So in August I bought a 42px75u panasonic plasma. I have been very paranoid ever since. I broke it in for the first 150 hours or so to eliminate the probability of IR or burn in. When I watch standard tv, I change the aspect to 4:3 so that the side bars are grey. When I watch movies on my HD DVD player I use the ZOOM feature so the black bars on top and bottom are gone.

The problem is that the gf and I are both tired of having to change the aspect of everything we watch and are missing some of the picture, and getting scared that we are going to burn something in if we dont.

So I am thinking of going over to lcd.

My requirements would be
at least a 42"" screen.
1080p
10,000:1 contrast ratio

Am I just being OVER paranoid?

If those are big concerns for you and they will eat at you then you should go to an LCD. The Panny Trolls will be irate about this next statement but the fact is that this model for Panasonic was not their best effort and the PQ isn't any better than an LCD. So you are not giving up anything there. If you were talking about a Kuro then I would raise the issue of you moving to an LCD with lesser PQ. (Randy Walters please feel free to start your usual personal attacks now)

I love my Sony. I would say go with a Sony or Samsung LCD. But I would love to be able to try out a Pioneer plasma.

So in August I bought a 42px75u panasonic plasma. I have been very paranoid ever since. I broke it in for the first 150 hours or so to eliminate the probability of IR or burn in. When I watch standard tv, I change the aspect to 4:3 so that the side bars are grey. When I watch movies on my HD DVD player I use the ZOOM feature so the black bars on top and bottom are gone.

The problem is that the gf and I are both tired of having to change the aspect of everything we watch and are missing some of the picture, and getting scared that we are going to burn something in if we dont.

So I am thinking of going over to lcd.

My requirements would be
at least a 42"" screen.
1080p
10,000:1 contrast ratio

Am I just being OVER paranoid?
And you think LCD will not have all these issues?

If you have logged more than 100 hours already then you are good to go. Watch without any fear dude. Enjoy your TV. Watch the show in the manner it is meant to be watched. If there are black bars on top and bottom - thats fine. It is because the movie's aspect ratio is not same as your TVs (16:9) raio and to maintain the original ratio the display is reduced. It is supposed to be watched like that. Did you not see the curtain being lowered a little when the main movie start in a theater ner you? Take it easy due and enjoy your TV. Trust me you are not going to blow holes in your plasma.

Watching 4:3 unstretched or with gray/black side bars is a prescription for burn in. There are hundreds of threads archived here that discuss this problem and it's real

Are you otherwise happy with your TV and it's just this fear of burn in that's keeping you from enjoying it?

I've only had my plasma (50" Panasonic) for a few weeks but yeah, I think you're probably being over paranoid.

Why not just use the TV like a regular TV for a couple of weeks? Just watch shows in their intended formats and see what happens. Go ahead and set the TV and your input devices to do grey bars where available, but otherwise just leave things on standard/native/etc type settings.

I think it's extremely unlikely you'll cause any permanent burn in. Maybe you'll notice some temporary retention from time to time? As I understand it burn in just ain't gonna happen because you watch a movie with letterboxing, or a 4:3 channel with side bars. Good chance nothing at all will happen and you'll be wondering what you were so worried about.

jeff

ps. do a search on omeletpants posts and you'll find that the only "Panny troll" on this board is him.

If those are big concerns for you and they will eat at you then you should go to an LCD. The Panny Trolls will be irate about this next statement but the fact is that this model for Panasonic was not their best effort and the PQ isn't any better than an LCD. So you are not giving up anything there. If you were talking about a Kuro then I would raise the issue of you moving to an LCD with lesser PQ. (Randy Walters please feel free to start your usual personal attacks now)

Im not irate.... most people do NOT seem to agree with you so your post is nothing more than an opinion of which there are 100 billion million of on the internet. I can find people that think Pioneers suck too, especially the owners that get stuck with buzz-bombs. Just check these forums.... KUROs are really nice but they have their detractors too. Pannys are a great choice amongst plasmas and the 75U series get favorably reviewed by most owners. Thats a fact which you can research yourself.

