HDTV Forum

Just purchased my first HDTV (Samsung UN46D6500) - a LCD/LED display. At the moment I do not subscribe to any HD content so all my cable channels are SD or 4:3 format. I really hated the stretched out look and changed the display from 16:9 to 4:3 so at least the picture looked somewhat normal. However, upon reading the user's guide - it states "not to set your TV to 4:3 for a long time." It goes on to say the borders surrounding the video may cause image retention (screen burn). Has anyone had problems in this regard? Am I stuck watching the stretched picture in 16:9? Any thoughts or opinions?

Image retention is not the same thing as burn-in. Image retention is almost always just temporary while burn-in is permanent. Burn-in is very rare with LCD TVs and even image retention is not that frequent. Image retention will go away as you play material that fills the screen. You can avoid image retention by watching material that fills the screen at least some of the time. Since you don't have a widescreen television source, the other option will be to mix in watching widescreen DVDs. You may need to change the settings on your existing DVD player first to get it to properly display widescreen content on your new TV. Go into the settings for your DVD player and select the 16:9 display choice.

whataboutbob

An ".. Alternative Solution !! .." You are Missing A LOT !!!

ALL new, Top Tier, HDTVs have an Internal "QAM" tuner - - - look it up on 'google' or "ASK"

Simply-put .... it DOES allow for the reception of 6 - 7 -8 National Networks in perfect 'HD' signal, 100% w/o any changing to your Cable Subscription or billing whatsoever!

Using that TVs Remote, within "menu" locate ".. auto program .. / SCAN .." and click on that ... might take a short while, to put into the TVs internal-memory the frequencies .... "Really Weird Numbering Schemes!!!" E.G. = 169.9 might represent CBS-HD .... etc...

Perfectly-legal & above-board, in the event you might be "suspicious?

eli

Westinghouse set and definitely suffered the retention issue after nearly a year of 4:3 viewing. Have switched it back to stretched view and it seems to be slowly, ever so slowly, going away. I don't recall seeing any warnings about it but it's real. I would agree that just stretching it from time to time should prevent any such issue.

Charlie

capabuilder

".. Westinghouse .." after a solid year of misuse....

Small Wonder!!! That's as bad as running a Vehicle w/o any oil in the Engine & THEN, complaining to the Maker!!

For those still Only Viewing strictly " 4:3 " go-to-an-Estate-Sale ..OR.. Recycle Shop / Salvation Army or Goodwil Outlet Store, etc., and pay well-under $50 for another CRT!

OR, buy and use any James Bond DVD featuring essentially Snow & Skiing, at full display, all 24 hours/ 168 steadily!!

eli

capabuilder

RE: Can't "EDIT" now ...

The displaying of an Nearly-all-white Background, Action DVD will substantially-speedup that Cleaning of a display, assuming that it ever will?
eli

anatommoreland wrote:maybe not !!! what is the story !

...it's highly-probable that this is simply more "SPAM?" .....

BUT, in the event that YOU are "real?" ....

(#1) - The set is an extremely-poor, very inferior " HDTV!"

(#2) - It has been used in the very same manner as a Pre-school Child would his "TOY!"

(#3) - After a year, even w/ a LCD, 'RETENTION' becomes a possibility - - - - obviously, had this been of a PLASMA Variety, it definitely would NOW be worthless scrap!

eli

While not quite sure why some of you had a hard time accepting that I don't like stretched images and prefer to watch old B&W movies at 4:3. Nonetheless, the retention did go away in fairly short order which was all the original poster was inquiring about. I assume that since the option is available for 4:3 viewing, there must be several owners that prefer viewing in that mode.

As a TV professional, I can't understand why people would choose to watch distorted images. Incorrect aspect ratio is just as much distortion as green sky and magenta faces. It drives me nuts to see things stretched or squashed.