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Plasma Break In - Breakin Slides/DVDS or just Babysit?

nelmr

Active Member
Hi everyone, over at ASVForums you can find a break-in DVD (or slides if you just want to use a thumb-drive/sd card). Some people run these for the first 100 hours non-stop. Some run them and turn the set off from time to time so it doesn't stay on for 100 hours straight.

Some say you should not do anything other than the slides for 100 hours. Others say the slides are not necessary, just don't watch letterbox/side bars/static images/channel logos etc during that time (i.e. baby sit the set). Some say they do a mix of the slides and babysitting viewing.

Aside form this there are two schools of thought apparently: Some say to break in with the slides on low contrast/low brightness, other say run it in basically in a torch mode.

So there doesn't really appear to be a consensus at all in how to break in the TV in the first 100 hours (outside of don't watch normal content that has static images/black bars and don't use high contrast/brightness for normal content in the first 100 hours).

That said the science/physics of the idea of just doing the break-in slides (perhaps with breaks of just turning the set off so it doesn't stay hot for extended periods of time) seem to make since. Basically the goal is to age each of the color's phosphors evenly. However, will doing any of that make any difference in real world performance/visuals? .. as opposed to just baby sitting the set during the first 100 hours?

I just received my 50GT25 this morning, which is why I was doing one last effort to research this before powering it on this evening.
 
:text-lol: I think anything beyond avoiding prolonged static images, logos, bars is overkill...enjoy the new set!!
 
AVS probably sells cables to help with the break-in of your new display. :angry-tappingfoot:

Rope
 
-B- said:
Just watch it, it's a tv.


100%.

That's what I did with mine. I think too many people who buy a plasma for the first time take the burn in issue a bit too seriously (not directed toward you specifially nelmr, but just your everyday joe). Just a guess on my part, but I think plasmas are more robust than the CRT displays of the 90s/early 2000s when it comes to burn in. I was "abusive" to my old Pioneer Elite RPTV compared to my Panasonic plasma, but I had no burn in issue at all with the Pioneer.

About the only thing I did different before watching was make sure the settings on the display weren't maxed out.
 
I was really puckered up about my plasma when I first got it a few months ago and I was in the same boat. Basically, I just made sure that everything was wide screen with no station logos.

After a while we started watching 4:3 content and even started playing wii on it. Now we did have a little scare where we had some image retention from the Wii, but it went away after about 30-60 mintues of HD watching. So the first hours are kind of important.

My advice, if you can get a slide and let it run 24-7 for the first days, do it. It will stabilize the picture and you will be able to relax sooner.
 
I just got mine plasma yesterday I did turn down the contrast I have not done anything else yet other then watch few movies and TV
 
Deerhunter said:
I just got mine plasma yesterday I did turn down the contrast I have not done anything else yet other then watch few movies and TV

That's what I did with my plasma and never had a problem with burn in. My set is close to 2 years old.
 
What about watching the upcomming super bowl during the break in period?...

Wouldn't the score/NFL icons be an issue?
 
nelmr said:
What about watching the upcomming super bowl during the break in period?...

Wouldn't the score/NFL icons be an issue?

When the super bowl is broadcast, you display will be just fine, and if you're still concerned, switch channels occasionally.
I wouldn't be too concered with channel logos, (most are transparent) score/NFL icons, etc.

Rope
 
WOW!

I just watched the first disk of the BBC's Planet Earth on blu ray.

I turned the set to THX mode and turned the brightness down to 39, contrast down to 40 (fro 59 and 60 respectively on a 0-100 scale). The picture is still fairly bright in a dark room. I must say the PQ is awesome!

The black level isn't pitch black, but nothing other than a Kuro is I suppose. But it is deeper than my LCD. My LCD, from dead on was no slouch though (just a 60hz lcd). But this was only true straight on. Also the LCD had a blue tone to the blacks and when viewed off axis was very blue and bright. Straight on the LCD would also crush blacks a bit. Colors faded off axis. The LCD was a PVA panel. The LCD also smeared just a bit with motion.

None of those issues are present on the Panasonic. So as long as image retention doesn't become an issue, and the rising black levels doesn't cause a big loss in perceived contrast/PQ, this will be an great experience.

By the way the rising backs on this tv means it startes out around 0.007ftl and will rise to about 0.014ftl after about 4500 hours of normal viewing and then stop rising thereafter. See here

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20018722-1.html

In comparison, my Sharp LCD has been rated at 0.030ftl. And Kurus at 0.0005 - 0.001.
 
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