So then.... LCDs are pretty lame, IMO. They all have a glazed-over, washed out image. They are bright and Torch mode really makes them stand out in Best Buy, but in real world environments, they always come up short in major PQ areas. Plus, dont sit anywhere except the dead center viewing spot when watching LCDs since they suck even more if you're slightly off-center.

Dont be paranoid of burn-in, just mix your viewing content which you prolly do anyways and this wil take care of it. You could always try a Samsung or a Pioneer plasma but your concerns wont go away with those sets either. We watch TONS of different content on our plasma and burn-in is not an issue. I play video games, watch 2.35:1 movies, the wife watches 4:3 shows sometimes, etc, etc. You can change the color of the sidebars with most cable boxes or dish systems to that will help too.

By the way: Doesnt the TV retain whatever aspect ratio you selected for different content? My TV automatically stretches 4:3 content and then goes bck to normal mode when I switch to an HD source/channel.

I think it's extremely unlikely you'll cause any permanent burn in.

.

Yeah, great advice coming from someone that has a whole two weeks of experience with plasma. To the original poster: you will have burn in to some degree if you don't stretch 4:3. Don't let this guy screw up your TV

Watching 4:3 unstretched or with gray/black side bars is a prescription for burn in. There are hundreds of threads archived here that discuss this problem and it's real

Nope.... not true. Youd have to sit there with 4:3 content on screen for weeks on end in which case its time to put the bong down and get a job anyways. :D

Gray sidebars do NOT contribute to IR or Burn-in! Thats why the cable boxes have the setting for lighter-shade sidebars!

Im not irate.... most people do NOT seem to agree with you so your post is nothing more than an opinion of which there are 100 billion million of on the internet. I can find people that think Pioneers suck too, especially the owners that get stuck with buzz-bombs. Just check these forums.... KUROs are really nice but they have their detractors too. Pannys are a great choice amongst plasmas and the 75U series get favorably reviewed by most owners. Thats a fact which you can research yourself.



But you have to consider the weight of opinion. I have seen some Panny's that look decent. The 75U series is not one of them. But don't take my opinion and look at all the negative threads on the 75U here. They revolve around "should I take it back", "why does it look so dim and lifeless". We even had one noted calibrator here say he refuses to work on the 75U anymore because of the poor PQ. How often do you see guys turn away business? Of all the plasmas discussed here it has the most negative comments. You can ignore that if you choose but have to ask yourself why so many people dislike this model

Nope.... not true. Youd have to sit there with 4:3 content on screen for weeks on end in which case its time to put the bong down and get a job anyways. :D

Gray sidebars do NOT contribute to IR or Burn-in! Thats why the cable boxes have the setting for lighter-shade sidebars!

You need to do some research :D It's all about the aging of the pixels and gray bars help but there is not enough variation in the color to age at the same rate as the 4:3 portion of the picture. Do a search and you will hear the opinions of others on this matter.

I'm the wrong person to talk anyone out of anything. Even though I am seen among my friends as a "tech guru" none of them took my advice when it came time to buy a new flatscreen....3 of them were talked into lcd's by salesmen and one went with dlp. However...there is only one (with a admittedly good Sony XBR5) that thinks their tv looks better than my plasma and 3 out of 4 wishes they had gone the same route..;)

Keep the Plasma. LCD is good but falls short in contrast ratio and black level. And if you're going to spend a lot of money on a better LCD it would just make more sense to get a cheaper Pioneer Plasma because it will beat any LCD in PQ.

I recently bought a Sony Bravia 52XBR4 and could not be happier. The television is amazing. Are the blacks as good as plasma? Probably not...but the picture is pretty awesome. Plus there are some good sales going on right now for that TV...

I was in your shoes for awhile. I could not make up my mind what to buy...a plasma or LCD. I am very anal and knew that I would be worried to death about burn-in...no matter what people say, I think it is a potential issue.

I went with the Sony and do not regret my decision one bit.

