[webapalooza]

Hello fellow plasma owners!


I've created a new set of plasma break-in images (with all due respect to Evangelos Angelides). They are intended to be put on a memory device, such as an SD card or USB/flash/thumb drive, and used as a "slideshow". If your plasma TV has no slideshow function, I suppose you could burn the images to a DVD if you know how, but you're on your own if you want to do that.


There are 3 sets in all, and you can use one, two, or all 3 of them if you so choose. If you want to use more than one set of images, I suggest you put them on separate memory devices or else some of the files will overwrite one another (because some of the file names are shared).


The only favor I ask is that you share the link to my web page, rather than sharing the files themselves. That way I can track how many people are downloading the files, and if the interest is high enough and the feedback is positive (i.e. the images work!), then I will continue to invest the time to improve upon them.


Thanks! Here's the link:

http://www.webapalooza.com/plasma/

 

[dlt123me]

Hey, thanks for sharing...


Dennis

 

[SlickmisterN]

Wow thank you so much!!! Now if only I was smart enough to get them to fill the whole screen...

 

[chadmak09]

Thanks,

I downloaded Version 120 (the one that use 120 different colors).

I downloaded the zip,threw them on a thumb drive, and was off and running within about a minute.

Are there any benefits to using 120 colors as opposed to the regular break-in images that every uses (evangelos)??

 

[joebloggs13]

Hi, I have the 50a400 series, that has a usb port in the back. The manual says its only for firmware upgrades. Can I use this for the images? I have saved this file to a flash drive and am wondering if this will work for my set. Thanks, JoeB.

 

[mariachi]



Quote:
Originally Posted by joebloggs13 /forum/post/15520585


Hi, I have the 50a400 series, that has a usb port in the back. The manual says its only for firmware upgrades. Can I use this for the images? I have saved this file to a flash drive and am wondering if this will work for my set. Thanks, JoeB.

doesn't sound like it. I wouldn't risk it.

 

[sunil6784]



Quote:
Originally Posted by joebloggs13 /forum/post/15520585


Hi, I have the 50a400 series, that has a usb port in the back. The manual says its only for firmware upgrades. Can I use this for the images? I have saved this file to a flash drive and am wondering if this will work for my set. Thanks, JoeB.

No, download it and burn a DVD.

 

[Hammie]

Can't wait to try these out when I get my TV on Monday!

BTW, Thanks for taking the time to put these together.

 

[Asb-123]



Quote:
Originally Posted by chadmak09 /forum/post/15520484


Thanks,

I downloaded Version 120 (the one that use 120 different colors).

I downloaded the zip,threw them on a thumb drive, and was off and running within about a minute.

Are there any benefits to using 120 colors as opposed to the regular break-in images that every uses (evangelos)??

yea i wonder this also.


Doesn't evangelo also have a thumb drive (sd card) version.

 

[Asb-123]

i downloaded the 120 colours one (bigger is better!). Anyway,


the other sd pics from the popular guy(forgot name) have

- gray scale, then 5 equaly degrading primary colours.


with yours there are many non primary colours ex. pinks, oranges...

can we be sure when using all of these colours that the plasma is being evenly broken in.


is one colour (lets say) red being USED overall more.

 

[webapalooza]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Asb-123 /forum/post/15521714


i downloaded the 120 colours one (bigger is better!). Anyway,


the other sd pics from the popular guy(forgot name) have

- gray scale, then 5 equaly degrading primary colours.


with yours there are many non primary colours ex. pinks, oranges...

can we be sure when using all of these colours that the plasma is being evenly broken in.


is one colour (lets say) red being USED overall more.

That is a good question. Let me just say that the whole reason I created these images is because I also downloaded the "popular guy's" files, and I used a color picker in a graphics design program to examine the color palette he was using. That's when I realized his images were not as evenly distributed across the full color palette as they could be. This suggested to me that his images were not "exercising" the phosphors as evenly as I had hoped, so I set out to create my own images.


To get back to your question, the short answer is "no": there is not one single color that is being used more than any other. That was specifically my intention: to create the most even, gradual color transitions possible, with the least amount of "shock" to the plasma phosphors.


Here is the important point to understand: regardless of which of the 3 files you use, all of the phosphors are going to be broken in at exactly the same rate. I used an Excel spreadsheet to plot out the transitions from color to color. This helped me ensure that once the slideshow has cycled through all the images in the order provided, every pixel will have been utilized for the exact same length of time, and for the exact same amount of intensity.


