Do LCDs Suffer From Screen Burn-In?
If you're thinking about buying a liquid-crystal display (LCD), you might be wondering whether LCDs suffer from screen burn-in. Screen burn-in was common with plasma displays. Even today, some display devices suffer from it. So, do LCDs suffer from screen burn-in.
The Basics of Screen Burn-In
Also known as ghost imaging, screen burn-in is a phenomenon in which a display device generates a permanent image. All display devices generate images. Each individual frame is essentially an image. Normally, the images will change as the frames change. Screen burn-in, though, involves some or all of an image becoming permanent. Even as the frames change, the "burned-in" image will persist.
What Causes Screen Burn-In?
Screen burn-in isn't caused by an image literally burning itself into the screen. Rather, it's caused by phosphor compounds emitting light for a prolonged period.
Certain types of display devices contain phosphor compounds. You can find phosphor compounds in plasma, cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays and similar types of display devices. The phosphor compounds illuminate the pixels of these display devices. When a display device is turned on, its phosphor compounds will emit light, thereby illuminating the display device's pixels from behind.
Screen burn-in typically occurs when the phosphor compounds remain illuminated for a prolonged period. If there's an image on the display that doesn't change, for example, they'll continue to emit light. Eventually, this can lead to screen burn-in. The phosphor compounds will continue to emit light - even after the display device is turned off or when the frame changes.
