Master Burn-In/IR/Break In Thread Part II: All Posts Here Only - Page 4

I am running the break in dvd. I was wondering if everyone just lets it run 24/7 til you reach the 150 mark?

I just put my new Samsung 5084 up Friday, and I've been breaking it in ever since. Sanity check: Do you need to play HD content to break it in properly?

My HD DVR is due to arrive in the next couple of days, so I've been playing all SD content via S-video zoomed in. That would get all the phosphors working, right?

Thanks,
V

All the HD programming has it.. in full screen that logo is still there...

With 10 minutes between commercials.. isn't that risky?

I'm worried about the same thing, those damn station logo's are absurd, I know what station I'm on, why do I need a stupid logo down there for 8 or 10 minutes in a row?

As long as it is a full screen image (which it should be in zoom mode) you are fine.

Just got off the phone with a well known ISF calibrator from the NE. He stated you DO NOT need the Break in DVD just lower change certain settings (which is stated in this forum) and let it run al day for 100 hours. He said make sure you use a station where nothing is static.

Since I am not home all day I will be using the Break in DVD to assure no static. However I will run straight for 5 days.

Just got word from and ISF calibator that you can run it straight for 100 hours.

I would like to comment on a weird thing that happens to my panel, it is a new Kuro, I played the Break In DVD for 150+ hours, and watched some full screen programming and so on.

When I completely turn the lights off and leave no signal on the screen the tv is completely black, but gradually some darker "stains" begin to appear, this would be in the area for subtitles ( I watch a lot of stuff with subtitles )and around the middle. If I change to another no signal channel, this effect disappears and then gradually appears again. If I maintain the same channel but change the siganl and then back to black, the same, disappears and gradually reappears.

I even have paused a really dark dark dark image on a dvd, and same happens, no effect but then gradually begins to appear.

I know it is not IR or burn in, because as I say, the effect is a darker "stain", IR is usually brighter, I am not excessively worried, but I am curious as to what could be the reason or if it will affect the panel in the future. For eveything else works awesome.

I ran the break in dvd for 150 hours. I was just wondering if there is anything else I need to do. If not, I can now start watching channels with logos and channels like cnn and cnbc with no problems correct?

should be OK (i've read) .. as long as they're not run continuously (10hrs/5days-a-wk); I believe they break for commercials every so often so that helps but I'd also stagger the different broadcasts. LCD's are best if you plan on keeping "one" channel up continuously throughout the day. Too much you've invested to have it become a problem down the line.

I moved my original post here, to a more appropriate thread in the forum . . . here.

I've been reading everyone's suggestions and information in this thread. Most of the advice is along the same lines but many suggestions or beliefs differ slightly. I decided to contact the Panasonic Concierge service in which you talk to a support rep. I have a panny TH-58PZ700U. I told him I had been sudying up on break in.

He told me to leave the default factory settings for the first 100 hours. He said, I didn't need to necessarly use H-fill to remove the side bars, but rather just watch the TV normally. I usually watch full screen HD, but occassionally watch 4:3 .......

The big thing I guess is the default color settings are set to vivid and not standard...That seems contrary to a lot of the advice in this forum as far as settings optimal for break in.

I thought I would ask for opinions on the instructions I received from panasonic..He repeated 3 times to leave the default settings and do not touch them for 100 hours. Also, that using a break in disk would not be necessary.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Panasonic tech from the same service told me 100 hours on normal with Picture set to 0.

A member here was kind enough to send me a PDF from PANASONIC that includes the following information...

"Make sure the display is in a viewing mode (aspect ratio) that completely
fills the screen (there are often three or more settings from which to
choose). The panel is shipped in this condition, in what is called the
Just mode.

Turn down the picture control (contrast) to 50% or less.

Briefly engage the 4:3 mode to confirm the side bars are set to mid-gray
(there is usually an adjustment in the Set Up menu that takes the
sidebars from black to gray) to minimize the chance of burn-in.

Return the set to a full screen (Just, Zoom, Full) position during the
first hundred hours of use.

