[btwyx]

I think I may be seeing burn in my my display (Panasonic 37" 5th gen).


I hadn't noticed any, but I thought I'd have a close look. So I fired up a calibration DVD and played grey and coloured fields and squinted. (Its difficult to see anything with all the after images you get.) Then I got up close and squinted. I thought I could see faint shadows in blue and green, but not red. The shadows are horizontal lines about 1/6 the way down the screen and 1" from the bottom.


I couldn't think what caused them. The top is in about the right place for the top of a 2.35:1 DVD (Component in 16:9 mode) and the bottom is in about the right place for a 1.66:1 TV image (S-Video in just mode). I don't watch much of either, and why only the top or bottom.


I think it actually corresponds to the top and bottom bright white border of the TiVo now playing screen. I must say I've worried a bit about that, its a very bright line and I spend quite a bit of time in that screen. I've had the TiVo for 13 months now.


I'm going to let it rest overnight and see if the shadow goes away, and just to be safe I adjusted the image position a bit to move the border to other pixels.


Any other suggestions?


How does everyone else check for burn in? Does everyone else check for burn in?


Just to be clear, I hadn't noticed it, its not visible in normal viewing, its only there if I go looking carefully for it.

 

[cybersoga]

It might just be temporary

 

[PooperScooper]

I has to be temporary. The "Now Playing list" is just a list of recorded

shows that you can select to watch/delete/modify. How much time does it take

to do that?? We're talking hours for burn-in. You fall asleep with

the list up?


larry

 

[R Harkness]

btwyx,


I had a burn-in drama last year. When I viewed the white screen mode on my Panny I noticed two shadowed bars approximately matching the position of black bars for 2:35:1 movies I watched (very, very faint).

It turned out it's just a slightly visible portion of the screen structure (sort of like the Sony Trinitron lines in Sony's CRT monitors). In fact, it didn't exactly match the location of 2:35:1 bars. Any time I've looked at a Panasonic plasma on a white screen I've seen it.


Could that be your problem?


BTW, I also freaked out back then because it appeared a couple inches on the side of the plasma seemed to have been darker, unevenly worn. I remembered that quite a few TV channels had been shifted to the side, leaving that section unused, which is why I thought it could have been uneven phosphor wear (burn-in).


Turns out....*Rich turning red*...it was a bloody shadow! When the plasma is struck by light from one side, as mine often is, the bezel casts a slightly darker shadow onto a side of the screen. The darned thing had me fooled and worried for two days.


Given my display has suffered a fair amount of abuse at the hands of my family and there is no indication of actual burn in I learned not to worry any more.


I hope your problem turns out to be as silly.

 

[Paul Bigelow]

I look for burn in. Given the proliferation of bugs and graphics, it's a real concern.


The new model Hitachi sets come with a "white screen" function to "burn out" "burn in". I would think that displaying an Avia gray screen for 5-10 mins would duplicate that function. If all the other suggestions fail, the Avia gray screen might be worth a try.


Just to be sure, is the contrast at a lower setting?

 

[chasin]

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul Bigelow I look for burn in. Given the proliferation of bugs and graphics, it's a real concern.

Hey Paul, quick question about your Hitachi: I've got the 42HDT55 and I've noticed something that I'm sure is *not* burn-in as I've seen it since day one, but it is a little annoying nonetheless. When the screen goes to black and I'm watching in a completely darkened room, I notice what appears to be some non-uniformity of the black background. It almost appears as though there are alternating wide bands of two shades of black. As I say, I only ever see this if the room is completely dark and the screen is displaying all black (such as a fade to black between scenes in a movie) or a very low-light scene, so it doesn't happen often, but was wondering if you (or other Hitachi, etc.) plasma owners have noticed this. I figure this is simply a function of the manufacturing process, but am wondering if I should have a service tech. come out and have a look. Am I just being too picky about the uniformity of the background in admittedly demanding lighting conditions or is this something I should have looked into?


Oh, BTW, I've been making use of the Hitachi's ability to scroll a zoomed image down several pixels in order to get rid of the scrolling score updates on ESPN to avoid the possibility of burn-in. This feature is available on the Aspect menu. It wasn't really intended for this purpose, but it works great.

 

[btwyx]

The next morning the shadow is still there.

 

[camshaft]

Chasin, I just posted a thread called "3:4 format burn in???" in which I talked about noticeing the same problem in my Gateway. You can read what the guys said in the thread, but they pretty much said it's not permanent, my contrast ratio is prob too high, and also because I've been watching stuff in almost exclusively 3:4 format.


Austin

Quote:

Originally posted by chasin Hey Paul, quick question about your Hitachi: I've got the 42HDT55 and I've noticed something that I'm sure is *not* burn-in as I've seen it since day one, but it is a little annoying nonetheless. When the screen goes to black and I'm watching in a completely darkened room, I notice what appears to be some non-uniformity of the black background. It almost appears as though there are alternating wide bands of two shades of black. As I say, I only ever see this if the room is completely dark and the screen is displaying all black (such as a fade to black between scenes in a movie) or a very low-light scene, so it doesn't happen often, but was wondering if you (or other Hitachi, etc.) plasma owners have noticed this. I figure this is simply a function of the manufacturing process, but am wondering if I should have a service tech. come out and have a look. Am I just being too picky about the uniformity of the background in admittedly demanding lighting conditions or is this something I should have looked into? Oh, BTW, I've been making use of the Hitachi's ability to scroll a zoomed image down several pixels in order to get rid of the scrolling score updates on ESPN to avoid the possibility of burn-in. This feature is available on the Aspect menu. It wasn't really intended for this purpose, but it works great.

