We could soon see an end to OLED burn-in – here’s why
published 19 March 2024
A blue OLED breakthrough could be the future for OLED TVs
If you happen to have one of our picks for the best OLED TV, then burn-in might be a nagging concern that sits at the back of your TV-appreciating mind; but there could soon be a panacea to this problem.
That’s because the University of Cambridge (via research published in Nature) have designed ultra narrowband blue emitters that avoid the undesirable energy transfer current blue OLEDs output that can lead to burn-in.
In simple terms, blue OLEDs, which are critical components of RGB displays, are problematic for the longevity of OLED TVs due to their construction and being the least stable of subpixels. Energy transfer from a sensitizer component to an emitter module can affect the efficiency and stability of a blue OLED, both of which can lead to the OLED ageing and the panel falling foul to burn-in.
However, by making use of diodes that emit a blue light along the narrowband spectrum, with an emissive core insulated with alkylene straps, blue OLEDs can be produced that can suppress undesirable energy transfer leading to better efficiency and stability. And using this technique the need for a sensitizer component with a high energy gap matrix (used to curtail energy transfer from the sensitizer to the emitter module) can be bypassed.
In short, this could lead to OLED panels that have a longer lifespan, are more resistant to burn-in and require less complex fabrication. And removing unwanted energy transfer could make for OLED displays that consume less energy leading to TV, phones and tablets with screens that are more energy efficient.
Of course, these new blue OLEDs are at the research phase and would need to be incorporated into future OLED panel manufacturing. But there’s a lot of potential here to bring burn-in-resistant OLED TVs with a long lifespan to the market.
For what it’s worth, I use both an LG C1 OLED TV and the Alienware AW3423DWF monitor with a QD-OLED panel, both of which haven’t shown any signs of burn-in. But these have smart features to help with pixel refreshing and burn-in, whereas less advanced displays might not be as robust.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis, deals and more from the TechRadar team.
Continued research into OLED longevity and efficiency is still a welcome thing, even if it takes a long time for breakthroughs to filter down to the consumer TV market. After all, even in the face of mini-LED displays, it doesn’t look like OLED screens are going away anytime soon.
You might also like
- Philips OLED908 review: bold and beautiful, this OLED TV does it all
- LG aims for Samsung’s portable projector crown with its stylish new 4K projector
- Here are my four go-to movies for testing new TVs – plus the 4K Blu-ray test disc I can’t live without
Roland Moore-Colyer is Managing Editor at TechRadar with a focus on phones and tablets, but a general interest in all things tech, especially those with a good story behind them. He can also be found writing about games, computers, and cars when the occasion arrives, and supports with the day-to-day running of TechRadar. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face and a nose for food markets.
See more Television News
Philips OLED908 review: bold and beautiful, this OLED TV does it all
LG’s stylish and tiny 4K portable projector gets an official price – and you can pre-order it now
TikTok owner is quietly doing an ‘Apple’ — ByteDance invests in Chinese memory pioneer, months after a similar move in a GPU vendor, as it plans for an Apple Vision Pro VR rival
Most Popular
By Sead Fadilpašić19 March 2024
By Muskaan Saxena19 March 2024
By Craig Hale19 March 2024
By Demi Williams19 March 2024
By Tom Power19 March 2024
By Dashiell Wood19 March 2024
By James Ide19 March 2024
By Timothy Coleman19 March 2024
By Rob Dunne19 March 2024
By Anthea van Scherpenzeel19 March 2024
By Carrie Marshall19 March 2024
-
1Newly discovered Microsoft Z1000 SSD could be used to optimize the company’s data center storage
-
2Microsoft report says UK is not prepared for the age of AI — barely any businesses are ‘resilient’ to cybercrime
-
3Samsung Galaxy S25 tipped for larger screen and other ‘considerable’ design changes
-
4Here are my four go-to movies for testing new TVs – plus the 4K Blu-ray test disc I can’t live without
-
5Garmin smartwatch owners have spotted a new, unannounced heart rate feature
-
1Radiant Clicks, blazing speed, stylish flair: OPPO F25 Pro 5G is a pocket-size revolution
-
2Forget Sora, this is the AI video that will blow your mind – and maybe scare you
-
3World’s largest monitor vendor misses crucial point in massive product launch — Dell new business displays eschew 4K resolutions, perhaps the biggest productivity booster of the decade
-
4‘What if the operating system is the problem’: Linux was never created for the cloud — so engineers developed DBOS, a new operating system that is part OS, part database
-
5This rugged smartphone has the biggest phone battery ever but that’s not its most interesting feature – TANK3 PRO has a DLP projector, a 200-megapixel camera and a camping light