Can burn-in happen to LCD monitors?

One of the problems with oldCRT monitors, over time, was a condition called burn-in.

A breakdown in phosphors on the CRT results in theimage being burned into the screen, hence the term.

Persistent or Burned In Image on an LCD TV

Wikimedia Commons

Is there such a thing as LCD screen burn-in?

What Is Image Persistence?

LCD monitorsuse a different method for producing the image on the screen and are immune to this burn-in effect.

The persistence is the result of how the crystals in the display work.

The crystals move from a position allowing all light through to one that doesn’t allow any.

It’s almost like a shutter on a window.

This problem is most common for elements of the display that do not change.

Items that are likely to generate a persistent image are the taskbar, desktop icons, and background images.

These tend to be static in their location and displayed on the screen for an extended period.

Is It Permanent?

In most cases, no.

Can It Be Prevented or Corrected?

Image persistence on LCD screens can be corrected in most cases and easily prevented.

Set the screen to turn off after a few minutes of idle time.

Turning off the monitor display prevents images from appearing for extended periods.

These values appear in the MacEnergy Saversettings orWindows Power Management.

Use aWindows screen saverorMac screen saverthat rotates, has moving graphics, or is blank.

Rotate any background images on the desktop.Background imagesare a common cause of image persistence.

By switching backgrounds every day or every few days, you’ll reduce the risk of persistence.

Turn off the monitor when the system is not in use.

Use a screen saver with a rotating image and run it for an extended period.

The rotating color palette should remove the persistent image.

Still, it could take a while to remove it.