Do we still need screensavers to "protect" LCD from damage [duplicate]

Screensavers were:

Initially designed to prevent phosphor burn-in on CRT and plasma computer monitors (hence the name)...

So, does it make sense to setup screensaver on LCD display?

3 Answers

Yes, it does. Screenburn still occurs on LCD displays. I know this by experience. My phone, for instance, had its screen on for about 10 days and got minor screenburn; I could see the old image behind the current one. I've also used monitors that get temporary screenburn if left at the same image for more than an hour. Keep your screensaver.

Even if a wiki article claims that it happens, I would not put my trust in it. LCDs use a completely different technology than plasma or CRTs, which are susceptible to burn-in. An LCD pixel is a transistor that modifies the amount of light passing through it, and whether it is in the same state or not for long periods of time should not affect it. What LCDs are susceptible to is stuck pixels, where the pixel no longer responds to change commands, but that is not caused by static images. If you see an image on an LCD that seems like burn-in, that is likely persistence, which can be fixed easily by changing the image, and even stuck pixels can sometimes be fixed this way.

From a screen saving point, not as much as in the old times. However, you may want to consider saving your electricity bill - or the planet - and set a blank (i.e. black) screensaver on all your PCs.