When the Plasma TV was first introduced into the world, burn in was a serious problem. Today, as technology continues to advance, this is not such an issue & Plasmas are very resistant to the burn in phenomenon. That being said, today’s Plasmas are not burn in proof, however the chance to get a permanent burn in on one of the latest models is slim to none, if you don’t abuse it & follow some advice. You don’t have to switch the TV channel every 3 minutes or avoid playing your video games. You will be able to use your Plasma TV just as you did your old one, as long as you just use common sense.

Note:

All phosphor based display systems (CRT direct, rear view and Plasma) are susceptible to image retention, also known as "ghosting, image shadowing, image burn in." This is due to physical properties of phosphor and how it reacts to light and electric impulse.

Some things that you can do to avoid burn in are;

Check the manual that came with your Plasma TV. Many manufacturers have taken measures to help customers prevent burn-in. Your Plasma TV may include settings to reduce the amount of burn-in by changing the video output to a shade of grey, or turning the TV off after a delay.

Enable screensavers on any video sources that have them. Many DVD players have a screensaver to which they will switch if the DVD has been paused for an extended interval. If you have connected your computer to your Plasma TV, be sure that your desktop screensaver turns on after a few minutes.

Adjust the contrast on your Plasma TV to 50 percent or less. This can prevent the burn-in that is typically associated with the vertical black bars that you will see on your wide-screen Plasma TV when you are watching a video source that has the standard aspect ratio.

Turn off your Plasma TV when you expect to be away from it for more than an hour. In addition to helping to prevent burn-in, this can increase the lifetime of your Plasma TV and reduce your electric bill.

Note the common sources of Plasma TV burn-in. Still images can be found in news broadcasts if the network has a static logo displayed or any programs in which a portion of the screen remains unchanged. Your digital cable menu, if left on for too long, can also cause burn-in.

Every Plasma owner can prevent burn in by taking a few simple steps. Plasmas are prone to burn in even more than usual during their first 200 hours of life. Since the phosphors are fresh and are getting used to being used, they burn more intensely and this will cause problems, so be sure to be extra careful in this time. Like I said previously, common sense will allow you to avoid these issues & ensure your Plasma has a nice long life as intended.