Two years ago, the kielce.naszemiasto.pl portal described the case of a man who watched TVP Info for 11 hours a day. He struggled with “stripes” on the screen, because his TV set had a matrix burnout. Similar problems with logotypes on discussion forums were reported by e.g. viewers of TVN24 and AXN.
Newsfeeds with static logos and bars at the bottom of the screen can especially lead to this situation. If owners of OLED devices want to use their equipment for a long time, they should not watch the same station all the time.
Some broadcasters have complied with the requests of owners of OLED TVs with appeals for the introduction of semi-transparent logos that do not expose the matrices to damage. One of the viewers asked the National Broadcasting Council to intervene in this matter, which in its regulations defined, among others, patterns and size of age markings.
– The intensity of the color intensity of the station logo, age category, and other elements of the graphic design of the program are not subject to the competence of the KRRiT. According to Art. 13 sec. 1 of the Broadcasting Act, the broadcaster shapes the program independently (…) and is responsible for its content, the regulator informed the Internet user.
In Poland, the necessity to mark the channels with logotypes is included in all licenses. In the United States and Western Europe, they are not emitted by e.g. movie channels.
What is the retention phenomenon?
We asked manufacturers about the causes of problems with OLED TV matrices and the scale of the problem.
– The phenomenon of retention, i.e. burning the matrix through the long-term display of one static element on the screen (e.g. the logo of a TV station or the navigation bar in games) occurs in the case of OLED TVs. This is simply due to the design of the matrix itself with organic diodes and is the result of excessive exploitation of the equipment. The problem of burn-in can arise when you use the TV for many hours in the same view every day, where one unchanging element is continuously displayed on the screen, e.g. a logotype or a news feed bar. That is why TV manufacturers warn against such use of these devices – explains Michał Szczerowoda, TV product manager, TP Vision Europe, owner of the Philips brand, in an interview with Wirtualnemedia.pl.
Manufacturers ensure that their devices are getting better and more resistant.
– LG has been producing consumer OLED TVs for 10 years, each year improving the screen technology, as well as adding advanced screen protection features. LG OLED TVs use algorithms that detect the TV station logo and reduce its brightness. In this way, the risk of image retention on the OLED screen is eliminated – convinces LG Electronics Poland.
The long-term warranty after purchasing the device is to prove that the problem is a thing of the past. – The above-mentioned algorithms take care of the condition of the entire screen. In models produced in 2020 and later, the OLED Panel Protection function is used, which automatically refreshes the matrix. To confirm the durability and high level of performance, LG gives a 5-year warranty on screens for the LG OLED evo G2 and LG OLED Z2 models, notes LG.
An experiment with a 2-week broadcast of TVP Info
A representative of another manufacturer told us that the company conducted an experiment. For two weeks, it broadcast the TVP Info channel without interruption on new models. The screens were not damaged. In recent years, customers with damaged matrices have not reported to this company’s services either. They help in this, e.g. modern algorithms that move logotypes in a manner invisible to the “human eye” or modify the logotypes themselves so that they do not damage the screen.
Joanna Maciejewicz from the Sony press office points out that not only TV channels can damage the matrix.
– The phenomenon of matrix burnout most often affects OLED panels and can occur as a result of long-term display of static images on the TV screen, such as photos, subtitles or news bars. Sony OLED screens have a number of features that are designed to reduce this risk – assures Wirtualnemedia.pl. Are there many customers reporting this problem? – We cannot provide details. However, we can confirm that it is certainly not a dominant defect among warranty repairs – replies the representative of Sony.
The algorithms do not affect image quality
Philips says it currently does not receive such complaints.
– Some manufacturers offering OLED screens introduce certain solutions to prevent the described phenomenon. In the case of the Philips TV brand, in all our OLED TV sets, we have used a unique technology developed by us (anti burn-in technology) that prevents the matrix from burning out where static station logos or graphics in games are displayed. It uses an advanced feature to detect such details by tracking 32,400 zones. If static elements are detected on the screen, the processor gradually reduces the intensity of the local backlight to avoid damage to the panel. Importantly, this solution does not affect the image quality in the rest of the screen – explains Szczerowoda.
Despite reports of problems with logos and strips of news stations, producers ensure that OLED technology is primarily advantages. – Not only does it provide cinematic picture quality, it’s also safer on your eyes than LCD screens. In 2021, LG OLED TVs received a certificate from the TÜV Rheinland organization confirming the flicker-free image and low level (only 29%) of blue light emission harmful to the eyes and no photobiological hazard. These are also ecological TVs, for the production of which the least harmful materials are used (SGS Eco Product certificate received in 2021) – explains LG. As we informed earlier, TV sets from leading manufacturers will meet the new requirements of the European Union, which will come into force in March. Even in autumn, the industry was alarming that a significant part of 4K and 8K devices could disappear from stores.
