h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Two things you don´t have to worry about when using flatscreens.

Burn in - doesn´t happen anymore. Can´t.
Purple patches - ditto. Can´t. That happened when a loudspeaker´s magnetic field got a CRT´s magnetic field out of alignment.

As to cleaning - yup, as mentioned above, a moist microfiber cloth.

Oh, I've just re-read your opening post. Mud you say... I'd be very careful with mud; it will contain grit, which will badly scratch the screen as soon as you try to rub it off. Best to wait until any mud has dried on, then pick it off carefully, before attempting any other kind of cleaning.

Its more like muddy water, than just mud, so nothing to pick off. It just makes for a smear while I go round wiping.

I might try the tiniest bit of suds though, I wasn't sure if it would melt the screen or something!

the screen is only glass on the outside. But it's very very thin...

>>the screen is only glass on the outside. But it's very very thin...<<

And glass doesn´t bend. ( well, it does, but that takes centuries ) - unpacking a 47" with just two hands is a very stupid idea.

the glas on the screens is very bendy because it's so thin. And it's fragile - I saw one shatter accross the whole 47" the other day just because someone touched it.

Sho, we are too pampered. H**l, I remember being told that our radio had cost my gramps one month´s income, and kicking at the TV console while it was running would result in costly repairs - and nowadays?
If you can find the time, have a chat with the engineers from Korea - making the things work is a giggle, making them idiotproof is a chore.

Pit

P.S. And they are hitech, not tupperware - telling American hobby cooks not to flambé plastic containers in the oven...

"And it's fragile - I saw one shatter accross the whole 47" the other day just because someone touched it"



That's decided me. I'll leave it dirty!

nono - don't worry - I'm pretty sure that there is an additional layer of something in between the panel and the actual TV or they would all break all the time. (and the one we broke was one of the very very hot and sexy new ones which will appear in the shops later this year with nearly no frame around the screen - tip: stand well back from those )

The TVs are designed to be used in the home and they are expected to have to be cleaned.

I'll try to find one of the guys from the actual TV section today and see what they say. After all, I am only handling the actual LCDs so there could be some other tips out there waiting for us.

@Pit:

"Two things you don´t have to worry about when using flatscreens.

Burn in - doesn´t happen anymore. Can´t."

False.

Not all flatscreens are the same.

Some are LCDs. Some say they are "LEDs", and these are, in fact, also LCDs. These screens won't burn.

However, the best quality pictures right now come from plasma screens, and these very definitely DO have the potential to burn in.

http://www.plasmasaver.com/burnin.html

So, Plasma TVs.

Do they have their own warp coils?

Nope. Warp coils are CRT technology.

Good link Hoo.

Although it does seem burn-in happens only after major extended periods:

How Many Plasma Users Experience Burn-In?
In fact, not many. Recent technologies make modern plasma displays much more resistant to permanent image retention. A research sponsored by Pioneer Electronics demonstrates that leaving a static image for 48 hours did cause a clearly visible image retention on all three of their test plasmas, but running a movie loop for 24 hours removed all signs of the after-image.

However, it is still possible to burn a plasma if it is used to display static images, such as black side bars, for extended periods of time without varying viewing material. Channel or computer game logos are also likely lo leave an after-image.

I think you're right Sho; there will be another layer of glass in the finished product. You are working with the 'raw' product. Nothing that fragile would make it to market. Apart from anything else the majority of screens would shatter in transit to the shop if they were so fragile that they could not be wiped down with a cloth.

Asking you about the damage potential of 'naked' screens is a bit like asking a funeral director whether death is a common daily occurrence in your neighbourhood.

I've had no burn in problems with my plasma after 4 years of CoD and practically 16 hour use every day. The LCD is also fine, but is not that good in sunlight -both 42" screens.

I clean mine using the moist tissues you can buy for cleaning spectacles - has a drop of alcohol to help shift grease, and won't smear like soap. I would advise against soap on plasma - when the screen gets hot it wil melt the bits left on the screen and un-align them, making it look smeary.

Only clean any TV screen with it turned off and when it has cooled down.

Just caught up with the thread, that's put my mind at rest, thank you!

I usually only clean it when its on and I can't see past the smears. I'll try next time my son is out and it's off for a change!