Well I purchased a Samsung 50" A650 to compare side by side in home with my Panasonic 50PZ85U. I started the break in yesterday morning, however instead of using my HD DVD players like I have in the past I used a cheap up-converting DVD player.

Well I popped in my trusty break in DVD and to my surprise it came up in a 2:35:1 letterboxed screen which has never happened. Instead of swapping players to my HD player which displays it in 16:9 I just hit the zoom button and left for work.

Well sure enough I get home from work and it's back with bars on top and bottom and had been for about 10 hours. After some cursing, I swapped to my extra HD-DVD player and played for the next 13 hours in full screen.

As of right now I can't see any IR from the bars (there was some last night), but I'm worried as it ran this way for the first 10 hours the set was on.

My question is, do you guys think there will be any lingering effect from this after another 150 hours of break-in?

No. You'll be fine.

Not really sure how important break in is in the first place .. I started playing videogames & watching movies the first day I took my 5080HD out of the box, its been 8 months and no uneven wear / IR issues to speak of..

so, how do they compare ?

picture and IR ?

- I'm actually trying to decide between these 2 models as well

I'm going to finish the break in period and then do extensive side by side comparisons.

As of right now I can't see any IR from the bars (there was some last night), but I'm worried as it ran this way for the first 10 hours the set was on.

The only damage you are trying to avoid is IR/burn-in, so if there's no IR, there's no IR. It's not like the little evil plasma gremlins crawl into your set through the black letterbox bars and are now happily chewing on some cables somewhere deep in the bowels of your set, even though the temporary IR was washed away.

Just relax and enjoy your plasma!!

Break-in is a myth. Some people swear by it, but plasma manufacturers themselves even say that it is a myth.

I didn't break in either of my plasmas when I first got them. 42" Panasonic and 50" Samsung. I put them to the test right away with some hardcore video game playing. Only very slight IR (goes away after like 30 seconds) and no burn-in whatsoever. Slight IR is normal.

But like I said, break-in is not required.....

Break-in is a myth. Some people swear by it, but plasma manufacturers themselves even say that it is a myth.

I didn't break in either of my plasmas when I first got them. 42" Panasonic and 50" Samsung. I put them to the test right away with some hardcore video game playing. Only very slight IR (goes away after like 30 seconds) and no burn-in whatsoever. Slight IR is normal.

But like I said, break-in is not required.....

Plasma manufacturers say it's a myth??? then why does Panasonic have that thorough break in faq?

look at this way though, on the upside you inadvertently became the guinea pig for anyone wondering if something bad would happen if you not only watched something with black bars for 10 hours straight, but did it pre-break in.

so according to you, you got a little IR (which is impressive if it was 10 hours straight), and then it went away that night (again nice that it sounds like it went away as quick as any other level of IR).

want to clarify any of that?

Plasma manufacturers say it's a myth??? then why does Panasonic have that thorough break in faq?

look at this way though, on the upside you inadvertently became the guinea pig for anyone wondering if something bad would happen if you not only watched something with black bars for 10 hours straight, but did it pre-break in.

so according to you, you got a little IR (which is impressive if it was 10 hours straight), and then it went away that night (again nice that it sounds like it went away as quick as any other level of IR).

want to clarify any of that?

http://samsungplasmatvfaq.com/index.php/Break-in,_burn-in,_and_image_retention#What_is_break-in.3F

In that link, there is a section about break-in. It says that Samsung supports the view that break-in is not required. Reading a little further, it says that Panasonic and Pioneer both SUPPORT break-in of their TV's, so I guess it depends on the manufacturer....

Anyways, about my experiences, when I got the 42" Panasonic, my PS3 playing was slightly less than it is on my Samsung. For clarification, the two models are 42px60u, and the Samsung is the FP-T5084.

I played mostly Warhawk on the Panasonic, and as anyone who has played Warhawk knows, there is plenty of static images on that game. As soon as I got my Samsung in December of last year, the big game I was into (as well as my roommate) was Call of Duty 4. I don't have any clue as to how much COD4 we played when I first got the TV. It was probably 6-7 hours a day (combined, me and my roommate, I do have a full-time job :) )

But my point in posting that break-in is a myth is that if it were absolutely required, then everyone who didn't do it would be suffering some sort of horrible IR or burn-in, but that is not the case.... Not that I am saying it isn't beneficial, cuz it very well may be, but as of right now, there is no statistical evidence that it is beneficial (to my knowledge). If it were required, I believe Samsung would say so. Not that I am disagreeing with Panasonic and Pioneer, I think that more than anything, they are just covering their butts. :)

All that being said, break-in or no break-in, plasma TV's these days are very hard to get any burn-in on at all :)

On a side note, about the "myth" claim that I made about break-in, I was reading on one of those Yahoo question things last night, and someone was asking what's the best TV, plasma, LCD, etc. Someone replied that any video game playing on the plasma, and it will be wrecked. He also said (this is my favorite part) that you have to RECHARGE the gas on plasma TV's every few years, although not quite as often as the older plasma TV's. LOL. Hopefully one day, we can educate people about the FACTS about plasma TV's, and de-bunk their stupid myths they believe in! :)

Maybe "myth" is too strong a word then.

