Screen Burn-In Prevention for Digital Signage
Screen burn-in can permanently damage displays and degrade your digital signage investment. This guide covers the causes of burn-in, prevention strategies, and best practices for extending display lifespan.
Understanding Burn-In
What is Screen Burn-In?
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BURN-IN VS IMAGE RETENTION │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ IMAGE RETENTION (Temporary) │
│ • Ghost image visible briefly │
│ • Fades after display is off or shows different content │
│ • Caused by liquid crystal or phosphor charge memory │
│ • Usually resolves within minutes to hours │
│ • NOT permanent damage │
│ │
│ BURN-IN (Permanent) │
│ • Permanent ghost image │
│ • Does NOT fade over time │
│ • Caused by uneven pixel/phosphor wear │
│ • Requires display replacement │
│ • Permanent damage │
│ │
│ PROGRESSION: │
│ Normal → Image Retention → Prolonged Retention → Permanent Burn-in │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Susceptibility by Display Technology
| Technology | Burn-In Risk | Image Retention | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OLED | HIGH | High | Most susceptible - organic compounds degrade |
| Plasma | HIGH | High | Phosphor burn-in (discontinued tech) |
| LCD/LED | LOW | Medium | Liquid crystal memory, usually temporary |
| MicroLED | VERY LOW | Very Low | Inorganic, no degradation |
| E-Paper | NONE | High (by design) | Image retention is normal operation |
What Causes Burn-In
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BURN-IN CAUSES │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ PRIMARY FACTORS: │
│ │
│ 1. STATIC CONTENT │
│ • Logos in fixed positions │
│ • Navigation bars │
│ • Channel bugs/watermarks │
│ • Ticker zones │
│ • Time/date displays │
│ │
│ 2. HIGH BRIGHTNESS │
│ • Accelerates pixel wear │
│ • Especially problematic with bright static elements │
│ │
│ 3. HIGH CONTRAST │
│ • Pure white on pure black │
│ • Sharp edges between elements │
│ │
│ 4. LONG DURATION │
│ • 24/7 operation │
│ • Same content for hours/days │
│ │
│ 5. DISPLAY AGE │
│ • Older displays more susceptible │
│ • Accumulated wear over time │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Prevention Strategies
Content Design
Avoid Static Elements:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ STATIC ELEMENT MITIGATION │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ PROBLEM LAYOUT: IMPROVED LAYOUT: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ LOGO 12:45 PM │ │ │ │
│ │ ═════════════════════ │ │ DYNAMIC CONTENT │ │
│ │ │ │ FILLS ENTIRE SCREEN │ │
│ │ Static content area │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ Logo moves/fades │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ ─────────────────────── │ │ Time appears only │ │
│ │ STATIC NEWS TICKER │ │ periodically │ │
│ └─────────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────┘ │
│ ✗ Fixed logo position ✓ Logo position varies │
│ ✗ Permanent clock ✓ Clock shown intermittently│
│ ✗ Static ticker zone ✓ Full-screen content │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Content Guidelines:
| Element | Risk | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Logo | High | Move position, vary size, fade in/out |
| Clock/Time | High | Show periodically, not continuously |
| News ticker | High | Vary vertical position, use full-width occasionally |
| Menu headers | Medium | Rotate colors, slight position shifts |
| Navigation | High | Hide when not needed, vary appearance |
| Borders/frames | Medium | Soft edges, vary colors |
Pixel Shifting
Most commercial displays include pixel shift features:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PIXEL SHIFT OPERATION │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ HOW IT WORKS: │
│ │
│ Original Position: After Shift (1-2 pixels): │
│ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ │
│ │ ┌──────┐ │ │ ┌──────┐ │ │
│ │ │ LOGO │ │ │ │ LOGO │ │ │
