Pioneer 9G Owners Thread - Present & Future

[Gremal]

I didn't run break-in on any of the three Pioneer plasmas I've owned. All three were used as computer monitors in addition to HT screens to save my eyes when I'd get home from work (I prefer looking at a big screen on a wall to a small screen on a desk). I also did a fair amount of gaming such as Tekken, GTA and Warhawk. So each of my plasmas was exposed to static screens or elements that were static, although I was careful to switch between inputs, multitask, take breaks in gaming or computing, and not keep any image on the screen for more than 5-10 mins. My first plasma, a PDP 503CMX, was purchased about 7 years ago and I owned it for about 5 years. I used it for multiple hours nearly every day during that time. By the end, it had phosphor burn-in problems in the upper 3rd of the screen, but not so bad. Still had very rich colors and good detail. My buddy ended up buying it when I upgraded to a Kuro 5010. Both that kuro and my KRP-600M are much more impervious to burn in. I'm looking forward to about 10 years of heavy use with the 600M. It's the best display I've ever seen and burn in is not an issue if you just use common sense.

[ajvdbg]

Originally Posted by sharepoint

My ONLY saving grace was the fact that I decided to run the 150 hour D-Nice break-in on my monitor (it was painful not to be able to watch HD content). If I hadn't stressed the monitor early on, there's no telling whether or not that POS pixel would've reared its ugly head within my 30 day return period.

Most peeps on AVS dispute whether there is any merit to D-Nice's break-in recommendation (proper phosphor aging technique); however, as someone who was personally affected, even with a so called "signature/hand picked, yada yada" panel, I would say it was worth its weight in gold!

Thanks, D.

Doubt that the D-Nice break-in helped out at all. Why do you think watching normal content wouldn't have achieved the same result? The D-Nice break-in was meant for getting the panel to the exact same state that he had for the ones he calibrated. It wasn't intended for anything else.

[BluElite]

Been watching all kinds of movies and HD TV on my new 151.... what a beautiful TV. Blu-rays are INCREDIBLE; its like watching them for the first time all over again. Creme de la creme

[okbarshabazz]

correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that the D-Nice process was primarily intended to break-in the panel so that it could be properly calibrated, then it served to prevent burn-in.... is it suggested (not necessarily proven) that it helps prevent these static pixels from cropping up??

[scweb13]

Originally Posted by okbarshabazz

correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that the D-Nice process was primarily intended to break-in the panel so that it could be properly calibrated, then it served to prevent burn-in.... is it suggested (not necessarily proven) that it helps prevent these static pixels from cropping up??

Yes, from what I've read/heard, the break-in is primarily intended to get the panel ready for calibration. It seems that it has evolved in to "break-in to prevent burn-in". And for that I say, its better to be safe than sorry.

[ajvdbg]

Originally Posted by okbarshabazz

correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that the D-Nice process was primarily intended to break-in the panel so that it could be properly calibrated, then it served to prevent burn-in.... is it suggested (not necessarily proven) that it helps prevent these static pixels from cropping up??

No evidence that any break-in period would help prevent burn-in...

[sarge1976]

Originally Posted by Gremal

I didn't run break-in on any of the three Pioneer plasmas I've owned. All three were used as computer monitors in addition to HT screens to save my eyes when I'd get home from work (I prefer looking at a big screen on a wall to a small screen on a desk). I also did a fair amount of gaming such as Tekken, GTA and Warhawk. So each of my plasmas was exposed to static screens or elements that were static, although I was careful to switch between inputs, multitask, take breaks in gaming or computing, and not keep any image on the screen for more than 5-10 mins. My first plasma, a PDP 503CMX, was purchased about 7 years ago and I owned it for about 5 years. I used it for multiple hours nearly every day during that time. By the end, it had phosphor burn-in problems in the upper 3rd of the screen, but not so bad. Still had very rich colors and good detail. My buddy ended up buying it when I upgraded to a Kuro 5010. Both that kuro and my KRP-600M are much more impervious to burn in. I'm looking forward to about 10 years of heavy use with the 600M. It's the best display I've ever seen and burn in is not an issue if you just use common sense.

+1, I love my 600M and 500M

[scweb13]

Originally Posted by ajvdbg

No evidence that any break-in period would help prevent burn-in...

So you are saying that plasmas are ready to go right out of the box with no care at all?

[ajvdbg]

Originally Posted by scweb13

So you are saying that plasmas are ready to go right out of the box with no care at all?

"Care" is a relative term, but if you follow the manual (not leaving static images on for extended periods etc.) then yes there is no need to do anything except watch. Probably 95% of Kuro owners don't follow forums like us and don't follow a break-in procedure, so if there was a need for it wouldn't you think we would hear about a lot more about problems ?

[okbarshabazz]

Originally Posted by scweb13

Yes, from what I've read/heard, the break-in is primarily intended to get the panel ready for calibration. It seems that it has evolved in to "break-in to prevent burn-in". And for that I say, its better to be safe than sorry.

thanks, but my primary question was regarding if the process will help prevent the "static pixels" from occurring.

