The Plasma TV Blog

Phosphor-based electronic displays, which include both cathode ray monitor and plasma displays, are subject to a condition known as burn in. This results from a long term display of an image on the monitor. A menu bar on a computer display is a good example of the type of image that might remain on the screen constantly. Phosphor compounds tend to lost their luminosity with use, and so when certain areas of the display are used more often than other areas this loss causes a ghost like image. When it becomes visible to the naked eye, it is called burn in. This ghost image is the most noticeable effect, but more common is a continuous decline in brightness that results in a muddy picture. Plasma displays can have pronounced burn in due to the separate nature of the pixel elements.

Burn in can not entirely be prevented. The phosphor compounds are going to lose brightness the longer they are used regardless of what you do to try to prevent it. There are some things that can slow the process down considerably. Turning off computer monitors and television screens when not in use is the first step. Screen savers have been developed specifically to address this problem. The screen saver rotates the image over the full range of the phosphor display to equally distribute the load. Some plasma displays also have a process that rotates the image constantly over a small area of pixel display. This auto rotation can significantly reduce burn in, but does not really address the root problem.

Although phosphor based displays are basically deteriorating the longer they are used, the outlook on consumers is not as glum as that might sound. Most models have tested out to have quite long life spans and this is another factor that might be considered when making a purchase decision.