Nervous about plasma...should I be?

[JeffKnob]

I am trying to decide on either the Samsung PN50A550 plasma or the Samsung LN52A550. I like the idea of the truer colors and black levels of the plasma but the burn in makes me nervous. I read that things are much better than they used to be but I still hear that people have to run screensavers periodically to get rid of burn. I watch mostly HD shows on TV and Blurays. The Blurays are mostly 2.35:1 so there will be bars. Am I going to run into a hassle where as I wouldn't with LCD? The plasma is cheaper so I would probably head that way if the burn in isn't as bad as some people make it out to be.

Please no input from Pixelthis.

Thanks.

[GMichael]

Please no input from Pixelthis.

Thanks.

It's gonna be a very quiet thread.

[bobsticks]

No.

ssshhhh

[GMichael]

I just noticed this. "2 - 15" Dayton HF subwoofers
Two Soundstream M1 monoblock amps for the subwoofer "

Oh d'm!

Sorry, back to the plasma. Shouldn't be a problem unless you are buying a ten year old model. Don't be nervous.

[Rich-n-Texas]

I am trying to decide on either the Samsung PN50A550 plasma or the Samsung LN52A550. I like the idea of the truer colors and black levels of the plasma but the burn in makes me nervous. I read that things are much better than they used to be but I still hear that people have to run screensavers periodically to get rid of burn. I watch mostly HD shows on TV and Blurays. The Blurays are mostly 2.35:1 so there will be bars. Am I going to run into a hassle where as I wouldn't with LCD? The plasma is cheaper so I would probably head that way if the burn in isn't as bad as some people make it out to be.

Please no input from Pixelthis.

Thanks.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Funniest thing I've read all day.

Like I said in another thread Jeffknob, a coworker has a plasma that's about ten years old and it still has a great picture. I'm there every year for a party he throws, and there's no evidence whatsoever of burn-in. It's a first gen Pioneer as well. If you can get a plasma TV that's got a great picture and costs less than an LCD, you should jump on it IMO.

[audio amateur]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Funniest thing I've read all day.
:ihih:
You hear that Pix? You're banned, BANNED
:1:

[nightflier]

Go for the Plasma, you'll be glad you did. Even the bargain-basement Plasmas are a step up, and speaking of price, they are less expensive than LCD just about everywhere.

Nice sub setup. Which Daytons did you get? DIY's?

[Duds]

Jumpin jesus, where do all you people get this horrible information about burn-in? we're not in 1985 for cryin out loud.

Stop listening to the so called experts at the Best Buys, targets, Walmarts, etc.

BURN-IN IS A NON-ISSUE!!!!

[Rich-n-Texas]

Burn-in is dead! DEAD!

DEAD DEAD DEAD!!!

[nightflier]

We can only hope Pix doesn't stumble into this discussion....

[GMichael]

What are the odds that he will not post anything here? Send all bets to:

Disclaimer: I am not gambling or promoting gambling in any way. Please, no letters.

[Rich-n-Texas]

:incazzato: :incazzato: :incazzato: GM!!!

[Screefer]

I love my plasma!!:thumbsup:

[JeffKnob]

Go for the Plasma, you'll be glad you did. Even the bargain-basement Plasmas are a step up, and speaking of price, they are less expensive than LCD just about everywhere.

Nice sub setup. Which Daytons did you get? DIY's?

I have two of the RSS390HF subwoofers each in their own 3cu ft enclosure sealed. I have 240W going to each but that is only half of what they should be getting. I could upgrade the amps but these will already make you nauseous if turned up to high. They have very clean sound.

[f0rge]

i've had a panasonic plasma for over a year now and i've played more than 200hours of xbox 360 on it with zero burn in problems (sad i know lol). my ex-GF used to watch a ton of SDTV as well and there's not a sign of burn-in near the black bars

if that doesn't ease your concerns i dont know what else will.

simply put, unless you fall asleep drunk playing NES you're not going to have a problem.

[blackraven]

Go for the plasma. I think the only reason to consider the LCD is if day time glare is a problem.

[Groundbeef]

Another thing to consider is that most decent video cards now have a HDMI out, so that is nice as well.

Forge, I sent you a PM.

[nightflier]

Very nice subs, indeed. Dayton's got to be the best bang-for-the-buck.

[bobsticks]

... and i've played more than 200hours of xbox 360 on it with zero burn in problems (sad i know lol). my ex-GF used to watch a ton of SDTV as well ...

Lol, is the ex due to the 200 hours of XBox?

[pixelthis]

:ihih:
You hear that Pix? You're banned, BANNED
:1:


LIKE I CARE ABOUT BEING "BANNED" FROM THIS PARTY.:1:

[Woochifer]

There's a huge difference between temporary image retention and permanent burn-in. Nowadays, even temporary image retention is not very common. I've had my TV since October, and image retention has only shown up twice (in one case it was a white-on-black static image that was on-screen for roughly 8 hours in a row, and the other case it was a 4:3 blackout pillar box that was continuously on screen for more than 6 hours). In both cases, it went away within half an hour of normal viewing. With movies, I've not run into any image retention, even though most of my movie viewing is letterboxed.

