So, they put a 232 port on the "media controller" for this plasma, and if you dig around enough you can find a protocol document. As it turns out, this is the same controller as Sharp is using for their 30" LCD box. Sharp builds them and Pioneer rebrands them. Here is the big problem:

It has a discreet POWER OFF via 232 but there is seemingly no way to do a POWER ON via 232. We've tried different versions of the power off, input selects and just about every other published command in an attempt to get this thing to come to life.

So, has anyone else been down this road yet? Have you found a solution. Hoping that theres a hidden command that will get this thing to turn on, I've got 3 of these going into a project early next month and I'd rather not have to put an IR emitter out on the display itself (the media controller appears to have no IR sensor of any sort, though I've not disassembled it yet).

Thanks
Brad