I'm thinking about jumping ship to LCD as well but for a completely different reason, fringing. I can't stand the green ghosting that I see on almost every game I play. I had been able to live with it somewhat but it is getting to the point where I just can't ignore it anymore. I can barely play CoD4 anymore as it shows this effect on almost everything. The level "Charlie Don't Surf" is especially bad with all the buildings blurring with every movement.

The sad thing is, this is one of the few problems I have with my Plasma and by moving to LCD I am looking at a lot of other problems that I never had to worry about with my Panasonic. (Mura, flashlighting, ghosting with the new Sony's, dead pixels, banding, high prices) I really like the picture quality of my Panasonic but this green fringing just kills it for me. I did a test on the PS3 demo unit at Walmart to see how bad the ghosting was and it was surprisingly little but considering that it was at a Walmart, I doubt that is was even close to being accurate as to how much blur I will see at home. Since I am getting a new display, I am going to get a 52 inch if I can but might settle for a 46 inch if I have to, but I will go bigger.

If anyone can figure out how to get rid of the fringing I will gladly keep my Panasonic, but as long as I can see it, I need a different TV for gaming. (It still looks great for most movies though, and I will keep it for watching DVDs)

A video showing the green fringing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kyllx3VaI8

Yeah, great advice coming from someone that has a whole two weeks of experience with plasma. To the original poster: you will have burn in to some degree if you don't stretch 4:3. Don't let this guy screw up your TV

OP, you have a choice. Listen to the ramblings of an inexplicably anti-Panasonic internet stranger, or just try using your TV like a normal person for a few weeks and see what happens. And heck, if he turns out to be right and your TV is ruined, you're still in the warranty period so you can get it repaired or replaced. ;)

jeff

OP, you have a choice. Listen to the ramblings of an inexplicably anti-Panasonic internet stranger, or just try using your TV like a normal person for a few weeks and see what happens. And heck, if he turns out to be right and your TV is ruined, you're still in the warranty period so you can get it repaired or replaced. ;)

jeff

Hey, cut OmlettePants a break; watching 4:3 content exclusively on stretch mode is enough to make anyone lose their mind.

--Mav

OP, you have a choice. Listen to the ramblings of an inexplicably anti-Panasonic internet stranger, or just try using your TV like a normal person for a few weeks and see what happens. And heck, if he turns out to be right and your TV is ruined, you're still in the warranty period so you can get it repaired or replaced. ;)

jeff

Jeff, then I wonder what all the hundreds of "burn in" threads are all about? Those damn internet strangers! :D

There are a lot of great LCDs out there, but as many have already stated, you will be trading one problem (one you shouldn't worry about) for, potentially, more annoying issues.

I could never get over viewing angles and (actual) black levels with LCDs. Blurring wasn't a big issue for me. I love some of the razor sharp LCD's and the brightness can be very attractive, but don't let IR be the reason you make the change.

Also, cost is a factor. I mean you are not going to find an LCD for the same price as the 42PX75U. I say keep it!:)

There are a lot of great LCDs out there, but as many have already stated, you will be trading one problem (one you shouldn't worry about) for, potentially, more annoying issues.

I could never get over viewing angles and (actual) black levels with LCDs. Blurring wasn't a big issue for me. I love some of the razor sharp LCD's and the brightness can be very attractive, but don't let IR be the reason you make the change.

Also, cost is a factor. I mean you are not going to find an LCD for the same price as the 42PX75U. I say keep it!:)

I know, if I couldn't see fringing, I wouldn't dream of getting an LCD, but the fact is I can see it and it annoys me to no end. I will be getting an LCD soon since there doesn't seem to be a fix for this problem. (and yes I can see it on every Plasma I look at, even the top tier Pioneer displays.)

So in August I bought a 42px75u panasonic plasma. I have been very paranoid ever since. I broke it in for the first 150 hours or so to eliminate the probability of IR or burn in. When I watch standard tv, I change the aspect to 4:3 so that the side bars are grey. When I watch movies on my HD DVD player I use the ZOOM feature so the black bars on top and bottom are gone.

