Is OLED burn-in a problem? We want your input on one of TV’s hottest topics

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The start of the month is here, which means, as a part of our ongoing Ask the Reader series, we have a fresh question for you. Specifically, is OLED burn-in a problem?

This is a hot topic in the world of home cinema that’s reared its ugly head ever since reports of the phenomenon broke many moons ago.

What is OLED burn-in? This is a phenomenon where your TV retains a ghost image of a static frame, making the TV unwatchable. In theory it happens when the organic materials used in the self-emissive displays decay after showing a static image for prolonged periods.

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We’re asking this question now, as during the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025, we had not one but three readers come up and ask us if they should be concerned about OLED burn-in when buying a TV.

We’ve personally never experienced the issue on any of our review samples, even the early ones when OLED first appeared on TVs over a decade ago. That’s why if you go to our best TV buying guide you’ll see a number of OLEDs top of the list – many of which are wonderful performers. It's also why we had no issue giving our Product of the Year trophy to the Sony Bravia 8 OLED TV last year.

But it’s clear that, despite this, many of you are either concerned, or have potentially experienced the issue first hand. If so, we want to hear from you!

Are you concerned about burn-in? If so, why? Did a friend experience it, or have you just seen some horror stories online? OLED owner keen to defend your TV? Tell us your story and why it’s not a problem and you’re not concerned about OLD burn-in. Or, if you have personally experienced it, let us know how it happened and if it has put you off the panel technology for good.

Like our previous Ask the Reader piece, on whether hi-fi is getting better, we’ll take your answers over the next month and collate them into a feature, detailing your thoughts on the topic.

You can post your thoughts in the comments section of this page, on our social media channels or directly on our forums!

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Alastair is What Hi-Fi?’s editor in chief. He has well over a decade’s experience as a journalist working in both B2C and B2B press. During this time he’s covered everything from the launch of the first Amazon Echo to government cyber security policy. Prior to joining What Hi-Fi? he served as Trusted Reviews’ editor-in-chief. Outside of tech, he has a Masters from King’s College London in Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion, is an enthusiastic, but untalented, guitar player and runs a webcomic in his spare time.