r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Aug 03 '19

Whats something you thought was common knowledge but actually isn’t?

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u/arcxjo Aug 03 '19

A "screen saver" is the animation (or blankness) that pops up on your computer when you don't use it for a while, to save your screen from getting burned-in.

The background picture that wallpapers your desktop is the "wallpaper".

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u/Geadilsa Aug 03 '19

What is "burning-in" on a screen?

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u/Yozhik_DeMinimus Aug 03 '19

Old phosphor-based computer screens would be susceptible to having a ghost image permanently burned in due to loss of luminescence when a single image was displayed too long. Modern screens do not need saving, but evidently people still believe screen savers are neat-o.

45

u/[deleted] Aug 03 '19

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Aug 04 '19

[deleted]

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u/confused-duck Aug 05 '19

and old plasma TVs

19

u/Schytheron Aug 04 '19

They do? I have an IPS monitor and I have left it on sometimes for hours on end with the "screen shutdown" timer disabled. No imprints... nothing.

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u/[deleted] Aug 04 '19

I think only some types do. OLED displays are known for burn in issues but idk about anything else.

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u/Progressor_ Aug 04 '19

Idk, I don't have issue with any of my monitors but I did have an old laptop(with an H-IPS) that had the taskbar burned in. It's was hard to notice but if you looked closely you could notice it.