The problem is that the gf and I are both tired of having to change the aspect of everything we watch and are missing some of the picture, and getting scared that we are going to burn something in if we dont.

So I am thinking of going over to lcd.

My requirements would be
at least a 42"" screen.
1080p
10,000:1 contrast ratio

Am I just being OVER paranoid?

Since you bought it in August, you are well past the return period, so what are you planning on doing with the set?

Since you broke it in carefully, and you do have anti burn in and image retention correction tools on the set, why not just start watching it in what ever format is being displayed, and just relax and enjoy your set, like millions of owners have being doing.

If you worried that much about getting into a car accident, you would never leave your house. "The only thing you have to fear, is fear itself".

Relax and enjoy your TV viewing.:)

I really don't think you need to sweat it so much. Many of us watch hours and hours of SD 4:3 content each week, in true aspect, with BLACK bars, and suffer no IR whatsoever.

Current gen plasmas are extremely resistant to IR, outside of a few video games with bright, static user interfaces. Madden and Guitar Hero are frequently mentioned as the worst offenders. I've also heard of it happening with the life bar in Ninja Gaiden Sigma, but I actually play that game and have never experienced the issue on my PZ700U.

Omelet is correct that the phosphors will wear unevenly when you're not watching in full screen, but this isn't indicative of your panel's propensity to exhibit IR. Rather, this is an issue with the long term consistency of the brightness of the phosphors. However, when I say long term, I mean it. Modern panels slowly decline to half brightness over the span of 30-40 years. And I can almost promise you that the power supply or some other key component is going to die long before that becomes an issue.

Bottom line: enjoy your panel and don't sweat the IR myth unless you're actually seeing IR. This issue is largely a problem of the past.

I've had my plasma for three years, Fujitsu P50/40 and my wife consistently falls asleep watching 4:3 content. I turn off the tv or change the channel whenever I get the chance, but I have experienced no burn-in issues.

Jeff, then I wonder what all the hundreds of "burn in" threads are all about? Those damn internet strangers! :D

Sure, some panels have burn in problems, but I don't think the 75U is one of them. In my recollection, the "purple snakes" issue is the primary reiterated complaint with respect to this model.

As was recently posted in the 75U Owners thread::

Just bought the 75u a couple days ago and read all the stuff about breakin and burnin as well. I decided to call Pani and they said dont worry about it. Not really a concern with new plasmas. However, they did say that it is a good idea, although not necessary, to take it out of "vivid" mode, put it in "standard" and put everythig at 0 for about 100 hours. They also said not to leave a game or something on the screen with no movement for several hours during this period. Channel logos, ticker symbols and those things are ok because they are not on for hours at a time due to commercial breaks.

Reading these threads makes me glad to have chosen a dying technology 'RP'. While not perfect about the only issue I have is SSE and that is not an issue for me once calibrated. Having to spend more to get a smaller screen and still have to stretching content, deal with ghosting and various other maladies would piss me off every time I watched it.

I've had my PX75 for almost a year now. I watch my content with black bars (sides or top, depending on whether it's SDTV or a DVD). I always have about 20 seconds of IR where the bars were when I flip back to HD content, then everything looks fine after it fades. After a nearly year of this behavior I've seen no evidence of permanent burn-in. Oh, and I also use my Xbox 360 to game a couple of hours a day on the TV and don't see any burn-in from that.

Jeff, then I wonder what all the hundreds of "burn in" threads are all about? Those damn internet strangers! :D

That's actually a good question. I searched "Panasonic burn in" on the plasma board and found out.

Just about all of them are people who are shopping TVs or are brand new owners and are asking questions about IR/burn, followed by a multitude of plasma owners saying that it's no big deal. Owners with multiple sets like RandyWalters, joemama, jacksonian, and others who actually write reasoned posts based on personal experience have credibility.

A poll thread had 86% of respondents say they have no burn in or IR. The remaining 14% indicated that have experienced either burn in or IR. Only one out of 56 posts actually said they have burn in, not just temporary IR. There's an occasional thread from an owner asking about IR, but actual burned in plasmas seem few and far between.

