Playing Games On Big Televisions??

[mstpaintball]

Is it safe to play Playstation 2, Xbox, and Gamecube on big screen T.V.s now? I used to hear that it would damage the T.V.

I might be getting a big screen T.V. for Christmas and I'd like to know if this is still a problem.

Its probably going to be a choice between one of these T.V.s.

Magnavox 51" HDTV-Capable Digital Widescreen
http://www.hhgregg.com/ProductDetail.asp?SID=7356387BEDFE4A48924CD354B4F8A8C4&ProductID=9762

or

Akai 42" HDTV-Capable Digital Widescreen
http://www.hhgregg.com/ProductDetail.asp?SID=7356387BEDFE4A48924CD354B4F8A8C4&ProductID=10836

Both of these TVs can be found in this weeks Hhgregg paper. Page 1 has the Magnavox, and page 4 has the Akai. Both sound like really good deals, and my parents are considering getting me one.
Link to the paper: http://www.hhgregg.com/weeklyadpage.asp?SID=7356387BEDFE4A48924CD354B4F8A8C4&cat=1&pageid=1276#

Thanks

[adam]

The only damage it could cause is burn in, which happens when you leave a static image on the screen for a LONG time. The reason tv manuals state that this risk is increased with video games is just because people have a tendency to leave it on pause for an extended time, or maybe certain elements are constantly displayed for extended periods of times as wel (the hud of a spaceship which is there on ever level for example.) The same thing happens to people who leave the tv on one channel for too long. They get a little CNN logo burnt into the screen. Just use your head and playing video games will be no more damaging to your tv then regular broadcast viewing.

[BJ_M]

lcd =bad idea (panels fading over time is the issue)
plasma = REALLY bad idea
DLP = no problem at all
CRT = iffy , can still be damaged but not as quickly as 1 and 2 above , least no bulbs to replace

[solarfox]

It depends on how many hours you intend to spend playing games on it, I suppose.

No, seriously -- what generally damages a TV set (or a computer monitor) is when it has an unmoving image, or an image where only some parts move and other parts never do, displayed on it for hours and hours and hours at a time, particularly if the parts of the image that don't move are particularly bright compared to the surrounding area. Go look at any vintage Pac-Man machine to see an example of this phenomenon; a ghost image of the maze lines, which were drawn very brightly and never moved, are permanently burned into the phosphor coating on the front of the tube.

Modern console games tend not to have static playfields like the old Atari and Intellivision games did, so this is less of a problem. Also, modern picture tubes are more resistant to burn-in than they used to be, ever since the TV makers figured out that console games weren't just a passing fad. Still, you do have elements along the top and bottom of the screen, such as score displays, weapons inventories, etc., that remain in place for long periods, so it is still possible to damage your TV if you spend hour upon hour playing the same few games over and over...

[BJ_M]

some plasma 's can be damaged in as little 1 hour of static image ...

[solarfox]

Really? Sounds like a good reason not to buy a plasma-screen TV, then...

[BJ_M]

depends on the model , many now have an automatic 'orbit" feature that helps a whole lot sometimes ..

[Sabro]

I've got an older Sears LXI 52" bigscreen and have always used it with the PS1 & PS2. With common sense and normal usage, I've never had a problem what so ever.

Sabro

[zod5000]

if you're gonna get a nice big hdtv, don't forget to get an xbox hdtv adapter do you can play you're xbox games in HDTV (and don't forget to set it to 720p or whatever it is in the dashboard).

[lordsmurf]

lcd =bad idea (panels fading over time is the issue)
plasma = REALLY bad idea
DLP = no problem at all
CRT = iffy , can still be damaged but not as quickly as 1 and 2 above , least no bulbs to replace

Wow. You justed talked me out of shopping for a new tv.
My wallet says thanks.

[handyguy]

"some plasma 's can be damaged in as little 1 hour of static image ..."

I thought it was 15 minutes for some sets?

One person used their tv to watch regular tv & this wrote into their screen.

LCD= response time is important.
Plasma= lots of power to run, around 450 watts...the plasma room at Circuit City is warm.
Odd thing is LCD seem to use a lot of power too but don't get hot.

