OLED displays are one technology used to display an image on a TV, and it isn’t cheap in comparison to QLED and other types of TVs. So it can be disheartening to find out that your expensive OLED TV has broken or it’s got an issue with it. Serious enthusiasts looking to build a home theater almost always go with OLED displays if they’re going the TV route.
It is important to know the issues OLED displays face so when you purchase one, you know how to take corrective measures to prevent any issues from arising, and you’ll also know how to handle the TV better. This is because unsuspecting users sometimes don’t take complete care of their TV so when they experience issues such as “burn-in”, it can be quite surprising.
In this post, we’re going to go over how long OLED TVs are expected to last and go over any issues they face such as burn-in, and whether they fade overtime or not. Also, we’re going to discuss how we can make the display last much longer so you can worry less about such issues.
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What Is The Expected Lifespan Of OLED TVs?
OLED TVs in today’s day and age are expected to last up to 100K hours which is around 10 years of usage before the TV fails. But it mostly depends on how intensely you use the TV, are you watching at full brightness for 15 hours a day, or moderate brightness for 5 hours a day. If you’re pushing the TV to its limits then you’ll get fewer years out of it, 5 years roughly.
100K hours is a lot of time before failure, and you’ll most likely replace the TV before then because you’ll likely start experiencing issues such as physical and display damage way earlier. So you can start to experience issues with your OLED TV beginning around 9000 hours of rigorous usage, these issues can range from image retention and burn-in.
If you really want a durable and last longing TV, then QLED TVs last much longer than OLED TVs and it’s a solid alternative if you’re just looking to watch TV casually. Also, it’s cheaper which means you’re spending less money on a more durable product. QLED TVs don’t suffer from annoying issues such as burn-in so it makes better sense of causal users to go with QLED.
Do OLED TVs fade over time?
The way OLED TVs work is that they use organic light-emitting diodes which is essentially a thin carbon-based film placed between two conductors. Over time, you may experience fading and diminished picture due to continuous usage of the organic light-emitting diodes. If used evenly, the overall picture will look washed out, otherwise, certain areas of the screen will look slightly more washed out.
Essentially, the pixels of an OLED display each have their own lifespan and peak brightness, and as usage continues, these pixels lose their peak brightness over time, it’s similar to how plasma TVs used to fade over time. Over time, you can expect the color accuracy to decrease too, and as an OLED display, it’s expected to have superior contrast and color compared to non-organic light-emitting diode displays.
If you don’t fancy having a display that will eventually lose in brightness intensity, and color accuracy, then QLED is the next best option as QLED TVs don’t lose their peak brightness and color accuracy over time. But if you’re looking for the best experience possible, then conservatively using your OLED TV will lengthen its lifespan.
Is OLED burn-in still a problem?
OLED burn-in will always be an issue due to the nature of how OLED TVs work. It is inevitable if static elements are always being displayed. Static elements such as black bars, and subtitles will cause burn-in if you don’t find a way to reduce their intensity on the screen. Also, playing video games with item bars and maps will cause burn-in over time.
It makes perfect sense to get extremely upset realizing that a channel logo is permanently stuck onscreen, it makes you feel like you’ve made a bad purchase because now it’ll ruin your experience watching TV shows and movies. But you shouldn’t always worry, sometimes a static image being stuck on screen could be due to image retention which can fade over time.
QLED TVs have a better reputation for retaining their image, and Samsung has claimed that the display of a QLED display can last much longer than OLED displays allowing for much longer usage without worrying about the effects of burn-in allowing for a TV that lasts much longer than OLED TVs. QLED TVs use a backlight to illuminate the screen which is much different from the self-illuminating pixels of an OLED display.
Also Read: Is Burn In Permanent?
How To Make OLED TVs Last Longer?
It is definitely possible to increase the lifespan of your OLED display, this can be done by reducing or completely eliminating display time with static elements, and if you like watching with subtitles, reducing the size and can reduce the impact they have resulting in less chance of burn-in.
If you’re experiencing image retention do not fear because image retention is different from burn-in and it’s also temporary. It should fade over time, and decreasing the brightness should speed it up. Burn-in on the other hand is permanent and you have no options when it comes to fixing it. Image retention is used interchangeably with burn-in which can cause confusion, image retention is much lighter and less noticeable than static image burn-ins.
If you’re looking to build a home theater, then try to keep pause times down to a minimum to avoid static imagery from retaining. Avoiding physical damage is also quite easy, just ensure that the TV is mounted correctly, ensure it has decent airflow, and use a decent surge protector to reduce the risk of frying internals.
Conclusion
OLED TVs can last an extremely long time, 100000 hours which is around 10 hours every day for 10 years, but only if you treat the TV with respect and care. Misusing an OLED TV can result in horrible consequences such as burn-ins which are irreparable. If you only experience image retention, then that’s a sign you should reduce the screen time of static imagery because eventually, it’ll cause burn-in.