Of course there are "best practices" to avoid it, such as using a reduced contrast setting on new sets, not leaving menus or HUDs on screen for hours on end, using gray side bars, etc but the consensus is that if you just do as the owner's manual says and watch a variety of programming you won't have any problems.

So yeah I'll stand by my suggestion to just use the TV like a normal person and enjoy :)

I think ROXGenghis' post is the only one in this entire thread the OP should pay attention to. Everyone else is either speculating or off topic.

jeff

Reading these threads makes me glad to have chosen a dying technology 'RP'. While not perfect about the only issue I have is SSE and that is not an issue for me once calibrated. Having to spend more to get a smaller screen and still have to stretching content, deal with ghosting and various other maladies would piss me off every time I watched it.

I had to rule out RP for many reasons, SSE was one of them (I saw it every time I looked at a RP screen) but I could also see rainbows on most DLP sets as well. I also don't like how DLP washes out worse than Plasma in a bright room. My biggest problem is the bulb replacements and all the moving parts that can give out on a RPTV, I just don't think that the worry is worth it.

The LED sets have hot spots and still have to be replaced every few years (and what are the odds that they will still stock a compatible bulb when it does die out?) I have seen that the new LED sets last around 60,000, but then again with all the moving parts in the RP tech that could give out, I just don't want to deal with it. (or spend all that money on an extended warranty just for peace of mind)

Reading these threads makes me glad to have chosen a dying technology 'RP'. While not perfect about the only issue I have is SSE and that is not an issue for me once calibrated. Having to spend more to get a smaller screen and still have to stretching content, deal with ghosting and various other maladies would piss me off every time I watched it.

My 50 inch plasma cost less than my last 55 inch RP (dying breed anyway) by over $500. I never stretch anything and don't deal with ghosting. I have no reflections. I play games, sit anywhere I want, and enjoy some of the best black levels, contrast, and color accuracy on the market. This is the first time I actually have no complaints at all about my display. Believe me, you are missing out on more than you know.

I think ROXGenghis' post is the only one in this entire thread the OP should pay attention to. Everyone else is either speculating or off topic.

jeff

You're not much of a politician are you? So are we supposed to ignore your posts as well?

Up to this point, I was largely in agreement with your position in response to the OP, but I fail to understand your motivation in bashing the relevance of every post but one.

I understand that ROX is a 75U owner, but a sample size of one hardly provides reliable empirical results for the OP to rely upon.

I really don't think you need to sweat it so much. Many of us watch hours and hours of SD 4:3 content each week, in true aspect, with BLACK bars, and suffer no IR whatsoever.

Current gen plasmas are extremely resistant to IR, outside of a few video games with bright, static user interfaces. Madden and Guitar Hero are frequently mentioned as the worst offenders. I've also heard of it happening with the life bar in Ninja Gaiden Sigma, but I actually play that game and have never experienced the issue on my PZ700U.


I've had my PX75 for almost a year now. I watch my content with black bars (sides or top, depending on whether it's SDTV or a DVD). I always have about 20 seconds of IR where the bars were when I flip back to HD content, then everything looks fine after it fades. After a nearly year of this behavior I've seen no evidence of permanent burn-in. Oh, and I also use my Xbox 360 to game a couple of hours a day on the TV and don't see any burn-in from that.

I will add my voice to these plasma owners that feel no stress over burn-in. I have a samsung 4254 and watch plenty of 2.35:1 movies and standard def with black bars (when I watch with my wife, we stretch otherwise OAR for me), and have never had any IR that has made me worry. I also have recently gotten into Guitar Hero and have played probably an average of 2 hours a day since Christmas and still have no problems. My advise is to be conservative with your settings which will give you the most natural image anyway and if you ever DO see bothersome IR, run the screen burn protection (scrolling white) at the end of the night for a couple hours with the sleep timer set to turn the TV off when it's done.
That said, I know a couple of people that have had some serious problems with constant IR due to manufacturing problems which have caused them to exchange their panels, but this is not the norm and I think you are running about the same odds of getting a lemon TV for other reasons.

