burn-in
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Samsung will gladly help you check if your OLED TV has burn-in
Samsung might be all about OLED in smartphone displays, but it's steered away from using those types of screens for its TVs, instead harnessing LCD and QLED tech. As part of its efforts to remind people that OLED can be susceptible to burn-in, it has released a super-helpful (and not at all borne out of self-interest) way to check your screen for the problem.
The Galaxy S8's home button shifts to prevent screen burn
Screensavers were originally a way to prevent burn-in on older CRT monitors. The now-classic moving images in early operating systems were created to keep any single pixel on the screen from remaining in place for too long, leaving behind a ghost on the display. Modern screens like the OLED ones on Samsung's Galaxy S8 can also suffer from burn-in. Since the new flagship's Home button is virtual now, the company had to do something to prevent it from getting burned in to your display. The solution? Moving the Home button image around a little bit.
Samsung guarantees its latest SUHD TVs won't suffer burn-in
If the constant fear of screen burn-in was keeping you from making a big television purchase, then Samsung's new guarantee might make you reconsider. The electronics giant announced today that it is providing a lifetime guarantee against the dreaded screen burn-in for all of its 2016 SUHD Quantum Dot TVs. Should your brand-new, ultra high-def, HDR+ set suffer burn-in (from "normal consumer use," of course) Samsung will replace it for free.
The HD Guru tries to burn-in a plasma, but fails
We've been telling people for years that burn-in just isn't a problem on modern plasmas, but honestly we haven't ever tried to put are money where are mouth is. Gary Merson doesn't mind trying though -- since it's not like he has to pay for the HDTVs he reviews -- and although he found that freeze framing an image for 10 hours straight failed to burn-in on the 2008 and 2009 plasma models he tried, he's confident that if he put a full white 100 IRE square up on the center of a plasma, with the user mode set to Vivid and contrast maxed out, that after a number of days there would be some signs of burn-in -- so yeah, kind of like testing a water proof watch by throwing it into an abyss. Now of course this doesn't change the fact that everyone believes that burn-in is a problem and that the brightest TV is the best TV, we're just saying.
LCD Scrub cleans those stubborn stains from your screen
Back in the day, we ran screen savers for more than just meditative entertainment, eye candy or news updates. We ran them for one good reason -- to save our freakin' screens! Burn-in was a serious problem on CRT monitors, and many displays ended up with a permanent menu bar shadow or outline of a high-contrast desktop pattern stuck there for posterity.While LCD screens aren't nearly as likely to run into image persistence issues as older CRTs, they aren't immune to damage, as developer Daniel Sandler (author of screensaver Pyrothèque) learned to his dismay a year ago. After his flat-panel got munged by green static overnight, he whipped up a pattern-shifting screensaver to repair the burned-in pixels (based on Apple's recommendation of leaving an all-white image over the affected areas). Whaddaya know, it worked -- hence the $18 LCD Scrub screensaver/display repair tool. Just updated to version 1.02 with registration and other bug fixes, LCD Scrub might just save you the cost of a new display. It's the fluoridated water of screensavers: secretly doing good behind the scenes.
LCD and plasma burn-in advice
Image retention, the kids call it "burn-in" on the street, is something every flat-panel has to deal with. HD Guru dug up a case involving not a plasma but, gasp, an LCD. It seems like logos were "burned" into the the right of the screen. The issue is something that rarely pops up -- even more rare on an LCD -- but when it does, we're sure most owners shave a year or two off their life as their heart skips a beat. There is no reason to fear that your pricey, little baby will always have that Sony DVD logo burnt in, as most burn-in can be easily eliminated. Follow the jump for some DIY tips on prevention and elimination.
Burn-in on plasma TVs
The burn-in issue on plasmas is something that just won't go away. Manufactures have tried hard to prevent it as much as possible but still, it is a side effect of the technology. There is a group of consumers down under (in Australia) that purchased plasmas before the holiday's and left them on for hours days causing the stations logos to be burned into the screen. Yes, we know plasma this and plasma that, but there are easy things to prevent burn-in. Burn-in is most likely when the TV is the brightest making the first 24-36 hours of life critical. Even some manufacture set-up screens can cause nasty image retention. (not burn-in but rather, ghosting for a short period of time.) Turn down the brightness past 50%. Plus, you will get a lot deeper picture. Avoid static images. This does not mean the ESPN banner or ABC logo but rather the Window's Start Bar or OS X's Dock. Use the plasma as a TV because you WILL get burn-in if used as a monitor. If you pause the Xbox, turn of the TV. Believe it or not, plasmas are not the only type of display technology that can suffer from burn-in. CRTs have always had this problem, (think old school screensavers) but so have LCDs. WHAT?!? No! But yes, LCDs can burn-in. The best proof we can give you is Apple's guide to removing burn-in. It is rare and requires the image to be static longer, but it can happen.Do not be afraid to buy a plasma because of the chance of burn-in. There are tools and techniques to remove burn-in but if you plan on using the plasma as a TV rather then a computer monitor, then you should never ever experience it.
