How Long Does Screen Burn In Actually Take (1 Viewer)

[Jason Graine]

Hi Everyone. Great Forum you have here. I have been considering a projection TV for years now, but have just recently learned about the whole screen burn in phenomena. Now I'm having doubts because I've read so much about it and I am scared I will have to put far too much worry into maintaining it. What I want to know is, practically, how big a risk is screen burn in. Does it happen to every Projection TV eventually? What I really want to know is how long it takes to occure. I know there is variation with contrast settings and whatnot, but I want to know how long it would take under extreme situations, like I was trying to do it on purpose. So maximun Brightness and Contrast, straight out of the box playing a high static-frame video game - How Long? Also, if I were to opt out of a projection TV and buy a Sony WEGA, to what extent would the risk screen burn in be relatively minimized? Thanks for any input on the matter.

 

[Michael Reuben]

If you were trying to cause burn-in, I'm sure you could do it in under an hour. Why would you want to?
With proper calibration and reasonable care, screen burn-in shouldn't be a problem. I'm currently into my fourth viewing year with 16:9 Toshiba widescreen on which I view a great deal of 4:3 material with gray or black bars at the sides (maybe 40% of my viewing). There isn't a hint of burn-in. But I make a point of not leaving up static images, and my set has been professionally calibrated twice (with additional tweaking by me as needed).
M.

 

[Allan Jayne]

I am estimating that if you set contrast somewhat below where a test disk such as AVIA may otherwise suggest, screen burn is not likely to become obtrusive before something else in the set breaks.
Generally I suggest contrast around halfway up the scale for direct view and about a third of the scale for projection TV, unless calibration suggests even lower settings.
Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

 

[Kevin P]

Take a RPTV with brand-new CRTs, run it with Contrast at 100% and throw up a high-contrast static image and you'll probably have visible burn-in within a couple hours.

But, turn the contrast down to something reasonable (approx. 30% on most sets) and avoid prolonged static images, especially for the first 100-200 hours and you should get many years of burn-free viewing.

A lot of burn-in horror stories come from people who kept a static image up on new CRTs before the phosphors are properly "broken in". Like a new car engine, CRTs need time to settle in, 100-200 hours at least before the phosphor wear rate settles down. They'll lose maybe 10-15% brightness in the first few hundred hours and it's important to ensure that loss occurs evenly over the entire surface. Afterward the rate of decay slows down significantly, and unless you torture the set you shouldn't experience burn-in nearly as fast.

KJP

 

[Jason Graine]

Thank you all for your valauble input. Wouldnt a screen run at like %30 contrast look like crap? I want to be able to enjoy this thing as much I want to keep it around for a while. Is this really worth it? BTW I'm really new to this, is a direct view TV the same as a tube tv?

 

[Michael Reuben]

Wouldnt a screen run at like %30 contrast look like crap?

That sounds like about the right level for an RPTV after it's been in use for about 6 months. For those first 6 months, it should probably be lower, but a lot depends on the make and model.

It'll look great, provided:

1. other settings are correctly adjusted; and

2. there's good control of the ambient light (i.e., there shouldn't be much).

M.

 

[Jason Graine]

What about the Toshiba 50A61. Not HDTV I know, but I'm leaning towards it as my first set. Anything I shoud know. Thanks for the help btw.

 

[Kevin P]

Thank you all for your valauble input. Wouldnt a screen run at like %30 contrast look like crap?

Actually 30% (or so, could differ +/- 10% depending on the make/model of TV) is the sweet spot for RPTVs. At that level the CRTs aren't being pushed too hard or overdriven, so they'll last longer and look better.

As long as you have reasonable light control (drapes on the windows, no light shining directly on the screen) most RPTVs will look great at this contrast level. Of course, the actual optimum level will vary depending on the make/model of the set, it could be as low as 25% or it could be closer to 40-50%. You should use the Avia or Video Essentials DVD to set contrast properly, but you might be surprised at how low you'll end up setting it for the best picture.

Direct view TVs (these are the regular tube TVs you're familiar with) can handle higher contrast levels, but these should also be kept at or below 50% for most models. They won't burn in as fast as a projection set, but too-high contrast levels on a direct view can cause blooming (loss of detail) or worse yet, the shadow mask can heat up, causing color distortion or even damage to the CRT. If you crank the contrast on a direct view set and whites start to discolor, turn it down immediately!

KJP

 

[SteveA]

Wouldnt a screen run at like %30 contrast look like crap

If you ask me, a contrast setting of 100 - the factory default - looks like crap! I couldn't believe how much better my Tosh 50H81 looked after turning the contrast down to 42 (based on an Avia calibration).

I can't understand for the life of me why they ship TV's in torch mode.

 

[Jason Graine]

Thanks for the input. I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and buy one. I've wanted one since I was a kid, so even I ruin the thing at least I'll get it out of my system. Cheers.