HDTV recommendations

xhail said:
Thanks for all the information... but I realized I can't go plasma. Actually, this tv is a gift for someone. This person plays video games, watches dvds, not really into many sports, but does watch alot of "regular" tv. If a tv pixel ratio is 16:9, that would mean that regular tv programs will have black bars on the side or they will have that stretched out look.. am I correct? And if it's a plasma, wouldn't those black bars cause burn-in?
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I do think DLP is the way to go for you personally, but to answer your question about black bars and burn in - all 16:9 TVs have a stretch mode that stretches 4:3 content to fill the screen. A good example is Panasonics "Just" mode, which takes 16% from either side of the image and stretches it, so the overall image doesn't look stretched, but it fills the screen.

For 2.35:1 movies you still have bars on the top and bottom (and will with LCD, DLP whatever), but burn in is wildly overstated, and generally as long as you watch some things that aren't 2.35:1 films you'll never have an issue. I used to worry a lot about burn in, but then we got 64 plasma's at work and set them up to display static images cycled 6 times a day - they've been doing that for over 3 years now with no burn in.

But this is all a tangent. I really do think for your situation either LCD or DLP rear projection sounds like it will suit you best.
 
I went to BestBuy today just to take a look around. We were shown some DLP and plasma screens. I must say that the plasma was jaw dropping. So I asked about watching alot of 4:3 VHS or tv programs and asked about burn-ins.

The guy who showed us the TV said that putting the display to 4:3 does no damage because the black bars will not burn in. He went on to say that the black bars are not being displayed, just the "pixels/cells" are turned off so no burn in is possible. Is this true? Is there no danger of watching 4:3 on a plasma tv?

Second, he recommended some sort of surge type protector which regulates the voltage or something that each "pixel/cell" receives. He said something about it regulates the heat that the screen itself emits and then mentioned the company "Monster" Cable. I think I read in a bunch of places that they are just really overpriced and a ripoff. Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks again!
 
xhail said:
I went to BestBuy today just to take a look around. We were shown some DLP and plasma screens. I must say that the plasma was jaw dropping. So I asked about watching alot of 4:3 VHS or tv programs and asked about burn-ins.

The guy who showed us the TV said that putting the display to 4:3 does no damage because the black bars will not burn in. He went on to say that the black bars are not being displayed, just the "pixels/cells" are turned off so no burn in is possible. Is this true? Is there no danger of watching 4:3 on a plasma tv?

Thanks again!
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Really stupid stuff from the BB guy. The danger when viewing 4:3 is that the middle of the screen 'burns', not the black bars. 'Burn-in' refers to uneven lighting of phosphors/pixels. Literally, it's the middle of the screen that gets burned in faster than the outer end when viewing too much 4:3. If you've ever watched ESPN HD you'll see that when a 4:3 signal is sent, the ends of the screen show a constantly changing (though slowly) filler. This provides an even burning of phosphors/pixels throughout the screen. The threat of uneven burn in with plasmas still exists. But if you break the TV in properly, use reasonable levels of contrast/brightness, burn in will not be an issue.
 
First, an easy answer on the surge protection thing is that he is crazy, and you don't need to worry about it. Plugging a plasma into any reasonable surge protecting power bar will protect it from surges. This goes for any TV, receiver, HD box, toaster...you get it. Plasma's are no more at risk from surges than any other electronic device.

Second, as Greenwit mentioned, he was totally 100% wrong about 4:3 burn in, but if he failed to mention stretch modes he was just as remiss on that point as he was about the black bars not factoring towards burn in. I watch almost all 4:3 (except hockey) stretched, and I honestly don't notice the stretching at all. The stretch modes have gotten to a point where they work without being seen. On the other hand, as Greenwit mentioned again, even if you do watch 4:3 all the time you can mitigate your burn in risk but being smart in the first 100 hours. Don't crack the contrast, don't watch only 4:3 24/7 (toss in some DVDs, etc...). I've gotten so unconcerned about burn in that when I am playing xbox on my plasma I will leave it paused for an hour while I go out. The fact is burn-in is overstated and can be effectively reduced to a non-issue by doing common sense things (like not having your contrast at 100%). Incidentally I've never seen a plasma that needed the contrast to be over 50%. Most hover around 25-35%. They are extremely bright devices, so the odds that anyone will actually ENJOY 100% contrast is about as unlikely as someone getting burn in watching 4:3 TV. :)
 
I thought the black bars IS what causes burn in, thats why the digital channels that broadcast 4:3 material broadcasts the gray bars on the sides as well since gray reduces risk of burn in.
 
It's like Greenwit said - the brighter the color each pixel displays the quicker it loses brightness. When the middle of the screen is displaying a picture and the sides are a static black the middle loses it's brightness faster than the sides, which means the sides can become noticably brighter than the middle when watching full screen material. It would take some serious contrast and time to produce this effect, but that's how it works. So inadvertenly the black bars do cause burn in. Grey is better because it's brigher than black, so you get a more unform loss of brightness, thus less chance of "burn in". This is why most channels have made their logo's transparent instead of a solid color; so the pixels are displaying more than one color, thus they are losing their brightness as the same rate as the rest of the screen.
 
JackieO said:
It's like Greenwit said - the brighter the color each pixel displays the quicker it loses brightness. When the middle of the screen is displaying a picture and the sides are a static black the middle loses it's brightness faster than the sides, which means the sides can become noticably brighter than the middle when watching full screen material. It would take some serious contrast and time to produce this effect, but that's how it works. So inadvertenly the black bars do cause burn in. Grey is better because it's brigher than black, so you get a more unform loss of brightness, thus less chance of "burn in". This is why most channels have made their logo's transparent instead of a solid color; so the pixels are displaying more than one color, thus they are losing their brightness as the same rate as the rest of the screen.
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JackieO is as usual, clear concise and correct.

The only thing I would add is, if you do go Plasma get a good one, and make sure it’s HD ready.

BB and CC are not the place to go for complete information. The fact is I just today overheard a CC clerk trying to sell an extended warrantee so “They could add a vent tube and be able to refill the Plasma tube”.

Luck which ever way you go.
 
Wait, when they re-fill it doesn't that present a danger of toxic gas leaking into my house and killing my pets!?
 
JackieO said:
Wait, when they re-fill it doesn't that present a danger of toxic gas leaking into my house and killing my pets!?
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No silly, that's why they add the "vent tube" ;)
 
BillR said:
No silly, that's why they add the "vent tube" ;)
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I've seen more than one person post this belief....that you actually have to 'recharge' a plasma now and again. Urban legend at it's finest. :p
 
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