Temporary image retention is when an after image appears to stay on the screen for a short time after the original is gone. This happens with content that has a lot of static elements, like banners on the news or UI elements in a video game, that remain on-screen for an extended period. When you quickly change channels or switch to a dark screen, you might notice that the elements from your previous screen appear to stay, almost like a ghost, for a short time. Although this used to be a common issue, TVs have largely solved it over the last few years, so you don't have to worry about it. Temporary image retention is different from the permanent burn-in that can occur with OLEDs.
Test Methodology Coverage
Our Temporary Image Retention test was added in Test Bench 1.0 and removed in version 1.9. Image retention is no longer an issue on most modern TVs, and you don't need to worry about it. Learn more about how our test benches and scoring system work.
| 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.10 | 1.11 | 2.0.1 | 2.1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary Image Retention | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
When It Matters
Temporary image retention is largely a thing of the past, and you usually don't need to worry about it anymore. You might still see it for a few seconds if you watch content with many static elements. You won't notice the image retention while watching that particular content, but it will only be noticeable when something else appears on-screen, and even then, it may only last a few seconds. However, we don't expect this to be an issue for those watching movies or content with varied elements; even static scoreboards in sporting events don't cause any problems.
Our Tests
Although we don't test for temporary image retention anymore, here's how you can check for this on your TV or monitor at home.
It's a pretty simple process. Everything that we need is included in our image retention video below. First, it displays a 15% gray image that you can take a picture of as a "before" shot for reference. Then a 10-minute SDR video clip plays, featuring high-contrast static images of our company logo. Right after the video finishes, it displays another 15% gray image that you can use to take the "after" photo. Image retention is most noticeable at this point, since it's immediately after the static images have left the screen. Then the video continues to display flashing red, green, and blue, so the pixels return to their 'normal' state. Every two minutes after that, the gray image is displayed again so you can take additional photos to check for image retention 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 minutes after the high-contrast elements have disappeared.
If you're unlucky and get a TV with image retention issues, it'll usually only show signs of it immediately after the video finishes, and it quickly disappears.
Warning: The video contains flashing images.
Additional Information
What Causes Image Retention?
Modern TVs use one of two popular panel types: Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) or a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel lit by LED lights. Each type uses different technology to display an image; an OLED can individually turn on each pixel, whereas pixels in an LCD panel need voltage to be applied, and they rotate to allow light through, producing the image. However, between each type, if the same image remains on-screen for a long time, the pixels can briefly remain stuck in that position even after the on-screen display changes. This is why it's most noticeable when watching content with static elements for long periods.
OLED TVs can still sometimes experience this issue, but the cause of it is a bit different. Residual heat can often cause an image on an OLED to fade out slowly. This is especially noticeable when watching HDR content, and there's a very bright flash of light that then fades to a dark shade. You can even notice when a streaming app's logo flashes on the screen while it's connecting, or when watching movies with subtitles. You can sometimes see an after image of the logo that fades out over a few seconds once the UI is loaded.
Image Retention vs Burn-In
Although it may be easy to think temporary image retention and burn-in are the same, they're actually caused by two very different issues. If you constantly watch content with the same static elements on an OLED, like leaving it on the news all day or using it as a PC monitor, without watching anything else, then the pixels can wear out unevenly, causing uniformity issues. Unlike image retention, which is temporary, this wear damage to the pixels is permanent. Only OLED panels suffer from burn-in, as LED TVs appear to be immune to it according to our long-term testing. As long as you watch varied content, you shouldn't have any issues, though.
How To Get The Best Results
If you buy a TV and notice that it shows signs of temporary image retention out of the box, there isn't much you can do to fix it. However, if you're worried about causing any image retention or even burn-in, there are a few ways you can reduce the risks:
- Varying content: Watching content with varying images is always the best way to avoid image retention. Even if you're using your TV as a PC monitor, you can hide the taskbars, use a screensaver, or simply watch movies on it after a long day of work.
- Lowering the contrast: Since image retention is most noticeable with high-contrast elements, lowering the contrast in your TV's settings can help reduce the risk. You shouldn't reduce the contrast to the point where it's hard to read text, but make sure you still feel comfortable using the screen.
- Lowering the backlight: In regard to both LED and OLEDs, lowering the backlight (or brightness setting on some TVs) can help reduce image retention. It doesn't affect picture quality, so adjust it to your liking.
- OLED settings: The TV manufacturers that produce OLEDs include settings to help reduce permanent burn-in, but they may also help with image retention. Most OLEDs include 'Pixel Shift' and 'Screen Refresh' settings that are aimed at avoiding the risks of permanent burn-in, but LG also includes a 'Logo Luminance Adjuster' setting that lowers the brightness of logos on cable channels, and this could help with image retention.
- Shutting down: If you're watching a movie and need to pause for a while, shut the TV down instead of leaving it on. Check whether there are any sleep settings that automatically shut the TV off if it's left on a static screen for too long. It can be a nuisance constantly turning the TV on and off, but it helps reduce image retention.
Conclusion
Image retention occurs when pixels remain in the same position for too long, leading them to stay stuck there for a short time after you switch content. There are a few ways you can avoid image retention, like lowering the contrast, watching varied content, and turning off the TV. It's also different from the permanent burn-in that can happen on OLEDs. Temporary image retention is extremely rare on modern TVs, and it doesn't cause long-term damage, so you don't need to worry about it.