iMac screen burn-in

Though modern LCDs are generally resistant to screen burn-in (resulting in images that erroneously persist on the display), a surprisingly high number of iMac owners have recently reported the issue. In most cases, the burn-in is temporary and can be easily resolved (the same applies for "stuck pixels). Though the problem can affect any LCD, reports we've received implicate iMacs, specifically aluminum iMacs, most often.

MacFixIt reader Mike writes:

"I've had my iMac since late Oct, about three months, and last night I noticed while booting up that my 'home' window which I leave open, and Mail, were both etched into the screen. I use a plain blue backdrop and the etching is clearly visible. My brightness is set at only 50% and I use a screen saver whenever possible."

Stuck pixels or burn-in are, obviously, most likely to occur in areas of the screen that display mostly static images: the Dock, the menubar, etc.

The best fix for these issues (that we know of) is the use of an applet called "J-Screen Fix.". The applet runs inside a web browser and works by displaying a specific pattern on the screen for several minutes. From the J-Screen site:

"To reduce screen burn-in: Disable your screen saver. Launch the JScreenFix applet (below) and enter fullscreen mode. This is achieved by pressing F11 in most browsers, if this fails you will need to consult the documentation for your Internet browser. It is important that JScreenFix fills the screen fully or you may suffer additional unequal burn-in. Leave the applet running for about an hour and observe the results. If you notice an improvement, continue running JScreenFix until the burn-in is more acceptable."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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