I just purchased a Philips 42FD9935 Plasma EDTV Monitor. I will using it with Directv and Progressive Scan DVD. Philips recommends adding one of their ebox receivers to enhance the picture.
The low end FT9955 has Digital Natural Motion, Crystal Clear and Progressive Scan. The high end FT9965 adds Pixel Plus.
Anyone have any experience with these eboxes for plasma. Do they significantly enhance the picture?
If your digital cable box has dolby connect the svideo to the plasma and the digital out to your av receiver. Without dolby connect the audio outs to the av receiver. You can also run the svideo to the receiver and the then run svideo from the monitor out on the av receiver to the plasma. Set the plasma to av2.
If your cable box has a setting for aspect ratio set it to 16:9.
If your dvd has progresive scan turn it on and ron component video cables from the dvd to the plasma and the digital out to the receiver. Switch to av3 when using the dvd.
I leave the plasma on widescreen all the time. I would rather fat people on regular tv rather than black bands.
If you dont have a capable av receiver run the audio out on your cable box to powered shielded speakers. COmputer speakers will work. You may need a cable to convert rca to mini-plug depending on the input on the speakers.