 

[camshaft]

Sorry, the exact thread title was "3:4 format borders burnt in my plasma widescreen???"

 

[btwyx]

Quote:

Originally posted by PooperScooper I has to be temporary. The "Now Playing list" is just a list of recorded shows that you can select to watch/delete/modify. How much time does it take to do that?? We're talking hours for burn-in. You fall asleep with the list up?

Its a very bright white line, its always in the same place, so if anything's going to burn in that'd be it. I also go there frequently, probably every 45 min on average. I don't spend much time looking at the list but it could be serveral minutes. Sometimes it gets left on screen if you're undecided or just settling down. I try not to leave it up for extended periods. But little and often would add up.

 

[btwyx]

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul Bigelow Just to be sure, is the contrast at a lower setting?

I like the contrast high. I don't like Dingy-Grey-O-Vision(tm).


And it seems its not doing any harm except for this one abusive screen.

 

[rogo]

Two quick thoughts:


(1) If it ain't there except when you are looking for it, well, don't look for it.


(2) Paul said: "The new model Hitachi sets come with a "white screen" function to "burn out" "burn in"."


Anyone can respond to this, but, seriously: Explain to me how a white screen would do anything at all for burn-in. Not image retention, but burn in. I understand burn in pretty well and don't understand how a white screen could make a shred of difference.


Mark

 

[Andrzej]

Quote:

Originally posted by rogo (2) Paul said: "The new model Hitachi sets come with a "white screen" function to "burn out" "burn in"." Anyone can respond to this, but, seriously: Explain to me how a white screen would do anything at all for burn-in. Not image retention, but burn in. I understand burn in pretty well and don't understand how a white screen could make a shred of difference. Mark

Mark,

my semi-serious explanation. If you use the "white screen" function in the torch mode and long enough, say 4 weeks 24/7, it will probably burn in the whole screen pretty much evenly.


Andrzej

 

[chasin]

Quote:

Originally posted by camshaft Sorry, the exact thread title was "3:4 format borders burnt in my plasma widescreen???"

I read your thread yesterday. Doesn't sound like the same thing to me, since your problem seems intimately related to 4:3 viewing and mine has been there since day one - and I watch no 4:3 content unstretched.

 

[rogo]

"...my semi-serious explanation. If you use the "white screen" function in the torch mode and long enough, say 4 weeks 24/7, it will probably burn in the whole screen pretty much evenly."


Andrzej, I hear you. That doesn't seem to be all that useful, but I hear you.

 

[frawls1]

Quote:

Originally posted by chasin Hey Paul, quick question about your Hitachi: I've got the 42HDT55 and I've noticed something that I'm sure is *not* burn-in as I've seen it since day one, but it is a little annoying nonetheless. When the screen goes to black and I'm watching in a completely darkened room, I notice what appears to be some non-uniformity of the black background. It almost appears as though there are alternating wide bands of two shades of black. As I say, I only ever see this if the room is completely dark and the screen is displaying all black (such as a fade to black between scenes in a movie) or a very low-light scene, so it doesn't happen often, but was wondering if you (or other Hitachi, etc.) plasma owners have noticed this. I figure this is simply a function of the manufacturing process, but am wondering if I should have a service tech. come out and have a look. Am I just being too picky about the uniformity of the background in admittedly demanding lighting conditions or is this something I should have looked into?It wasn't really intended for this purpose, but it works great.

Chasin:


Is it still there if you turn off the set, wait 10 seconds and then turn on the plasma again?


I noticed that on my plasma I will get a shadow "burn in" when I turn the cable or dvd feed off and leave the plasma on. Once I turn off the plasma and then turn it on again, the shadow image is gone.


I assume (unless someone here knows otherwise) that turning off the plasma removes any residual current in the screen and resets all pixels.


Am I wrong?

 

[Paul Bigelow]

Hello chasin,


I haven't really studied a black picture with the 32HDT55 in a completely dark room but I'll give it a try and see if there is anything strange. I think grounding problems can cause some banding issues that can be seen when displaying a black screen.


rogo,


Quote from the Hitachi owner's manual:


Screen Wipe

If pattern mark occurs, use Screen Wipe (White Field Signal) for at least 10 minutes to refresh any damage that may have occurred

from a pattern mark. Screen Wipe can resolve pattern mark to a certain degree, if caution is not used, permanent damage may occur.

Press the EXIT button to return to normal viewing.


Hitachi seems to want us to think that it is of some use. I guess time will tell.


Best regards,


Paul Bigelow

 

[rogo]

Paul: I dispute that the Hitachi recommendation has an iota of value for actual burn in. Temporary voltage / image retention, fine, but burn in fuhgdedaboudit.


Mark

 

[chasin]

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul Bigelow Hello chasin, I think grounding problems can cause some banding issues that can be seen when displaying a black screen.

I thought the banding caused by grounding problems was of the moving/scrolling variety. The bands I'm referring to are static. Check it out on your display and let me know if you see it too.

 

[koneman]

being a new JVC ED plasma owner, i read this thread with interest but i have to ask...what preventative maintenance can be done to reduce the possibility of burn in? the jvc has a function that seens similar to hitachi. it basically pump-out white noise.


thanks.