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HDTV is truly a revolutionary technology, and the benefits it offers over standard analog television are unquestioned. However, like a fine Italian sportscar, owning a high-definition television also requires more care than a standard TV needs. With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to preserve the life of your HDTV investment.
Preventing Burn-In
Like computer screens, HDTVs -- particularly CRT rear-projection units -- can suffer from burn-in if not cared for properly. Plasma displays are somewhat vulnerable, while DLP rear-projection and LCD-based displays are essentially immune from burn-in issues. Your PC uses screen savers to prevent this problem, but your HDTV needs you to understand how to use it in such a fashion so that burn-in does not set in.
One cause of burn-in is that non-HD programs are broadcast in a 4:3 aspect ratio, which creates black sidebars on the sides of the picture when an HDTV is set in the 16:9 aspect ratio. Over time, the black sidebars will burn into the glass of the monitor. This problem can be averted using the stretch, zoom or panorama features of your widescreen HDTV set, which enlarge a program in 4:3 to 16:9. While stretching the picture will create some distortion in your picture, it will help prolong the life of your HDTV.
Another cause of burn-in is logos, stock tickers or other emblems that appear on screen for extended periods of time. To prevent these images from being permanently burned into your screen, you can adjust the contrast control of your set to 50% or less. Not keeping your HDTV on the same channel for hours at a time also can help reduce the chance of burn-in.
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