BENQ PDP 46W1 component input termination
 

This is a strange one. I have a client's unit in the shop that works fine
with VGA, composite, DVI, and RF, but will not display a proper image with
component inputs. The image is extremely bright with the whites crushed and
looking over driven. When I first saw it my first thought was that it must
have some termination setting for a loop out. Well I was right about the
problem being a termination issue, but guess what, no loop out nor or there
any 75 ohm terminating resistors in the input board. No settings in the
menu system for anything related. There terminating resistors for the other
inputs, but not on the component in. There are locations for them but they
are simply not there. I installed three 75 ohm resistors and the set works
fine. I keep thinking I must be missing something. BENQ is no help as they
simply repeat the mantra "send it in for service."

Have any of you ever run into one of these or anything without terminating
resistors on the inputs? The unit is a couple of years old but obviously
came from the factory like this. Am I missing something? Does anyone know
how to get any technical info on a BENQ PDP (Chungwa made PDP)? Is this a
case of me being dense or did some idiot program the insertion system in the
factory wrong? Maybe some novice engineer at Chungwa doesn't know that
component vido should be terminated? They can't all be made like this
because they would have never worked right.

This looks like a pretty well designed unit that works well for a 852x480
display, but I can't figure out why the composite inputs were made this way.
As for BENQ support, they are unwilling to provide any at all thus far. To
require that every unit with a technical question be sent in for repair to
either NJ or CA is just silly and they will get no business from me.

The set works, now, but I can't help feeling like I missed something.

Leonard

In alt.tv.tech.hdtv Leonard Caillouet wrote:

| Have any of you ever run into one of these or anything without terminating
| resistors on the inputs? The unit is a couple of years old but obviously
| came from the factory like this. Am I missing something? Does anyone know
| how to get any technical info on a BENQ PDP (Chungwa made PDP)? Is this a
| case of me being dense or did some idiot program the insertion system in the
| factory wrong? Maybe some novice engineer at Chungwa doesn't know that
| component vido should be terminated? They can't all be made like this
| because they would have never worked right.

I suspect some middle-level manager decided to save some money by not
inserting resistors only needed for some kind of input connection he
neither understands nor ever uses. He may have pocketed the different.

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Phil Howard KA9WGN | http://linuxhomepage.com/ http://ham.org/ |
| (first name) at ipal.net | http://phil.ipal.org/ http://ka9wgn.ham.org/ |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 17:42:47 -0400, "Leonard Caillouet"
put finger to keyboard and composed:

This is a strange one. I have a client's unit in the shop that works fine
with VGA, composite, DVI, and RF, but will not display a proper image with
component inputs. The image is extremely bright with the whites crushed and
looking over driven. When I first saw it my first thought was that it must
have some termination setting for a loop out. Well I was right about the
problem being a termination issue, but guess what, no loop out nor or there
any 75 ohm terminating resistors in the input board. No settings in the
menu system for anything related. There terminating resistors for the other
inputs, but not on the component in. There are locations for them but they
are simply not there. I installed three 75 ohm resistors and the set works
fine. I keep thinking I must be missing something. BENQ is no help as they
simply repeat the mantra "send it in for service."

Have any of you ever run into one of these or anything without terminating
resistors on the inputs? The unit is a couple of years old but obviously
came from the factory like this. Am I missing something? Does anyone know
how to get any technical info on a BENQ PDP (Chungwa made PDP)? Is this a
case of me being dense or did some idiot program the insertion system in the
factory wrong? Maybe some novice engineer at Chungwa doesn't know that
component vido should be terminated? They can't all be made like this
because they would have never worked right.

This looks like a pretty well designed unit that works well for a 852x480
display, but I can't figure out why the composite inputs were made this way.
As for BENQ support, they are unwilling to provide any at all thus far. To
require that every unit with a technical question be sent in for repair to
either NJ or CA is just silly and they will get no business from me.

The set works, now, but I can't help feeling like I missed something.

Leonard

I would have thought professional reviewers would have noticed
something like that, assuming yours is not just a one-off case.

However, the only substantial review I can find is this one by Kevin
Miller on October 9, 2003:

http://reviews.cnet.com/BenQ_46W1/45...0046857-2.html

The good:

Solid feature package with individual memory for each input; great
color decoding; decent video processing with 3:2 pull-down; relatively
inexpensive.

The bad:

Inadequate picture control; poor black-level performance; significant
noise and false-contouring artifacts; low resolution; no HDCP copy
protection.

The bottom line:

This low-resolution plasma is a mediocre performer, but it's very
aggressively priced.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

"Franc Zabkar" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 17:42:47 -0400, "Leonard Caillouet"
put finger to keyboard and composed:

This is a strange one. I have a client's unit in the shop that works fine
with VGA, composite, DVI, and RF, but will not display a proper image with
component inputs. The image is extremely bright with the whites crushed
and
looking over driven. When I first saw it my first thought was that it
must
have some termination setting for a loop out. Well I was right about the
problem being a termination issue, but guess what, no loop out nor or
there
any 75 ohm terminating resistors in the input board. No settings in the
menu system for anything related. There terminating resistors for the
other
inputs, but not on the component in. There are locations for them but
they
are simply not there. I installed three 75 ohm resistors and the set
works
fine. I keep thinking I must be missing something. BENQ is no help as
they
simply repeat the mantra "send it in for service."

Have any of you ever run into one of these or anything without terminating
resistors on the inputs? The unit is a couple of years old but obviously
came from the factory like this. Am I missing something? Does anyone
know
how to get any technical info on a BENQ PDP (Chungwa made PDP)? Is this a
case of me being dense or did some idiot program the insertion system in
the
factory wrong? Maybe some novice engineer at Chungwa doesn't know that
component vido should be terminated? They can't all be made like this
because they would have never worked right.

This looks like a pretty well designed unit that works well for a 852x480
display, but I can't figure out why the composite inputs were made this
way.
As for BENQ support, they are unwilling to provide any at all thus far.
To
require that every unit with a technical question be sent in for repair to
either NJ or CA is just silly and they will get no business from me.

The set works, now, but I can't help feeling like I missed something.

Leonard

I would have thought professional reviewers would have noticed
something like that, assuming yours is not just a one-off case.

However, the only substantial review I can find is this one by Kevin
Miller on October 9, 2003:

http://reviews.cnet.com/BenQ_46W1/45...0046857-2.html

The good:

Solid feature package with individual memory for each input; great
color decoding; decent video processing with 3:2 pull-down; relatively
inexpensive.

The bad:

Inadequate picture control; poor black-level performance; significant
noise and false-contouring artifacts; low resolution; no HDCP copy
protection.

The bottom line:

This low-resolution plasma is a mediocre performer, but it's very
aggressively priced.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

I'm guessing this was an early production screw-up that they fixed at some
point. If it was designed this way and they were all built like this there
is no way it could have ever worked properly. Of course, it could be the
source of poor black level and inadequate picture control for a really dumb
reviewer. I actually find that there is a large range of control and you
could almost make it work in term of brightness if you turn it all the way
down. Still had whites that were blown out, etc.
Well, it works now.

Leonard