Need Help with Plasma Burn In vs. DLP Decisions

in the same buying situation...looking at plasma & dlp.

looked at dlp's and got turned off by the "rainbow" effect... do have to say the price has gone down and the quality has gone up in regards to rear projections...

really like the plasma's but concerned about "burn in" is a concern.

Please review my post. I dont know of anyone who has a burn in issues with any plasma in the residential setting.

The ability to correct any issues exists should they come up. The only places I see burn in mentioned as an issue is in review magazines and periodicals that receive a great deal of advertising money from LCD manufacturers.

Three years ago, I took the leap of faith to purchase a Panasonic plasma. Up until now, I don't see any burn in. I watch HD channels on cable, but not that much b/c my box keeps getting tiling, i.e. trying locking in signals as signals do get dropped. Today, whether it is HD or non HD, there are always network logos on them. Thus, I should see burn in. However, I have not seen any burn in, and this is not a 'halo' effect, meaning to defend my purchase. If it lasts me another three years, I would be very happy b/c it's probably time for another upgrade, i.e. newer, better, and cheaper plasma. :> ) Let's see if it can stand against the test of tim. My two-cent thought.

I agree with Lej... I've had my Panasonic plasma for over 2 years now, and have had no issues with ghosting or burn-in. I use the "justified" aspect to stretch 4:3 images. At first it was weird, but you quickly forget about it.

I also watch movies "as intended" with letterboxing if the aspect does't match the 16:9 of the plasma. After watching a movie, I use the built-in screen saver for about 5 or 10 minutes as a "just in case" to prevent burn in or ghosting.

The other thing that I don't think anyone mentioned is to tune your plasma carefully. Out of the box the units are dialed way too bright and saturated. This helps sell units in brightly lit stores, but is just too unnatural in a properly lit HT or living room. By dialing down the "picture" setting, you will extend the life of your unit and get a much more realistic image.

Also, even in older plasmas, the half-life of the unit is something like 80,000 hours -- 10 years if you run it 24/7.

Sound and Vision magazine this year has been comparing the different technologies. The preferred was plasma, followed by DLP, and then LED. They compared on several factors. Worth the read.