OLED displays are known for their higher contrast ratio, wider color gamut coverage, highest brightness, best-in-class viewing angles, higher refresh rate, lowest response time, and thinner build. Here are the best OLED monitors you can buy in 2023 for the best visual experience ever.
But one thing that raises questions is the OLED Burn-in. Why is everyone talking about OLED Burn-in? Here we are going to talk about OLED Burn-in issues, risks and how you can prevent OLED burn-in issues but first, what exactly is an OLED burn-in?
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What is OLED Burn-in?
When a static picture remains on the OLED display (tv or monitor) for a longer duration of time, it leaves a permanent mark of the picture on the display. That mark of the picture is known as an OLED burn-in. The most practical example of a static picture could be the name and logo of the Channel you are watching, map of the video game, the pause menu of the game, the icons on the desktop, Google Chrome extension icons and other similar pictures that can remain unchanged for an extended period of time.
Please note, that sometimes, it is just picture retention and not the burn-in. You can check that by changing the screen and if you are not seeing any mark or lightest shadow of the previous picture, that could be picture retention that will go away automatically. You don’t need to worry about picture retention on the OLED display but if stays for a longer duration even after changing the screen, that could be an OLED burn-in.
Also See: Should You Buy Curved or Flat screen Monitor?
How to Prevent OLED Burn-in? – Prevent OLED Burn-in
If you have finally made up your mind about an OLED display but still have doubts about the OLED burn-in issue, which is a real issue, here is something you can do to prevent an OLED burn-in. Although IPS panel don’t have this issue but in terms of contrast ratio and color, OLED will always remain ahead of IPS. OLED vs IPS is still a long going debate but one thing is certain and that is, OLED is the future.
Here is what you can do to prevent OLED burn-in:
1. Use Pixel Refresher/Shifter
The good news is that the new and latest OLED displays, both monitors and TVs, feature a built-in option that automatically refreshes the display to keep the OLED burn-in issues away. For example, LG’s OLED displays come with ‘Pixel Refresher’, and Samsung’s OLED display features ‘Pixel Shift’, and Panasonic comes with ‘Pixel Orbiter’.
The whole idea behind all these features is to refresh the Pixels to prevent the OLED burn-in. These pixel refreshers/shifters/orbiters keep on moving the pixels from their previous place at a fixed interval of time and don’t allow the pictures to remain static on the same pixels.
You can even customize the time to refresh the pixels. Pixel refresher can annoy some users while they are watching something but to prevent the permanent damage from OLED Burn-in, it is crucial to refresh the OLED displays.
Pixel refresher is just one thing. Some OLED panels even come with logo brightness, and pixel mover to prevent any chance of OLED burn-in.
2. Keep Changing the Static Image
Other than using Pixel Refresher, it is also suggested not to use static images on the OLED display. Even if you are watching something on TV, changing the TV channel after an hour or 2 can prevent the OLED burn-in. If you are looking to buy a TV for static content like news, a particular video having static images or for brand projection in an office or any other official place where you are going to display a logo, or brand name for straight 24 hours, better go for LED TV instead of OLED. OLED panels will attract burn-in issues if the same content is displayed for an extended period of time.
OLED is preferred for movies, gaming and other similar tasks where pictures keep on refreshing.
3. Use Recommended OLED Screen Settings
Due to OLED’s color saturation, high contrast ratio, and high brightness, a lot of users started to over-exploit these screen features and start watching the screen at full throttle. The chances of OLED burn-in increase if you have set all these screen settings to 100% level. To prevent the OLED burn-in, keep these levels to the recommended settings by the manufacturer.
4. Get Extended Warranty
You should also check the warranty provided by the manufacturer. Most of the time, OLED burn-in is not covered in the warranty no matter what but some TV/monitor companies might be providing a warranty or free replacement on OLED burn-in which is a rare case. However, if the manufacturer is offering an extended warranty that also includes an OLED Burn-in issue, you can consider that to keep it safe.
These are a few things that you can do to prevent the risk of OLED burn-in. The manufacturers are already aware of this issue and they must be working on fixing the burn-in issue in OLED. One solution that came up was the QD-OLED displays.
QD-OLED – What is It?
QD-OLED or Quantum-dot Organic Light-Emitting Diode is an improved and advanced version of the OLED screen. The additional QD layer on OLED emits all the light to the display which results in even more color coverage and brightness.
The burn-in issue on QD OLED is also minimal than OLED displays but the only downside of QD-OLED is its expensive price tag. Most QD-OLED TVs like Samsung’s S95C and Sony’s A90J series cost more than $2500 which is not an affordable and viable option for many.
QD-OLED monitors are also available in the market and are ready for high-quality gaming and entertainment experience. Alienware AW3423DW, and Samsung Odyssey G85SB are 2 monitors that come with QD-OLED display.
OLED Burn-in Risks, Preventions- Final Words
Considering the current scenario of OLED tech with the pixel shifter/refresher built-in OLED displays, it is safe to say OLEDs are the future and it is completely safe to buy one if you are planning to. The OLED Burn-in issue is preventable and it will not cause any harm to the display if used within its limits. If you want best-in-class contrast, color, brightness and overall picture quality to enjoy movies and games, OLED is good to go and upcoming OLED displays might end the OLED Burn-in issue, forever.
If budget is not an issue, QD-OLED is another great option for you. QD-OLED can also be used for gaming and we already have a few gaming monitors equipped with QD-OLED panel. It is less prone to OLED burn-in but comes with the premium price tag.
