Burnin on LCD

[Craig234]

I'd heard wrongly that burnin isn't an issue on LCD.

After leaving 4:3 programming up a long time, I eventually found two vertical lines burned into the set at the 4:3 image sides.

For DVD's, the unit automatically moves the image around the screen. Any tips for avoiding it on a new tv with a good amount of 4:3 watching?

 

[TLS Guy]

I'd heard wrongly that burnin isn't an issue on LCD.

After leaving 4:3 programming up a long time, I eventually found two vertical lines burned into the set at the 4:3 image sides.

For DVD's, the unit automatically moves the image around the screen. Any tips for avoiding it on a new tv with a good amount of 4:3 watching?

I thought you were getting a new TV? A clumsy repair man ruined yours you said. Burn in does not tend to be a big problem with better LCD screens. The cheaper ones can burn out some LEDS.

My advice, get the Sony. Buying junk is not worth it, and there is more than enough to go round, creating an ever greater disposal problem.

 

[Hi Ho]

Burn in does not tend to be a big problem with better LCD screens. The cheaper ones can burn out some LEDS.

I can guarantee you that there are no "cheaper" LCD sets with LEDs behind the screen. The only ones available today with LED backlighting are the Samsung 81 series and they aren't cheap.

There is also no such thing as "burn in" on an LCD. It isn't technically possible. It's actually known as image retention and the only time I have ever seen permanent image retention is when an elderly customer called about an anomaly on his 32" Sony LCD TV. This particular customer basically ran the TV all day every day and mostly 4:3 content. He had a distinct lighter colored line at the edge of the black bars. We replaced the panel under extended warranty.

 

[Craig234]

I thought you were getting a new TV? A clumsy repair man ruined yours you said. Burn in does not tend to be a big problem with better LCD screens. The cheaper ones can burn out some LEDS.

My advice, get the Sony. Buying junk is not worth it, and there is more than enough to go round, creating an ever greater disposal problem.

Yes, I had the old set 2 years and at the end of the warranty decided to get an old problem fixed. At the same time, I and the repair person noticed that two persistent vertical lines had appeared where the edges of 4:3 images had been displayed.

The repair people, and Sceptre when I called them, all told me it was permanent burnin not covered by the warranty. When I said I'd hear burnin wasn't an issue on LCD's, they all said I'd been told wrong. I don't know if it would have been permanent since I discovered it a day before the set went in for repair, but it wasn't changing during the minutes I watched.

As you said, the repair shop then really broke the TV (I saw today scuff marks and broken plastic as if it'd bee dropped). I returned it to Costco for a credit of the price the set now sells for, about half the original price (very fair I think. I never planned to 'abuse' the Costco policy, when the set dropped $500 and added a second HDMI port weeks after I bought it, I didn't return it).

I'm still shopping for a new set (didn't have any replies to the thread on advice there, off to check again after this).

This thread was to try to avoid burnin issues on the new set when I get it.

 

[Seth=L]

Yes, I had the old set 2 years and at the end of the warranty decided to get an old problem fixed. At the same time, I and the repair person noticed that two persistent vertical lines had appeared where the edges of 4:3 images had been displayed.

The repair people, and Sceptre when I called them, all told me it was permanent burnin not covered by the warranty. When I said I'd hear burnin wasn't an issue on LCD's, they all said I'd been told wrong. I don't know if it would have been permanent since I discovered it a day before the set went in for repair, but it wasn't changing during the minutes I watched.

As you said, the repair shop then really broke the TV (I saw today scuff marks and broken plastic as if it'd bee dropped). I returned it to Costco for a credit of the price the set now sells for, about half the original price (very fair I think. I never planned to 'abuse' the Costco policy, when the set dropped $500 and added a second HDMI port weeks after I bought it, I didn't return it).

I'm still shopping for a new set (didn't have any replies to the thread on advice there, off to check again after this).

This thread was to try to avoid burnin issues on the new set when I get it.

Why are you watching stuff in 4:3? It sounds like you must have pretty extraordinary circumstances to have these sort of problems.

No offense, but Scepter sounds like one of those ultra cheap Funai displays at best. Maybe a better set would render more desirable results.

 

[Craig234]

I watch stuff in 4:3 because that's what most tv is in. I don't know how to watch it in something other than 4:3 without distorting the picture.

I'm not familiar with Funai displays. Apparently those are LCD's which are susceptible to burnin?

