Key Takeaways
1. Study Overview: Rtings tested 102 televisions at maximum brightness for three years, focusing on burn-in and failure rates.
2. Failure Rates: 20 TVs completely failed and 24 faced partial failures, indicating potential issues after 18,000 hours of use.
3. Usage Lifespan: Most TVs can last around 10,000 hours, equating to over three years with eight hours of daily use.
4. LED TV Issues: Nearly 60% of LED-backlit TVs without local dimming features had defects, while OLED TVs showed fewer problems.
5. OLED Longevity: OLED TVs generally have the longest lifespan and face fewer issues compared to other types, but price does not correlate with longevity.
Rtings has conducted a study involving 102 televisions, running them at their highest brightness for three years while displaying a news channel with a constantly moving ticker bar to assess burn-in. As anticipated, burn-in is still a concern, but LCD TVs are also encountering significant issues after 18,000 hours of use.
Test Results
Among the 102 televisions, 20 have completely failed after three years, and 24 others have experienced partial failures, making them nearly unusable. Nevertheless, the study indicates that most TVs can withstand around 10,000 hours of usage, which translates to a lifespan of more than three years if the television is on for eight hours daily. LG and TCL exhibited the lowest failure rates in this examination, though the limited number of units tested means the findings are not highly significant.
Issues with LED TVs
The majority of the problems were found in LED-backlit TVs that lack local dimming features. Nearly 60% of these models faced defects, with several experiencing one or more LED failures. In contrast, OLED televisions rarely suffer from such issues. The study further reveals that burn-in isn’t a significant concern when viewing dynamic content. However, static images, like the news ticker mentioned earlier, can lead to noticeable ghosting if the TV is used continuously at high brightness. This is more relevant for computer monitors than for regular TVs.
Longevity of OLED TVs
Additionally, Rtings’ findings indicate that OLED televisions tend to have the longest lifespan compared to other types and encounter fewer problems. Although the study demonstrates a clear link between the type of panel, backlight technology, and failure rates, it fails to establish any meaningful relationship between the price of a television and its overall longevity.
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