That used to be true with old interlaced monitors, which is why everyone who owned one used a screensaver. In fact, that's the reason screensavers came into existence. But with a modern unit (made within the past 6 to 7 years), it doesn't happen anymore, and screensavers aren't needed.
Toejam31
<font color=red>My Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847</A>
____________________________________________________
<font color=purple>"Procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."</font color=purple>
Toejam31
<font color=red>My Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847</A>
____________________________________________________
<font color=purple>"Procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."</font color=purple>
I disagree.
Color monitors today are using the same (p22) medium short persistence phosphor that was used many years ago. Thus monitors today are just as susceptible to phosphor burn as they ever where. With every technology there is a trade off. One of the benefits of aperture grill technology is the fact that more or the electron beam current hits the phosphors. Thus Aperture grill monitors may be more susceptible to screen burn than shadow mask monitors.
Jim Witkowski
Chief Hardware Engineer
Cornerstone / MOnitorsdirect.com
Jim at http://www.monitorsdirect.com
Color monitors today are using the same (p22) medium short persistence phosphor that was used many years ago. Thus monitors today are just as susceptible to phosphor burn as they ever where. With every technology there is a trade off. One of the benefits of aperture grill technology is the fact that more or the electron beam current hits the phosphors. Thus Aperture grill monitors may be more susceptible to screen burn than shadow mask monitors.
Jim Witkowski
Chief Hardware Engineer
Cornerstone / MOnitorsdirect.com
Jim at http://www.monitorsdirect.com
Hello, Jim ...
In response ... taken from many different websites:
"When the phosphor dots on a CRT are struck by electron beams, they glow. When a particular image is displayed on a screen for a long time, the same dots are struck by the electron beam repeatedly millions of times. If the same exact image is left on some screens for a very long time, it is possible for the surface of the CRT to become damaged. When this happens, "ghosting" can be seen on the surface of the screen, and you can actually see the outline of the image that was displayed so many times, even when the power to the CRT is off. When this happens the phosphor is sometimes said to be "burnt in". The most common place that this phenomenon is seen is at the airport--older monochrome screens that have had the same flight arrival and departure information displayed on them day after day, year after year.
Screen savers were first invented to address this problem. A screen saver is simply a software program that, after a specified period of inactivity, either blanks the screen or displays a moving pattern on it. This prevents burn in of the screen phosphor that could occur through the same image being on the screen continuously.
The funny thing about screen savers is that they are really unnecessary today. Older monochrome displays were prone to this problem, but it is actually quite rare with modern monitors. Screen savers themselves continue to be popular, but today they are more of a form of entertainment software than a practical utility. Ironically, many screen savers today use their own images that remain stationary on the screen for long periods of time, which means they don't even do what they were originally supposed to do at all.
A screen saver is not a replacement for proper power management features. The monitor doesn't care much about what images it is displaying, so it uses power to display the screen saver image as well. If you are using a saver that blanks the screen entirely or is comprised mostly of low-intensity images then slightly less power will be used because the electron gun will be striking the phosphor using less energy, but this still isn't the same as using DPMS, for example."
"Phosphor Efficiency and Burn
All of the phosphors used in displays are subject to burn and to a loss of light emitting efficiency with time. Phosphor burn is seen as a patterned discoloration on the screen when the display is turned off, often in the form of stripes from recurring text output. The glass in some displays is also subject to discoloration.
A reduction in phosphor efficiency occurs slowly over a period of time, and may be noticeable as a pattern of reduced light output on the screen during the Screen Uniformity test. The loss of light emitting efficiency is proportional to the beam intensity and to the amount of time that it is applied. If you make extensive use of a program that produces a structured output, then that pattern also will become embedded in the screen over time. While color displays are highly resistant to these problems, some long persistence phosphors used in monochrome displays are more susceptible to burn.
Screen Savers
Screen savers have become extremely popular because of their entertainment value. Unfortunately, many screen savers actually accelerate phosphor aging because they continually produce full color, full screen graphic images on the display. Since the images move, the accelerated aging is at least uniform, so no particular pattern is embedded on the screen. If the screen saver has a strongly colored background then the red, green and blue phosphors will age at different rates, which will slowly affect the overall color balance of the display. In principle, the best screen saver is one that keeps most of the screen black most of the time, but still alerts you to the fact that the monitor and computer are turned on and possibly in the middle of an important application. The Windows Display Properties Screen Saver "Flying Through Space" is one example of such a screen saver."