Unfortunately, my thread asking for advice on picking a replacement tv has no replies.

 

[TLS Guy]

I watch stuff in 4:3 because that's what most tv is in. I don't know how to watch it in something other than 4:3 without distorting the picture.

I'm not familiar with Funai displays. Apparently those are LCD's which are susceptible to burnin?

Unfortunately, my thread asking for advice on picking a replacement tv has no replies.

I told you on this thread, buy the Sony.

 

[MDS]

Unfortunately, my thread asking for advice on picking a replacement tv has no replies.

Pick one of the top tier brands and you'll be ok. Sony, Samsung, Sharp, or Toshiba. The 2008 lineup from Toshiba looks the best to me. I had a Tosh 52LX177 but returned it for some minor issues and will be buying the 52XF550 after I get my house tiled.

If you want to read hundreds of pages and learn every little nit and defect of the various brands, search the AVS forum. They all have some problem or another but the Toshiba XF550 thread seems to be about 95% positive, so maybe they got it right this time. Sony and Samsung have the most complaints.

 

[allargon]

I'd heard wrongly that burnin isn't an issue on LCD.

After leaving 4:3 programming up a long time, I eventually found two vertical lines burned into the set at the 4:3 image sides.

For DVD's, the unit automatically moves the image around the screen. Any tips for avoiding it on a new tv with a good amount of 4:3 watching?

Craig, have you tried one of the plasma break-in DVD's to get rid of your image retention issue?

http://www.eaprogramming.com/downloads/download_main.htm

 

[Audioholics]

I've seen plenty of cases of image retention on the cheaper TFT-style LCD panels. Think photo frames, portable DVD players, etc... Always with regards to a static logo that stays on all the time.

 

[darien87]

I watch stuff in 4:3 because that's what most tv is in. I don't know how to watch it in something other than 4:3 without distorting the picture.

Just stretch the picture. What's the big deal?

 

[Pyrrho]

Just stretch the picture. What's the big deal?

What is the point in spending a bunch of money on a TV only to display a distorted image? If one wants a bad picture, why bother with an expensive TV?

For some of us, we don't like people to look unnaturally fat, and want a TV that displays people (and other things) in their proper proportion. And many of us also want to see the whole picture, and not have the top and bottom chopped off.

If you like grossly distorted images, that is fine, you are free to use whatever settings you want, but some of us don't like distorted images. Frankly, I would rather watch things displayed properly on an old analog TV than watch a distorted image on the best HDTV ever made. Some other people feel differently, and they are free to distort images all they want with the settings available to them on their TVs.

 

[darien87]

What is the point in spending a bunch of money on a TV only to display a distorted image? If one wants a bad picture, why bother with an expensive TV?

For some of us, we don't like people to look unnaturally fat, and want a TV that displays people (and other things) in their proper proportion. And many of us also want to see the whole picture, and not have the top and bottom chopped off.

If you like grossly distorted images, that is fine, you are free to use whatever settings you want, but some of us don't like distorted images. Frankly, I would rather watch things displayed properly on an old analog TV than watch a distorted image on the best HDTV ever made. Some other people feel differently, and they are free to distort images all they want with the settings available to them on their TVs.

Sorry, but if I have to choose between jacking up my expensive TV and making people look a little chubby, then the actors on TV need to go to Nutrisystem. To me, the difference isn't even that noticeable. SD channels look like crap to me anyway. So as long as you stay on the HD channels, like I do, most shows are already in letterbox format.

 

[Craig234]

TLS Guy, thanks for the pointer on the Sony. I'm sure it's a great set and I'll consider it. I'd like to get more info on the choices to decide if it's right for me.

MDS, thanks for your tip too, I'll also look at the Toshiba and similar. There's a bit of a learning curve - 120Hz? How much contrast? Wait or buy now? Etc.

Allargon, I did not, thanks for the pointer, but the set is gone now; but you think that would be helpful for a new LCD?

Clint, I don't know if the Sceptre 42" had one of the cheap screens.

Darien and Pyrrho, Pyrrho spoke for the position that distorted proportions are terrible for some to watch. So, I'm looking for alternatives.

(Thinking there was no burnin issue I'd leave the set on 4:3 for days - probably just cutting back on the time it shows 4:3 might prevent it).

Thanks again for the help; I'm still trying to pick out what to get.