Comments for Do I need to use a screen saver if I have an LCD screen?

Comment from Harish on 2008-09-18

2008-09-18T14:57:58Z

Thanks for the good answer to a "usual" question. What I like most is the way you emphasize on power saving feature of blank screen, though not too much, yet a combined effort by people can make a big difference...

Harish

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A comment on: Do I need to use a screen saver if I have an LCD screen?

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Comment from Alfred Poor on 2008-09-16

2008-09-16T12:47:18Z

LCDs are not susceptible to burn in. (It's the phosphors in a CRT that wear out, not the glass, and LCDs do not use phosphors.) So there's no need to use a screen saver. In fact, as others have pointed out, using a screen saver will actually waste energy and shorten the display's lifetime because the backlight stays on whether the screen is showing a white or black image. The best strategy is to use the energy-saving settings to put the display in sleep mode as quickly as possible when you're not using it.

Alfred Poor
HDTV Almanac
www.hdtvprofessor.com/HDTVAlmanac

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A comment on: Do I need to use a screen saver if I have an LCD screen?

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Comment from Michael Horowitz on 2008-09-15

2008-09-16T02:17:09Z

I turn off the screen saver and set the power options in the control panel to turn off the monitor after a while. Steve Gibson's little Wizmo utility can be used to be a computer into sleep mode immediately, great if you know you are stepping away briefly.

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A comment on: Do I need to use a screen saver if I have an LCD screen?

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Comment from Russ on 2008-09-12

2008-09-13T02:19:13Z

If you run a distributed computing project in the background like SETI, or Mersenne Primes, or World Community Grid then I recommend the blank screen saver as it doesn't use any cycles leaving that many more for your background project. It might help you find the cure for AIDS!

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A comment on: Do I need to use a screen saver if I have an LCD screen?

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Comment from Jason Zions on 2008-09-12

2008-09-12T22:28:05Z

Running a screen saver may prevent your computer from detecting that it's idle and going into a lower-power state (suspend). Well-written screen savers tell Windows that, even though they're running and doing something, they're really doing nothing important and the computer can suspend.

The problem is that badly written screen savers don't do that, and they're sometimes insecure, and they're sometimes vectors for attacks on your computer. Running the screen savers that come with Windows is safe in these respects; some commercial and some free screen savers are fine; some are, let's say, a bit dodgy.

The best advice is Leo's; run the "Blank Screen" screensaver and select "Require a password when exiting the screen saver". Oh, and try turning the monitor off with the power switch when you know you're going to be gone a while. :-)

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A comment on: Do I need to use a screen saver if I have an LCD screen?

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Comment from David Ball on 2008-09-12

2008-09-12T16:46:24Z

A couple of quote notes for consideration:
1) As you surmised, LCDs do not suffer from permanent burn-in. However, there is a technology that does: Plasma screens. I recall in the late 80’s, when monochrome plasma screens were an incredibly expensive upgrade on IBM’s commercial systems, the challenge with burnt monitors was overcome with self-power down routines.

2) The cost for using a screen saver with an LCD is the lifetime of the backlight. LCDs are illuminated (principally) by cold cathode fluorescent lamps. This tubes have a limited lifespan and are often costly to replace. In the case of some notebook computers, the entire screen must be replaced (as it is more costly for the labor to only replace the lamps). I discovered this first-hand with my wife’s old Sony notebook. Some of the newest (and more expensive) LCDs are using LEDs as their light source, which should provide many advantages including longer lifespan.

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A comment on: Do I need to use a screen saver if I have an LCD screen?

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Comment from Ken B on 2008-09-12

2008-09-12T14:08:12Z

I understand that part of the way the LCD monitors work is that they have a light source behind the screen. (Which is why you can see it in a dark room -- it's an active source, not passively reflecting room light.) This light source has a limited lifetime, and using the "power save" mode of a screensaver turns off the backlight, thereby increasing the lifetime of the monitor.

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/monitor5.htm

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A comment on: Do I need to use a screen saver if I have an LCD screen?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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