Is it OK to Play Xbox On Plasma TV? Precautions to Avoid Screen Burn-In
Is It OK to play Xbox on plasma TVs?
There are few things better than playing video games on a big flat screen display – but is it OK to play Xbox on plasma TV devices?
Risks do exist, both for the plasma TV and the gamer – however as long as you “game responsibly” and take the right number of breaks during your game play, these risks can be minimized
With problems like screen burn-in (also known as screen burn), there is a potential for any video game to cause problems with your expensive plasma screen. However, as long as you take the right precautions, you should find that you’re able to engage in trouble-free gaming with your Xbox 360 on your high definition plasma TV.
What Are the Risks?
There are two types of risk – those affecting the gamer and those affecting the plasma TV.
Risks affecting the plasma TV range from screen burn to overheating, which can occur with a particularly drawn out gaming session.
Screen burn can damage your plasma TV if the game is left running for too long, while overheating can be a plasma killer, especially in older devices.
Different medical studies on humans have revealed that there are certain health risks to playing video games over a long period of time. With the advent of next generation consoles and plasma screens, games have taken on a cinematic and immersive quality that makes them even more attractive to play – and as a result addictive.
What is Screen Burn?
Screen burn is the phenomenon of marks and lines embedding themselves into your plasma display, usually as a result of watching a particular TV channel all day or playing a video game with a particular set of graphics that remain onscreen at all times, such as the word “score”.
This occurs due to phosphor compounds found in the plasma TV that are used to emit light being active for a prolonged period, thus resulting in a ghost image of what was displayed previously.
It isn’t just something that is peculiar to plasma TVs either – screen burn-in has affected LCD and CRT computer monitors over the years, and is the reason that screensavers were invented. While newer plasma displays have some other methods of reducing the risk of screen burn-in, extended play on a games console or viewing the same channel with static, on-screen graphics can cause a distinct disfigurement.
Precautions
The precautions to avoid screen burn and risks affecting the gamer are very similar – break up your gaming sessions.
Screen burn-in generally occurs after 4 hours of game play or TV viewing. Health experts meanwhile recommend that gaming sessions should go on for no longer than 2 hours without a break.
Therefore a sensible, lo-tech strategy would be to limit gaming sessions to 2 hours, take a 30 minute break to go in the garden, go to a nearby shop or do some exercise – anything to retrain your eyes to the real world – and at the same time switch off your plasma TV.
So – if you were wondering “is it OK to play Xbox on plasma TVs” then the answer is absolutely “yes”!