[neomaine]

mstpaintball/lordsmurf,

I think you guys are overlooking the DLP option. Still some top of line sets out there and very nicely priced. Quality is way up there on the sets I've taken a look at and some are starting to sport the next gen in DLP as well.

Also, if you're willing to plunk down that kind of dough for a TV, have you looked at projectors? DLP has made its way into the (well, maybe it actually started there...I don't remember) projectors and look pretty impressive. I believe the Infocus X1 has come down BELOW us$1000.

Sure you have to look into getting a screen or something similar set up. But, now your talking about having an image measured in FEET instead of mere inches. I've given up on LCD and PLASMA for now due to initial cost and cost of ownership. My homework the last couple of months have brought me to seriously consider this avenue over the others.

[JimJohnD]

I just got a Sony KDF-50WE655 wide screen HDTV. I have it attached to my computer using an ATI 8500DV with the HDTV adapter. I'm using a resolution of 1152X648 for my standard desktop or an 1776X8XX something (not at my system right now) for a bigger desktop (with some overscan, nothing really bad). The Sony is an LCD rear projection. I had a chance to use a DLP projector from work and I'm glad I did. The "rainbow effect" was not that bad as a desktop but high contrast (bright spots on a dark background during movies) was enough to give me a migrain after about an hour The LCD projection is rock solid! A friend stopped by when I was testing the DLP and they couldn't believe the rainbows when just glancing away from the screen. The LCD does not suffer from the classic "Burn-In", neither does DLP for that matter. It's really only an issue with tube based projectors (presumeably including plasma). The Mag 51" looks like a tube based system by reading:

"Automatic Phosphor Aging Compensation (APAC) - Because both analog sources (cable TV and DVD) have different ratios (4:3, 16:9, 21:9, etc.) the picture on a digital television may have black bars on the sides or top and bottom. Once black bars are detected in either the 4:3 or 16:9 viewing mode, APAC automatically shifts the television picture, pixel-by-pixel, just enough to blur image retention. Because APAC works in both the analog and digital modes, you have excellent production"

But again, this only happens from prolonged static image.

[BJ_M]

LCD panels used in video projectors and rear screen tv's DO fade after time.... this is a known documented fact (caused a lot by UV and heat - hence heavy filters in them). They also can "burn in", As i mentioned before - DLP do not.

LCD are not as bad as plasma 's though - but as i mentioned also before -- if they have a orbit feature (pixel shift) , it will help a lot, though i have seen plasma damaged very quickly by very high brightness static images (in fact less than a hour) .. sometimes you can recycle them back ok by blasting high all white and then black image at them for a while and cycling them ..

[neomaine]

Thanks for the info jimjohnd. Duely noted.

(NOTE to self: Must compare LCD and DLP projection (rear and overhead) for rainbow effect....)

[BJ_M]

if a DLP has a lot of "rainbow" effect (only on single chip DLP's - 3 chip can not have this problem - which is caused by the color wheel) - it is not a very good one ..

we have single chip DLP's that have no effect at all - and on some slightly cheaper ones, it is about 10% of the population can even see it ... mostly if it pointed out to them ..

cheaper low quality DLPs have sometimes this effect a lot .. using 6 segment color wheels and/or 4x and higher speed , will reduce this.

we have DLP projectors now with as much as 7000:1 contrast ratio and 5000lm brightness .... Of course the DLP projectors we use a lot of are the bigger ones with 12,000lm - 20,000lm brightness and even higher .. with often 2k resolution chips ...

If you have 125-175 grand , I'll sell you one ..

[BJ_M]

there is no LCD yet with really good quality contrast ratio and color quality , though they can be very very bright for the money ..

a lot of improvements have been made recently in LCD , but they still have some inherent disadvantages ..

[JimJohnD]

"LCD panels used in video projectors and rear screen tv's DO fade after time"

Here is a good link that talks about the pros anc cons.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/lcd_dlp_update.htm

For the LCDs it talks about the Blue panel fading over time. This was an issue with the older tech but the newer sets should not be as bad. I havn't seen anything that talks about LCD having the burn in problem. In fact every ref I've seen says it dosn't.

