Using a plasma TV as a PC monitor

[Cock Womble 7]

I currently have a 37" Toshiba LCD TV hanging on the wall. All of my gadgets (Blu-Ray player, XBox 360, BT Vision box and PC) are HDMI connected to a Sony AV receiver and this in turn is connected to the TV via a single HDMI lead.

It's great sitting on the sofa with a wireless keyboard and mouse, surfing PH (other web sites are available) on the big screen.

I'm thinking of upgrading my TV, going for a slightly bigger screen and possibly going plasma, however I've seen it mentioned on the web that plasma TVs aren't really suitable for use as PC monitors - due to the dreaded "burn in" or image retention.

How true is this?

(For the record, I've been looking at Panasonic plasmas, in a 42 or 50 inch flavour.)

[Mr E]

Burn in not a problem.

[Stu R]

I've got a panasonic plasma which spends most of it's life displaying the same screen. No signs of burn in after a year - certainly doesn't seem to be the problem it once was.

[Stu R]

I certainly get short-term image retention (even a few minutes of a static screen on netflix will give that), but nothing permanent as of yet.

[Cock Womble 7]

So, subject to the above provisos, I should be OK going plasma?

[Mr E]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I do with a 50" Panasonic VT

[TEKNOPUG]

I've had my Panny Plasma for a couple of years and used it as a PC monitor for all that time. No issues here. Slight image retention that only lasts a few seconds when you switch channel. No different from having "HD" in the corner of the screen during normal broadcasts. I have it connected via VGA and the TV has it's own dedicated PC input.

[Mr E]

Connected via HDMI, not VGA.

If burn in was a problem, I'd have thought the little icons that the channels insist on putting in the corners would be a problem.

It's a media pc, so there is no more danger of burn in than a screen used for TV 'normally'.