Projection TV's And Game Consoles?

mbadolato asks: "I'm hearing that it is a Bad Thing (tm) to run a game console unit through a projection TV. What are people's experiences with this? We recently got a Toshiba 61" television, and I have a Sega Dreamcast connected to it through one of the s-video ports. I don't play the Dreamcast all that often, but I'm worried that, from what I have heard, it could still be bad for the TV. Any opinions?" This is odd, I would think that if the game console in question was compatible with the signal (NTSC/PAL) on the projector then all is kosher. Could someone clear up this confusion?

I don't know about the details...

[Mark Hood]

but I've played PSX games on a Sony CRT projector. We were even able to use the light gun - it worked a treat (once the line doubler was off), and Point Blank & Time Crisis are much easier when the pixels are a foot across :)

Re:Burn-in - maybe...

[Jeff DeMaagd]

If the question concerns CRT projection systems, burn-in is a possibility as the phosphors have to burn brighter to cover a larger area. Check your manual if you have a projector or projection TV, not the manual to the game console. If you have said type system, even heavily 3D based games may cause trouble if played for very long periods of time as even they still have on-screen displays to show your status bars, a little radar display or something like that.

If your manual is ambiguous, ask around, and if you are still wary, play on a different display or turn the brightness down some.

LCD based projectors will not have this problem.

Re:I've always heard

[unitron]

Apparently it was a problem in the '90s as well. 6 years ago a bar where I used to DJ had a nearly new set that they left set on CNN headline news overnight every night and you could see where the logo was burned into the lower right hand corner of the screen whenever the channel was changed or a commercial came on.

Re:I think it still applies

[redled]

I know this is a late reply but...

Yes, LCD projection devices are very expensive. But, as far as very large screens are concerned, they are MUCH cheaper than a very large tube TV. I know for a fact many arcade games use projection screens. Some even use a "wraparound" semi-circcular screen. Try doing that with a tube. Ever compared the prices of say, a 36" projection TV to the cost of a 36" tube model? Not only that, but I'm prety sure not all projection tvs use LCD technology. They've been around for ages, and I think the cheaper ones use somewhat older tech.

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just bought

[intuition]

I just bought a pioneer rear projection display. And in the manual it has very large very distinct warnings against using them with video game consoles.

Re:Burn-in

[Tokerat]

I remember reading warnings in the old Nintendo manuals that it was a Very Bad Thing to play on projection TVs, but I haven't seen to much about it lately... I would think that with all the new advances in monitor/TV technology, this would have been fixed, but still, check the TV's manual before you do any Bad Things.

Re:I think it still applies

[jeffhtg]

I am assuming that arcade game systems are still using tube technology.. and once again any type of phosphorus tube can "burn in" leaving a permanent ghost. LCD projection is very expensive - especially to get the lumen (brightness) that is required for viewing in a normal light - they are too expensive to be in arcade games dontcha think?

I think it still applies

[redled]

I have noticed that even the newest arcade games that use a projection display still have this problem. If you go to the arcade you will see some games only 6 months to a year old that are already starting to show signs of burn-in. Maybe the average consumer projection TV is of higher quality, however, I wouldn't count on that.

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I've always heard

[JohnZed]

that the danger wasn't a signal conflict, but rather the fact that games tend (or at least tended in the 1980s) to have more stationary images than regular TV programs. Projection TVs have a risk of "burn-in" like older monitors, so putting a game on pause for a while, for example, might leave you with a permanent image of Mario's face etched into your screen.
'Course, that was in the 80s, and I'm not sure if the problem still exists.

Re:I've always heard

[Coward, Anonymous]

'Course, that was in the 80s, and I'm not sure if the problem still exists.

It does not. If it did, there would be people with Disney or C-SPAN burnt into their tv's since those networks always have their logo on the screen.