Plasma question.

[Leopold BUTTERS]

I was reading the above thread about plasmas..and someone said they had to run thier plasma with no black bars or static visuals(?) for 200 hours before using it with movies that do not take up the entire screen. Will i have to do this when i get my plasma? and i will mostly be using it for gaming...any other things to know about?

[elwaylite]

Originally Posted by Leopold BUTTERS

I was reading the above thread about plasmas..and someone said they had to run thier plasma with no black bars or static visuals(?) for 200 hours before using it with movies that do not take up the entire screen. Will i have to do this when i get my plasma? and i will mostly be using it for gaming...any other things to know about?

100 hours is fine and thats just precautionary.

If you want to watch something lettrboxed, just zoom it in. You can download a free break in dvd on avs for free. I let mine run 24hrs/day and finished break in in 4 days .

Keep the Picture setting about halfway and avoid gaming. The 100 hours will go by easily and youll love your tv.

[Leopold BUTTERS]

Originally Posted by elwaylite

100 hours is fine and thats just precautionary.

If you want to watch something lettrboxed, just zoom it in. You can download a free break in dvd on avs for free. I let mine run 24hrs/day and finished break in in 4 days .

Keep the Picture setting about halfway and avoid gaming. The 100 hours will go by easily and youll love your tv.

okay..so no gaming for the first 100 hours or at all? because i need my new tv for gaming.

[FilmFiend]

You can game.. i did with mine.. just make sure you have the contrast set to 0 or in the middle. And if you are playing a game with static images (i.e. radar or scoreboard in the corner) try to pause the screen or change the screen every 15 - 20 minutes or so. That's what I did and I had no problems. After 200 hours or so, you can game and not worry about anything. I have frequent sessions of Call of Duty 4 that last over an hour and I have not had one problem yet.

[elwaylite]

Gaming is fine, just be careful the first 100 hours, after that image retention is an issue, but only in extreme circumstance.

For example, If we are trying to watch a movie and my mother in law calls(20-30min call), I just pause the player and turn the tv off.

[kalkin84]

*Official* plasma break in rules:

-do not leave a static image in one particular position on the screen for more than 30% of the viewing time for the first 100 hours of use.

can you play video games? YES
can you watch non-16:9 movies? YES
can you do anything you normally would? YES

simplest i've found is to just watch TV on an HD channel like discovery HD. Worked fine for me.

(*Official* because mine came with a notice that told me so )

[dobyblue]

If you're wanting to hardcore game right off the bat, run the break-in DVD.
That way you get through the break-in period in 5 days and you're ready to rock.

[ricky tee78]

ive been working with LCD's and plasmas, selling and installing, for 2 years now.

I've been through panasonic, samsung, and LG training workshops. I was trained by people who can take apart a flat panel and put it back together without instructions without a problem. I was also trained in professional installation at circuit city (firedog).

And ive never heard of any "plasma break-ins" ...... what-so-ever

i just thought that was weird.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Just keep the brightness and picture settings low for the first 100 hours or so, and you'll be fine.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by ricky tee78

ive been working with LCD's and plasmas, selling and installing, for 2 years now.

I've been through panasonic, samsung, and LG training workshops. I was trained by people who can take apart a flat panel and put it back together without instructions without a problem. I was also trained in professional installation at circuit city (firedog).

And ive never heard of any "plasma break-ins" ...... what-so-ever

i just thought that was weird.

It's not weird, it's just convenient.
All the companies expect you to keep an eye on the content you're watching, etc., throughout the first 100-200 hours, all these companies STATE this as the break-in period.

Now, do you keep a chess stopwatch at your TV and turn it on and then off again? Do you keep track roughly in your head of how many hours you're at? Do you just go with low settings and never change it to calibrate your set properly because you're not sure how many hours you've been watching?

OR

Do you run the break-in DVD through 5 times and then calibrate your set and know you're through the break-in period okay?

For me the convenience of the FREE break-in DVD makes sense.

If you're saying you've never heard of a break-in period for plasma's, then I'm not sure what to say...because that's almost impossible for anyone in the business.

I've been with Panasonic for 9 years now and everyone I know in the TV department and service department understands break-in on plasma's and none of them see anything wrong with breaking in your plasma by whichever means you have.

[1Fish2FishRedFishBlu]

"I was also trained in professional installation at circuit city (firedog)."

No offense dude but that statement won't help your opinion.

[ricky tee78]

i just thought its weird ive never even heard of this process.

makes me think of people who are still worried about burn in from watching football

[DetroitSportsFan]

Supposedly they are broken in for 100 hours at the factory, but people do it for another 100-200 hours just to be safe.

[elwaylite]

Only certain models and countries. All these US tv's have 0 hours as far as I know.

[BorrowedTime]

Speaking of which... WOOT... 99.5/100 hours of break in complete on the 42PZ85 I picked up on Saturday.