What Is Screen Burn In? And How Do I Avoid It?
Screen burn-in is a common problem affecting TVs, computer monitors and other display devices. Also known as ghosting or ghost imaging, it's characterized by permanent discoloration that resembles a previous image. Even when the display device is powered off, you can typically still see the burned-in image. So, what causes screen burn-in and how do you avoid it?
Overview of Screen Burn-In
Screen burn-in is the result of phosphor compounds remaining still for a prolonged length of time. As you may know, phosphor compounds produce light, which is responsible for creating the images in phosphor-based display devices like CRTs and plasmas. While effective at creating light and subsequent images, however, these devices are susceptible to screen burn-in because they use phosphor compounds. When the same image remains present for a prolonged length of time - typically several hours at minimum - the image essentially becomes burned into the display, resulting in the phenomenon known as screen burn-in.
Once screen burn-in has occurred, it's difficult to repair. Turning the display device off and back on typically won't resolve the problem. Rather, the device must be dismantled and repaired internally to correct the screen burn-in.
