Hardware fix promises to restore black levels on Panasonic plasma TVs

A hobbyist has developed a circuit board that should make it possible to restore black levels on Panasonic plasma devices sold between 2008 and 2010. The device periodically resets the black levels of problematic devices.

Owners of certain Panasonic devices struggle with deterioration of the black values ​​and with it a decreasing contrast ratio. The basis lies in the aging of the phosphor pockets in the screen. Panasonic developed the so-called ‘automatic control of contrast over operational lifetime’ technology to counter this: the manufacturer automatically increases the minimum luminance level of panels. However, this does not happen gradually, but in large steps, resulting in black values ​​that deteriorate for the user. Panasonic admitted the error, but a fix for the problem was also not forthcoming. The company was unable to prevent a lawsuit from disappointed owners of these plasma TVs.

A handy developer now thinks he has found a solution himself with the PMCv1, which stands for Panasonic MLL Clearer. The device must be connected to the service connector that becomes accessible when a plate on the back of the device is removed. The module will ask the firmware how old the device is every time the plasma TV is turned on. If the television replies that it is an old device, the device corrects the black values ​​to the original factory settings that Panasonic normally uses for devices. As a result, the black values ​​on the plasma screen should be good again.

According to the developer, the PMCv1 resets the black values ​​on average every 150 hours of operation. Furthermore, a plug-and-play installation is promised. Currently, the PMCv1 is only available in the US, but international orders should be available soon. The ‘black-value fixer’ costs 60 dollars, or 47.43 euros. Incidentally, the developer used an existing DIY method based on an Arduino board in combination with certain software.