Computer Question for TV Guys

[blue_lateral]

Originally Posted by Scorpion8

Well, what I was looking for was a definitive technical answer that says "due to the high refresh rates, and changes in manufacturings <yada yada yada>...." that a screen saver for an LCD is needed or not. I know all the coloquial answers and I am well familiar with the screen saver and power saver settings, but so far nobody from the TV screen guild has chimed in to say if technology has rendered a screen saver any more than just purty pictures and waste of processing power. That's whay this was posted in the TV forum, and not the general discussion forums.

No TV guys out there?

Well, to answer the question directly, technology rendered the screensaver obsolete years ago when computers gained the ability to turn the screen power off. Before that, you were *supposed* to turn the brightness down, or shut the screen off when not using it. It's easy to forget. Changing the content displayed on the screen was something the computer *could* do to save the screen when it had no control of the monitor power.

Screen savers are only still around because some people like to look at them. As an early TV set enthusiast, displaying fish is something I am not really keen on doing.

John

[David Roper]

[YamahaFreak]

Originally Posted by David Roper

[blue_lateral]

Originally Posted by David Roper

I'll make an exception for Charlie.

[ChrisW6ATV]

I will categorically say, "technology has rendered a screen saver nothing more than just purty pictures and waste of processing power". At least as applied to LCD monitors. I do recommend that you just let the monitor go to standby (the green or blue power LED will change to yellow/amber) when you are not using the monitor. If you plan to leave the computer running 24 hours per day, set the monitor power-down to maybe 30 minutes in the Windows settings.

[Scorpion8]

Gotta love it. Two pages of replies and jokes and STILL not a technical answer regarding whether a modern LCD "needs" a screen saver or not. I don't care about Windows power-saver features. I don't care about what people do based on which way the wind blows their grass. I don't care about if a pigeon alights on the car but only on the second Monday while Aunt Helon's lumbago is flaring up.

Does, based on the design of the interleave, the refresh rates, the graphics mode and so forth, does a modern LCD need a screen saver, or is it immune tioburn in due to any of those technical issues?

[YamahaFreak]

Originally Posted by Scorpion8

Gotta love it. Two pages of replies and jokes and STILL not a technical answer regarding whether a modern LCD "needs" a screen saver or not. I don't care about Windows power-saver features. I don't care about what people do based on which way the wind blows their grass. I don't care about if a pigeon alights on the car but only on the second Monday while Aunt Helon's lumbago is flaring up.

Does, based on the design of the interleave, the refresh rates, the graphics mode and so forth, does a modern LCD need a screen saver, or is it immune to burn-in due to any of those technical issues?

Read my post. No, an LCD cannot be damaged by burn-in; they are built differently and are not affected permanently. Cheaper displays may show a 'ghost' for a few minutes, but nothing that lasts.

In other words, a screensaver is not necessary for an LCD of modern design.

[Scorpion8]

Originally Posted by YamahaFreak

Read my post. No, an LCD cannot be damaged by burn-in; they are built differently and are not affected permanently.

That's headed in the right direction. Why? What makes them different?

[MRX37]

Originally Posted by Scorpion8

That's headed in the right direction. Why? What makes them different?

LCD's don't use phosphors, nor do they use a beam to draw images.

Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LCD

Probably everything you wanted to know about how an LCD works. If this doesn't answer your question, I don't know what will.

[Scorpion8]

There ya go. THANK YOU.

[YamahaFreak]

The inside of the front of a CRT is coated with a phosphor which reacts to light. The gun at the back of the tube projects a picture onto the phosphor and the image is displayed. If this image is left on for an extended period, the areas where the phosphor is lit by the beam will become burned by the beam.

LCD's use a liquid sandwiched between two layers of glass. When electricity is applied to part of the liquid, it changes to a darker color. This is physically different from a CRT, so no burn can occur.

[Scorpion8]

Thanks to both of you guys.

[YamahaFreak]

Originally Posted by Scorpion8

Thanks to both of you guys.

No problem.

[andy]

Originally Posted by Scorpion8

Gotta love it. Two pages of replies and jokes and STILL not a technical answer regarding whether a modern LCD "needs" a screen saver or not. I don't care about Windows power-saver features. I don't care about what people do based on which way the wind blows their grass. I don't care about if a pigeon alights on the car but only on the second Monday while Aunt Helon's lumbago is flaring up.

Does, based on the design of the interleave, the refresh rates, the graphics mode and so forth, does a modern LCD need a screen saver, or is it immune tioburn in due to any of those technical issues?

Did you miss my reply? No, and LCD can't get burn in under normal use. Screen savers are completely pointless.