The problem of TV sets being damaged by the continuous display of one news channel has been known for years. It applies only to OLED screens, because it results directly from the construction of this type of matrices. Now, manufacturers ensure that they have taken steps to eliminate the risk of screen burn-in.
News channels harmful to TVs? There are actions
This problem of OLED matrices became famous at the beginning of 2021, when one of Sony’s customers reported that some time after purchase, greenish traces “burned out” on the screen. A few months after replacing the TV with a new one, the problem returned. As it turned out later, the client watched the TVP Info program for about 11 hours a day.
A similar problem can occur in OLED TVs, where any image with static elements is watched extremely intensively. Especially those in bright colors. Due to the continuous display of stripes and logos, however, the greatest risk is associated with constantly watching one of the news channels.
OLED TV manufacturers are now reporting that their TVs are now much more durable than before. The representative of LG explains that his company’s TV sets use algorithms that detect, for example, the logo of TV stations and reduce its brightness. In this way, the risk of the logotype becoming fixed on the matrix is to be marginal. What’s more, in newer models (manufactured in 2020 or later) an automatic matrix refresh system is used.
The interlocutor from another company (unnamed) admits that the Polish branch of the producer carried out an experiment in which the TVP Info channel was displayed continuously for two weeks. There was no damage to the matrix. What’s more, there have been fewer and fewer complaints of this type recently. This includes due to the operation of algorithms that move or modify fixed elements of the image, e.g. the logotype of the station, in a way imperceptible to the client.
Sony assured in an interview with Wirtualnemedia.pl that many functions in the company’s TV sets are designed to reduce the risk of screen fixation. A representative of the company admitted that this problem is not a dominant fault under warranty repairs of OLED TVs. A representative of Philips in an interview with the portal said that the Dutch company does not currently receive this type of complaint.
The TV stations themselves are also trying to fight the phenomenon. Some of them, in response to viewers’ requests, introduced semi-transparent logos and markings.
It is worth mentioning that manufacturers warn customers (usually in the manual or on the Internet you can find an appropriate annotation) against this type of use of the TV set. It is primarily about the daily, many hours of displaying the same image or one TV station. If you want to take care of your OLED screen, you should give the device a rest or at least change the channel once in a while.
Source: Gazeta
Mabel is a talented author and journalist with a passion for all things technology. As an experienced writer for the 247 News Agency, she has established a reputation for her in-depth reporting and expert analysis on the latest developments in the tech industry.