Between the improvements to the phosphors used in the newer panels, and the other prevention measures used (pixel shifting, greyscaling the pillarboxed areas, etc.), I highly doubt that you'll run into any permanent burn-in unless you intentionally try to.

[Woochifer]

Go for the plasma. I think the only reason to consider the LCD is if day time glare is a problem.

Glare is an issue with some Samsung LCDs models as well because of the increasing use of glossy screens.

[pixelthis]

There's a huge difference between temporary image retention and permanent burn-in. Nowadays, even temporary image retention is not very common. I've had my TV since October, and image retention has only shown up twice (in one case it was a white-on-black static image that was on-screen for roughly 8 hours in a row, and the other case it was a 4:3 blackout pillar box that was continuously on screen for more than 6 hours). In both cases, it went away within half an hour of normal viewing. With movies, I've not run into any image retention, even though most of my movie viewing is letterboxed.

Between the improvements to the phosphors used in the newer panels, and the other prevention measures used (pixel shifting, greyscaling the pillarboxed areas, etc.), I highly doubt that you'll run into any permanent burn-in unless you intentionally try to.

SO you have had your set since october, barely past break-in, and you already
have had an incident of image retention?
You poor sad fool.
You dont realise just what a forecast of DOOM this is do you?
Oh well, maybe you can get in on the class action lawsuit, which is certainly going to be in the future.
I know a good motto.
ex plasma fanboys unite!!!

:1:

[Woochifer]

SO you have had your set since october, barely past break-in, and you already
have had an incident of image retention?
You poor sad fool.
You dont realise just what a forecast of DOOM this is do you?
Oh well, maybe you can get in on the class action lawsuit, which is certainly going to be in the future.
I know a good motto.
ex plasma fanboys unite!!!

:1:

Looking at the TV right now, no burn in, no image retention, better picture quality than any LCD set I've seen ... and you think this is the basis of a lawsuit?! You must be the "fool for a client" that law school professors talk about ... THAT desperate to be famous, eh? :out:

[JeffKnob]

I got the Panasonic TH-50PZ80U and the picture is amazing! It has much better blacks than any LCD I have ever seen.

[SAGENT]

I too was a little worried about glare when making my decision. I finally chose the Pioneer PDP-5020fd and could not be happier. I've had it for about a month now and other than the screen bezel, glare is non-existent. Walk into a big retailer with a lot of Tvs against a wall and look at them at an angle trying to pick up most of the glare. I couldn't tell which were plasmas and which were lcds. Looking at even the 120hz lcd screens, I could notice some blur and the image just seemed artificial.

[Duds]

congrats on the purchase, i am absolutely loving mine too.

sunday - the Simpsons in hi-def was jaw dropping, as was Cars that was on a HD channel. Simply amazing


I too was a little worried about glare when making my decision. I finally chose the Pioneer PDP-5020fd and could not be happier. I've had it for about a month now and other than the screen bezel, glare is non-existent. Walk into a big retailer with a lot of Tvs against a wall and look at them at an angle trying to pick up most of the glare. I couldn't tell which were plasmas and which were lcds. Looking at even the 120hz lcd screens, I could notice some blur and the image just seemed artificial.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Looking at the TV right now, no burn in, no image retention, better picture quality than any LCD set I've seen ... and you think this is the basis of a lawsuit?! You must be the "fool for a client" that law school professors talk about ... THAT desperate to be famous, eh? :out:
Can't recall that I've ever known any famous dumbasses. :shrug:

[GMichael]

Can't recall that I've ever known any famous dumbasses. :shrug:
I do. They are all either in politics or host talk shows.

[JeffKnob]

What is a good way (and hopefully a cheap way) to calibrate the display? I heard something about a spyder system and what about those calibration discs like DVE?

[Jack in Wilmington]

There's a huge difference between temporary image retention and permanent burn-in. Nowadays, even temporary image retention is not very common. I've had my TV since October, and image retention has only shown up twice (in one case it was a white-on-black static image that was on-screen for roughly 8 hours in a row, and the other case it was a 4:3 blackout pillar box that was continuously on screen for more than 6 hours). In both cases, it went away within half an hour of normal viewing. With movies, I've not run into any image retention, even though most of my movie viewing is letterboxed.

Between the improvements to the phosphors used in the newer panels, and the other prevention measures used (pixel shifting, greyscaling the pillarboxed areas, etc.), I highly doubt that you'll run into any permanent burn-in unless you intentionally try to.

