What is burn-in?

Answer 1

Burn-in is the reason computer screensavers were invented. Burn-in happens when an image is displayed too long on a screen. This only happens with traditional CRT "tube" televisions and monitors and plasma TVs and monitors. It has been an especially big problem with rear-projection TVs. On these TVs and monitors, the tubes beam electrons onto the back of a phosphor-coated screen. If the images don't move for an extended period of time they can become permanently etched on the screen. FYI rear projection TVs now use light passing through an LCD. Burn in isn't nearly as big an issue with modern rear projection and LCD projection screens as it was with the older ones. It's also not nearly as big an issue as with plasma and LCD TVs, which have some pretty intense burn ins. The biggest problem you have to worry about with LCDs is dead pixels. Pixels die and just turn black, or sometimes white. The biggest problem with Plasmas is the fact that the actual plasma in the TV weakens over time and the brightness of the screen is drastically reduced over time. We have three at work that we bought about a year ago and they've lost approximagely 25-35% of their brightness already. LCD projection TVs have LCDs in them, so they can suffer from pixel death as well. Rear projection TVs without LCD projection can have their R, G, and B guns burn out - but those guns can be replaced (although it's sometimes expensive).