by Jeff McNeal, editor - The BIG Picture
May 12, 1999
Recently, we received a letter from a concerned widescreen owner who made the unpleasant discovery that despite advances in CRT technology, screen burn in is still a very real phenomenon that television manufacturers aren't too keen to alert the public to.
Most manufacturers warn about playing video games on cathode ray tube (CRT) equipped front and rear projection units, but what about simply watching standard aspect, 4:3 broadcast TV on your 16:9 projection device?
Even liquid crystal display (LCD) based units are not entirely free from the "burn-in" problem, though LCD manufactures claim the problem is non-existent. Not so, according to recent posts on our own Sony VPL-W400Q LCD Projector Forum and FAQ. It has been confirmed by several owners that the 16:9 LCD paneled units which were used for several hundred hours in 4:3 mode (like in a sports bar, for instance), exhibit the remnants of the proverbial "black bars" on each side of the image when watching widescreen material. Alhough it's mighty hard to suffer burn in on an LCD -- and most users never will, it is still possible, nontheless. However, with LCD projectors, this unwanted burn effect of watching too much 4:3 material onyour 16:9 projector can be reversed over time by watching more widescreen programming. CRT owners aren't so lucky -- and those CRT's cost a pretty penny if you have to replace one or more, requiring not only expensive parts, but an expensive service call as well. The answer? An ounce of prevention.
Here's what one of our readers, Allan Wyatt, had to say about his experience with screen burn-in. It's a cautionary tale that every widescreen owner should be aware of:
"I have owned a Toshiba TW65G80 65" 16:9 set for about two years now. Several months ago, I experienced a severe problem that neither my dealer nor Toshiba had warned me might occur with normal broadcast use: screen-burn.
Buried in the back pages of the Owner's Manual of my set is a warning not to display any devices that would cause a stationary picture for an extended period of time. Nowhere is there a warning not to watch broadcast television in 4:3 for prolonged periods. As you can easily deduce, the seven-inch grey patterns on both sides of my screen were burned in, causing a dark shadow whenever I watch widescreen DVD movies. Toshiba, while admitting that their manual may not have given adequate warning of the potentiality of this problem, refused to accept financial responsibility in the matter. Needless to say, all other widescreen rp manufacturers will take a similar stance regarding this potential problem.
On hindsight, it's now quite obvious to me where I made my mistake in using my set. But in truth, I had no idea that simply watching television could pose a problem for my TV. And since widescreen TVs are still relatively few in number, it's entirely possible that new buyers of these sets will unknowingly walk right into the same swamp that I did.
Regular 4:3 broadcasting will be the predominant standard for as much as fifteen more years. So being, I believe that most widescreen owners will probably view broadcast in 4:3, either accepting the grey patterns or utilizing "leaves" that will block out the grey areas.
Of course, the obvious solution to this potentiality is to inform widescreen owners to display their screen in Widescreen or Full only. This may be somewhat troublesome to new owners, but when they arrive at the logical conclusion that they purchased their sets only to watch widescreen DVD movies, and that their investment could go "down the drain" in less than two years, most will prudently follow the most intelligent course.
Since this may very well be a serious problem, and one that strikes directly at the interests of those who frequent "The Big Picture," it's my hope that you will write a convincing editorial regarding burn-in. And as rp manufacturers appear to be doing nothing to alleviate the problem, I would hope that your editorial may find a permanent home at your site.
Toshiba, while denying direct responsibility for misinformation in its Owner's Manual, has informed me that they have contacted their authorized resellers about this problem. However, depending on retailers to pass on this information to potential customers, thereby hampering possible sales, may be perhaps too optimistic. Moreover, as Toshiba is certainly not the only company manufacturing 16:9 rp sets, internet sites such as "The Big Picture" can provide an invaluable service to those of us who have invested in Home Theater."
We'd like to thank Alan for his insightful and valuable comments. Though Allan's experience is unfortunate, we appreciate him wanting to share this information in the hopes of sparing other widescreen owners from disappointment and costly repairs. We're happy to be of service in posting this widescreen consumer alert.
That's my opinion. What's yours?
Jeff McNeal, Editor & Publisher
The BIG Picture
PREVIOUS EDITORIALS
Disney: It's time to give your customers what they (really) want
Warner Appreciation Week: It's time to give back
Turn! Turn! Turn!: A time to heal
DVD: In search of standards
DVD Quality Control: Who's watching the gate?
Chipping Away at DIVX: One blow at a time.
DVD Video Retailers: Where's the beef?
Copyright 1999, by Jeff McNeal Productions. Click here to see our legal notice.