I was wondering about the letterboxing also. Are all BluRay movies in the 2.35 to 1 ratio?
I've been watching about one a week from NetFlix and image retention had crossed my mind. Thanks

[pixelthis]

Can't recall that I've ever known any famous dumbasses. :shrug:

HAVE TO SHOW YOU EVERYTHING.
heres a carload of em.:1:

[zepman1]

What is a good way (and hopefully a cheap way) to calibrate the display? I heard something about a spyder system and what about those calibration discs like DVE?

DVE is very good. Not the most user friendly option, but I think it has the most complete calibration tools available. Works quite well.

[nightflier]

HAVE TO SHOW YOU EVERYTHING.
heres a carload of em.:1:

Is this is a clip of you and your friends that you photoshopped some faces onto?

I'm pretty sure most of your doomsday scenarios aren't going to pan out Pix. Obama & the gang are doing so many good things, that it's hard to keep up. I just finished browsing through the new websites that this administration is putting up, showing what's being spent and where. There's never been any transparency quite like that, and the last administration did it's darndest to hide as much as possible. You can dislike the guy all you like, but this alone shows some considerable integrity.

Wait a minute, I think I saw a picture of the TV in the oval office. Guess what? It's a Panasonic Plasma. Ouch, that's gota hurt.

[Woochifer]

I got the Panasonic TH-50PZ80U and the picture is amazing! It has much better blacks than any LCD I have ever seen.

Congrats on the set. I've been very happy with mine.

The next step is to calibrate the set, and in my experience, the best picture quality is with the Cinema mode. Very cinematic look with film-based sources.

You can go through some of RoadRunner6's previous threads for some discussions on how we calibrated our sets (which are the Costco versions of the PZ80U). The default setting in the Cinema mode is already pretty close to calibrated, but the brightness setting is still a bit high.

[Woochifer]

I was wondering about the letterboxing also. Are all BluRay movies in the 2.35 to 1 ratio?
I've been watching about one a week from NetFlix and image retention had crossed my mind. Thanks

The only BDs in 2.35:1 aspect are those movies that were filmed in that aspect ratio. Movies are typically filmed in either 1.85:1 or 2.35:1. Both aspect ratios will give you some letterboxing.

In my movie viewing, I've yet to get any image retention from watching a letterboxed movie. It was only when playing 4:3 kid videos for several hours in a row that I saw some retention with the pillarboxed area (this was with a pure black background). Like I mentioned, it cleared up quickly with normal TV viewing.

[Woochifer]

What is a good way (and hopefully a cheap way) to calibrate the display? I heard something about a spyder system and what about those calibration discs like DVE?

DVE will work fine, so will Avia.

If I have one complaint about the lower end Pannys, it's the limited picture controls. With the Pannys' controls, you can only do so much to tweak with the picture. Unfortunately, to get a more comprehensive set of picture controls, you need to move all the way up to the PZ850U. That's not much different than other TV makes, which also limit the picture adjustment on their lower end and midrange sets.

I actually use the Sound & Vision calibration DVD (which is a simplified version of Avia) to set the picture controls on my TV, because it only requires using one color filter. The tri-color filter that comes with DVE and Avia allows for greater precision, but if the color gradation is limited to a single tint control like it is on the Panny, then there's really no way you can optimize all three color tests simultaneously without going into the service menus or with a professional calibration.

Fortunately, people who have used more sophisticated calibrations on the Pannys say that the Cinema mode is already pretty close to optimal on the gamma and grayscale. Fine tuning the sharpness, contrast, color levels, and brightness will give you a pretty damn good picture.

[Woochifer]

I too was a little worried about glare when making my decision. I finally chose the Pioneer PDP-5020fd and could not be happier. I've had it for about a month now and other than the screen bezel, glare is non-existent. Walk into a big retailer with a lot of Tvs against a wall and look at them at an angle trying to pick up most of the glare. I couldn't tell which were plasmas and which were lcds. Looking at even the 120hz lcd screens, I could notice some blur and the image just seemed artificial.

Great that you got the Pioneer while they are still available (rumors are that they won't completely cease production until a year from now, but I don't think they got anything news coming down the pipe either). It might take the rest of the industry a year or two to catch up to where Pioneer is right now.

With plasmas going with anti-glare screens, and more LCD TVs going to glossy screens, it's definitely getting hard to tell which is which on that basis. But, viewing at an angle, it should be easy to tell the plasmas, since they have wider viewing angles.

The newer LCD models announced at CES have bumped up the refresh rates up to 240 Hz. Basically, it's a numbers game -- that's why plasma makers have begun using an equally absurd 600 Hz rate for the subfield processing (which is nothing more than frame repeating). Most of the 120 Hz sets use motion interpolation to smooth out the picture, and reviewers have noted that it can make the image look fake. Many of them switch off the motion interpolation, even if it reduces the motion blur. 120 Hz basically means that with a 1080p24 signal, the TV is showing one native image followed by four interpolated images. With 240 Hz motion interpolation, this now bumps up to nine interpolated images for every native image.