Burn-in is a form of permanent image retention where a faint ghost of a static image, such as a channel logo, a news ticker or a game's on screen interface, remains visible even after the content changes. It happens when the same pixels are driven at high brightness for very long periods without change, causing them to age slightly differently from the pixels around them.
OLED screens, which use organic materials that age with use, have historically been the technology most associated with burn-in risk, though modern OLED panels include pixel shifting, logo dimming and other measures that greatly reduce the risk under normal, varied viewing. LCD based technologies such as QLED can experience a related but distinct effect called image retention, though it is generally temporary rather than permanent.
For most viewers watching varied content, the everyday risk of burn-in is low, but heavy use of static elements at high brightness, such as leaving a paused game or a fixed news channel logo on screen for many hours at a time, increases it. Varying content, using screen savers where relevant, and avoiding extreme sustained brightness are practical precautions.
