Black Screens Do More Harm Than Good on LCD Monitors

There are way too many monitor-related myths floating around, probable because monitor technology has advanced so quickly over the years. For example, “sit at arm’s length distance” and “screen radiation causes cancer” have both been debunked.

As it turns out, there’s yet another myth that no longer holds true: the myth that black screens conserve more energy. This just isn’t true for LCD monitors, and it hasn’t been for quite a while.

The myth comes from the days of cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitors. Due to the way that CRT monitors work, black pixels require no energy to produce, thus saving on electricity. Back then, this myth was indeed true, and back then, sites like Blackle.com really did reduce your PC’s power consumption.

LCD screens, on the other hand, produce light all the time. When an LCD screen needs to produce a black pixel, it just blocks the light from being shown and energy is being spent no matter what. In fact, on thinner LCD models, black screens actually end up using more energy!

So if you’re on an LCD screen, stop worrying. For those still using CRT screens, you may want to keep Blackle.com as your homepage for now.

Did you already know this? What other myths can you debunk for us? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Image Credits: Black Laptop by GaudiLab via Shutterstock, Black CRT Monitor by NorGal via Shutterstock