Summary
If you own an OLED TV or plan to buy one, you may have seen that they need a “compensation cycle” to help with their maintenance, but what is that, and what does it mean for your new OLED experience?
What Is a Compensation Cycle?
An OLED compensation cycle is an automated function that makes sure the pixels in yourOLED displaymaintain equivalent brightness, to prevent image retention (aka “burn in”) or other effects of OLED degradation. In general, the cycle kicks in after around four hours of TV use.
The compensation cycle happens when the TV is in standby mode, and there’s no visual indicator that it’s happening, although with some TV models you may hear an audible “click” as the TV turns the power for the cycle on and off. The length of the cycle varies from one make and model of TV to the next, but in general, it’s not going to affect the usage of your TV set in any meaningful way. you may interrupt it and watch TV, and it will just happen overnight—as long as your TV is in standby mode.
The fine details of how this works and what the TV actually does to its pixels differ a little between brands and models too. However, it’s basically an algorithm that looks for problematic pixels and then fine-tunes the amount of electricity that goes to each individual pixel. By adjusting the voltage each pixel receives, you can make its relevant brightness the same as its neighbors. Thereby dealing effectively with temporary image retention.
LED,QLED, and other LCD derivative screen technologies don’t have an equivalent function to the OLED compensation cycle, so if you have any of those TVs, this isn’t something you need to worry about.
Why Should You Care?
“Neat feature, but what’s the fuss?” you may wonder. The significance lies in your OLED TV display’s sustained quality and longevity.
The organic materials in OLEDs are vulnerable to burn-in over time, which is degradation due to static images displayed for extended periods, resulting in permanent discoloration or ghosting. The compensation cycle is like a built-in maintenance technician, subtly offsetting these effects to maintain the vibrant, sharp image quality OLED TVs are renowned for, even as they age.
How to Use the Compensation Cycle
While the compensation cycle is a mostly automated feature, there are ways to ensure it runs smoothly, keeping your OLED TV at the top of its game:
While the compensation cycle largely goes about its business in the background, these steps can help you ensure it’s in the best position to maintain your OLED TV’s stellar visual performance. So be sure to refer to the documentation for your particular brand and model to ensure your TV has adequate time to properly run through compensation cycles.
