The risk of burn-in on OLED displays is always a concern, especially for computer monitors displaying static content like icons and taskbars. However, advancements in OLED materials, compensation algorithms, brightness efficiencies, and heat management techniques have significantly improved the performance of OLED monitors in fighting burn-in.
Despite these advancements, there is still much to learn about OLED monitor burn-in, and new technologies like QD-OLED are still evolving. RTINGS has been conducting a longevity test on OLED monitors, including ultrawide designs, to simulate 10 years of use in just two years. The test revealed an unexpected quirk in the burn-in risk of ultrawide OLED monitors.
During the test, RTINGS found that running content with black bars on the sides of the screen caused the center area to become brighter than the unused areas, resulting in heavy differential wear in the displays. While the effects are not immediately noticeable, they become hard to ignore when pointed out. Additionally, higher brightness can lead to quicker degradation of the OLED layer.
The testing also revealed that even small changes, such as a firmware update, can impact the OLED monitor’s burn-in risk and longevity. While there are techniques and features to alleviate burn-in threats, there is still much to learn about how OLED monitors handle degradation.
In conclusion, OLED monitors have improved in terms of burn-in risk reduction and performance, but there is still room for improvement as the technology continues to evolve. For more information on RTINGS’ longevity test, visit their website.