During the first hundred hours of use it is best not to view the same
channel for extended periods. This should prevent channel logos and
other fixed images found on some channels from being retained.

Avoid any static images (video games, computer images, DVD title
screens, etc.) during the hundred-hour break-in.

After the hundred-hour break-in period, during the next nine-hundred hours:

Continue to retain the picture setting at 50% or less.

Limit the use of 4:3 aspect ratio mode (traditional picture size that does
not fill the entire screen) to 15% of viewing time.

Limit the use of static images (computer, video games, etc.) to less than
10% of viewing time.

After one-thousand viewing hours, panels are much less likely to experience
image burn-in."

I recently bought the Panasonic TH-50PZ77U and began running the break-in DVD's. I changed all of my settings to 0 and have been running the DVD for 3 days. I was not getting very dark colors, so I went back into the menu and noticed that my settings did not save. I have been running in Vivid mode for 3 days. Has this damaged my set? If so, what has this done and is there any way to fix it? It is now set to Cinema with all settings at 0. Help!

After reading almost every post of this 4 page thread I'm really starting to wonder why anyone would buy a plasma. Seems like a MAJOR hassle. It seems like just about anything you watch on it can do harm to the set if you're not totally careful. I have a RP DLP now and wanted to get a plasma (mainly a Kuro or a Panny) by the end of the year. I watch alot of movies and still watch quite a bit of 4:3 programming. I can't stand to stretch it out. It looks like I'll be sticking with my RP. I have a 65" set now and want to stay at 60" or above, so LCD's are not an option. I can't see spending thousands on a set and having to constantly worry about letterboxing, scoreboards, station ID bugs, etc potentally ruining my investment. I just want to enjoy my set.

My post, 4 or 6 pages long, got closed down because it didn't please the plasma fans.

I returned my Panasonic plasma and got... another plasma.

This one has no IR when I pull up a DVD menu. The last one had IR for 3 or 4 minutes after doing so.

I think my first one had a panel...

I gave up, took another Panasonic home, calibrated it (all settings are below 1/2... which is 0 or below on NEW Panasonic TVs apparently,) and I'm working on getting 100 hours of DVD and TV time with no static images on the TV.

Once that is done, I'll hook up the XBOX 360 and see how it goes.

The picture on this thing was just too good to go to LCD. If all is well after 100 hours break in my girlfriend and I both want to leave this 42" in the bedroom and get a bigger Panasonic plasma for the living room.

Yes, plasma has IR. Burn in, I dunno. Is it a huge hassle to break the TV in before you can use it the way you want? In my case, yes, I hate that I can't hook my XBOX 360 up RIGHT NOW and game away. all the programming I want to watch. I hate that I have to zoom, stretch, etc. Do I think it is going to be worth it in the long run? Definitely.

What set do you have?

Not too bad, I suppose:

My wife and I watch the KTLA Morning Show religiously - that's three hours per day, five days per week.

I've since noticed I can make out "KTLA CW" in the right hand corner of my Panasonic TH-50PH6UK in a slightly darker black when the screen is displaying all black.

Note I don't see it when the screen is inverted or in white bar scroll mode, only when the screen is displaying all black.

No noticeable effect from watching many letterboxed movies over the years or some pillarboxed content. I suspect it took around three years of KTLA's white logo at three hours per day, five days per week to cause the effects I see.

I agree.

I'm not an LCD fanboy.....I'm just somebody that has been trying to decide on an HDTV to get. I'm willing to spend about 3K....but if I do spend that much, I don't want to have to worry about all these things.

I keep debating LCD versus plasma....and I've got it narrowed to 3 sets. A Sony 52XBR4, Sammy 5271 and a Panny PZ800.

I just keep bouncing back and forth. Do I want an LCD and have to deal with ghosting, clouding, TBE, motion lag? On the postive side, I'd get a TV I could use for everything and wouldn't really need to constantly worry about how it's aging.

