View Full Version : iPod Touch Backlight Life
Hello everybody.
I was wondering how long the backlight on my new iPod Touchy Feely is going to last, and whether it is better to run the backlight on close to minimum brightness to preserve its life or to crank it up to max and bask in its radiance for a year or two.
:shake: I don't need to know about battery life. I think that it's a given that having the backlight on a high setting will drain your battery faster.
kornchild2002
03-15-2008, 01:38 AM
The iPod touch will play audio with the screen on and backlight up to full blast for about 4-5 hours on a single charge. That is how long my 16GB iPod touch lasts when playing audio with the screen on and backlight turned all the way up. Most LCD displays have an operating time of about 60,000 hours. This means that the LCD would produce a factory quality image (ie have the same quality image as if it just came out of the factory) for 60,000 straight hours regardless of backlight level. Keep in mind that backlight level has little to do with LCD life. Backlight is just that, lights that are placed behind the LCD panel to illuminate it. A LCD panel will display the same picture whether or not the backlight is on or off.
60,000 hours translates to 2500 days if you were to keep the LCD panel on for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That is 6.8 years of keeping the LCD panel on all the time. So don't worry about the life of your iPod touch's LCD panel, it is designed to last longer than the period that you will own/use the unit. It is better to turn off your display when listening to music though, that way you can get the full 22 hours of audio playback on a single charge. No need in keeping the display on unless you are looking at photos or playing videos. You can simply press the power button (the button on the top of the iPod touch) once to turn off the screen. You can also press the home button twice to bring up music controls. That way you don't have to fully unlock your iPod touch just to change the volume, switch songs, fast forward, rewind, etc.
Your answer is great, but it's the answer for another question. An LCD display question, not a backlight question.
ty anywayz!
batmania15
03-15-2008, 11:08 AM
ive read your question multiple times and he more than answered your question so i don't know what your talking about??
kornchild2002
03-15-2008, 05:09 PM
Well, ^_^ asked if having the backlight set to minimum brightness helps to preserve the life of the LCD panel. I answered "...backlight level has little to do with LCD life." So I guess I don't see how that was an answer for a different question. Oh well, the question has been answered.
I should elaborate.
I meant the life of the backlight. I know that LCD panels can last for quite a while.
sorry about that
kornchild2002
03-15-2008, 09:19 PM
The iPod touch uses LED backlights which mean that they will last for at least 10+ years before they begin to dim. Older LCDs use actual lights (similar to fluorescent lights) which means that they would dim over time. It would take at least 4 years but still. Newer LCDs (including HDTVs) use LEDs for their backlights which consume less power and are able to produce a brighter image.
Don't worry about anything in the iPod touch as all components are designed to last the lifetime of the unit (about 5 years or longer). The display, backlight, battery, etc. are all designed to last at least 5 years or longer.
Cool! I'll take your word for it!
So it's fine to keep the backlight on full all the time?
Ed2020
03-16-2008, 01:04 PM
So it's fine to keep the backlight on full all the time?
Yep. Your iPod Touch will be obsolete long before any of the parts wear out (with the possible exception of the battery, although even that would require very heavy use).
Ed.
So the backlight won't dim, or get discolored for a long long time? Even with heavy use?
kornchild2002
03-16-2008, 05:59 PM
Backlights don't emit color so it would be hard for them to get discolored. As we said (and have confirmed), it is alright to use your iPod touch with the backlight on at full blast. Just keep in mind that you won't get the advertised battery numbers for either audio or video playback. Apple sets the backlight to about 50% when running a video test so you will probably get about 3.5-4 hours of use on a single charge when playing video. You will get about the same amount of use if you leave the display on and backlight on while playing music. That is why I suggest that you turn off the screen while playing music. Only turn the screen on if you want to switch songs, adjust the volume, etc. There is no need to keep the screen on when the battery life will be reduced from 22 hours all the way down to 3.5-4 hours.
This will not harm your unit but it is a unnecessary use of resources. Also keep in mind that the iPod touch's battery lasts for about 500 charge cycles. A cycle consists of you draining the iPod touch's battery and charging it back up again. The more you drain your iPod, the more you charge your iPod, the shorter the battery will last. Hence, it is best to just turn off your screen while playing music.