Does LG's TV Warranty Cover OLED Burn-In? It's Complicated

When audiences traded in their cathode ray tube TVs for LCD screens, they likely thought that burn-in (an image that remains on a screen if you leave it paused for too long) was a thing of the past. But modern technologies are bringing it back in a "one step forward, two steps back" sort of way. Burn-in isn't a risk with mini-LED TVs, but OLEDs are highly susceptible to the condition. If you want to know if your warranty for an LG TV will cover potential damages, the answer is an emphatic "maybe."

The deciding factor in whether an LG screen's warranty covers burn-in is the wording. These documents are full of sentences written in tantamount legalese double-speak that both do and do not say burn-in is covered — depending on how someone translates it. For instance, the warranty for G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6, 77Z2, 77Z3, and W6 models states that the company doesn't cover "Damage or failure of the Product when used in other than normal intended use" or "caused by improper set-up or adjustment on consumer controls." LG OLEDs have features designed to prevent burn-in, including a screen saver mode. Some people could argue that — if these features are turned off — any burn-in is strictly the user's fault and therefore not covered by the warranty.

The main issue with these warranties is that they do not explicitly mention burn-in. Determining whether an OLED is covered is a matter of inference, and no two people will have the same translation. However, owners might be able to turn the matter to their favor with some good old-fashioned precedent.

Screensavers like the one LG OLED TVs use were originally designed for PCs to prevent burn-in. Many computers don't need screensavers anymore, but some do, especially if they use an OLED monitor. And LG's stance on burn-in with gaming monitors is interesting, to say the least. If you take an existing LG OLED gaming monitor's warranty at face value, you'd be forgiven for assuming that the company doesn't cover burn-in damage. After all, the warranty explicitly mentions burn-in in a list of exclusions. However, when The Verge reached out for clarification, the company created a new warranty that applies to new and old OLED gaming monitors. And, yes, it covers burn-in for two years – as long as it was the result of "normal and proper use."

There's that phrasing again. Since LG's marketing director David Park told The Verge that burn-in is covered so long as the monitor is used as "intended," one could argue that this same coverae applies to OLED TVs. But this only really works if you use the device for what it was created to do. In other words, you won't have a good argument for using that coverage if you hook an OLED TV up to your computer and use it as a monitor. If you're still concerned about burn-in even when accounting for all of this, there's no shame in concluding that upgrading to an OLED TV isn't worth it – whether it's from LG or another brand entirely.