│ │ └──────┘ │ │ └──────┘ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ • Shifts entire image 1-2 pixels periodically │
│ • Typically every few minutes │
│ • Movement imperceptible to viewers │
│ • Distributes wear across different pixels │
│ • Reduces static element burn-in │
│ │
│ SETTINGS: │
│ • Enable in display OSD menu │
│ • Usually under "Screen Protection" or "Panel Settings" │
│ • May be called "Pixel Shift", "Orbiter", "Screen Shift" │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Screen Saver / Burn-In Prevention Modes
| Feature | How It Works | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel refresh | Runs calibration routine | Nightly/weekly |
| Screen wipe | Moving bar clears retention | Nightly |
| White wash | Full white screen cycle | Monthly |
| Logo luminance | Dims static logos | Always enabled |
| Panel refresh | Deep pixel recalibration | Monthly (OLED) |
Brightness Management
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BRIGHTNESS RECOMMENDATIONS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ENVIRONMENT RECOMMENDED BRIGHTNESS │
│ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Indoor, low light 20-40% (200-400 nits) │
│ Indoor, normal 40-60% (400-600 nits) │
│ Indoor, bright 60-80% (600-800 nits) │
│ Outdoor, shade 80-100% (800-1000 nits) │
│ Outdoor, direct sun 100% (2500+ nits) │
│ │
│ RECOMMENDATIONS: │
│ • Use auto-brightness with ambient light sensor │
│ • Reduce brightness during off-hours │
│ • Avoid 100% brightness when not needed │
│ • Lower brightness extends display life significantly │
│ │
│ BRIGHTNESS vs LIFESPAN (approximate): │
│ 100% brightness = Baseline lifespan │
│ 80% brightness = +20% lifespan │
│ 60% brightness = +50% lifespan │
│ 40% brightness = +100% lifespan │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Display Technology Specific Tips
LCD/LED Displays
LCD Retention Prevention:
| Action | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Enable pixel shift | Display settings menu |
| Use screen saver | Activate after 10-15 min idle |
| Vary content | No static images >4 hours |
| Moderate brightness | 60-80% for indoor use |
| Power cycle | Turn off overnight if possible |
If Retention Occurs:
- Display all-white screen for 30 minutes
- Display color cycling pattern
- Turn off for several hours
- Usually resolves within 24-48 hours
OLED Displays
OLED Burn-In Prevention (Critical):
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ OLED-SPECIFIC PRECAUTIONS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ OLED IS HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE - TAKE EXTRA CARE │
│ │
│ MUST DO: │
│ □ Enable all built-in protection features │
│ □ Never display static content for extended periods │
│ □ Use dark backgrounds to reduce pixel wear │
│ □ Enable pixel shift/screen shift │
│ □ Run pixel refresh cycles regularly │
│ □ Keep brightness at 50-70% or lower │
│ □ Avoid pure white elements │
│ │
│ AVOID: │
│ ✗ Static logos, especially bright ones │
│ ✗ News tickers in fixed positions │
│ ✗ High contrast UI elements │
│ ✗ Same content displayed for hours │
│ ✗ Maximum brightness settings │
│ │
│ OLED MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR: │
│ • Menu boards with fixed layouts │
│ • 24/7 information displays │
│ • Content with persistent UI elements │
│ │
│ OLED IS BEST FOR: │
│ • Dynamic video content │
│ • Rotating full-screen content │
│ • Limited operating hours │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
LED Video Walls
Direct-View LED Considerations:
| Factor | Notes |
|---|---|
| Burn-in risk | Very low for quality LED |
| Pixel failure | More common issue than burn-in |
| Uniformity | Can develop over time |
| Maintenance | Module replacement if issues |
Content Best Practices
Logo Treatment
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ LOGO DISPLAY STRATEGIES │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ STRATEGY 1: POSITION VARIATION │
│ ┌────┬────┬────┐ ┌────┬────┬────┐ ┌────┬────┬────┐ │
│ │logo│ │ │ │ │logo│ │ │ │ │logo│ │