" screen saver is an animated image that is activated on a personal computer display when no user activity has been sensed for a certain time. The original purpose of a screen saver was to prevent burn-in (the burning of an image into the phosphor inside the cathode ray tube after hours of the same image being rescanned). In fact, today's CRT display technology makes burn-in unlikely except under extreme conditions. (On larger displays used for room presentations, burn-in is still a possibility.)"
"Screen Savers
Do you need them to protect your monitor? NO. Do they cause lots of system support problem for us? YES. Current VGA monitors do not suffer from the burn-in problems of older color/ monochrome monitors. If your computer is a 386 or newer, you do not need a screen saver. "But," you say, "I like my fish aquarium on my screen!" That's fine, but screen savers are one of the major causes that we have found for system lockups, software conflicts, network problems, etc. If you are having system problems and using a screen saver, turn off the screen saver and reboot to confirm if the screen saver is a contributing factor."
"What is Screen Savers?
Screen Savers were originally used to prevent phosphor burn-in on your screen when the image did not change for a long time. This is not such a problem with modern screens, and Screen Savers are now mainly used for entertainment when you are not otherwise using your computer, and for password protection."
"What Are Screensavers For?
Screensavers were originally designed to protect computer monitors from phosphor burn-in. Early CRT monitors, particularly monochrome ones, had problems with the same image being displayed for a long time. The phosphors, used to make the pixels in the display, would glow at a constant rate for such a long period of time that they would actually discolor the glass surface of the CRT. This discoloration would then be visible as a faint image overlaying whatever else was displayed on the monitor. Advances in display technology and the advent of energy-saver monitors have virtually eliminated the need for screensavers."
"Just what do screen savers save?
"Screen saver" programs were designed to "save" the phosphorescent coating on the inside of the CRT screen, thus giving it a longer life. That, however, is the only thing they save. [ WebMaster's Note: Color monitors are far less susceptible to burn-in than monochrome, therefore usually do not need a "screen saver" ]"
"Phosphor burn is not a problem with modern CRT’s since they are less prone to phosphor burn than older CRTs."
"There is little energy savings from using a screensaver. Screensavers do not turn off the screen - so they consume as much energy as when the monitor is in use.
Screensavers were originally designed to protect computer monitors from phosphor burn-in. Early monitors, particularly monochrome ones, had problems when the same image was displayed for a long time, like a spreadsheet, for example. The phosphors, used to make the pixels in the display, would glow at a constant rate for such a long period of time that they would actually discolor the glass surface of the screen. This discoloration would then be visible as a faint image overlaying whatever else was displayed on the monitor. Although screensavers prevent burn-in, activating the screensaver keeps the monitor on at full power.
In order to save energy from monitors, we have to actually turn off the monitor or the screen. Advances in display technology and the advent of energy-saver monitors have virtually eliminated the need for screensavers. Energy saving features have been built into the power management unit of the operating system, where the user is able to activate the features to turn the monitor off."
"While the phosphor burn-in problem that plagued older monitors and led to the rise of screensavers is no longer a problem in modern monitors, a screensaver remains the method of choice to add some style and class to your computer. "
"When you leave your computer unattended for a short period of time, your screen saver will kick into action, provided you have installed such a program and activated it. A long time ago protecting your screen from dreaded phosphor burn-in was an issue but today the screen savers are used to either hide the desktop information (open windows) from unwanted eyes or just to beautify the monitor. But sometimes, having your screen saver pop on just seconds before you plan to return to work might irritate you.
"In the past, leaving a monitor on for hours and hours would burn the image into the phosphor on the inside of the glass tube. Because the phosphor's phosphorescence had literally been worn out, this image would remain permanently "engraved" into your monitor's display.
Fortunately, modern technology has made this problem virtually non-existant. Today's monitors would have to be left on for years before they began to exhibit significant signs of burn-in. If you're still concerned though, feel free to turn the brightness down or install one of those nifty screen savers. "
"Screensavers have been part of the Windows scene for many years and were originally provided to prevent phosphor burn when static images were left on the screen for a long period. This is no longer relevant with todays monitors and they are now used instead to display an interesting graphic, to display a system logo, or to protect the system from unauthorized access."
