OLED iMac Panel Could Include Extra Layer to Fight Screen Burn-In

[MacRumors]

LG Display is developing a five-layer OLED panel structure that could end up in a future iMac, with an extra layer added to prevent screen burn-in and increase brightness, reports The Elec.

LG Display already builds four-stack OLED panels for high-resolution monitors, and arranges the light-emitting layers in a blue-green-blue-red pattern. The five-stack version reportedly under development adds a third blue layer, creating a blue-green-blue-red-blue arrangement.

Stacking on another emitting layer spreads the electrical load, which is important at high pixel densities, where each pixel gets smaller, as does the portion of it that actually emits light. Pushing more current through a smaller emitter to keep brightness up is also said to shorten panel life while making image retention more likely.

Apple last year sent requests for information to Samsung Display and LG Display about iMac OLED panel development. The specifications discussed were a 24-inch panel with 600 nits of brightness and 218 pixels per inch. The current 24-inch iMac's LCD manages 500 nits at the same density.

LG Display has already demonstrated a 27-inch 5K panel at 220 PPI with an RGB stripe subpixel layout. Given it uses the four-stack structure, it is likely not destined for an iMac, but The Elec suggests it is a gauge for high-density RGB stripe OLED and whether the company can manufacture it in volume.

The only problem with using five stacks, however, is cost. More emitting layers mean more organic material and a reportedly fiddlier deposition process. At the same time, LG Display has to reach Apple's brightness and lifespan requirements without ruining its yields in the process.

Samsung Display is developing QD-OLED for the same reason. Both suppliers are targeting 2028 to have the first iMac OLED panels developed, but a launch likely won't happen until 2029 at the earliest. Meanwhile, Apple is expected to refresh its current 24-inch LCD-based iMac with a new processor later this year.

Article Link: OLED iMac Panel Could Include Extra Layer to Fight Screen Burn-In

 

[Mr_Ed]

B.b.b.but OLED doesn’t have burn-in issues any more. That was an issue with early OLED tech. Trust me, bro.
😁

 

[levitynyc]

OLEDs don't "burn in" they just wear unevenly. Things like pixel shift and auto off exist to prevent uneven wear.

I have an LGCX 65" OLED since 2020 and I use it 90% of the time for video games and there's not even a hint of uneven wear.

Unless you leave it on 22 hours a day with a static image, your screen will outlive your laptop/mac

 

[I_love_money]

OLEDs don't "burn in" they just wear unevenly. Things like pixel shift and auto off exist to prevent uneven wear.

I have an LGCX 65" OLED since 2020 and I use it 90% of the time for video games and there's not even a hint of uneven wear.

Unless you leave it on 22 hours a day with a static image, your screen will outlive your laptop/mac

I leave my IPS monitor on for 16 hours a day… And my dock is pretty much always visible. Therefore an OLED is a no from me.

 

[TwoBytes]

LG Display has already demonstrated a 27-inch 5K panel at 220 PPI with an RGB stripe subpixel layout. Given it uses the four-stack structure, it is likely not destined for an iMac

😞

 

[Big_D]

I leave my IPS monitor on for 16 hours a day… And my dock is pretty much always visible. Therefore an OLED is a no from me.

Yeah, I had LG and Hyundai IPS LCD, and a 24" iMac back in the mid 2000s. They suffered badly with ghosting. I'd play games for several hours, then switch to work mode and the inventory slots for the MMORPG could be seen for a couple of hours after playing.
Likewise ghosts of the menu bar and dock of the iMac were always visible when watching full screen video..
That said, I can say I have noticed it on my 5K ASUS and BenQ displays, nor my MacBook Air or MacBook Pro...

 

[PsykX]

OLEDs don't "burn in" they just wear unevenly. Things like pixel shift and auto off exist to prevent uneven wear.

I have an LGCX 65" OLED since 2020 and I use it 90% of the time for video games and there's not even a hint of uneven wear.

Unless you leave it on 22 hours a day with a static image, your screen will outlive your laptop/mac

I have an LG C7 since February 2018 and there's not a single sign of image quality loss. I've been using this TV every single day for many hours, it's certainly over 12,000 hrs in total.

 

[racerhomie]

Can’t believe the iMac is now $1500!
It lost its iconic pricing

 

[headlessmike]

OLEDs don't "burn in" they just wear unevenly.

That's what burn in is. A CRT would experience burn in due to uneven wear of the phosphor.