│ └────┴────┴────┘ └────┴────┴────┘ └────┴────┴────┘ │
│ Time 1 Time 2 Time 3 │
│ │
│ STRATEGY 2: PERIODIC DISPLAY │
│ Show logo for 5-10 seconds every few minutes, not continuously │
│ │
│ STRATEGY 3: TRANSPARENT/SEMI-TRANSPARENT │
│ Use 30-50% opacity instead of solid logo │
│ │
│ STRATEGY 4: ANIMATION │
│ Subtle movement (floating, pulsing) distributes wear │
│ │
│ STRATEGY 5: VARIED APPEARANCE │
│ Alternate between color variations or inverse versions │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Color and Contrast
| Guideline | Reason | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Avoid pure white (#FFFFFF) | Maximum pixel stress | Use #F0F0F0 or lighter grays |
| Avoid pure black (#000000) | High contrast edges | Use #101010 or #1A1A1A |
| Soft edges | Reduces sharp transitions | Feathered borders, gradients |
| Varied backgrounds | Distributes wear | Rotate background colors |
| Balanced content | Even pixel usage | Avoid persistent dark/light zones |
Content Rotation Schedule
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CONTENT ROTATION FOR BURN-IN PREVENTION │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ RECOMMENDED ROTATION: │
│ │
│ • Change layout every 15-30 minutes maximum │
│ • Rotate colors/backgrounds every hour │
│ • Move static elements with each content change │
│ • Include full-screen dynamic content regularly │
│ • Schedule "refresh" content (video, animation) daily │
│ │
│ EXAMPLE SCHEDULE: │
│ │
│ 00:00-00:15 Layout A, logo position 1 │
│ 00:15-00:30 Layout B, logo position 2 │
│ 00:30-00:45 Layout C, logo position 3 │
│ 00:45-01:00 Full-screen video (no static elements) │
│ [Repeat with variations] │
│ │
│ OVERNIGHT (if 24/7): │
│ • Reduce brightness to minimum │
│ • Show dynamic content only (video, animation) │
│ • Or display screen saver / solid color cycling │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Display Settings Checklist
Commercial Display Configuration
- Pixel shift enabled (Screen Protection settings)
- Auto brightness configured with ambient sensor
- Maximum brightness limited (not 100%)
- Screen saver enabled for idle periods
- Power schedule set (off during closed hours if applicable)
- Panel refresh scheduled (nightly or weekly)
- Logo luminance limit enabled (if available)
- Temperature monitoring configured
CMS Configuration
- Content rotation configured (no static layouts >30 min)
- Logo position varies across layouts
- Full-screen content included in rotation
- Overnight content is dynamic or screen saver
- Color variety in content library
- No permanently static zones in templates
Monitoring and Maintenance
Regular Inspections
| Frequency | Action |
|---|---|
| Daily | Visual check for obvious issues |
| Weekly | Check for early retention signs |
| Monthly | Run panel refresh/calibration |
| Quarterly | Professional inspection for enterprise |
| Annually | Comprehensive display assessment |
Early Warning Signs
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ EARLY WARNING SIGNS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ WATCH FOR: │
│ │
│ □ Ghost images visible on solid color screens │
│ □ Uneven brightness across the display │
│ □ Color shift in specific areas │
│ □ Visible outline of frequently displayed elements │
│ □ Image persistence lasting more than a few seconds │
│ │
│ TEST METHOD: │
│ 1. Display solid white screen │
│ 2. Display solid gray screen (50%) │
│ 3. Display solid colors (red, green, blue) │
│ 4. Look for ghost images or uneven areas │
│ │
│ IF DETECTED: │
│ • Increase content rotation │
│ • Lower brightness │
│ • Run extended pixel refresh │
│ • Consult manufacturer if persistent │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Frequently Asked Questions
Next Steps
- Display Technologies - Display types comparison
- Commercial Displays - Choosing the right display
- Content Best Practices - Content design guidelines
- Display Calibration Guide - Optimal display settings
This guide is maintained by MediaSignage, pioneers of digital signage technology since 2008.