We often use our TVs for hours at a time. TVs across the UK are no stranger to long binge-watching sessions or late-night horror movie marathons. Because our TVs are often used for hours in a row, it’s easy to wonder what would happen if you left the screen on perpetually. If you’re using the TV every single day, why not just leave it on at all times?

Want to know what would happen if you left your TV on for an extended period? Don’t want to risk your TV to find out? Then allow us to demystify the subject for you! Our article below will take you through everything there is to know!

What Would Happen If You Left A TV On Too Long?

You should generally try to avoid leaving your TV on for extended periods if you can. The lifespan of a TV screen is usually measured in total hours. For instance, some TVs are built to last for around 60,000 hours of total watch time. The longer you leave the TV on, the quicker this total lifespan will count down!

If you’re still watching the TV while it’s on, then it’s generally not too much of a problem to leave it on. Sure, it eats away at the TV’s lifespan, but you’re making use of every second. On the other hand, leaving the TV on without using it would be putting precious hours to waste. If you’re not using your TV, the best practice is to simply turn it off!

Of course, the longer you leave your TV on, the more power it ultimately consumes. If you leave your TV powered on, whether you’re watching it or not, you might see an increase in your electricity bills.

The longer a TV is left on, the shorter its lifespan will be. This is why you should never leave your TV on when you’re not watching it. You’re quite literally shortening its lifespan!

You might also find that leaving your TV on for extended periods leads to damage. When a TV is powered on, the internal components heat up as power flows through them. The longer your TV is left on, the hotter the components will be. This could lead to permanent damage to the internal components. It’s best to give your TV a break every few hours!

What Happens When A TV Is Left On Pause?

While it’s okay to leave your TV on if you’re watching it, you should avoid leaving it paused wherever possible. The energy used to keep a static image on-screen can put a significant strain on your TV’s components. It’s okay to leave your TV paused for a few minutes while you boil the kettle, but leaving it paused on the same image for hours can be very risky.

You might be surprised to hear just how often TVs are left on pause. You might pause the TV, with the intention of continuing in just a minute, only to be sidetracked for hours!

On certain TVs, leaving the screen on can also cause damage to the screen. OLED TV screens are made up of millions of unique pixels that use more energy than standard pixels. The reason for this is that OLED pixels also produce their light.

You should never leave your TV paused for too long. Leaving your TV paused will lead to a lot of strain on your TV’s components. It can even do damage to the screens of specific TVs.

When you leave a static image displayed on an OLED screen, each of the pixels has to work extra hard to keep the image up! Pixels used in the brightest parts of the image, in particular, run the risk of burning out faster than the others. When OLED pixels burn out, it leaves the impression of a static image that obscures even moving images.

How Can You Avoid Leaving Your TV Screen On For Too Long?

Leaving your TV on for extended periods can be incredibly risky. Especially if left on pause! To reduce the risk of leaving your TV on for too long, we strongly recommend making use of some built-in features that your TV may have. Many smart TVs are built with auto-shut-down timers that can turn the screen off after a period of inactivity. These help to ensure that, if you do accidentally leave the TV on, it won’t be using up power for too long!

Some smart TVs also come with screensaver functions. Screensavers might seem rather archaic, but they are designed to quite literally save your TV screen! On most TVs, you can set a specific amount of time within which the screensaver will activate. We would recommend setting the screensaver to kick in within five minutes of inactivity!

Generally, it’s best to simply develop a habit of turning the TV screen off. Whenever you step away from the TV, turn it off. The content will still be there when you’re ready to come back!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Happens When A TV Is Left On For Too Long?

While TVs can be used for hours at a time, it’s important to give them a break every now and again. Leaving a TV on for an extended period will lead to a lot of energy usage. This will naturally lead to much higher bills. As well as this, that significant amount of energy can put a strain on many important components of the TV!

Is It Bad For A TV To Be On 24 Hours?

In pretty much every case, leaving a TV on for 24 hours would be a bad idea. 24 hours is a significantly long amount of time for your TV to be powered on. Thus, it will end up using a lot of electricity. It’s also unlikely that you’ll be watching the TV for that entire 24 hours, putting it at even further risk.

What Happens If You Leave Your TV On 24/7?

Leaving your TV on 24/7 would lead to a lot of wasted electricity. This would lead to your energy bills skyrocketing. As well as that, leaving your TV on would also lead to its life being shortened. Subjecting a TV to constant energy without breaks can reduce the lifespan of many of its components.