Nowadays, while buying a TV, people not only look at the screen size, but also pay special attention to the picture quality, brightness, HDR, refresh rate and display technology. Options like OLED, QLED and LED have greatly improved the TV watching experience. However, even with the improved display, there are some technical issues that buyers need to be aware of. One of these is Burn-In.

If the same logo, photo or graphics remain visible on the TV screen for a long period of time, a mark may, under some circumstances, appear permanently on the screen. This problem is discussed a lot especially in OLED TVs.

What is Screen Burn-In?

To understand in simple language, Burn-In is a situation when the mark of a still picture or graphic shown on the screen for a long time becomes permanently visible.

For example, if a person watches the same news channel for several hours every day and the logo of that channel or the ticker running on the screen always remains in the same place, over a long period of time a faint trace of it may appear on the screen.

This problem is more significant in displays in which each pixel produces its own light. This is the reason why the risk of burn-in in OLED TV is considered higher than that of LED or traditional LCD TV.

Burn-In and Image Retention are not the same

Many people consider Burn-In and Image Retention to be the same problem, but there is a big difference between the two.

Image retention is usually temporary. The screen may return to normal after viewing different content for some time.

On the contrary, burn-in can be permanent. That means the mark on the screen may remain visible for a long time or in some cases forever.

However, today's modern TVs provide many software and hardware features to reduce this problem.

Why is there more danger in OLED TV?

Each pixel in an OLED display produces its own light. If some pixels continue to operate at the same brightness for a long time, their lifespan and performance may be affected.

For this reason, the risk of burn-in may increase if the same content is shown continuously for a long time on OLED TV.

At the same time, the risk of traditional OLED burn-in is much less in LED and old LCD TVs. Therefore, the risk of this problem is not the same for every TV.

Why can news channels and gaming increase the risk?

Those who watch the same news channel on TV for a long time should be a little careful. On news channels, logos, tickers, scores or other graphics often appear continuously in one place on the screen.

Similarly, during gaming, the health bar, score, map and other HUD elements can remain in the same place for hours.

If such conditions continue for a long time, the risk of burn-in in the OLED panel may increase. However, modern OLED TVs are much better than before for general and varied content use.

How to Protect OLED TV from Burn-In?

If you have an OLED TV in your home, the risk of burn-in can be reduced by adopting some simple precautions.

Do not keep the TV on the same news channel for hours continuously.
Don't leave a static HUD or graphics of the same game on the screen for long periods of time.
Keep the Pixel Shift feature on the TV.
If options like Screen Refresh, Panel Care are available, use them.
Avoid running the TV continuously at very high brightness.
If you do not want to use the TV for a long time, turn it off.
Make a habit of watching a variety of content, so that the same graphics are not constantly on the same part of the screen.
Is it safe to buy an OLED TV?

There is no need to avoid buying OLED TV just because of the fear of burn-in. There are several technical solutions to mitigate this problem in modern OLED TVs. If the TV is used normally and the same static content is not played continuously for long periods of time, the risk can be significantly reduced.

However, if your TV is primarily used for 24-hour news channels, playing the same game for long periods of time, or constantly displaying static graphics, it may be better to consider LED or other display options along with OLED when making a purchase.