"Screen Saver Schmaver
Q. Will a screen saver really prolong the life of my monitor?
A. Back in the dark ages of monochrome monitors, I'd have said yes. But the phosphor in today's color monitors is much less susceptible to burn than its forebears were. As a result, screen-saver programs today function primarily as entertainment. In fact, leaving a screen saver running may shorten your monitor's life. The brightness of your screen's phosphor does fade with time, but the component likely to fail first is the electron gun that guides the monitor's illuminating beam. The best way to prolong its life is to use your system's power management settings to shut the monitor down when it's idle. In Windows 98, you can activate and adjust these settings in the Power schemes tab under Control Panel's Power Management icon. Or just turn your monitor off when you aren't using it."
"All computer experts agree: Screen savers are a waste. Because today's monitors don't suffer from phosphor burn, savers just waste valuable processing cycles."
************************************************************
Note: I've noticed, while searching for information, that Plasma TV displays are particularly susceptible to screen burn, and that NEC uses a technology called Inverse Mode to reduce this problem. The brand name is "AccuShield Phosphor Protection System". I found that interesting, as I had been considering the purchase of a plasma display this coming year.
Note: I was also taught this information during my certification courses in PC Repair.
Toejam31
<font color=red>My Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847</A>
___________________________________________________
<font color=purple>"Procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."</font color=purple>
In response ... taken from many different websites:
"When the phosphor dots on a CRT are struck by electron beams, they glow. When a particular image is displayed on a screen for a long time, the same dots are struck by the electron beam repeatedly millions of times. If the same exact image is left on some screens for a very long time, it is possible for the surface of the CRT to become damaged. When this happens, "ghosting" can be seen on the surface of the screen, and you can actually see the outline of the image that was displayed so many times, even when the power to the CRT is off. When this happens the phosphor is sometimes said to be "burnt in". The most common place that this phenomenon is seen is at the airport--older monochrome screens that have had the same flight arrival and departure information displayed on them day after day, year after year.
Screen savers were first invented to address this problem. A screen saver is simply a software program that, after a specified period of inactivity, either blanks the screen or displays a moving pattern on it. This prevents burn in of the screen phosphor that could occur through the same image being on the screen continuously.
The funny thing about screen savers is that they are really unnecessary today. Older monochrome displays were prone to this problem, but it is actually quite rare with modern monitors. Screen savers themselves continue to be popular, but today they are more of a form of entertainment software than a practical utility. Ironically, many screen savers today use their own images that remain stationary on the screen for long periods of time, which means they don't even do what they were originally supposed to do at all.
A screen saver is not a replacement for proper power management features. The monitor doesn't care much about what images it is displaying, so it uses power to display the screen saver image as well. If you are using a saver that blanks the screen entirely or is comprised mostly of low-intensity images then slightly less power will be used because the electron gun will be striking the phosphor using less energy, but this still isn't the same as using DPMS, for example."
"Phosphor Efficiency and Burn
All of the phosphors used in displays are subject to burn and to a loss of light emitting efficiency with time. Phosphor burn is seen as a patterned discoloration on the screen when the display is turned off, often in the form of stripes from recurring text output. The glass in some displays is also subject to discoloration.
A reduction in phosphor efficiency occurs slowly over a period of time, and may be noticeable as a pattern of reduced light output on the screen during the Screen Uniformity test. The loss of light emitting efficiency is proportional to the beam intensity and to the amount of time that it is applied. If you make extensive use of a program that produces a structured output, then that pattern also will become embedded in the screen over time. While color displays are highly resistant to these problems, some long persistence phosphors used in monochrome displays are more susceptible to burn.
Screen Savers
Screen savers have become extremely popular because of their entertainment value. Unfortunately, many screen savers actually accelerate phosphor aging because they continually produce full color, full screen graphic images on the display. Since the images move, the accelerated aging is at least uniform, so no particular pattern is embedded on the screen. If the screen saver has a strongly colored background then the red, green and blue phosphors will age at different rates, which will slowly affect the overall color balance of the display. In principle, the best screen saver is one that keeps most of the screen black most of the time, but still alerts you to the fact that the monitor and computer are turned on and possibly in the middle of an important application. The Windows Display Properties Screen Saver "Flying Through Space" is one example of such a screen saver."
" screen saver is an animated image that is activated on a personal computer display when no user activity has been sensed for a certain time. The original purpose of a screen saver was to prevent burn-in (the burning of an image into the phosphor inside the cathode ray tube after hours of the same image being rescanned). In fact, today's CRT display technology makes burn-in unlikely except under extreme conditions. (On larger displays used for room presentations, burn-in is still a possibility.)"
