Break-in period for plasma? Break-in DVD? (1 Viewer)

[Joseph DeMartino]

I have a fair amount of experience with HDTVs - have personally owned four at various times, set up a couple at work, helped my nephew set his up, advised various friends on purchases. But in all that time I've never so much as seen a plasma set outside a store or some kind of public display. (Like my bank.)

A good friend of mine just bought her first HDTV, a Samsung PN50B560, and naturally she e-mailed me for advice. Since we live about 800 miles apart, I can't just hop in the car and drive over, and I need some advice myself. She's downloaded a "break-in" DVD recommended by some folks on another forum:

Evangelos Angelides - Home

She also says Samsung tech support recommended not touching the factory settings for at least the first 125 hours. I tried looking through the "Master Burn-in Thread", but I'm sorry - that is now too long, too unweildy and too filled with semi-irrelevant posts to be of much use. It would be nice if someone could find the time to extract the nuggets of gold from there (the hard facts, not passionately argued opinions) and post a short digest of known information on burn-in. But for my purposes that thread is really not much use.

So, plasma gurus - is burn in still that much of an issue? Do plasmas have better factory settings than LCD and DLP? Because as far as I'm concerned those sets shouldn't be left on the factory defaults for 125 seconds. Unless plasmas ship with more realistic settings, I'd be inclined to recommend that she bag the "break in" DVD and turn Avia or DVE and get the settings turned down to where they should be?

If a break-in disc is indicated, is the one she's downloaded the one to use? I really want to steer her in the right direction, and for once I am out of my depth.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Stephen Tu]

Break-in, burn-in, and image retention - Samsung Plasma TV FAQ

I think consensus now is:
- burn-in (permanent phosphor uneven wear) non-issue given current phosphor life. Only issue is temporary image retention.
- break-in DVD unnecessary
- arguable whether need break-in period at all, but if you want to be anal about it, try run 1st 100, 150 hrs full screen, avoid static images.

Keep contrast at reasonable levels (50%- usu)

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

Burn in a thing of the past ... hmmm

Not two weeks ago I visited a friend's home with a 50" Samsung Plasma they just bought in January.

5 months in ... big 4:3 burn in bars on the left and the right ... for people that should have known better too. I calibrated the TV in January too.

Not image retention ... nope. he burned it in alright. Lots of 4:3 viewing of HD channels with 4:3 material. The stretching of the cablebox 480i SD material would not have helped.

I told him no more 4:3 anymore. It's zoom modes or stretch on the TV remote now.

If a person was responsible in their behavior, this would not happen. I have plasma sets in my place that are 3 to 4 years old. No burn in at all . I still get to watch all the movies I want ...

Just spaced in between moments where the TV needs to be exercised to remove retention.

Just have your friend use movie mode in the TV for the good stuff and standard or dynamic in the daytime when more light output is needed. A button called p-mode on the remote should cycle through these modes.

regards

 

[Gregg Loewen]

hi guys
As Michael has said

There is evidence to support breaking in a plasma panel...go for 150 hours.
Put it in movie mode and turn the contrast to the center point (or a little bit higher).

Once broken in...consider professional calibration to get the most out of your investment.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Thanks very much, guys, this is just the kind of information she was looking for. Another newbie saved by the power of the HTF.

Regards,

Joe