burn out on widescreen hdtvs?

[aj327]

Hello everyone, this is my first post...hopefully someone will be able to give me some guidance.

I'm in the market for a widescreen HDTV - or at least I thought I was until I came to this forum. Last night I was sifting through loads of threads when I found a post on the Panasonic forum that complained about "burn in" that occured on the periphery of the screen. Apparently when you use 4:3 aspect ratio on a 16:9 screen, the black bars on the sides of the screen are capable of burning your screen. I've seen the way stretched out movies look that weren't meant to be played on 16:9 and they look awful...yet playing them on their intended 4:3 aspect is apparently dangerous. Since about half of the dvds I own are not widescreen and most of the channels that I receive would be formatted for 4:3, it seems that unless you can find a tv that allows you to use the 4:3 mode, there's very good reason to reconsider buying one.

Are there any tech guys (girls) out there who know anything more about this problem. I mean I honestly don't see the point of buying one of these tvs if I'm going to constantly be worrying about spoiling a 3,000 dollar purchase by simply using it.

By the way the tv that I was intending on getting was the Panasonic PC-40LT12. It's a 40" wide screen LCD projection tv (High Def). Should I just get a a regular CRT until this problem is worked out...perhaps when DLP becomes a bit cheaper?

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot,

aj327

[57U]

aj, welcome to the forum.

It takes very little time to get used to the stretch modes. If you have not read it already, read "widescreen stretch modes" in the FAQ section, 6th one down on the home page.

You can also check out the 4:3 vs widescreen post. By next year, most of the major network prime time viewing will be HD, more sports are catching on and most DVDs are widescreen, although you say you've got a collection of 4:3.

At this time, it makes little sense to purchase an HDTV unless it is widescreen. There are very few 4:3 "HDTVs" even available any more since all true HDTV is 16:9.

Either go HDTV widescreen, or wait a little while, or purchase an SDTV. No need to rush into this.

[woodman]

aj:
Good news for you ... the set that you're considering - being an LCD-based display, is NOT subject to any "burn-in" problems at all! The so-called "burn-in" problem (which is really a misnomer in the type of case you're talking about) is something that only affects CRTs - direct-views and more specifically RPTVs and front projectors that use CRTs to generate the display.

I second what 57U told you regarding the decision of which type set to buy ... 4:3 or 16:9. The latter is the only sensible choice IMO, since it's the future of television and video.

Hope this relieves your mind

[57U]

I was answering the question regarding burn in for most sets in general. It didn't appear that a final decision on a TV had been made.

Thanks for the clarification Woodman.

Woodman, can you provide a list of the type of TV that does not suffer from burn in? Plasma, LCD, Sony's new GW which uses a form of LCD, DLP, etc.? Thanks

[aj327]

Woodman you rule!!!

LCDs are not subject to burn in for real? Are you sure about this? I feel all gitty and stuff. Wow, I hope you're right...that is good news.

Just to be sure, this isn't an LCD flat panel...it's an LCD rear projection tv. If you're right then I'm afraid I'm going to have to kiss my sweaty wad of cash goodbye and get me some high def action.

Whew...

Thanks so much,

-aj327

[woodman]

Originally posted by 57U
.
Woodman, can you provide a list of the type of TV that does not suffer from burn in? Plasma, LCD, Sony's new GW which uses a form of LCD, DLP, etc.? Thanks

No list needed. CRTs are the only display device that are affected by uneven phosphor wear, which is what we're actually discussing rather than "burn-in" per se. Real, actual burn-in is the result of an intensely bright white or yellow perhaps object remaining statically on screen for an extended period of time (depending on some other factors such as HV level, G2 level, along with brightness and (especially) contrast settings. It reults in a "ghost" of that object being "burned" into the phosphors on the screen - permanently!

[57U]

Woodman, thanks very much for the "list". Yes we should call it "uneven phosphor wear", instead of burn in, but it's just too ingrained in most people.

Reminds one of a certain "resolution" discussion.. ;)

Where have you been, haven't seen your "voice" in here much lately?

Not to start an argument about burn in, but I thought that some plasma owners complained of "burn in" (perhaps from static images like video games)?

[zarlor]

I've seen the problem crop up, rarely, on LCD panels as well. It's usually only showed up on servers we have with an LCD display with the same constant background going 24 hours a day and it takes many months before it's noticeable. (None of us admins normally care if a server monitor "burns in". ;)) The methodology of how it gets "burned in" is no doubt different, but the end effect appears to be about the same.

We also have a couple of LCDs at the office which are on CNN all day long and they keep those suckers at a blinding level of brightness. They are showing a massive, usually green, spot in the center of the display where a lot of "talking heads" usually appear and you get those bright pink faces reflecting more light in that section of the screen than in the darker studio backgrounds. So it may still be something to be aware of on an LCD, but from all of the panels I've worked with it is nowhere near as common a problem as it is on CRTs.

Then again, it's not that big of a problem on CRTs as long as folks keep the contrast and brightness at reasonable (preferably calibrated) levels and do a little bit of changing up their viewing habits every now and then. Such as by Stretching 4:3, at least occasionally, or changing channels to a widescreen program or just anything to vary the picture across the screen on occasion.

BTW, uneaven phospher wear is not a new problem. It's been with us for as long as we've had the CRT. Did you have any problems with "burn-in" on your old TV? I'd say it certainly something to be aware of, but I wouldn't be afraid of it.

[Wooger]

Aye, I can even post a picture of an LCD panel (from where I work) with the NetWare Login screen burned in... they are on 24/7 and 99.99% of the time just sit there on this login screen. I too thought LCDs couldn't burn in, but... surprised even our techs at work!

However, I believe that with most COMMON usage (ie: NOT 24/7) this shouldn't occur. I have yet to see an LCD TV with burn-in (although they HAVE only been out a short while). They are, if nothing else, MUCH less susceptible to our old nemesis. Plasmas... I wouldn't have an opinion. Gimme a couple of years maybe! ;)

An aside: It IS good to see you back Woodman. Sorry about previous venom from my posts... I am told I might have been a bit of a buttmunch and I apologize!

[ibm135]

I believe LCD will burn in. Where I work, we have a lot of manufacturing equipment with LCD screens in which the equipment software Graphic User Interface (GUI) screen is constantly on, and it is clearly seen "burned into the screen" after exiting out to Windows, etc.

Plasma, as well, is notorious for burn in, and the phosphor degrades over time as well (just like a fluorescent light).

Only purely reflective technology will not burn in. The only currently available one is DLP.