Reading these threads makes me glad to have chosen a dying technology 'RP'. While not perfect about the only issue I have is SSE and that is not an issue for me once calibrated. Having to spend more to get a smaller screen and still have to stretching content, deal with ghosting and various other maladies would piss me off every time I watched it.

Reading these threads makes me shake my head and wish everyone would chill out and enjoy their displays.

When I first got into HD years ago this exact same debate was raging, all you had to do is substitute the words “RP CRT” for “plasma”. I was soooo afraid of burn-in, black bars top/bottom, station logos, etc, etc it was awful. Eventually I forgot all about it and just used the TV and watched whatever I wanted to watch in the original aspect ratio.

Guess what, nothing ever happened. It was all a bunch of worry for nothing.

That's actually a good question. I searched "Panasonic burn in" on the plasma board and found out.

Just about all of them are people who are shopping TVs or are brand new owners and are asking questions about IR/burn, followed by a multitude of plasma owners saying that it's no big deal. Owners with multiple sets like RandyWalters, joemama, jacksonian, and others who actually write reasoned posts based on personal experience have credibility.

A poll thread had 86% of respondents say they have no burn in or IR. The remaining 14% indicated that have experienced either burn in or IR. Only one out of 56 posts actually said they have burn in, not just temporary IR. There's an occasional thread from an owner asking about IR, but actual burned in plasmas seem few and far between.

Of course there are "best practices" to avoid it, such as using a reduced contrast setting on new sets, not leaving menus or HUDs on screen for hours on end, using gray side bars, etc but the consensus is that if you just do as the owner's manual says and watch a variety of programming you won't have any problems.

So yeah I'll stand by my suggestion to just use the TV like a normal person and enjoy :)


jeff


+1

Reading these threads makes me shake my head and wish everyone would chill out and enjoy their displays.

When I first got into HD years ago this exact same debate was raging, all you had to do is substitute the words “RP CRT” for “plasma”. I was soooo afraid of burn-in, black bars top/bottom, station logos, etc, etc it was awful. Eventually I forgot all about it and just used the TV and watched whatever I wanted to watch in the original aspect ratio.

Guess what, nothing ever happened. It was all a bunch of worry for nothing.

There should be a word for the condition: May I suggest, Technocondria. :D

You're not much of a politician are you? So are we supposed to ignore your posts as well?

Up to this point, I was largely in agreement with your position in response to the OP, but I fail to understand your motivation in bashing the relevance of every post but one.

I understand that ROX is a 75U owner, but a sample size of one hardly provides reliable empirical results for the OP to rely upon.

Don't take offense so quick, that was a tongue-in-cheek comment that obviously didn't convey properly. Perhaps I should add a ;) to the end of the sentence? And even if it was meant in the way you construed it, it wouldn't alter the substance of my argument.

I was pointing out the somewhat comical situation where we've got people who've owned them for a short time (me), or just bash Panasonic in every thread they can find, or brought up their own problems, or just chimed in to say "I like my LCD/RPTV", and one guy who's real experience is actually directly applicable to the OPs dilemma.

jeff

My advice to owners of plasmas that are paranoid.....just drive it like you stole it.:D Of course you also have to use common sense (you don't want it to be worthless once you reach the chop shop) but that doesn't mean fretting about using it like it was made to be used....and that means tv, movies and games.:cool:

Just to be on the safe side, buy a brand new plasma, and never plug it in. That way it should stay perfect for ever. Better still, don't even open the carton. You just might damage something. Wait just a minute. It could get damaged on the delivery route. Check with the store and see if you can just pay for it, and not have it ever moved. That way you will own a perfect TV for ever. Somethings are just too valuable to ever risk putting them to good use!.;)

Well, thanks for the kinds words everyone.

I bought my TV in august, but I think I bought mine just before the pixel shifter thing was included on the 75u. Cause mine doesnt do it.

