Burn-in Test
Test your OLED/Plasma display for burn-in, image retention, and pixel wear
💡 Why This Test?
Burn-in is permanent damage on OLED, AMOLED, and Plasma displays where static UI elements (logos, HUDs, taskbars) leave ghost images that remain visible. Unlike temporary image retention which fades over time, burn-in is irreversible pixel degradation.
This test is critical for OLED TV and phone users who watch channels with station logos, gamers with persistent HUD elements, or anyone displaying static content for extended periods. Early detection helps you adjust usage patterns before damage worsens.
✅ What You'll Check:
- Permanent burn-in (ghost images that won't fade)
- Temporary image retention (disappears after minutes/hours)
- Uneven pixel wear across the panel
- Common problem areas (corners, status bars, logos)
- Color shifts in affected regions
📖 How to Use This Test
- Let your display rest on a neutral image for 5 minutes before testing
- Click "Start Test" to enter fullscreen mode
- Navigate through 6 test patterns using arrow keys or buttons
- Look for ghost images, shadows, or discoloration on solid backgrounds
- Check each pattern for 30-60 seconds minimum
- Test red, green, blue, and white solid colors thoroughly
- Document any burn-in locations for warranty claims
💡 Tip: LCD panels rarely get burn-in. This test is primarily for OLED, AMOLED, and Plasma. If you see ghost images that disappear after 10 minutes, it's temporary retention (less serious). True burn-in persists indefinitely.
Essential test for OLED, AMOLED, and Plasma displays. Detects permanent image retention.
🔥 Types of Burn-in
❌ Permanent Burn-in
Permanent damage, visible on all content (OLED risk)
⚠️ Image Retention
Temporary, disappears after minutes/hours
✅ Normal Display
Clean display with no ghost images
📺 Risk by Display Type
💡 Prevention Tips
- • Use screen savers or sleep mode
- • Avoid static content for long periods
- • Lower brightness when possible
- • Enable pixel shift if available
- • Vary content regularly
📋 How to Test
Start Fullscreen Test
Launch the test in fullscreen for complete coverage check.
Check Solid Colors
Look for ghost images or uneven areas on solid backgrounds (red, green, blue, gray).
Test Patterns
Use checkerboard and grid patterns to detect localized burn-in.
Animation Test
Moving patterns help identify retention vs permanent burn-in.
Document Issues
Note location and severity of any burn-in or retention found.
🎯 Common Burn-in Sources
- • TV channel logos
- • News tickers
- • Game HUD elements
- • Taskbars/docks
- • Browser tabs
- • Status bars
- • Navigation buttons
- • App icons
🔧 Common Issues & Solutions
👻 "See faint ghost logo/taskbar that fades away after 5-10 minutes"
What's happening: This is temporary image retention, not permanent burn-in. OLED pixels "remember" static content for short periods due to voltage stress. LG OLED TVs typically recover in 2-15 minutes. Samsung AMOLED phones show retention after navigation bar display.
Why it occurs: Organic LEDs degrade unevenly - blue subpixels age fastest (50% brightness loss after 10,000 hours at max brightness). White OLED (WOLED) in LG TVs uses color filters, less prone than RGB OLED in Samsung phones. VA LCD panels can show retention lasting 30-60 minutes from image persistence.
✅ Solution: Run full-screen white or colorful video for 10 minutes to "refresh" pixels. Use built-in "Pixel Refresher" (LG) or "Panel Refresh" (Sony) overnight every 1-2 months. Enable "Logo Luminance Adjustment" on LG OLED. Retention is NOT damage if it fades.
🔥 "Permanent CNN logo / Windows taskbar / game HUD always visible"
What's happening: True burn-in - permanent uneven pixel degradation. Most common: TV channel logos (CNN, ESPN lower-right), Windows taskbar, phone status bar, gaming HUDs (Destiny radar, FIFA score overlay). Appears as darker ghost on white backgrounds, lighter ghost on dark.
Severity timeline: OLED burn-in typically appears after 5,000-10,000 hours of static content (208-417 days of 24/7 news). Rtings.com 2023 test: LG C9 OLED showed FIFA burn-in at 4,000 hours, CNN logo at 6,000 hours. Newer QD-OLED (Samsung S95B) more resistant but still vulnerable.
✅ Solution: No fix for permanent burn-in. Prevention: Auto-hide taskbar, rotate content every 2-3 hours, enable "Screen Shift" (LG) or "Pixel Shift" (Sony) to move image 1-2 pixels. Keep OLED brightness < 75%. Use screensavers after 5 minutes. Consider extended warranty (Best Buy covers burn-in on LG/Sony OLED).
🌈 "Pink/green tint where taskbar was" or "Uneven color on solid backgrounds"
What's happening: Differential subpixel aging. Blue OLEDs degrade 2-3x faster than red/green, causing color shift. Areas with bright static content (white taskbar, browser tabs) show yellow/pink tint. Dark areas (black letterboxes from 4:3 content on 16:9 screen) appear greener/bluer.
Common patterns: Phone AMOLED keyboards (QWERTY outline visible), Samsung taskbar "ghosting" in pink, LG CX logo area showing magenta shift. More visible on gray 20-50% backgrounds. RTINGS measures > 5 Delta E color shift = noticeable burn-in.
✅ Solution: Run full-field color slides (pure red, green, blue for 1 hour each) to attempt evening out wear - limited success. Use "Pixel Refresher" to recalibrate. For new displays: enable "Auto Brightness Limiter" (ABL) to reduce peak brightness on static content. Samsung QD-OLED uses blue OLED + quantum dots for better color stability.
📏 "Vertical bands or lines on solid gray/green backgrounds"
What's happening: OLED panel non-uniformity from manufacturing - NOT burn-in. Visible as 1-3cm wide vertical bands at 5% gray (near-black scenes) or 50% green. Caused by TFT backplane variations or OLED deposition inconsistencies. Common on LG OLED W-series and older C-series (C8, C9).
When it's normal: All OLED displays have some banding - only issue if visible in normal content (not just test patterns). 5% gray banding normal and hard to see in real movies. If you see bands in daytime TV scenes or gaming, it's excessive.
✅ Solution: Run "Panel Refresh" cycle (takes 60 minutes, do when screen is off). Update TV firmware - LG 2023 update improved banding via better pixel compensation. If within 30 days: exchange/return for better panel lottery. For OLED gaming monitors (Alienware AW3423DW): 3-year warranty covers banding.
💻 "IPS/VA LCD showing ghost images - thought LCD doesn't burn in?"
What's happening: LCD image persistence (temporary) or backlight/polarizer degradation (permanent). IPS glow shift from UV degradation can mimic burn-in. VA panels get "image sticking" from liquid crystal alignment memory - common on Samsung VA TVs and gaming monitors after displaying HUDs for 6+ months.
Real LCD burn-in: Airport/retail displays showing same content 24/7 for 3-5 years can get permanent "shadow" from backlight LED degradation behind bright areas. Pixel inversion patterns (Samsung TN panels) causing checkerboard retention. True burn-in extremely rare on consumer LCD.
✅ Solution: For VA panels: Display pure white at 100% brightness for 2-4 hours to reset liquid crystals. Run JScreenFix (pixel exerciser) for 30 minutes. Image sticking > 24 hours may be permanent - try "unstick" videos (rapid color flashing) on YouTube. Future prevention: Screen savers, lower brightness, vary content.