It's a choice to be made by each owner. There is no wrong choice necessarily. It's a matter of personal preference.

Personally, if it reduces the chance for burn-in/IR even in the slightest...it's worth my time. I figure that if done properly (not allowing it to be interrupted or stopped and therefore displaying a static logo/image for an extended period of time) it has a better chance of helping rather than harming the set.

http://samsungplasmatvfaq.com/index.php/Break-in,_burn-in,_and_image_retention#What_is_break-in.3F

In that link, there is a section about break-in. It says that Samsung supports the view that break-in is not required. Reading a little further, it says that Panasonic and Pioneer both SUPPORT break-in of their TV's, so I guess it depends on the manufacturer....

Anyways, about my experiences, when I got the 42" Panasonic, my PS3 playing was slightly less than it was on my Samsung. For clarification, the two models are 42px60u, and the Samsung is the FP-T5084.

I played mostly Warhawk on the Panasonic, and as anyone who has played Warhawk knows, there is plenty of static images on that game. As soon as I got my Samsung in December of last year, the big game I was into (as well as my roommate) was Call of Duty 4. I don't have any clue as to how much COD4 we played when I first got the TV. It was probably 6-7 hours a day (combined, me and my roommate, I do have a full-time job :) )

But my point in posting that break-in is a myth is that if it were absolutely required, then everyone who didn't do it would be suffering some sort of horrible IR or burn-in, but that is not the case.... Not that I am saying it isn't beneficial, cuz it very well may be, but as of right now, there is no statistical evidence that it is beneficial (to my knowledge). If it were required, I believe Samsung would say so. Not that I am disagreeing with Panasonic and Pioneer, I think that more than anything, they are just covering their butts. :)

All that being said, break-in or no break-in, plasma TV's these days are very hard to get any burn-in on at all :)

On a side note, about the "myth" claim that I made about break-in, I was reading on one of those Yahoo question things last night, and someone was asking what's the best TV, plasma, LCD, etc. Someone replied that any video game playing on the plasma, and it will be wrecked. He also said (this is my favorite part) that you have to RECHARGE the gas on plasma TV's every few years, although not quite as often as the older plasma TV's. LOL. Hopefully one day, we can educate people about the FACTS about plasma TV's, and de-bunk their stupid myths they believe in! :)

from the way you said it, you went from a Samsung 5084 to a Pansonic px60, that seems a bit backwards? And during both you already had a PS3 (since you said your play lessened). I've also heard both of those sets can get quite a bit more IR in comparison to the 2008 Panasonic models.

anyhow, the whole concept of breaking anything in never really implied the item would suffer some horrible fate if it wasnt.

I think the implication has long been that it helps it run smoothly. As a user above said, if it helps at all, even at its most subtle, which i think is the main point. Of course some tangible evidence of that would be nice (one of which could be though the supposed increase in PQ from a plasma display as it is used initially, as well as the idea of IR getting more subdued as the plasma gets used a little more).

want to clarify any of that?

Sure thing. After 10 hours of black bars as soon as I set up my HD DVD player at full screen you could faintly see lines where the black bars were. This morning the IR was gone and the screen looked perfect. Now after another 11 hours while I was at work the set still looks completely uniform (as it should).

I'm going to set it up with some HD programming tonight to verify, but as it stands right now I can see no effects of IR whatsoever.

Sure thing. After 10 hours of black bars as soon as I set up my HD DVD player at full screen you could faintly see lines where the black bars were. This morning the IR was gone and the screen looked perfect. Now after another 11 hours while I was at work the set still looks completely uniform (as it should).

I'm going to set it up with some HD programming tonight to verify, but as it stands right now I can see no effects of IR whatsoever.

well then as it stands you really tested the sets mettle to come back from possible uneven wear from black bars, since most people would not purposely punish their sets like that for 10 hours from risk of it going out of sync.

lastly, i presume you didnt just turn the set off that night as soon as you discovered set lines. what exactly did you do between that point and you turning it off to have no IR present when you turned it on the next day?

from the way you said it, you went from a Samsung 5084 to a Pansonic px60, that seems a bit backwards? And during both you already had a PS3 (since you said your play lessened). I've also heard both of those sets can get quite a bit more IR in comparison to the 2008 Panasonic models.

anyhow, the whole concept of breaking anything in never really implied the item would suffer some horrible fate if it wasnt.

I think the implication has long been that it helps it run smoothly. As a user above said, if it helps at all, even at its most subtle, which i think is the main point. Of course some tangible evidence of that would be nice (one of which could be though the supposed increase in PQ from a plasma display as it is used initially, as well as the idea of IR getting more subdued as the plasma gets used a little more).

No, I went from a 42px60u to a 5084. If you read a little closer, I said I got my 5084 in December. The 42px60u was purchased in February of last year. I had the Panasonic for 10 months before I got the 5084.... And my play time increased when I got the 5084.... Hope that clears things up a bit.

