Potential TV damage?

[TheLoneIguana]

I have a my system running through a 128MB GeForce FX 5500 (PNY or Verto, I think, whatever Staples usually carries). The TV-out is S-Video, running directly to the TV.

I have noticed that when I leave the menu on a static screen for any length of time, discolorations appear on the screen. If a video or live TV is playing, it's fine, but if you are on the main GBPVR menu, and especially at the Windows desktop, these discolored blotches start to appear.

Changing to video or turning off the TV will clear these up, but I am worried that this is going to damage my TV.

Any ideas on the cause of this sort of thing? Bad SVideo cable? The Video card itself? Some obscure refresh rate setting?

I was thinking of hunting down a card with composite out so I could run the video signal through the receiver. I had an Svideo to composite adapter, but the output was way too dark.

[bgowland]

I thought the ScreenSaver option was enabled by default in GB-PVR. If not, go to the Misc tab in Config and enable it there. This should prevent the problem you're seeing.

Cheers,
Brian

[TheLoneIguana]

This happens relatively quickly, within two or three minutes. The screen saver does kick in, but there's still the problem when using anything else on the computer. It's not really a problem with GB-PVR as such.

[bgowland]

Sorry - I can't think of why this happens so quickly. I only tried a direct TV connection for a short while but the picture was poor. I use an MVP to my TV and only for GB-PVR.

I would say it would be down to the make/model/type of TV that you have. Burn-in is obviously a problem which is why screensavers came about but that normally takes a very long time (on CRT screens at least). Not sure about LCD/plasma screens - they hadn't been invented when I used to fix TVs.

Cheers,
Brian

[TheLoneIguana]

Here's sort of an approximation of what I get. (Quick and dirty Photoshop, yay!)

[psycik]

You don't have any speakers nearby?? And it doesn't do it at all times??

[SniperDude]

this happens on my TV as well... especially when the DishDVR is paused or on a menu/guide for extended time... I figured it was somethign to do with increased drive usage but I got to the point where I turned off my Toshiba TV whenever I knew I was going to be paused for an extended period.... Where is your Sat box in proximity to the TV... perhaps see if you can distance it further...

[sub]

Thats really odd, particularly for such a short time. As bgowland mentioned, the screensaver should kick in long before any burn in could occur.

[TheLoneIguana]

The speakers crossed my mind, but they're not near enough to the TV to be real suspects. The fact that the screen looks normal when you change channels, then slowly fades in is what confuses me.

I've actually installed new equipment and moved everything around since I first started using GB-PVR, so I don't think the cable box or receiver is doing it.

(It's a Phillips TV, 27" tube, not an LCD or plasma, incidentally)

[nitrogen_widget]

I get this once in a while.
It started happening after I moved my reciever to the top of the entertainment center.

How old is the TV?