Here's a white image on my relative's 10 year old TV. Shows traces of every news channel in L.A. Newer panels are obviously better, but I would personally still prefer an LCD panel for longevity.

 

[I_love_money]

That's what burn in is. A CRT would experience burn in due to uneven wear of the phosphor.

View attachment 2651515

Here's a white image on my relative's 10 year old TV. Shows traces of every news channel in L.A. Newer panels are obviously better, but I would personally still prefer an LCD panel for longevity.

He certainly loved watching Fox News, 😂

 

[LFO8]

I’m totally fine with current panels in iMacs. I just want  to give more processor and display size options. I never used an all in one for all my years with Macs and computers in general. But in 2024 I went with an iMac and I just love the form factor!

 

[headlessmike]

He certainly loved watching Fox News, 😂

They sure do! I think it burned in more efficiently due to the blue logo though. Fox also seems to be a bit unique in putting their logo on the left. ABC and CNN on the right don't stand out as clearly but are about as badly burned in.

 

[dredlew]

B.b.b.but OLED doesn’t have burn-in issues any more. That was an issue with early OLED tech. Trust me, bro.
😁

It doesn’t, at least not in professional hardware. It’s mainly a matter of price, not technology.

My 32” LG OLED has zero burn-in after 5 years of professional and personal usage. Sometimes up to 16hr-days with menu bar always visible. Mostly static elements during photo/video editing, and coding. Not an issue, at all.

Again, burn-in has been solved years ago. However, my screen was $3k MSRP, unlike a cheap gaming OLED that can be had for less than $1k. - You get what you pay for.

 

[dredlew]

I leave my IPS monitor on for 16 hours a day… And my dock is pretty much always visible. Therefore an OLED is a no from me.

This is not an issue, as I mentioned in an earlier post. It comes down to the quality/price of the display.

 

[Quicksilver867]

My circa 2018 LG OLED TV is suffering from some burn-in where the YouTube TV seek/scan bar is, as well as the 'mute' icon from the TV itself. Try as they might, the individual pixels will wear unevenly with this tech. Our next TV will be LCD-based.

 

[ifxf]

That's what burn in is. A CRT would experience burn in due to uneven wear of the phosphor.

View attachment 2651515

Here's a white image on my relative's 10 year old TV. Shows traces of every news channel in L.A. Newer panels are obviously better, but I would personally still prefer an LCD panel for longevity.

I have a 9 year old OLED LG TV that shows no burn in whatsoever. I have had to compensate for the gradual green tint of the display.

 

[Hmm]

Maybe we need to bring back the flying toasters.

 

[dannyyankou]

B.b.b.but OLED doesn’t have burn-in issues any more. That was an issue with early OLED tech. Trust me, bro.
😁

I think there’s a misconception when it comes to OLED burn-in. It is not really an issue when it comes to television because the picture is constantly changing.

When it comes to something like a desktop, where you’ll often have static images on the screen, that’s when extra precautions are necessary.

Personally, I’m more interested in an iMac with a Mini-LED display. I have a TCL that’s Mini-LED, and even a cheap brand like that looks phenomenal.

 

[Spock]

Can’t believe the iMac is now $1500!
It lost its iconic pricing

iMac pricing has always kind of fluctuated, $1499 for essentially a Mac mini, 4.5k display, mouse and keyboard really isn't that bad.

 

[seek3r]

At this point RAM is such a high part of the BOM that the extra cost for the display likely makes little difference in Apple’s margins

 

[mistymac]

Yeah, I had LG and Hyundai IPS LCD, and a 24" iMac back in the mid 2000s. They suffered badly with ghosting. I'd play games for several hours, then switch to work mode and the inventory slots for the MMORPG could be seen for a couple of hours after playing.
Likewise ghosts of the menu bar and dock of the iMac were always visible when watching full screen video..
That said, I can say I have noticed it on my 5K ASUS and BenQ displays, nor my MacBook Air or MacBook Pro...

A lot of 5K iMacs had ghosting issues. (mine did after just a few months of owning it)

 

[Sippincider]

iMac displays are already bright enough (ran mine at a fraction of what it could do).

Need better contrast not more brightness.

 

[Biro]

It’s certainly seems that, despite the desires expressed by many on this website, that a larger screen option for the iMac isn’t even on Apple’s radar - certainly not for the short-to-medium term.

 

[Gmaster]

Maybe we need to bring back the flying toasters.

Thanks for the memories (talking moose avatar more than after dark).