Once I find the time to update the web page from where you downloaded my image files, I'll explain in detail the approach I used and why I used it. But right now graduate school is calling, so I need to wrap up my thesis project soon!

 

[RYAXIN]

If your TV has the scrolling feature, it will do the exact same thing. It is pointless to use colors.


As a matter of fact, all you need to do is watch TV to break it in. Mix up the content you view and all is well.


While today's plasmas should have a break in period I think this color ideology has gone a tad too far. Kinda like to keep the paranoid ones from freaking out.

 

[joebloggs13]

I did burn a dvd of the images, and I am guessing I will have to hook up my pc to play this dvd as the p1500 will not play this type of disc(DVD+R)?

 

[webapalooza]



Quote:
Originally Posted by RYAXIN /forum/post/15522297


If your TV has the scrolling feature, it will do the exact same thing. It is pointless to use colors.


As a matter of fact, all you need to do is watch TV to break it in. Mix up the content you view and all is well.


While today's plasmas should have a break in period I think this color ideology has gone a tad too far. Kinda like to keep the paranoid ones from freaking out.

This may surprise you, but I don't necessarily disagree with you. But here are some additional thoughts:


1) It's better to be safe than sorry when breaking in a plasma TV, especially one you've paid thousands of dollars for. Maybe these images help, maybe they don't, but I'm going to use them even if only for peace of mind.


2) How does one define "mix up the content you view"? It's a vague notion at best, and plasma owners are understandably confused as to what they can or cannot watch, what "mode" they need to watch it in, what the settings should be (contrast, brightness, etc.), and for how long at a time and over how many days, weeks, or months until it's finally "safe" to watch their plasma normally?


3) Using a slideshow or DVD with images designed to continually loop the pixels through their entire energy cycle is a quick and effective way to break in the phosphors. It takes most of the guesswork out of the break-in process.


4) Plasma owners can use break-in images to run during the night and while they're at work. They can't do that with normal TV content, when they have no control over what content will be displayed while they're not around.


5) Most plasma owners don't want to be restricted in how they watch content. I for one don't want to stretch the image of a blu-ray movie to fill the entire screen if that's going to result in lowered resolution or cropping of the picture. The sooner I can start enjoying my plasma TV without fear that I'm somehow harming the phosphors, the happier I am.


6) Assuming a plasma owner works a full-time job and sleeps 8 hours a night, they can easily hit the recommended minimum 100-hour break-in period in a mere 8 days. That's a whole lot faster than you can do by just watching TV normally (unless of course you're an unemployed insomniac who watches TV 24/7).


7) It's a lot easier to track how long you've been breaking in the TV when you're running break-in images for upwards of 16 hours a day. Otherwise you've got to keep a notebook with a running tally of when you watched TV and for how long, so you'll know when the "break-in" period is finally over.


For more info. on plasma break-in, refer to this white paper from Panasonic:

http://www.dynamicdigital.ca/documen...nd%20Myths.pdf

 

[ProvidenceLeaf]

Thanks for posting this, but I cannot get the the images to appear. I get a cannot read file message. I've played plenty of jpg images so far including the simple 20 slide one that has been posted for a while with no issues. I fugured I'd try your 120 image one. Any ideas? I have a Panny 58PZ800U. Thanks...

 

[webapalooza]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ProvidenceLeaf /forum/post/15524451


Thanks for posting this, but I cannot get the the images to appear. I get a cannot read file message. I've played plenty of jpg images so far including the simple 20 slide one that has been posted for a while with no issues. I fugured I'd try your 120 image one. Any ideas? I have a Panny 58PZ800U. Thanks...

It's possible there is a limit to the file name length that the TV can read. Does the manual mention anything about that? Also check to see that it doesn't require the file extension to be "jpeg" instead of "jpg".


If there are restrictions on file names that the TV can read, let me know and I'll batch rename the files to conform to whatever specs the TV requires.

 

[RandyWalters]



Quote:
Originally Posted by webapalooza /forum/post/15524822


It's possible there is a limit to the file name length that the TV can read. Does the manual mention anything about that? Also check to see that it doesn't require the file extension to be "jpeg" instead of "jpg".


If there are restrictions on file names that the TV can read, let me know and I'll batch rename the files to conform to whatever specs the TV requires.

The Panasonic will not display files with the .JPEG extension, it has to be a .JPG extension. I recently downloaded about a hundred 1920x1080 High Definition wallpaper images in JPEG format from a few wallpaper sites, pasted them all onto an SD card, and the TV would not display them. Dammit. I know that the TV can play my JPG files from our cameras so i removed the E from all the .JPEG files and the images now play perfectly. I wish i knew this before - it would have saved me from renaming a hundred files. PIA.

