- but of course you should know what you're doin when you tweek right? heheh so here it is...

Press the power off button on the remote. As soon as the TV shuts down key in 062596 + on the remote.
On some remotes, instead of you have to hit the [menu] See what works... if the code doesnt work you can try these:
162596 + - adjustment mode
062597 + - convergence mode
The TV should turn on, but with the service menu open.
Look for the geometry settings... you should only tweek that area for the moving the picture around. Since I am not familiar with the others settings, Id rather not touch them cause I might screw up the TV hehe.
Always remember original settings before you change anything so you know where to put it back to incase of problems.

kakahiya naman if you have it serviced cause of a setup screw up hehehe.

Happy Tweaking!

Thanks a lot. My only concern for tweaking is the horizontal alignment medyo curvy yung pic lalo na pag letterbox halatang halata.

Thanks again

dayday · « **Reply #145 on:** Aug 06, 2003 at 10:05 PM »

I really hope that I am in the right thread this time. The XBR-800 was mentioned here a while back. Anyway, i am deciding among a 34" Philips Pixel Plus (with stand and a supposedly HTIB thrown in for free), a Sony KV-DR34 (with only the stand thrown in for free), and a 36" XBR-800 (with no stand and no freebies whatsover). Listening in Style informed me that the 36" XBR-800 is 110volts, takes only NTSC (US) and original stand will cost around 20k). Question now is what are the pros and cons to purchasing the 36" XBR-800 (it appeared to me to have the best display of DVD material)? Are the other two better alternatives considering that I will be watching around 80% cable feed and only 20% Movies via DVD?

Would really appreciate your thoughts on this.

YrNeH · « **Reply #146 on:** Aug 06, 2003 at 11:11 PM »

Quote from: dayday on Aug 06, 2003 at 10:05 PM

I really hope that I am in the right thread this time. The XBR-800 was mentioned here a while back. Anyway, i am deciding among a 34" Philips Pixel Plus (with stand and a supposedly HTIB thrown in for free), a Sony KV-DR34 (with only the stand thrown in for free), and a 36" XBR-800 (with no stand and no freebies whatsover). Listening in Style informed me that the 36" XBR-800 is 110volts, takes only NTSC (US) and original stand will cost around 20k). Question now is what are the pros and cons to purchasing the 36" XBR-800 (it appeared to me to have the best display of DVD material)? Are the other two better alternatives considering that I will be watching around 80% cable feed and only 20% Movies via DVD?

Would really appreciate your thoughts on this.

with regards to XBR800 pros & cons, you can ask critical listener as he has one. the only cons i can think of as this moment is the $$$price being a sony tv. being a pixel plus owner, i'm satisfied for now kasi tumigil muna ako ng kaa-upgrade. pixel plus was my 3rd tv in 7 months. cguro kung magkapera ulit, baka mag-upgrade sa pixel plus widescreen.

shalom

dayday · « **Reply #147 on:** Aug 07, 2003 at 08:20 AM »

Thanks Shalom

jackryan · « **Reply #148 on:** Aug 11, 2003 at 12:30 PM »

Quote from: dayday on Aug 06, 2003 at 10:05 PM

I really hope that I am in the right thread this time. The XBR-800 was mentioned here a while back. Anyway, i am deciding among a 34" Philips Pixel Plus (with stand and a supposedly HTIB thrown in for free), a Sony KV-DR34 (with only the stand thrown in for free), and a 36" XBR-800 (with no stand and no freebies whatsover). Listening in Style informed me that the 36" XBR-800 is 110volts, takes only NTSC (US) and original stand will cost around 20k). Question now is what are the pros and cons to purchasing the 36" XBR-800 (it appeared to me to have the best display of DVD material)? Are the other two better alternatives considering that I will be watching around 80% cable feed and only 20% Movies via DVD?

Would really appreciate your thoughts on this.

are you married to a lawyer ba?

kasi i gave this same advice to an ex-colleague who is a lawyer rin...

If you have more than enough funds, then go for Sony's XBR. If not, you may want to reconsider the Philips Pixel Plus. The reason is that if you buy less than what you can really afford there is still that psychological issue that you want there best out there and bleeding edge at that doesn't matter as long as you get the most latest model.

I hope this helps.

-jackryan

dayday · « **Reply #149 on:** Aug 11, 2003 at 01:26 PM »

JackRyan,

Yes I am. Thanks for your thoughts. Only drawback to XBR is that there seems to be no matching stand available in the market right now.