[MPlayer-users] Black borders can damage widescreen TVs?? are they kidding?

[Alexander Roalter]

Nico Sabbi wrote:
> Hi,
> according to this italian news magazine 
> http://www.repubblica.it/2007/11/sezioni/scienza_e_tecnologia/tv-digitale/tv-digitale/tv-digitale.html
> the manual of an LCD TV reads:
> 
> "On an LCD TV the usage of 4:3 format for an extended period of time
> can leave traces on the borders of the left, right and central part
> of the monitor because of the different light emissions of the screen"
> 
> Are they kidding? It sounds totally crazy to me.
> 
> Yet, the worst part of this story is that an association for the
> defense of consumers' rights (supposedly) wants to lobby for the
> forced broadcasting in 16/9 format, rather than recommending to buy
> some tv not subjects to this aberration :))

I wrote quite a long reply to this, but scrapped it for the sake of 
clarity:

a) subject to traces should only be Plasma and CRT displays (for the 
known reasons)
b) LCDs should not be affected (only if the background light wears off 
with time, but I don't know if this is the case on a LCD
c) Everytime I come back to Italy I see about 10% of widescreen 
programming (esp. prime time shows on Canale5, Rete4, some on RaiDue and 
RaiTre, but that's all). Easter to summer 2007 most of the german 
stations (public broadcasters, the private ones are still behind...) 
switched to overall 16x9, only 'legacy' programming is still in 4:3.



-- 
cheers,
Alex