I am still on the fence of what to do. I don't do too much sd viewing, mostly hd dvd and some hd ota tv. So I guess I will have to decide.

I would think that taking the loss from getting rid of it and buying something else would be worse than some potential issue you -might- notice someday.

I've had my PX75 for almost a year now. I watch my content with black bars (sides or top, depending on whether it's SDTV or a DVD). I always have about 20 seconds of IR where the bars were when I flip back to HD content, then everything looks fine after it fades. After a nearly year of this behavior I've seen no evidence of permanent burn-in. Oh, and I also use my Xbox 360 to game a couple of hours a day on the TV and don't see any burn-in from that.

+1 Ive had my plasma for about 9 months. I watch movies with black bars all the time. I watch TV shows with gray sides and I watch TV shows with black bars. I game on my plasma quite a bit. A buddy of mine with the 50" Samsung plasma does similar stuff. Both TV's show no sign of wear. Any IR is gone with in a few seconds. Though I have never seen any IR what so ever with any TV show. The only time is after watching movies and as I said there gone with in a few seconds at the most.

So personally I think you are being a little over protective of your plasma.

Well, thanks for the kinds words everyone.

I bought my TV in august, but I think I bought mine just before the pixel shifter thing was included on the 75u. Cause mine doesnt do it.

I am still on the fence of what to do. I don't do too much sd viewing, mostly hd dvd and some hd ota tv. So I guess I will have to decide.

The pixel shifter is built in and always active so you probably never noticed it.

The pixel shifter is built in and always active so you probably never noticed it.

Do all of the 75u's do it, cause I thought it was only on the newest ones?

Do all of the 75u's do it, cause I thought it was only on the newest ones?

From what I understand it is on all the units, even the older ones.

From what I understand it is on all the units, even the older ones.

Hmmm. I know when I worked at circuit city I actually the pixel shifter work one time. I believe that was on a 75u or 77u, but it had a label on it that said it had the pixel shifter on it.

Could it be off, and I need to turn it on in a service menu or something?

Yeah, great advice coming from someone that has a whole two weeks of experience with plasma. To the original poster: you will have burn in to some degree if you don't stretch 4:3. Don't let this guy screw up your TV

And how many weeks of experience have you had with plasma may I ask?

Do all of the 75u's do it, cause I thought it was only on the newest ones?

What does your owners manual say? When all else fails, read the instructions!:)

I just looked up the manual on panasonic's website and it says nothing about the 75u having pixel shift technology on it.

I just looked up the manual on panasonic's website and it says nothing about the 75u having pixel shift technology on it.

I have seen the pixel shift in action on my set so I know it is there.

I just looked up the manual on panasonic's website and it says nothing about the 75u having pixel shift technology on it.
I've seen a lot of posts in other threads saying pixel shift is on all the Pannys. I've seen it stated that all of them have ps, but not all of them have stickers saying so. I've seen it stated that they've all had ps since 2006.

To see for yourself, try the following Advanced Search:

key word(s): pixel shift
user name: randywalters
search in forums: plasma flat panel displays, flat panel general & new FP tech
show results as: posts

However, this is all just posts from forum members. To get a better answer, you can try calling Panny's concierge service and asking them.

I just looked up the manual on panasonic's website and it says nothing about the 75u having pixel shift technology on it.

Panasonic's website and their manuals have been known to omit relevant information - for example the fact that the 700/750U's support HDMI 1.3.

"Panagurl" is an official panasonic rep who often visits these boards. You might try shooting her a PM to confirm on the pixel shifting issue.

After reading the thread I am a little confused. On my 1.5 year old Samsung plasma I didn't take any of the precautions that the OP did. I watched TV with the black bars, never changed my aspect ratio, gamed for hours on my 360, yet I didn't have any IR or burn in issues. Was I supposed to be taking these precautions? I didn't even know that I was supposed to break in my TV, I just watched random stuff on it for the first 100 hours and gamed a lot. Like myself I cant see the average consumer taking the precautions that the OP did to prevent IR and burn in.

But after reading the forums I know why the OP took the precautions.