[scweb13]

Originally Posted by ajvdbg

"Care" is a relative term, but if you follow the manual (not leaving static images on for extended periods etc.) then yes there is no need to do anything except watch. Probably 95% of Kuro owners don't follow forums like us and don't follow a break-in procedure, so if there was a need for it wouldn't you think we would hear about a lot more about problems ?

In other words, a break-in period.

[ajvdbg]

Originally Posted by scweb13

In other words, a break-in period.

Yes, a break-in period does not necessarily mean running slides for 150 hrs straight! It can be just watching the panel normally...

[scweb13]

I posted this a long time ago when I was researching plasma break-in. It's from another thread, but this is what I found when researching the purpose of Break-in.

"The purpose of the break-in settings is to get the brightness up pretty high to saturate the RGB channels, to evenly wear the phosphors during the first part of their life where they age the quickest, to have a consistent image as their aging slows.

Try to imagine the pixels of the display, each are made up of 3 different phosphors: red, green, and blue. When these phosphors are struck with electrons (shed by the gas in the panel when excited to the plasma state) they'll glow with their individual colors. Over time quality of this glow changes. The biggest change happens over approximately the first 150 hours they spend glowing (at maximum intensity, a dimmer glow ages slower).

If you just watch normal programming content each phosphor will have spend a much different amount of time in its on state. Though eventually every dot on the screen will be past the 150 hour mark they'll all be reaching it at different times. The purpose of the full-screen colors is to age every pixel through that 150 hours at exactly the same rate.

In the long term every pixel will be past the 150 hour mark. It is the medium term when some are relatively fresh compared to others (think about station logos or black bars aging parts of the screen faster or slower) you may end up with some inconsistencies across the panel. "

Yes, the purpose is to ready the panel for cal, but it also cancels the need to "care" what you watch for the initial period of time.

[jkcheng122]

dead/stuck pixels is more of manufacturing defect, I don't believe breaking in the plasma properly will do anything to prevent their occurence. The purpose of using break-in patterns on the plasma is to have consistant images on display for the break-in period.

[jkcheng122]

Originally Posted by scweb13

I posted this a long time ago when I was researching plasma break-in. It's from another thread, but this is what I found when researching the purpose of Break-in.

"The purpose of the break-in settings is to get the brightness up pretty high to saturate the RGB channels, to evenly wear the phosphors during the first part of their life where they age the quickest, to have a consistent image as their aging slows.

Try to imagine the pixels of the display, each are made up of 3 different phosphors: red, green, and blue. When these phosphors are struck with electrons (shed by the gas in the panel when excited to the plasma state) they'll glow with their individual colors. Over time quality of this glow changes. The biggest change happens over approximately the first 150 hours they spend glowing (at maximum intensity, a dimmer glow ages slower).

If you just watch normal programming content each phosphor will have spend a much different amount of time in its on state. Though eventually every dot on the screen will be past the 150 hour mark they'll all be reaching it at different times. The purpose of the full-screen colors is to age every pixel through that 150 hours at exactly the same rate.

In the long term every pixel will be past the 150 hour mark. It is the medium term when some are relatively fresh compared to others (think about station logos or black bars aging parts of the screen faster or slower) you may end up with some inconsistencies across the panel. "

Yes, the purpose is to ready the panel for cal, but it also cancels the need to "care" what you watch for the initial period of time.

Yep, the underlined part about wearing the phosphorous evenly. if you just watch programs during this period it won't be as even. How noticeable it'd be is anyone's guess I suppose.

I didn't go through the process on my own plasma for several one reasons. Number one would be I'm just too insecure about leaving the TV on to display the patterns while I'm away at work. The fear of it somehow being stuck on one image just scares me too much. Second reason would be I just can't bring myself to not watch something on the TV.

[sarge1976]

I don't know I suppose you could call it a "placebo effect" but I feel alot better knowing that I have put my 3 plasmas through a break in period with running the color slides I know in my mind that I did everything I could to take care of my TVs to ensure many years of movie and HDTV watching.

[okbarshabazz]

Originally Posted by jkcheng122

dead/stuck pixels is more of manufacturing defect, I don't believe breaking in the plasma properly will do anything to prevent their occurence. The purpose of using break-in patterns on the plasma is to have consistant images on display for the break-in period.

that is what I figure.. I suppose one could argue that by going through the break-in process, whichever static pixels would reveal themselves sooner enabling the customer to exchange before the return policy expires

[thefuture]

Originally Posted by okbarshabazz

correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that the D-Nice process was primarily intended to break-in the panel so that it could be properly calibrated, then it served to prevent burn-in.... is it suggested (not necessarily proven) that it helps prevent these static pixels from cropping up??

Think it helps to stress the individual pixels, thereby helping peeps to quickly recognize defective/stuck pixels

[fuwa]

I have a 111 and a 151. For the first 150 hours I watched full screen on pure mode. No static images for any amount of time.

No calibration except using THX from the Pixar dvds. Minor adjustments to suit my tastes. I combined several suggested settings from various sources to get a great natural picture.

I haven't seen anything top it yet. Very happy with these tvs in the pure mode.

I have never seen a stuck pixel on my sets including 2 returned Sony LCDs and all the sets I have seen at BB, Circuit City, and Costco.

[The Big Blue]

Haven't really kept up with the 3D talk... was wondering if the 5020 will do 3D. I'm guessing no.