LCD technology is certainly leaps and bounds ahead of cathode ray tube, or CRT, hardware. Whereas CRT monitors carried the risk of "burn-in," an irreversible situation in which a faint image is forever imprinted on the electronic display, LCD hardware has been able to fundamentally avoid these types of problems through hardware innovation and technological evolution. That said, LCD monitors have their own issues, one of the most common being slight image persistence and stuck pixels. Fortunately, these problems can be corrected using a few steps and techniques commonly referred to as LCD conditioning.
LCD Conditioning Basics
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If you have been asking yourself, "What is LCD conditioning?" you aren't alone. This particular method for restoring the functionality of your monitor and removing any image persistence problems may be something that you have yet to encounter during your experiences with LCD monitors.
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Fundamentally, LCD conditioning works by cycling your monitor through a series of full-screen colors. Alternatively, LCD conditioning may work by displaying an all-white screen on your monitor or display for several hours. This particular technique is commonly used by members of Apple repair teams. While there is no right method for LCD conditioning and restoring your monitor after a case of image persistence, you may find that your particular hardware responds better to one method over another. In either scenario, your LCD monitor will benefit from being forced to cycle through available color option, which should remove any image persistence occurring within the display.
LCD Conditioning Tools
Many modern monitors include an image persistence and LCD conditioning tool that can be scheduled to automatically undergo routine maintenance functions or be triggered by the display owner at any time. If you own a Dell monitor, for example, you can access the LCD conditioning tools directly from the menu features integrated into the display.
In situations where your monitor may not include any LCD conditioning tools, you can manually recreate this process by finding several full-screen color images online and displaying them sequentially on your monitor. This should effectively recreate the same processes integrated into other monitors' services. If you still notice image persistence occurring on the monitor, you may need to seek the assistance of a qualified repair technician. For example, if you are currently using an Apple hardware product, you may be able to consult directly with a technician at an Apple Store to learn how to correct this particular issue occurring within your hardware.