The results of an ongoing, long-term accelerated longevity test imply that thin TVs, particularly those that incorporate edge-lit LCD technology, are more prone to premature failure. The study, which is being conducted by tech review site RTINGS, has involved the testing of 100 TV models by multiple brands over the span of nearly two years. As of July of this year, the TVs had already undergone 10,000 hours of accelerated testing, and this method of stress testing across models and brands has yielded some interesting information.
“The results of this investigation are unequivocal: edge-lit TVs are inherently prone to significant durability issues, including warped reflector sheets, cracked light guide plates, and burnt-out LEDs due to concentrated heat,” concludes RTINGS. “These problems manifest after prolonged use at maximum brightness, posing a significant risk to their long-term reliability.”
Samsung to cease LED production
While these issues would naturally appear on any LCD display driven past its lifespan, edge-lit models experienced a bevy of symptoms well before they were pushed beyond their limits.
“It didn’t take 10,000 hours for issues to appear on our tested edge-lit TVs,” write the study’s authors. “Of the seven with visible uniformity issues, three started showing signs of deterioration at 2,200 hours of testing or sooner, which is around one year of use for a typical U.S. household.”
Authors of the study recommend that consumers determined to purchase an LCD TV prioritize heat distribution when selecting a model, as this will invariably lead to a lengthier lifespan for the device.
