German Testing Lab Shows Samsung’s QLED Display Tech Has No Burn-In Issues

July 16, 2018 by Dave Haynes

Via Display Daily

A German testing lab has released results of tests that verify Samsung’s QLED technology doesn’t suffer any of the burn-in problem of some other flat panel display tech.

The tests, relayed via the display nerd site Display Daily, seem to be Samsung’s way of suggesting its premium displays are good to go while “some display technologies” have issues with burn-in and ghosting. That would be a polite, unstated way of suggesting QLED is OK while OLED, the tech Samsung is competing with in the premium display market, has a burn-in problem (as plasma did) with static images left on the screen.

OLED is organic-based while QLED is more conventional LCD tech, with a quantum dots layer added that generates premium visuals.

The testing is for TVs but was done to what would be described as more commercial conditions.

Says the report is Display Daily:

Conducted in conjunction with the connect Testlab, a global testing lab, all 2018 Samsung QLED TV series were proved free of burn-in and afterglow reaffirming QLED TVs’ position as one of the most durable displays on the market today.

The requirements for TV displays are made ever more demanding by technologies such as High Dynamic Range (HDR). The risk of putative burn-in is of particular concern to TV customers in the premium segment. To see if displays stand up to the exacting performance requirements, the TV experts from video and connect Testlab carried out certification test based on the Information Display Measurements Standard (IDMS), an international norm for panel measurements, and concentrated on QLED TV’s HDR content display quality.

Samsung’s QLED TVs passed the stress test and received the certificate for ?no burn-in? and ?no afterglow?1. In a 72-hour endurance test, the testers performed measurements on Samsung QLED TVs to check their putative burn-in effects, which may be caused by static picture elements. These effects, also referred to as ?memory effect?, ?ghosting?, ?image retention?, ?sticky image? or imprecisely as ?burn-in?, tangibly impair the picture quality of a television.

In the case of some display technologies, memory effects will start glowing after one minute of TV use if static picture elements are shown on their screen in high luminosities. In the test, the TVs were therefore made to display a checkerboard pattern for deep black and very bright white values for longer periods of time. The test engineers added variable text elements and an intermittently blinking white frame to the test picture so that the automatic stills detection customary for modern HDR TVs could not spring into action. This helped the testers create similar conditions as in HDR games. In addition to the standard analysis, the testers used dark gray images with brightness values of 10 nits– which will show if dark pixels are brightened up.

The measurements showed that the tested Samsung QLED TVs remained unaffected by the rigorous tests. The TV can thus theoretically be left on permanently without picture elements like network logos leaving an afterglow or burning in.

Taking into account that the quality of a TV screen is strongly impaired by afterglow and burn-in – especially after emitting HDR quality pictures with extreme brightness values – Samsung QLED TV is a product of choice among many other modern TVs for those planning to invest in a high-end TV. It guarantees powerful visual capabilities without potential memory effects or permanent damage.

“Anyone who is particularly sensitive to ghost images and unwilling to run any risks over many years of use will be on the safe side with LCD or QLED, respectively,” conclude the test experts.

Both QLED and OLED producing amazing visuals when the right content is used. The burn-in issue is only really a problem if the content is fixed on screens – like a logo, or a carved-up zoned screen (bad idea anyway). Display nerds can tell me otherwise, but I think if the pixels of an OLED screen are regularly changing color and brightness, burn-in is likely a non-issue.

Leave a comment