Or do I get the Panny plasma....which does have a better picture and does handle motion better? I'm just really concerned about all this IR and burn-in talk. And I really hate the idea of having to use gray sidebars all the time..or risk "uneven phosphor wear".

I just don't know what to think. You see half the people saying that burn-in and IR aren't problems.....and I also see a ton of posts about people having IR and burn-in problems.

I know plasma has the better picture quality....and being an avid sports watcher....I'm leaning toward plasma because I think LCD lag would bother me....but this burn-in/IR issue is holding me back.

I have all your fears and then some, took a plasma back after owning it for 5 days and having terrible IR issues.

I traded it in for... another identical plasma. No IR issues on this one thus far, I'm breaking it in gently.

The picture on the Panasonic was just too good to give up, even if the LCD MIGHT have been better for gaming and anything not full screen.

I'm gonna use it without fear after I get 100 hours on it (gaming, watching non full screen, etc.) as I can take it back within the first 30 days. Judging so far, I think I just got a bum panel the first time around and this one will likely be fine.

I see everyone talking about watching 4x3 images with grey sidebars, but what happens with widescreen movies who's aspect ratio is greater than 16x9. What about watching 1.85:1 or 2.39:1 aspects? Are the black bars above and below the screen also going to be grey? Will that also cause irregular wear?

Yes...I think those bars above and below are also grey.

Not sure I'll like having those grey bars all over the place....and I'll probably be afraid to use black bars for fear of IR/burn-in or uneven phosphor wear.

I just feel like I'll be damned either way go...LCD will have lag/ghosting and chances are probably good that I'll get some sort of IR/Burn-in with plasma. Maybe not right away....but what about 3-4 years down the road?

I'm not somebody that is looking to buy the next best thing in another 3-4 years....I want something I can count on for 7-10 years.....like I could with the 27 inch CRT I bought 12 years ago that is still going strong.

It sounds like you guys are saying once you break in your plasma, that you are not able to watch movies or programs with black bars which I dont think is the case is it? I broke in my plasma and have been watching many blu ray movies that are not full screen and it seems to be fine. Am I doing something wrong?

Quite the opposite. You should break it in before you watch anything with a stationary object. Before the break in is done you shouldn't risk it.

So after the break in period of 100 hours, do most of you then watch with black bars? Or do you always keep them grey?

I could deal with it for 100 hours, but I don't want to have to use grey bars for as long as I have the TV.

totally agree. I keep going back and forth between plasma and lcd and reading these IR posts definately scare me away from plasma. In fact, this is why I had ruled out plasma but someone had convinced me that burn-in is a thing of the past. I don't mind short term IR but long term is another matter. If you have to baby these things for their entire lives I am inclined to steer clear of them.

This is too bad since sports viewing is key and plasma is superior in that domain. I'm still hoping to be convinced by someone that this is a non-issue.

My thinking is that $3000 is too much if there is a risk of burn-in. That's a lot of cash for something that might "wear unevenly" after a few years of use. Maybe half that makes sense.

I'm doing the same thing....I've got about 1 more month to "debate" and then I'm buying something. I gotta start enjoying HDTV and "moving forward".

That said, I still don't know which way I'll go. I'm leaning about 80% toward plasma and 20% toward a 120hz LCD.

I'm a heavy sports watcher....basically all we watch are weekend sports and primetime television....with some movies mixed in. And this will be our main TV that isn't likely to get gamed on very often.

I've been reading all the threads on burn-in, lcd vs plasma, etc.

A conclusion I came to is that there are alot of questions and worries about burn-in with plasma....but very few actual threads or cases where people have actually suffered burn-in.

IR seems to be fairly common....but generally seems to be temporary and if you mix up your viewing, it shouldn't be a major problem.

And the way I figure it, I probably won't be watching much SD content once I get the new TV. I'd probably be "careful" during the first 100 hours or so...and dial my settings back a little and try watching mostly full-screen content.

I do like the things LCD offers also.....but being a heavy sports watcher....and not a gamer....not sure LCD would be a great choice for me.