How the Xbox One and Xbox One X will protect your OLED TV from burn-in

OLEDs are becoming popular on the back of 4K video game consoles, but they suffer from temporary image retention and, potentially, burn-in. Thankfully, Microsoft is combatting the issue on Xbox One with the new screen dimmer.

[ReelBigMike]

I was worried about this as I'm getting an LG 65" OLED in November for when the X1X comes out. When I got the last console update I was happy to see the screen dims very dark, almost to totally black. I'll still try my best to turn it off whenever I leave the room, but this is a good backup plan in case I forget.

[ziggurcat]

Leaving the room for a few minutes isn’t going to harm the screen.

[2pacalypsenow]

I've been using a C7 for months on both PS4 and Xbox 1 and Wii U and have yet to see any burn in. The TV has tools to prevent burn in like Pixel shifter and Pixel cleaning. You should be fine.

[Redlife2g]

You don't have to worry.. I have a LG OLED and it will do this on its own to protect itself.

[nyctophilia13]

Its unnecessary really. I've had an E6 for over a year and have walked away from it with the PS4 home screen on many times, sometimes like 15-20 mins by accident.. Zero burn in to speak of. There is slight image retention but it goes away in a matter of minutes.

[rainslacker]

All modern LED TV's, and other variants like OLED QLED, etc, aren't prone to burn in. Even if they were, TV makers have built in mechanisms and features to help prevent it. While it's still possible to get burn in on an LED TV, the pixel diodes themselves don't get hot enough to retain the "ghosted" image like you'd see on plasma or CRT TV's.

There is no reason for the devices themselves to worry about it, although most devices also have stuff nowadays too.

[Goldby]

Ps4 has a dimmer as well. Helped keep my tv from getting more burn in images. For sure. Great addition for the Xbox

[XMarkstheSpot]

So what. The Xbox One has had a dimmer since the launch... You leave for a bit... the screen gets dim. Practically every computer device has one.

[Goldby]

then why is it being touted as a new feature? and this is an honest question as i dont have an Xbox. is it an enhanced dimmer?

[uth11]

This, hell even the Atari 2600 shifted the colors while you werent playing to prevent burn-in.

Im trying to figure out how they got an article out of this feature

[rainslacker]

So what? Almost Every device I've had for the past 15 years has some kind of dimmer on it. Heck, every LCD, LED, or Plasma TV I own/have owned also has had them built in.

[Destiny1080]

the tv should learn how to save its own azz

not very smart

[RememberThe357]

Right? How is burn-in still an issue?

[ziggurcat]

For some screen types, yes.

OLED has a risk of image burn-in, but it’s probably a lot less severe than plasma. My TV is an LED (I think - it should be at this point, and it’s only a few months old), and it has a safety feature that turns the screen off after so much time of a single image being on screen.

[2pacalypsenow]

@ziggurcat

LCD panels don't suffer burn in as easily as plasma and OLED

[thekhurg]

OLED burn in is about the same risk that old CRT screens had.

OLED does suffer from very temporary retention that goes away almost immediately if you watch regular programming. Rtings even has a table of retention for the C7 that shows after 2 minutes strong retention is unnoticeable. After 4 minutes it's completely gone from all color sources. This is taken from a "torch mode" static image being on the screen for over 1 hour.

[rainslacker]

It is possible, but not very prone to happening on LED TV's. OLED can happen if the pixels are bright and intense, however dead pixels are more an issue. Simply dimming the screen is more than suffcient, and the reason why it is not going to really ever be an issue regardless of this feature is that TV's nowadays will dim the screen if it isn't changing the image. It's the dimming which reduces the heat generated by the LED "pixels", which is where burn in can happen. Even if some residual image is left in a pixel, it's usually reset when the pixel is inevitably reset by the device, or you simply turn off the display.

[ziggurcat]

My TV has that function.

[2pacalypsenow]

They do, most TV's already have a dim feature and so does the Xbox 1 and Ps4, even the WII U has it, and OLED TV's have tools to prevent Burn in.

[thekhurg]

The LG OLED panels have their own screen cleaning functions built right in. If the screen has been on for 4 hours straight it will perform a screen cleaning when you turn it off. You can also force schedule it if you want. The 7 series also automatically dims the screen if it notices no movement.

[eddvdm]

Like we ever will have manufacturers creating products that'll avoid us having to buy their next one 1-2 years later.

Nah, they got exactly what they wanted (the buy>obsolete/broken>next cycle) and I don't think this will ever change back.

[sk8ofmnd]

Burn in? Did i wake up in 2006?? That hasnt been a problem since tvs added a screen saver/auto off option.

[Goldby]

while true, for example when im on my home screen for ps4, and i go for a smoke, when im back the screen has already dimmed, and when the controller is moved it brightens up again

[rainslacker]

That's really just being overly cautious on the devices part. Nothing wrong with it really. Can't be too careful, but even if it didn't happen, it's unlikely to cause any lasting damage.

For the most part, I always felt that modern screen saving functions were a hold over from the days when it was more possible, usually on CRT PC monitors where portions of the screen were sometimes stagnate for long periods, even though the screen was being used.

[duke748]

I have a 65" B7 oled.

Oled burns - As evidenced when you go into a high street store and see the state of their display sets with Logo PermaBurn in them

[Phoenix76]

Yes, but those tv's are permanently stuck on only 1 screen and are left running for months whilst on display.
The chances of such a thing occurring on your own home TV, whilst being in constant use with the image constantly changing is so remote these days that it is unlikely to happen.
This to me is nothing more than a drummed up PR stunt to make gullible people believe that they are buying into some wonderful magical tech that has long since become a non issue

[duke748]

@Phoenix76 - Tell that to people that have burnt images in from gaming ( Including myself on a b6 ) - That was from a 6 hour session on Diablo 3 on a calibrated screen. LG refused to acknowledge it - The retailer sorted it for me.

There are plenty of threads on Avsforum that detail this happening

[Yohshida]

This is something the TV should do itself

[InTheZoneAC]

LG OLED nomnomnomnomnom

For those that want one and can't afford, get a Best buy credit card, get 24 months 0% interest, $25 minimum monthly payments. Just pay it off before 24 months is up or you'll be hurting.

[2pacalypsenow]

You can even do 34 months if you ask them.

[XMarkstheSpot]

People are making a bigger deal out of a "AFK notification feature" where you can see things like friend invites, ppl who came online, or messages in big letters across the screen without needing to go to notifications or a tab to see if someone invited you while you were away, that also happens to protect against burn ins when it dims the screen(The only thing ppl seem to actually be talking about), then they should be

[Donnie81]

I have 2 oleds and have never seen any image retention ever. You gotta understand these reviewers test the worst case scenario. For the average user with some common sense most have nothing to worry about

[rainslacker]

Only time I might end up having a screen on a single image for any extended period of time is if I pause it and fall asleep...or fall asleep when it's not paused, and in this case, the console would still be outputting an active signal, which means the TV won't know that I'm not active. The console itself can poll this through controller input though, so it doesn't really hurt to have this feature. I doubt it's going to become some huge console war talking point. Neat I suppose, hardly worth an article, and wondering why I'm even discussing it.:)

[LoveSpuds]

I guess they have to talk about something, they sure as shit have no exclusives to promote 🙄

[Rhythmattic]

I read oleds can suffer Image retention, however it is not burn in.

[paulogy]

Your Xbox One protects your TV from burn in... by having nothing to play on it.

(Actually, this dimmer + eraser feature is pretty cool :-)

[Viryu]

Ah, I was too late with the no games semi-joke QQ

[corroios]

This is good thing for the Xbox X, because the price of a good 4k TV!!!!