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Freedom251 › Blog › burn-in

How to Check an OLED TV or Monitor for Burn-In

By Freedom251 Team · · 11 min read

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To check for OLED burn-in, show the display several unrelated moving scenes and inputs, then run its built-in picture or screen test if available. A faint mark that fades after changing content is usually temporary image retention. A mark that remains in unrelated content and also appears on the built-in test is more concerning for persistent burn-in or another panel fault. Use only the panel-care routine documented for your exact model, year, region and software; a refresh cycle is not a guaranteed repair for permanent damage.

What you are trying to determine

OLED pixels can show a faint afterimage after displaying a static element such as a channel logo, news ticker, game HUD, desktop taskbar or settings menu. This is called temporary image retention when it fades after the content changes. LG says temporary retention commonly disappears after a moment or two. Samsung describes burn-in more practically as a mark that remains regardless of what you watch. Those descriptions are useful field tests, but neither lets you make a definitive remote diagnosis of the panel’s cause or repairability.

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The same-looking mark can instead come from a broadcast graphic, an external player, a cable, a graphics-card output, a software overlay or an ordinary panel fault. The check therefore has two jobs: first, determine whether the mark follows the panel across unrelated content; second, use an internal test pattern to separate the panel from everything feeding it.

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Before testing: record the symptom

Describe the shape and location

Look closely at the mark without touching the panel. Note its position, color, size and whether it resembles something that was fixed on screen. A rectangular news banner, a game’s health bar, a desktop dock or a station logo is a useful clue that static content may be involved. A thin line, irregular stain or broad tint may point to a different display problem.

Record when it appears

  • Write down the input or app where you first noticed it.
  • Note whether it appears immediately after a long session with a fixed graphic.
  • Check whether it is visible only at a particular brightness, color or viewing angle.
  • Take a photograph for service records, but do not treat a phone photograph as a color-accurate measurement.

Do not press, rub or scrape the panel. Screen-cleaning products do not remove image retention, and physical pressure can create additional damage.

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Run the cross-content check

1. Change to unrelated moving scenes

Start with several scenes that have different colors and motion: for example, a bright program, a dark film scene and a full-screen video. Avoid judging from a single channel or game because its own graphics can conceal or recreate the mark. If the mark fades quickly as the content changes, temporary retention is a plausible explanation.

2. Try other inputs and apps

Switch among the TV tuner, streaming apps, a game console, a computer and any other available source. On a monitor, change from the computer desktop to a full-screen video or another device. A mark visible only with one source can originate in that source, its software overlay, the cable or the output signal rather than the OLED panel.

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3. Check persistence, not just visibility

Persistent burn-in is more concerning when the same outline remains while unrelated content is playing. Give your eyes time to adapt between scenes; a faint afterimage can be easier to see immediately after a static screen and then diminish. Persistence across multiple inputs is stronger evidence of a panel-level issue, but it still does not prove that replacement or repair is possible.

Use the display’s built-in picture test

Why an internal test is useful

A built-in test displays the panel’s own test image without relying on a broadcast, HDMI device or computer. LG’s support guidance says that if the test image looks normal, the source or external device may be responsible. If the mark remains during the test, follow the product’s support procedure because the display itself needs further attention.

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LG televisions

LG TV support labels the diagnostic function Picture Test or Screen Self-Diagnosis, depending on model and year. Open the television’s support or troubleshooting area and select the available test; the exact menu path varies by model, webOS version and region. Observe the test screen for the suspected outline, line or stain. A clean test shifts the investigation back to the input, broadcast, app or cable. A mark that is also present on the test screen warrants the model-specific OLED support steps.

Other televisions and monitors

Manufacturers use different names and locations for self-tests. Look in the support, diagnostics, device care or display menus, or search the exact model’s manual using terms such as “picture test,” “screen test” or “self-diagnosis.” Do not assume that a menu shown in a guide for a different year or region exists on your unit. If no internal test is documented, continue with the cross-content checks and contact the manufacturer before attempting an undocumented routine.