And i don't think there's any restriction to the file name length, all my files are named like this one:


Widescreen Wallpaper - Beaches - 1920x1080 Summer-Sunset - 1.jpg


And another tip - if you want to see the name of a particular file in the TV's thumbnail grid, put the name at the beginning of the file name because the grid only shows the first 8 digits of the filename. All 100 of my wallpaper thumbnails in the grid are labeled "Widescree". I also wished i'd known this before removing the E from JPEG one hundred times

 

[JazzGuyy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by RandyWalters /forum/post/15525006


The Panasonic will not display files with the .JPEG extension, it has to be a .JPG extension. I recently downloaded about a hundred 1920x1080 High Definition wallpaper images in JPEG format from a few wallpaper sites, pasted them all onto an SD card, and the TV would not display them. Dammit. I know that the TV can play my JPG files from our cameras so i removed the E from all the .JPEG files and the images now play perfectly. I wish i knew this before - it would have saved me from renaming a hundred files. PIA.

And i don't think there's any restriction to the file name length, all my files are named like this one:


Widescreen Wallpaper - Beaches - 1920x1080 Summer-Sunset - 1.jpg


And another tip - if you want to see the name of a particular file in the TV's thumbnail grid, put the name at the beginning of the file name because the grid only shows the first 8 digits of the filename. All 100 of my wallpaper thumbnails in the grid are labeled "Widescree". I also wished i'd known this before removing the E from JPEG one hundred times

You need a decent file renaming program. There is a good free one for Windows called Lupas Rename. You could have changed all those file names in about 10 seconds. It is here: http://rename.lupasfreeware.org/

 

[darklordjames]

Command prompt:

ren *.jpeg *.jpg


Done.

 

[RYAXIN]



Quote:
Originally Posted by webapalooza /forum/post/15524078


This may surprise you, but I don't necessarily disagree with you. But here are some additional thoughts:


1) It's better to be safe than sorry when breaking in a plasma TV, especially one you've paid thousands of dollars for. Maybe these images help, maybe they don't, but I'm going to use them even if only for peace of mind.


2) How does one define "mix up the content you view"? It's a vague notion at best, and plasma owners are understandably confused as to what they can or cannot watch, what "mode" they need to watch it in, what the settings should be (contrast, brightness, etc.), and for how long at a time and over how many days, weeks, or months until it's finally "safe" to watch their plasma normally?


3) Using a slideshow or DVD with images designed to continually loop the pixels through their entire energy cycle is a quick and effective way to break in the phosphors. It takes most of the guesswork out of the break-in process.


4) Plasma owners can use break-in images to run during the night and while they're at work. They can't do that with normal TV content, when they have no control over what content will be displayed while they're not around.


5) Most plasma owners don't want to be restricted in how they watch content. I for one don't want to stretch the image of a blu-ray movie to fill the entire screen if that's going to result in lowered resolution or cropping of the picture. The sooner I can start enjoying my plasma TV without fear that I'm somehow harming the phosphors, the happier I am.


6) Assuming a plasma owner works a full-time job and sleeps 8 hours a night, they can easily hit the recommended minimum 100-hour break-in period in a mere 8 days. That's a whole lot faster than you can do by just watching TV normally (unless of course you're an unemployed insomniac who watches TV 24/7).


7) It's a lot easier to track how long you've been breaking in the TV when you're running break-in images for upwards of 16 hours a day. Otherwise you've got to keep a notebook with a running tally of when you watched TV and for how long, so you'll know when the "break-in" period is finally over.


For more info. on plasma break-in, refer to this white paper from Panasonic:

http://www.dynamicdigital.ca/documen...nd%20Myths.pdf

For starters, someone who spends an x amount of money for a plasma should have a basic amount of knowledge of at least IR and BI and what they are.


One thing you have not noted, running your plasma almost all day and all night can create problems with the plasma. This is one of the reasons why some users begin to experience issues right after the break in period.


This information was taken from a Samsung executive in a conference I attended in Europe a few months ago. If a user does decide to use the break in images/colors that is fine, but caution must still be taken nonetheless.


The purpose of breaking in your set should be based on a gradual approach rather than a let's get this break in process over with. Same applies when purchasing a new car, the manufactuer booklet does indicate for the first few hundred miles to break in the motor gradually. If you strain the new motor you risk the chances of aquiring problems down the road.


Again, using the images is fine, but with caution and patience.