"Screen Savers
Do you need them to protect your monitor? NO. Do they cause lots of system support problem for us? YES. Current VGA monitors do not suffer from the burn-in problems of older color/ monochrome monitors. If your computer is a 386 or newer, you do not need a screen saver. "But," you say, "I like my fish aquarium on my screen!" That's fine, but screen savers are one of the major causes that we have found for system lockups, software conflicts, network problems, etc. If you are having system problems and using a screen saver, turn off the screen saver and reboot to confirm if the screen saver is a contributing factor."
"What is Screen Savers?
Screen Savers were originally used to prevent phosphor burn-in on your screen when the image did not change for a long time. This is not such a problem with modern screens, and Screen Savers are now mainly used for entertainment when you are not otherwise using your computer, and for password protection."
"What Are Screensavers For?
Screensavers were originally designed to protect computer monitors from phosphor burn-in. Early CRT monitors, particularly monochrome ones, had problems with the same image being displayed for a long time. The phosphors, used to make the pixels in the display, would glow at a constant rate for such a long period of time that they would actually discolor the glass surface of the CRT. This discoloration would then be visible as a faint image overlaying whatever else was displayed on the monitor. Advances in display technology and the advent of energy-saver monitors have virtually eliminated the need for screensavers."
"Just what do screen savers save?
"Screen saver" programs were designed to "save" the phosphorescent coating on the inside of the CRT screen, thus giving it a longer life. That, however, is the only thing they save. [ WebMaster's Note: Color monitors are far less susceptible to burn-in than monochrome, therefore usually do not need a "screen saver" ]"
"Phosphor burn is not a problem with modern CRT’s since they are less prone to phosphor burn than older CRTs."
"There is little energy savings from using a screensaver. Screensavers do not turn off the screen - so they consume as much energy as when the monitor is in use.
Screensavers were originally designed to protect computer monitors from phosphor burn-in. Early monitors, particularly monochrome ones, had problems when the same image was displayed for a long time, like a spreadsheet, for example. The phosphors, used to make the pixels in the display, would glow at a constant rate for such a long period of time that they would actually discolor the glass surface of the screen. This discoloration would then be visible as a faint image overlaying whatever else was displayed on the monitor. Although screensavers prevent burn-in, activating the screensaver keeps the monitor on at full power.
In order to save energy from monitors, we have to actually turn off the monitor or the screen. Advances in display technology and the advent of energy-saver monitors have virtually eliminated the need for screensavers. Energy saving features have been built into the power management unit of the operating system, where the user is able to activate the features to turn the monitor off."
"While the phosphor burn-in problem that plagued older monitors and led to the rise of screensavers is no longer a problem in modern monitors, a screensaver remains the method of choice to add some style and class to your computer. "
"When you leave your computer unattended for a short period of time, your screen saver will kick into action, provided you have installed such a program and activated it. A long time ago protecting your screen from dreaded phosphor burn-in was an issue but today the screen savers are used to either hide the desktop information (open windows) from unwanted eyes or just to beautify the monitor. But sometimes, having your screen saver pop on just seconds before you plan to return to work might irritate you.
"In the past, leaving a monitor on for hours and hours would burn the image into the phosphor on the inside of the glass tube. Because the phosphor's phosphorescence had literally been worn out, this image would remain permanently "engraved" into your monitor's display.
Fortunately, modern technology has made this problem virtually non-existant. Today's monitors would have to be left on for years before they began to exhibit significant signs of burn-in. If you're still concerned though, feel free to turn the brightness down or install one of those nifty screen savers. "
"Screensavers have been part of the Windows scene for many years and were originally provided to prevent phosphor burn when static images were left on the screen for a long period. This is no longer relevant with todays monitors and they are now used instead to display an interesting graphic, to display a system logo, or to protect the system from unauthorized access."
"Screen Saver Schmaver
Q. Will a screen saver really prolong the life of my monitor?
A. Back in the dark ages of monochrome monitors, I'd have said yes. But the phosphor in today's color monitors is much less susceptible to burn than its forebears were. As a result, screen-saver programs today function primarily as entertainment. In fact, leaving a screen saver running may shorten your monitor's life. The brightness of your screen's phosphor does fade with time, but the component likely to fail first is the electron gun that guides the monitor's illuminating beam. The best way to prolong its life is to use your system's power management settings to shut the monitor down when it's idle. In Windows 98, you can activate and adjust these settings in the Power schemes tab under Control Panel's Power Management icon. Or just turn your monitor off when you aren't using it."
"All computer experts agree: Screen savers are a waste. Because today's monitors don't suffer from phosphor burn, savers just waste valuable processing cycles."