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Interpret the result

What you observe Most useful interpretation Next action
Faint image after static content that fades after changing scenes Consistent with temporary image retention; LG says this often fades after a moment or two. Continue varied-content testing and follow the exact model’s panel-care guidance if the manufacturer provides it.
Same mark remains in unrelated scenes and inputs More concerning for persistent burn-in, although another panel fault remains possible. Run the built-in test, then use only the documented care routine.
Mark appears with one source but not on the internal test Source, app, cable, broadcast or external-device problem is more likely than panel burn-in. Replace or bypass the source and cable, update or reset the external device, and retest.
Mark is visible on the built-in test The display needs panel-specific troubleshooting; the internal test has removed the external signal from the equation. Follow the manufacturer’s support instructions and escalate if the symptom persists.
The picture shifts by a tiny amount at intervals May be an intentional pixel-shift protection feature, not a defect. Check the manual for pixel-shift behavior before diagnosing burn-in.

Use panel-care functions only when the model supports them

Picture tests diagnose whether the panel or the signal is implicated. Pixel Cleaning, Pixel Refresh, Screen Optimization and Image Cleaning are maintenance routines. They are not proof that burn-in exists, and they should not be described as guaranteed ways to reverse permanent damage. Names, availability, automatic behavior and menu locations vary by television or monitor generation, region and software.

Function or label Where it is documented Purpose and limits
Pixel Cleaning LG OLED televisions Panel-care routine documented by LG. Use the exact model’s instructions; it is not a substitute for diagnosis.
Pixel Refresher LG OLED televisions; Samsung OLED televisions and some monitors Manufacturer-provided refresh for image-retention symptoms. Availability and operation differ by model, and permanent damage may remain.
Image Cleaning LG OLED monitors LG’s monitor guidance uses this name for cleaning marks associated with static content. Contact support if marks persist afterward.
Screen Optimization Some Samsung OLED monitors Samsung documents this alongside monitor Pixel Refresh; the exact options depend on model and software.
Pixel Shift or Pixel Orbiter OLED televisions and monitors that implement the feature Moves the image slightly to reduce retention risk. It can look like a tiny movement and should not be mistaken for burn-in.

LG TV panel care

LG’s television guidance documents Pixel Cleaning and Pixel Refresher for OLED models. Use the support page or manual for the exact set before starting. Let the routine finish as instructed; do not interrupt power or invent a schedule from another model. If the mark remains after the prescribed process, use LG’s service path rather than repeating cycles indefinitely.

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Samsung TV panel care

Samsung’s OLED TV guidance calls the relevant function Pixel Refresh. The menu and availability depend on the television model and software. Run it only after confirming the instructions for your set. Samsung recommends contacting support when Pixel Refresh does not resolve the symptom.

LG monitor Image Cleaning

LG’s OLED monitor instructions call the routine Image Cleaning. The monitor may perform some care behavior automatically, while other models expose a manual control. Follow the monitor’s on-screen instructions and allow the process to complete. LG directs owners to support if the mark persists after Image Cleaning.

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Samsung OLED monitor functions

Samsung documents Pixel Refresh, Screen Optimization and Pixel Shift on selected OLED monitors. The available functions and their behavior depend on model, year and software. Consult the monitor’s manual rather than selecting a similarly named option from a different series.

Do not mistake pixel shifting for burn-in

Pixel shifting is a protection feature that moves the displayed image by a very small amount. Dell’s guidance for listed Alienware OLED monitors describes movement of one pixel every three minutes and identifies the feature as protection against image retention. The exact behavior is not universal, so consult your model’s documentation. A barely perceptible periodic movement, without a fixed mark that survives unrelated content, is not by itself evidence of burn-in.

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A complete check procedure

  1. Identify the suspected object. Record whether it resembles a logo, banner, HUD, taskbar, menu or another static element, and photograph it for reference.
  2. Leave the original source. Switch to at least two unrelated moving scenes with different brightness and colors.
  3. Change inputs or apps. Test another HDMI device, the tuner, a built-in app or a full-screen computer video when available.
  4. Observe the time course. A mark that fades after content changes is more consistent with temporary retention; a mark that remains is more concerning.
  5. Run the internal test. Select Picture Test, Screen Self-Diagnosis or the equivalent function documented for the exact model.
  6. Compare the test screen. If it is clean, troubleshoot the source, cable, app or external device. If the mark remains, treat it as a display-side symptom.
  7. Verify the model-specific care option. Confirm the model number, production generation, region and software, then use only the documented Pixel Cleaning, Pixel Refresh, Screen Optimization or Image Cleaning routine.
  8. Recheck after completion. Repeat the unrelated-content and internal-test observations. Do not claim success merely because one scene hides the mark.
  9. Escalate unresolved symptoms. Contact the manufacturer or an authorized service provider if the mark remains or the instructions do not match your unit.
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When the source, not the OLED panel, is at fault