Zenith says:
"LCD Panel Advancements LCD panels are unaffected from phosphor burn-in, which can result when an image remains static on a display for an extended amount of time."

http://www.retailaccess.com/tech_training/tvdisplays_frames.html
"LCD Display Advantages: Good color reproduction; very thin; lightweight; perfect sharpness at native resolution; excellent longevity; no screen burn-in effect"

However: .http://www.ohms.com/bigeditorial8.htm
"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."

I got a five year extended warrented, just in case. But for me the rainbow effect of the DLP was just too much to take. I guess time will tell

[jabloomf1230]

"burn-in" is a high tech bogeyman. Often talked about, but rarely seen in real life. For those of you who are interested in reading about this topic, there is an excellent thread on www.avsforum.com at:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=b8d05707f2b6153c1eace1858f58d87a&threadid=444258

Mostly facts with a little opinion thrown in here and there

[BJ_M]

I have installed over 2000 video projection systems -- in many many years .... and seen many more ..


i have seen maybe 50 - 60 ruined plasmas (in fact - if you want one, we have about 10 in the warehouse with totally burned in screens)

Ive seen 100's of burned in CRT projectors and LCD projectors ..


i rather know what I'm talking about instead of a bunch of wankers who might know of only a couple installations - usually in homes only ..

[mats.hogberg]

"burn-in" is a high tech bogeyman. Often talked about, but rarely seen in real life.

I've seen him! On my first job, I made an ASCII art Donald Duck, and left the amber monocrome monitor on over the weekend by accident... There was absolutely no way anyone that took even a cursory look at my screen later, could avoid noticing my artistic ambitions...

/Mats

[BJ_M]

the best are used monitors with the BSOD burned into them -- used to see a lot of those in nt4 days it seemed

[neomaine]

bj_m,

depending on what (or who) is burned in on those screens...how much $$$
8)

[ZAPPER]

I wouldn't sweat the small stuff. As long as you don't leave the game screen frozen on one screen while you go on a two week vacation you will be ok. I do have some DOT-X monitors with AUX/STEREO burned into the upper right corner. It actually looks worse when the tubes are off than when they are on. I have heard that text is a big culprit and usually white. (pretty much my problem, white text in a red box) I have also heard that you can turn up the brightness, send an all white screen to the unit, and in about a year (just kidding I don't know how long you should wait or of it really works) I don't know how to send an all white screen to the boob tube without tieing up my PC and I figure that this will hurt your whole screen and other components as well. As long as you are watching movies for a fair amount of the time and not playing Pong 24/7/365 it is going to be ok, buy what ever you like

[jabloomf1230]

I've seen him!

I'm sure a few other people have seen him too, but sensible use of your monitor virtually eliminates the possibility of burn-in on the most recent generation of flat screen monitors. As a problem, burn-in is right up there with spilling beer on your computer keyboard. The main difference is your keyboard costs $5 to replace and a big screen plasma could cost you $5K. A big difference, it's true. But Burninaphobia (anyone with a good knowledge of latin should be able to improve on that.) shouldn't be a reason not to buy a big screen TV.

There are a lot of urban legends going around these days regarding monitors ("CRTs will make you sterile.","Plasmas overheat and catch on fire". "Plasmas need their gas recharged every few years.", etc., etc.). Although burn-in is not quite an urban legend, it is still a fairly rare occurrence and is usually indicative of misuse. Obviously, the unsupervised commercial setting poses the greatest risk, followed next by unsupervised/unschooled use of the home TV by children and teenagers.

As more people buy flat screen TVs, two things will happen. First, many of these urban ledgends will fade into the woodwork and second, the manufacturers will make the technology more fool proof. There's no need to pull the sheets over your head and hide. A 50" Plasma's current price is enough to make you do that.

BTW, I have a 50" Panny and I have played video games on it via the DVI blade, but I'm careful not to leave the game unattended for even a minute. Further, I have my Windows screensaver set to kick in to a blank screen after 1 minute on inactivity. That doesn't affect video games, but it does keep you from getting the hideous Windows logo burned into the lower left corner, in case you fall asleep for a few hours while waiting for a download. I wonder whether my behavior is warranted or just plain paranoia, fed by reading too many online message boards.