This video provides a 2.5-year update on RTINGS.com's accelerated TV longevity test, which simulates roughly 10 years of real-world usage after over 18,000 hours . The test tracks the failure rate of over 100 TVs and shows that a high number of modern TVs are failing.
Key Findings and TV Failures
The test has officially entered the "far side of the bathtub curve of failure," with TVs of all brands and technologies—OLEDs, LEDs, and Quantum Dots—experiencing issues .
1. OLED Burn-In (OLED)
All tested OLEDs, including newer 2023 models, have continued to develop permanent burn-in .
The Vizio OLED 2020 was the "worst offender," showing clear burn-in of the CNN Live Breaking News banner and the silhouettes of talking heads .
2. Backlight Failure (LCD/LED)
The bulk of recent failures are coming from LCD TVs, primarily due to LED backlight failures .
Cause: The LEDs are the weak point of LCD TVs, and since they are often wired in series, the failure of one or two LEDs can cause an entire zone or half the screen to stop working, rendering the TV unusable .
Examples of Backlight Failures:
Insignia F50 QLED, Sony X800H, and Amazon Fire TV 4-series were all removed due to full LED backlight failures .
Sony X90J failed because just one single LED shorted out, which triggered a protection mode that caused the TV to shut off .
Vizio M6 series Quantum 2021 failed because a few dead LEDs caused the entire backlight unit to stop turning on .
3. Quantum Dot Degradation (QLED)
Quantum Dot (QD) layer degradation is appearing in QLED models due to the intense heat and flux from the LED backlight .
TCL S546 QLED: Stopped displaying colors correctly, with gray slides turning a "Pepto-Bismol pink" [04:15]. Opening the TV confirmed that the green quantum dots had degraded .
Samsung Q900TS (8K): Showed a burn-in-like effect on gray slides, suspected to be the result of quantum dot degradation caused by the extreme backlight needed for 8K resolution .
Conclusion and What's Next
The testing indicates that many modern TVs are designed for efficiency and cost reduction rather than longevity . While it is often possible to repair the failed LED strips, most consumers must replace the entire unit .
RTINGS is approaching the end of the accelerated test and will compile all the gathered data to draw bigger conclusions on topics like: OLED vs. LCD longevity, QD-OLED vs. W-OLED, and cheap vs. expensive TV life span .
Key Findings and TV FailuresThe test has officially entered the "far side of the bathtub curve of failure," with TVs of all brands and technologies—OLEDs, LEDs, and Quantum Dots—experiencing issues .
1. OLED Burn-In (OLED)
All tested OLEDs, including newer 2023 models, have continued to develop permanent burn-in .
The Vizio OLED 2020 was the "worst offender," showing clear burn-in of the CNN Live Breaking News banner and the silhouettes of talking heads .
2. Backlight Failure (LCD/LED)
The bulk of recent failures are coming from LCD TVs, primarily due to LED backlight failures .
Cause: The LEDs are the weak point of LCD TVs, and since they are often wired in series, the failure of one or two LEDs can cause an entire zone or half the screen to stop working, rendering the TV unusable .
Examples of Backlight Failures:
Insignia F50 QLED, Sony X800H, and Amazon Fire TV 4-series were all removed due to full LED backlight failures .
Sony X90J failed because just one single LED shorted out, which triggered a protection mode that caused the TV to shut off .
Vizio M6 series Quantum 2021 failed because a few dead LEDs caused the entire backlight unit to stop turning on .
3. Quantum Dot Degradation (QLED)
Quantum Dot (QD) layer degradation is appearing in QLED models due to the intense heat and flux from the LED backlight .
TCL S546 QLED: Stopped displaying colors correctly, with gray slides turning a "Pepto-Bismol pink" [04:15]. Opening the TV confirmed that the green quantum dots had degraded .
Samsung Q900TS (8K): Showed a burn-in-like effect on gray slides, suspected to be the result of quantum dot degradation caused by the extreme backlight needed for 8K resolution .
Conclusion and What's NextThe testing indicates that many modern TVs are designed for efficiency and cost reduction rather than longevity . While it is often possible to repair the failed LED strips, most consumers must replace the entire unit .
RTINGS is approaching the end of the accelerated test and will compile all the gathered data to draw bigger conclusions on topics like: OLED vs. LCD longevity, QD-OLED vs. W-OLED, and cheap vs. expensive TV life span .