A normal internal test does not make the original source harmless; it tells you to investigate the signal chain. Disconnect the suspected device and test the display’s own menu or another known-good input. Then reconnect one component at a time. Replace a questionable cable, disable an application overlay, restart or update the source device, and check whether the mark follows that device to another display. These steps are diagnostic, not a repair for panel burn-in.

Broadcast logos, game interfaces and desktop elements can be static even when the underlying video is moving. If the outline appears only while that content is active and disappears on other sources, document the content provider or application and report it there rather than treating the OLED as defective.

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What not to do

  • Do not call every faint afterimage burn-in; temporary retention can fade.
  • Do not diagnose permanent damage solely from one paused frame or one color.
  • Do not run a refresh routine copied from another brand, model year or region.
  • Do not interrupt a documented cleaning or refresh cycle unless the manufacturer says how to stop it safely.
  • Do not rely on a colorimeter as a burn-in detector; it is a calibration instrument.
  • Do not buy a test-pattern disc or USB file assuming it is required. Manufacturer guidance uses built-in tests and care functions, and no reviewed guidance establishes an external pattern as a better confirmation method.
  • Do not attempt a panel replacement or internal repair before a service diagnosis; OLED panels and replacement parts are model-specific.

When to contact support

Contact the manufacturer or an authorized service provider when a mark remains across unrelated content and appears on the built-in test, or when the model’s prescribed panel-care routine does not resolve it. Include the model number, software version if shown, purchase or warranty information, photographs, the inputs tested, the internal-test result and the exact care routine performed. Samsung explicitly recommends support when TV Pixel Refresh does not resolve the issue. LG gives the same escalation direction for persistent marks on OLED monitors after Image Cleaning.

Service can determine whether the symptom is burn-in, another panel fault or a replaceable signal-path problem. A refresh cycle cannot be presented as a guaranteed cure, and a persistent mark should not be treated as safely repairable with an unverified do-it-yourself method.

How to reduce future retention risk

Static logos, menus, taskbars and game interfaces are repeatedly identified in manufacturer guidance as fixed content associated with image-retention risk. Varying content when practical and leaving the display’s documented protective features enabled can reduce prolonged exposure to one unchanging element. The exact automatic behavior differs by model, so use the settings and care schedule supplied for your television or monitor rather than applying a universal interval.

If you use an OLED monitor as a desktop display, hide or automatically minimize a fixed taskbar when that option is available, and avoid leaving a static application open unattended for long periods. These are usage precautions, not a way to reverse an existing mark. For any symptom that survives the tests above, rely on the manufacturer’s diagnostic and service process.

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Decision guide

Result of your checks Decision
Fades after changing content; internal test is clean Treat as likely temporary retention and continue normal use with the model’s documented protection features.
Visible only on one source or app; internal test is clean Investigate that source, cable, software overlay or signal path.
Persists across unrelated content and appears on the internal test Follow the exact model’s panel-care instructions, then contact manufacturer or authorized service if it remains.
Only a slight periodic image movement is visible Check for pixel-shift documentation before calling it a fault.

Source guidance used for the procedure

The distinctions and steps above follow manufacturer support guidance: LG USA’s “LG OLED TV: I see vertical lines or stains on my screen” (July 9, 2025), “LG TV – Troubleshooting Image Burn-In” (June 26, 2026), and “How to Fix Lines or Marks on Your LG OLED Monitor Using Image Cleaning” (August 13, 2026); Samsung India’s “What to do if you have burn-in on your OLED TV screen” (updated July 29, 2026) and “Panel Care functions on Samsung OLED Monitors” (updated July 1, 2026); Samsung Singapore’s “How to troubleshoot burn-in or image retention on your Samsung OLED monitor” (updated April 23, 2025); and Dell’s “Alienware OLED Monitors Pixel Shift or Pixel Orbiter,” version 17 (modified July 21, 2026). Their menus and functions are authoritative for the supported products described, not a universal menu map for every OLED display.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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