************************************************************
Note: I've noticed, while searching for information, that Plasma TV displays are particularly susceptible to screen burn, and that NEC uses a technology called Inverse Mode to reduce this problem. The brand name is "AccuShield Phosphor Protection System". I found that interesting, as I had been considering the purchase of a plasma display this coming year.
Note: I was also taught this information during my certification courses in PC Repair.
Toejam31
<font color=red>My Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847</A>
___________________________________________________
<font color=purple>"Procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."</font color=purple>
Here is one expert that does not agree. Also don’t believe everything you read. No monitor manufacturer warranties against CRT aging or screen burn so if you want to take the risk that’s up to you. For me better safe than sorry.
Even today our tech support people get an occasional customer who leaves a static image on their monitor and burn the phosphors. Most recently was a case involving a customer who purchased a new Sony monitor from us. Needless to say he was not very happy.
Also not all screen-savers are equally good in terms of extending the lift of the CRT. A screen-saver which simply blanks the screen may actually speed aging of the cathode in the electron gun, since the electron beam is being held in cut-off and the electrons emitted by the cathode are simply "hanging around" – they can re-impact the cathode surface, causing wear. Newer cathodes are not as susceptible as older gun designs, maybe this is where the confusion is.
In general use of a screen-saver will NOT save the cathode. IMHO the best screen-saver is one with a relatively small, moving image. The motion prevents phosphor burn, and the reduction in video helps save the cathode.
Another thing that will save the life of your monitor is to simply turn the contrast down and use the power saving feature (Energy Star). Most office environments are over lit, try reducing the ambient lighting in the area where you use your monitor.
BTW, I learned this from 16+ years as an engineer in the monitor industry.
Jim Witkowski
Chief Hardware Engineer
Cornerstone / MonitorsDirect.com
Jim at http://www.monitorsdirect.com<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by GoSharks on 12/03/01 04:25 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
Even today our tech support people get an occasional customer who leaves a static image on their monitor and burn the phosphors. Most recently was a case involving a customer who purchased a new Sony monitor from us. Needless to say he was not very happy.
Also not all screen-savers are equally good in terms of extending the lift of the CRT. A screen-saver which simply blanks the screen may actually speed aging of the cathode in the electron gun, since the electron beam is being held in cut-off and the electrons emitted by the cathode are simply "hanging around" – they can re-impact the cathode surface, causing wear. Newer cathodes are not as susceptible as older gun designs, maybe this is where the confusion is.
In general use of a screen-saver will NOT save the cathode. IMHO the best screen-saver is one with a relatively small, moving image. The motion prevents phosphor burn, and the reduction in video helps save the cathode.
Another thing that will save the life of your monitor is to simply turn the contrast down and use the power saving feature (Energy Star). Most office environments are over lit, try reducing the ambient lighting in the area where you use your monitor.
BTW, I learned this from 16+ years as an engineer in the monitor industry.
Jim Witkowski
Chief Hardware Engineer
Cornerstone / MonitorsDirect.com
Jim at http://www.monitorsdirect.com<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by GoSharks on 12/03/01 04:25 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
I appreciate the information, Jim.
But you can understand how many people would think otherwise, with this kind of material all over the 'Net. This is exactly why I checked out a few sites and pasted the comments into this thread ... to see what your response would be. Perhaps this kind of thing influenced the option of my A+ instructor at the local college in my area, who made a point of explaining why a screen saver was no longer necessary with a modern CRT.
He used to maintain the computers at the Pentagon in the 1970's, so you can imagine that I would accept his expertise on almost any subject.
I don't believe everything I read, most assuredly ... and I am glad to hear from someone who still encounters the problem under real-world conditions.
The information I posted was just a small example of what people will find if they take the time to research the subject with a search engine ... unfortunately.
I'll keep your information in mind, in case I run across a similiar situation.
Thanks again ...
Toejam31
<font color=red>My Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847</A>
____________________________________________________
<font color=purple>"Procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."</font color=purple>
But you can understand how many people would think otherwise, with this kind of material all over the 'Net. This is exactly why I checked out a few sites and pasted the comments into this thread ... to see what your response would be. Perhaps this kind of thing influenced the option of my A+ instructor at the local college in my area, who made a point of explaining why a screen saver was no longer necessary with a modern CRT.
He used to maintain the computers at the Pentagon in the 1970's, so you can imagine that I would accept his expertise on almost any subject.
