CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

perisoft · Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 2920 Location: Ithaca, NY

I've been tossing around an idea in my head for a few days, and Curt's post asking about the satellite TV error burn spurred me to do some more digging and post a question for you guys.

Would you guys be interested in a device which you could plug inline in your RGBHV signal, (or right after an HDMI->RGBHV converter if you're using one) which would detect a static image and blank it if it stayed that way for more than N minutes?

Basically, this would be a 'last line of defense' against tube burn - and would be hardware based, so no matter what signal was being sent, it would work: The kids playing Wii and leaving it paused, a media player on pause, the mouse cursor from your HTPC centered on the screen (shudder), or the aforementioned satellite TV error box (assuming no background video).

It'd catch anything that was a pure static signal - unfortunately it probably wouldn't be able to detect, say, a DVD menu with repeating video in the background, or a media player that got un-fullscreened so its window frame and menu was sitting there, but it was still running.

But if a video game or movie was paused, a DVD/BD player had its static splash screen up, a sat. box or tivo lost its signal and sat there showing an error message, or any other such thing, your tubes would be saved from an untimely fate.

My best guess at the moment is that such a device would be somewhere around $200 to $300 US, though obviously that would depend on the volume. I've got the engineering and manufacturing ability to build the thing, and I wouldn't mind having one myself - for instance, I noticed once that windows had crashed while the screensaver was running... I'd forgotten to switch it to 'blank', so if I had left the PJ on, there'd be a windows logo toasted into my tubes!

If there's enough interest, I'll go the next step to doing some tests. I know the hardware is feasible in terms of doing the detection and retaining signal bandwidth / quality through the device, so it's a matter of working out the practicalities from here. Post if you'd be interested or have any comments!

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:52 pm Post subject:

I like it! Another toy! Honestly though it would be good. How about those ATSC boxes that say no signal but it bounces around the screen in a pre set "random" pattern?

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:54 pm Post subject:

perisoft · Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 2920 Location: Ithaca, NY

Zebu Fellenz · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 2567

I don't see the need, and more importantly I see some problems with it. The biggest problem would be that when you pause some HD movies it does not hold the still image but instead will go to an animated screen after x seconds. This in itself can help to save your tubes but I'm not sure who widely used this feature is. I've seen it on many HD-DVD's but I don't know if Blu-ray does it too.

I'm also not convinced how useful it would be. I've left static images on for entire days with no ill effects and I run my contrast high.

IMO if you can build and sell it cheap enough people will buy and use it, just don't ask me how cheap "cheap enough" is.

Sounds like a good idea but I don't see the need for one in my setup.

Erik

perisoft · Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 2920 Location: Ithaca, NY

Zebu Fellenz · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 2567

I think it may also be related to the usage on the tube. I've heard that low hour tubes are easier to burn in than higher hour tubes. Not sure if there is any truth to this though?

My tubes have about 6600 hours (most in standby)