Fourteen of 16 WOLED TVs in RTINGS' 18,000-hour accelerated test developed "edge rot," meaning dead pixels creeping along panel edges. All sets use LG Display panels released between 2020 and 2023. Older WBC panels fared worst, with nine of ten affected and five rated severe, while five of six newer WBE panels also showed damage.
Only the LG A2 and LG G3 came out clean. Meanwhile, the three QD-OLED TVs tested -- Samsung's S95B, S95C and Sony's A95K -- had zero dead pixels. Unlike burn-in, edge rot does not depend on viewing content, so mixing up content won't help.
RTINGS suspects manufacturing contamination or encapsulation layer flaws, though confirming this requires failure analysis. Two staffers found it on their own LG GX and C1 at home. LG stated the issue may appear in a very small number of products under prolonged harsh conditions and isn't expected in normal use.
RTINGS now rates WOLEDs slightly lower for expected reliability, including newer models as a precaution, though OLEDs are still considered more durable than LCDs. Its next test includes 2025 and 2026 models, some with LG's RGB Tandem panels, to see if the issue is fixed.
Source: TechPowerUp News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing