Plasma TV Burn In
Plasma TV burn in is caused when a static image (an image that doesn’t move) stays on your plasma TV for too long. Plasma TV’s use phosphor based screen technology and the plasma TV burn in occurs when there is uneven wear on the phosphors or pixels. The inert gases that fill the pixels wear at different rate depending upon the brightness and color displayed on the screen. When you have a TV station logo in the corner of the screen for hours at a time this can leave what appears to be an image burned into the television screen.
The plasma TV burn in is a ghost like image and can also happen when stations run news or stock tickers on the screen all day. When having a movie marathon the black bars on a widescreen display can leave a mark. In most new plasma TVs you can adjust these black bars to gray in order to reduce that effect from occurring.
Today’s plasma flat screens have all but eliminated the problem of plasma TV burn in. The techniques currently employed by television stations to help deal with this issue is image shifting. The original static image shifts just a couple pixels as each picture flashes on the screen. It happens so fast the naked eye can’t even see it. Manufacturers have added plasma TV burn in reduction features such as pixel shifting and screensavers. The newest models include built in features that guard against plasma TV burn in.
Here are some tips on how to prevent plasma TV burn in.
1. Keep contrast low, less than 50% at least for the first one hundred hours
2. Avoid showing static images for hours at a time
3. Change the black bars to gray
4. If Plasma TV burn in occurs play a channel with all static (snow) for as long as it takes to remove the image.
One thing to remember most manufacturers warranties do not cover plasma TV burn in so check the fine print if this is of concern for you.
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