EDIT: Oh I see now, I used the wrong tense of the word "is" when comparing my playing time on the Samsung and Panasonic. I meant to say my playing time on the Panasonic was less than what it IS on the Samsung. I get it now :) I'll go edit my original post so as to clear up any more confusion...

lastly, i presume you didnt just turn the set off that night as soon as you discovered set lines. what exactly did you do between that point and you turning it off to have no IR present when you turned it on the next day?

From the OP's first message:

Well sure enough I get home from work and it's back with bars on top and bottom and had been for about 10 hours. After some cursing, I swapped to my extra HD-DVD player and played for the next 13 hours in full screen.

As of right now I can't see any IR from the bars (there was some last night), but I'm worried as it ran this way for the first 10 hours the set was on.

ah, so took 13 hours though, that's too bad (i mean, that is a bit long to whipe it).

It might have been gone before 13 hours elapsed. OP saw it the first night and didn't see it at 2 p.m. the next day, so we really don't know at what point it disappeared....

i watched a 2 hours blu ray with the black bars at the top and bottom of my tv... samsung pn50a550 last night

i just got my tv last night also

contrast and brightness about 50

and i had temporary IR when the movie was over, but it went away in like 30 seconds

My question is, do you guys think there will be any lingering effect from this after another 150 hours of break-in?Why did you use the break-in DVD when all you need to do is watch full screen content?

Plasma Facts and Myths Panasonic Presents Advice From the Video Purist Perspective (http://www.dynamicdigital.ca/documents/Plasma%20Facts%20and%20Myths.pdf)

If the whole point of the fast break-in method is to evenly wear and age the red, green and blue phosphors equally in an accelerated manner, I would think that displaying a pure white solid image on the screen for that 5-6 days would be the best way.

Is my thinking wrong?

Why did you use the break-in DVD when all you need to do is watch full screen content?


So that I can blow through the process in 5 days.

;14490609']If the whole point of the fast break-in method is to evenly wear and age the red, green and blue phosphors equally in an accelerated manner, I would think that displaying a pure white solid image on the screen for that 5-6 days would be the best way.

Is my thinking wrong?Your thinking might not be wrong, but your understanding of what the break-in disc entails appears to be. The break-in disc rotates through a series of colors; it's not just a white screen.

FWIT- I left my plasma - 3year old 1000+ hours- on the other night
with a DVD screen credits up for 4hrs.( went out to dinner). When i came home just turn on the orbiter screen swipe- 5 min. latter, no image retention... every thing was fine.. I know this is a new break-in thread, just wanted to let you know burn-in really isn't an issue.

I too think burn in is hogwash. I'm currently researching a bit as my HPT5054 has a dead pixel and is going to be replaced with a new one. Probably the A650.

Anyway, I did the 'burn in on my set when I got it last July - other than wasting electricity it did nothing - NOTHING - to prevent "IR" as I have IR instantly. Really notice it at night when lights are down. It goes away in about 10 or 15 seconds, but the 'burn in disk' did nothing to prevent it. So, I won't be wasting electricity 'burning in' my new set. I may just run the disk once for an hour or so when I first get the display, but that's all (if any) burn-in that is required IMO.

There are technical merits to using the break in disk to evenly age the display pixles. Is it necessary to do? I think that is totally up to the owner.

My personal decision was to skip the Disk break in and just watch full screen with the orbiter on. I would watch DVD and BluRay disks in their native format in Dot by Dot mode no orbiter.

I also use a media center PC and read through the AVS posts. I have never had a hint of IR.

I will say that in the past year that I have had the display. The picture actually seems to get better. So did I miss out on several months of higher quality viewing by not breaking in the display, maybe.

BTW: it is a Pio 150

for what reason would you even turn the orbiter off?

I'm currently researching a bit as my HPT5054 has a dead pixel and is going to be replaced with a new one

Samsung is going to replace your set due to 1 dead pixel?

Your thinking might not be wrong, but your understanding of what the break-in disc entails appears to be. The break-in disc rotates through a series of colors; it's not just a white screen.

No, I'm not talking about that particular break-in disc. I'm talking about the theory behind the fast break-in.

I will say that in the past year that I have had the display. The picture actually seems to get better. So did I miss out on several months of higher quality viewing by not breaking in the display, maybe.

BTW: it is a Pio 150Actually, I believe just the opposite. You broke in your PDP using the correct approach as intended by its manufacturer, which has enabled the display's optimum performance. ;)

IMO, too many individuals (probably the younger people) in this Forum choose to be influenced by certain member's ill-fated recommendations rather than think "rationally" for themselves.

;14498726']No, I'm not talking about that particular break-in disc. I'm talking about the theory behind the fast break-in.Edit: I see that a read your original post wrong. I read: "I would think that displaying a pure white solid image on the screen for that 5-6 days would not be the best way." While you actually said: "I would think that displaying a pure white solid image on the screen for that 5-6 days would be the best way."

Sorry for misreading.

so i got my 5080 today and the first document (Doc IDARM1351-A) talks about IR and how to prevent IR "particularly soon after it has been purchased". Funny, does not appear to be issued by Pioneer but is it? What to make of this. It seems to be as if someone thinks there may be an issue in the first while?