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What is screen burn-in and can you prevent it? – Review Geeks

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Josh Hendrickson/Review Geek

Modern OLED TVs are great for avoiding burn-in. That being said, it is still a real problem that some users may encounter, depending on their viewing habits.

The benefits of OLED are hard to miss: Its higher color accuracy and deep contrast deliver better image quality than LCD. But as you may know, OLED TVs are susceptible to burn-in. Is this something you really should be concerned about, and how can you prevent OLED burn-in?

What is screen recording?

The term “burn-in” dates back to the era of CRT televisions. If a static image is displayed on a CRT TV for too long (usually months or years), the TV’s phosphor layer degrades unevenly. This creates dark spots on the TV and eventually leads to permanent image retention; a ghostly image that remains on the TV even when it’s turned off.

Computer users suffered the most from burnout. This makes sense, since most content on a computer monitor (especially taskbars and menus) doesn’t move. Screen savers were introduced to combat this problem by reducing the risk of burn-in, saving users the hassle of waiting for their monitors to warm up again, and indicating that a computer was working.

Record on an old Samsung smartphone with an OLED screen.
Do you see the keyboard engraved on the OLED screen of this Samsung phone? sirena37/Shutterstock.com

But when LCD replaced CRT, we continued to use screen protectors. This was partly due to custom, although early LCD users were also concerned with “image persistence”. Static content displayed for an extended period on an LCD screen can reduce the reset ability of the pixels, leaving smudges, colors, and ghosting on the screen.

That being said, LCD image persistence is rare, especially on modern displays. And this problem almost always resolves itself, since liquid crystals in an LCD naturally want to go into a “sleep” state.

You’d think OLED technology would improve on this front. But OLED screens are more prone to “burn-in” or “image persistence” than their LCD counterparts. Manufacturers are slowly finding ways to reduce this problem, but for now, image burn-in is a real concern for any OLED buyer, especially if you plan to use an OLED display as a computer monitor.

Why are OLED screens prone to burn-in?

ASUS ExpertBook B9 OLED laptop sitting on a table at CES 2023
Justin Duino/Review Geeks

Unlike traditional LCD screens, which require a backlight, OLED screens are self-emissive. They are “organic light-emitting diodes”. Basically, a voltage is applied to the organic material within the pixels of an OLED screen, forcing the organic material to produce light.

This self-emissive design is responsible for OLED’s higher color accuracy. It also allows OLED displays to achieve a much deeper contrast ratio than LCD, as the pixels can be independently dimmed or turned off to achieve a true “black” color.

Unfortunately, each pixel in an OLED screen has a limited lifespan, as the light-emitting organic material slowly breaks down and darkens with use. Static content, especially bright white content, can accelerate the decay of pixels on an OLED screen, resulting in dots that are noticeably faint and shaped like a previous image.

But burn-in on an OLED display is rarely due to dragged on visit. Instead, it is usually the result of cumulative visit. Let’s say you watch CNN for a few hours each day; the channel’s logo is white, the newscasters are sitting on a dark background, and neither the logo nor the newscasters move much. So the center and corner of your OLED display will decay at a higher rate and you may eventually appear dim or suffer from permanent image retention.

When will OLED burn-in affect my TV, phone or monitor?

LG Signature OLED 8K 88Z3 in front of a display at CES 2023.
Josh Hendrickson/Review Geek

If you watch a ton of movies or shows, you may never notice the effects of OLED burn-in, as the pixels on your OLED TV will degrade at a fairly even rate. But those who regularly watch the news, play games, or use an OLED computer monitor have a higher chance of burn-in, since these video sources contain bright images that don’t move much.

But when will OLED burn-in happen? Well, there are too many variables to give an exact answer. Brightness, on-screen content, and even a TV’s firmware can play a role in this equation.

Most experts estimate that OLED burn-in will occur after less than 5000 hours (half a year) of displaying a completely static image. But most of the images are not completely static, and even if the 5000 hour estimate is accurate, it may be out of date. Manufacturers are constantly improving OLED technology, and newer OLED screens are less susceptible to burn-in than older models.

If you avoid content that can cause burn-in, you don’t need to worry too much about the lifespan of your OLED TV. Manufacturers like LG rate their OLED TVs for 100,000 hours of use, which is equivalent to 11 years of continuous viewing. A more conservative estimate comes from the US Department of Energy Efficiency, which notes that OLED brightness is directly related to pixel decay. It says you can expect 30,000 hours (3.4 years) of continuous use from an OLED display at full brightness, at which point “light output drops to 70 percent of initial value.”

OLED smartphone screens should offer a similar lifespan, which is reassuring since phones tend to be replaced after only two to three years.

How can I prevent OLED burn-in?

Remote control in the hand of Vizio V21d-J8
Justin Duino/Review Geeks

Early OLED screens were extremely vulnerable to burn-in. But OLED manufacturers (of which there are very few) have figured out a few ways around this problem. Using software, most OLED displays automatically detect static content and move it around or adjust its brightness; this reduces wear on the affected pixels and, most importantly, is not perceptible to the human eye.

Many OLED displays also use an ABL, or “automatic brightness limiter.” This feature helps limit power consumption when displaying HDR content (which can be much brighter than SDR content). If there’s a large white spot on the screen, for example, it will dim to reduce power usage and ensure other pixels stay bright. While ABL is not intended to combat burn-in, it can reduce the impact of static white content in HDR programs and games.

Also, OLED screens can scan and update their pixels after a few hours of continuous viewing. This doesn’t prevent burn-in, but it does allow the screen to compensate for uneven pixel decay. In some cases, existing OLED burn-in can be resolved by scanning and updating the pixels, although this can lead to a noticeably dimmer screen. (If your OLED TV burns, check your settings to see if you can update the pixels.)

You can also change your habits to discourage burnout; reduce the brightness of your TV, turn it off when you’re not using it, and enable standby mode. But I don’t suggest following these steps unless you regularly watch the news, play games, or use an OLED computer monitor.

I should also point out that LG Display’s OLED panels use a white sub-pixel (as opposed to an RGB sub-pixel) for instances of brightness above 300 nits. This significantly reduces the risk of burn-in, according to LG Display, which cites a study by RTINGS as evidence for its claim. (LG Display makes the majority of OLED TV panels, even for rival brands.)

Samsung is also an OLED manufacturer and claims that the white sub-pixel reduces color accuracy. Unfortunately for Samsung, the use of the white sub-pixel also increases the overall brightness of a TV; OLED is dimmer than LCD, so this is the kind of trade many customers are willing to do.

Is Burn-In a problem for QLED TVs?

Samsung Neo QLED TV
samsung

When OLED TVs first hit the scene, Samsung ran a public awareness campaign to warn customers about OLED burn-in issues. The company also refused to sell OLED TVs, instead opting for a hybrid technology called QLED. (To be clear, Samsung now sells Quantum-Dot OLED TVs.)

A QLED screen combines the brightness and reliability of an LCD screen with the image quality of an OLED screen. While QLED can’t replicate OLED’s inky blacks, it looks great and doesn’t burn in. Samsung is the only maker of QLED panels, but brands like Hisense and Sony also offer QLED TVs.

Depending on your viewing habits, OLED burn-in may not be a serious concern. But if you’re worried about getting burned, you should check out some QLED TVs. Note that Samsung also sells QLED computer monitors, a great option for computer users who want OLED quality without burning.

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