Is it true that you can burn an image into a TV screen leaving something paused for too long?

Question

we have a samsung LCD, and when i paused it to go get some nachos, my stepdad was like "BAAAAAAAH YOULL DESTROY IF YOU LEAVE IT PAUSED!!!" he also claimed prolonged pausing can damage the dvd player (in this case a playstation 3). i have never belived these things, but maybe im wrong. if it is true, how long does something need to be paused to cause damage?

Answer 1

It's a real phenomenon known as "burn-in." The reality is, it mostly depends on the type of TV being used. The good news is your LCD TV is pretty much not affected by burn-in, as older CRT TVs are mostly affected. I provided some good links in my sources that you can check out and show your stepdad that he's wrong for the most part (at least for your LCD TV).

You can also tell your stepdad that most computer displays are LCD today, and if burn-in was a problem for them, why don't static things on their screens (like the Windows start bar for PCs) "burn-in" into the display? Your TV is exactly the same.

Answer 2

If u leave an image still for a long period of time the image will burn (indent) on the front screen, it even says in the owners manual not to leave a still image for long.In order for the image to burn onto the screen it would take maybe 2 hours or so, don't have the exact time for it.