Plasma burn-in worries

[Workaholic]

I’m considering buying a Dreambox 8000. I have a Pioneer plasma screen. All plasmas are susceptible to burn in. My biggest worry is for Standard definition 4:3 format programs, where some digital boxes are not sending the correct format instead the picture is always in 16:9 with artificial black bars on the side. Is Dreambox such a box? I’m wondering if it is possible to set the Dreambox to keep a native SD 4:3 format? Can you set this up with the Autoresolution Plug-in? Alternatively it would be OK if the black bars on the side could be configured to be gray.

[PaulR]

I don't know anything about the Deambox but if it does send the picture with black bars at the sides then this wouldn't be a problem.

Screen burn occurs when bright logos remain in the same place for considerable lengths of time. The black bars are an absence of light so, by definition, cannot burn in.

[B16MCC]

There are several options available to choose from when dealing with old 4:3 format broadcasts. You can have it native, or stretch it. Basically you can do away with the black bars if you like. There is no way to change the colour of the bars.

[aileen]

I take my Panasonic Plasma to the option of 'Zoom 1 Aspect' in Menu- Picture when such screens are showing. Panasonic say the Burn In problem is virtually now non existent.

[Workaholic]

Thanks a lot for all the answers. I conclude that Drambox has no possibility to actually send a native 4:3 format. I know of course that I have two options on the TV to stretch or zoom. In all those cases the picture information is either lost (zooming) or distorted (stretch) which I do not want to have. The current sat HD receiver I have has a native 4:3 format – Topfield 7700HSCI. However that box is not even close to all the Dreambox capabilities. Once I move to an LCD/LED TV I buy a dreambox.

As an answer to PaulR, yes having black bars on a side for very long time will cause that the screen area on the sides gets more brighter than the rest. That is also a burn-in.