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

[Giacomo Comes]

On Sun, Nov 25, 2007 at 01:42:25PM +0200, Ivan Kalvachev wrote:
> 2007/11/19, Alexander Roalter <alex at roalter.it>:
> > 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.
> 
> The funny thing is that if all programs go into 16/9, then most
> affected would be the old 4/3 CRT TV sets. I guess these set are also
> and most widespread (for legacy reasons).

CRTs do not have problems with black borders.

Giacomo