The mere mention of “burn-in” can send chills down the spine of any OLED monitor owner. While OLED technology has become increasingly popular, especially among gamers seeking the best display experience, burn-in remains a persistent concern. Enter OLED Guard Pro, a new application that boldly claims to prevent burn-in, promising a longer screen life, reduced energy bills, and a perpetually fresh viewing experience. Naturally, as an avid OLED monitor user myself, I couldn’t resist putting OLED Guard Pro to the test on my trusty KTC G42P5. While the app largely delivers on its stated functionality, I remain skeptical about its ability to truly prevent image retention.
OLED Guard Pro is a straightforward app with a price tag of $10 (often available for $5 during sales). A week-long free trial allows for a taste of its features before committing to a purchase. The core principle of OLED Guard Pro is to focus on the active window on your screen. By dimming or applying a pattern to inactive areas, the app aims to minimize strain and, ultimately, prevent burn-in. However, this concept of preventing burn-in is somewhat misleading, as current OLED technology doesn’t allow for complete prevention, only delaying its onset.
The app offers two main modes: Shadow mode and Pattern mode. Shadow mode gently dims inactive areas, while Pattern mode overlays horizontal or vertical lines on the screen. Additionally, two Vignette modes target burn-in around the edges of the display. Settings within each mode allow customization, such as opacity in Shadow mode and line thickness and density in Pattern mode. Notably, the pattern in Pattern mode automatically shifts every 10 seconds, but you can adjust this interval from one second to 10 minutes. However, disabling the shifting is not an option.
Beyond its core features, OLED Guard Pro includes a few additional functionalities. One is a pixel-shifting feature that can move inactive windows, although this only operates in one direction. Additionally, a full-screen flash option refreshes the entire display to address potential uneven wear. For users with multi-monitor setups, OLED Guard Pro provides the ability to apply its overlay to a specific monitor.
While these features function as advertised, they do come with a fair share of clunkiness. One of the biggest issues arises in determining the active window. OLED Guard Pro slowly fades out the shadow or pattern when you hover over inactive areas, but it doesn’t automatically focus on the window you’ve mouses over. This necessitates clicking on the window, sometimes repeatedly, to gain focus. Furthermore, the transition from an inactive to an active window is abrupt, instantly applying the shadow or pattern to the rest of the screen, resulting in a jarring and often frustrating experience.
This clunkiness becomes particularly noticeable when working with multiple windows, as I often do with two browser windows occupying half of my screen. While I can mouse over and see the inactive window, it requires multiple clicks to activate it and interact with it. This seemingly minor issue can quickly become a significant annoyance when constantly switching between windows.
The pixel-shifting feature, while intriguing, introduces another problem. It shifts inactive windows only in one direction, leading to a gradual creep of the window towards the second monitor. This shift in inactive windows, unfortunately, also moves the boundary of the active window area, leading to inconsistencies when trying to reposition or resize windows.
Furthermore, when dealing with notifications, overlays, or features like Snap Layouts in Windows, OLED Guard Pro’s behavior becomes unpredictable, ranging from slightly jerky to completely unusable. This inconsistency in functionality is concerning for a paid application.
Even if one were to overlook the clunkiness, a fundamental question arises: does OLED Guard Pro truly prevent burn-in? The answer is a resounding no. While the app may potentially extend the lifespan of your OLED display, it cannot prevent burn-in entirely. As mentioned earlier, current OLED technology doesn’t allow for complete burn-in prevention; it can only delay its onset. The claim of full burn-in prevention is a misrepresentation, and the app’s approach, while seemingly helpful, is essentially a brute force method that doesn’t fully capitalize on the advanced features of modern OLED monitors.
Today’s OLED monitors are equipped with sophisticated features that go beyond what OLED Guard Pro offers. Manufacturers like Asus have implemented pixel shifting, taskbar protection, and even a “target mode” that functions similarly to OLED Guard Pro. Similarly, MSI’s MPG 321URX includes taskbar detection and border protection. Alienware’s 34 QD-OLED monitor features voltage adjustments to diodes and uniformity checks.
While OLED Guard Pro might offer a marginal increase in lifespan, the built-in features of your OLED monitor are already effectively addressing the burn-in issue. Moreover, experts generally agree that the risk of OLED burn-in is significantly lower than often perceived.
Developed by a single developer, OLED Guard Pro is commendable for addressing a real concern, but its shortcomings, especially for a paid application, are undeniable. The app hinders productivity and requires substantial improvements to become a truly useful utility.