I don't believe everything I read, most assuredly ... and I am glad to hear from someone who still encounters the problem under real-world conditions.
The information I posted was just a small example of what people will find if they take the time to research the subject with a search engine ... unfortunately.
I'll keep your information in mind, in case I run across a similiar situation.
Thanks again ...
Toejam31
<font color=red>My Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847</A>
____________________________________________________
<font color=purple>"Procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."</font color=purple>
Toejam31
Thanks for all the information. I find it interesting that in almost every case the experts claim that modern color CRTs are not susceptible to screen burn. Yet in all that information there is no mention of what the CRT designers did to improve the phosphor or the design of the CRT in order to reduce the affects of screen burn. Like I said in my original post, the phosphor used today is the same phosphor that was used many years ago, thus it is just as susceptible as it ever was.
It is very true that monochrome CRTs are much more susceptible to screen burn than color CRT's. Mainly because monochrome monitors do not use a mask structure like Color CRT's that intercept some of the beam current.
Not only should you use a screen saver or the power save features, but also use a surge protector for your computer and monitor, especially if you live in an area prone to lighting and thunderstorms.
Jim Witkowski
Chief Hardware Engineer
Cornerstone / Monitorsdirect.com
Jim at http://www.monitorsdirect.com
Thanks for all the information. I find it interesting that in almost every case the experts claim that modern color CRTs are not susceptible to screen burn. Yet in all that information there is no mention of what the CRT designers did to improve the phosphor or the design of the CRT in order to reduce the affects of screen burn. Like I said in my original post, the phosphor used today is the same phosphor that was used many years ago, thus it is just as susceptible as it ever was.
It is very true that monochrome CRTs are much more susceptible to screen burn than color CRT's. Mainly because monochrome monitors do not use a mask structure like Color CRT's that intercept some of the beam current.
Not only should you use a screen saver or the power save features, but also use a surge protector for your computer and monitor, especially if you live in an area prone to lighting and thunderstorms.
Jim Witkowski
Chief Hardware Engineer
Cornerstone / Monitorsdirect.com
Jim at http://www.monitorsdirect.com
hammerhead
Distinguished
- Mar 5, 2001
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All CRT's are susceptible to screen-burn. I've seen units from MAG, Viewsonic, Samsung, Sony, Hitachi & Philips displaying screen-burn, after less than two years in the field.
These units are on x-ray equipment, and generally display a Windows desktop with a couple of DOS boxes, 24hours a day. They never get switched off.
Obviously this is an extreme example of usage, it isn't really an issue for the average office or home machine which gets switched off at night.
Incidentally, the softer colours and graphical interfaces used today have a great effect on reducing screen-burn. The old bright white text on black background DOS apps were a killer.
These units are on x-ray equipment, and generally display a Windows desktop with a couple of DOS boxes, 24hours a day. They never get switched off.
Obviously this is an extreme example of usage, it isn't really an issue for the average office or home machine which gets switched off at night.
Incidentally, the softer colours and graphical interfaces used today have a great effect on reducing screen-burn. The old bright white text on black background DOS apps were a killer.
Whoa... that was a long commentary about the screensavers! I don't know the all the facts, but I don't see why modern crts wouldn't have improved in regards to screen burn. In extreme cases screen burn probably occurs. The principle of crts and phosphors are the same, albeit there may be improvements (I personally don't know). Screensavers probably aren't useful for the average home user who shuts down with every use, but for some one who leaves the same image constantly on for years, I can see it happening unless great advances have greatly increased phosphor resistance to decay. Screen savers where never intended to "extend" screen life per se, rather simply to prevent burn in. Of course any image will eventually wear down the phosphors, the screen saver just causes uniform wear. I'd rather have uniform wear than a glaring burn in.
I don't why there's so much fuss about this topic. The principle of crts hasn't changed. In theory screen burn is still possible or less likely (again I don't know but it doesn't matter the principle technology is the SAME) and screensaver cause "pleasant" uniform wear versus stamping an image forever on a screen. Finally, the way most people use their computers question the practical utility of screensavers.
Quality is better than name brand, even regarding beloved AMD.
I don't why there's so much fuss about this topic. The principle of crts hasn't changed. In theory screen burn is still possible or less likely (again I don't know but it doesn't matter the principle technology is the SAME) and screensaver cause "pleasant" uniform wear versus stamping an image forever on a screen. Finally, the way most people use their computers question the practical utility of screensavers.
Quality is better than name brand, even regarding beloved AMD.
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