How to tell when a monitor is starting to go?

Bellator · Jul 26, 2004, 11:55 PM

Hi,

I have a 4 year old Dell Trinitron ( so Sony ) monitor. Lately I feel as though blacks are starting to show up with more red/gray hues in them, but am not sure if perhaps this is how it's suppossed to look (i.e. in bootup dos is suppossed to be pure black, not reddish black right?). Also it seems as though there is some minor 'blue bleeding' along the edges of the screen. Non of this seems to major and for the most part the monitor still is displaying sharp pictures and text, and from what i can tell good color reproduction.

So basically I'm wondering

a) is there really anything wrong with the monitor or am i just being anal

and

b) assuming the monitor is starting to show some wear, how long do these things usually last? and by 'last' i mean in good working order..

tanx

Judas · Jul 27, 2004, 02:32 AM

the color drives may be going a bit... could possibly need a little tuning... highly suggest you take it to a tech shop... as it's most likely very cheap to fix if you get it right away.... shouldn't be to hard.. 4 years.... that's not exactly old at all for a monitor... even some cheap ones last approx 10 years or more.. (even under some pretty bad condititions).... it could be getting hot as well. what's the ventilation like?

Bellator · Jul 27, 2004, 03:48 PM

I think venting is pretty good (nothing on top of or under the monitor housing). As far as tuning goes, is that something I can do myself? Or even that I'd have to take in to a tech store...

I called around and no one I could find said they fixed monitors.. so it looks like im up a creek on that front. Gonna have to rely on self-tuning if that's possible?

Zardon · Jul 27, 2004, 03:57 PM

are you just finding colour bleeding discolouration or is the screen also losing focus at the edges or any part of the screen?

swimtech · Jul 27, 2004, 04:01 PM

Touching up a Trinitron monitor is not something you'll want to do unless your trained and experienced. There are several alignments (H-Stat, and, depending on design revision, some magnets that affect both horizontal and vertical beam landing) that may need to be done on the neck of the CRT (picture tube) while it is running - definitely not for the unexperienced. Other adjustments need to be done while the unit is running as well, but are not quite so dangerous.

The fact you have crisp text tells me that your beam landing is good (in the center and in the corners as well?). The light reddish color and bleeding on the edges of the screen tell me that the G2 voltage may have crept up over the life of the unit. If this voltage runs high for long it could shorten the life of your picture tube, but for a short while causes no real harm. Some high value resistors may have changed value as well (having to do with the biasing of the tube - that is, the voltages that enable an electron beam to be thrown from the neck toward the front screen area).

I had a Mag Trinitron that lasted only 5 years - but I pushed it at max resolution and refresh over its lifetime. Most monitors last from 5 to 8 years before the picture starts to dim and lose focus - a sign of the picture tube wearing out...

Bellator · Jul 27, 2004, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by swimtech
Touching up a Trinitron monitor is not something you'll want to do unless your trained and experienced. There are several alignments (H-Stat, and, depending on design revision, some magnets that affect both horizontal and vertical beam landing) that may need to be done on the neck of the CRT (picture tube) while it is running - definitely not for the unexperienced. Other adjustments need to be done while the unit is running as well, but are not quite so dangerous.

The fact you have crisp text tells me that your beam landing is good (in the center and in the corners as well?). The light reddish color and bleeding on the edges of the screen tell me that the G2 voltage may have crept up over the life of the unit. If this voltage runs high for long it could shorten the life of your picture tube, but for a short while causes no real harm. Some high value resistors may have changed value as well (having to do with the biasing of the tube - that is, the voltages that enable an electron beam to be thrown from the neck toward the front screen area).

I had a Mag Trinitron that lasted only 5 years - but I pushed it at max resolution and refresh over its lifetime. Most monitors last from 5 to 8 years...

Yes from what I can tell all parts of the screen are still displaying sharp accurate pictures and text. The only problem being the tinting issue and the barely noticeable bleeding along the left and right edges. If what you think is going on is actually what is wrong with the monitor, what should my next step be? Hunt as hard as a I can for a local tech shop? Anything else if I can't find one?

Tanx

swimtech · Jul 27, 2004, 04:09 PM

Take it to an experienced TV technician who also does computers. If he was ever an authorized Sony Service Center he'll know enough what to do and adjustments are usually only a minor (categorically speaking) labor rate...

Judas · Jul 27, 2004, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by swimtech
Take it to an experienced TV technician who also does computers. If he was ever an authorized Sony Service Center he'll know enough what to do and adjustments are usually only a minor (categorically speaking) labor rate...

i don't know much about trinitons.. but i've got an idea....

I know that if your carefull and have some idea of what your doing.... adjusting the color drives manually works..

swimtech · Jul 27, 2004, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Judas
i don't know much about trinitons.. but i've got an idea....

I know that if your carefull and have some idea of what your doing.... adjusting the color drives manually works..

Admittedly, modern monitors will often have an undocumented (to the user anyway...) way of setting the drive and low level bias controls from the front panel without having to "crack case" on the monitor. This is because a lot of those settings nowadays are stored in a EEProm and are made digitally, rather than with a variable resistor.

Unfortunately, I don't know what front panel key combo would bring up a service menu on his Dell monitor...

If Bellator is willing and we could find that key combo (if it exists) we could talk him through a white balance setup...

Good suggestion Judas, I'll start looking for a key combo.

Bellator, the model of your monitor please...

Judas · Jul 27, 2004, 05:44 PM

some of the monitors have adjustments available in the back.... (pin holes)... some you have to take the outer shell of the monitor off... and the adjustments can be made there... (overrides the Digital Settings)..

swimtech · Jul 27, 2004, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Judas
some of the monitors have adjustments available in the back.... (pin holes)... some you have to take the outer shell of the monitor off... and the adjustments can be made there... (overrides the Digital Settings)..

That's true too...

Bellator, you up for it? To do this right, it could get a bit involved, but it is easy step by step and will require your feedback. Further, I work nights where I am unavailable, during the day though during the week should not be a problem, and its only Tuesday...

I've been a video equipment service technician for about 20 years now and a computer consultant (hardware support and repair) for over 7 - just so you know me a bit.

BWX · Jul 27, 2004, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bellator
Hi,

I have a 4 year old Dell Trinitron ( so Sony ) monitor. Lately I feel as though blacks are starting to show up with more red/gray hues in them, but am not sure if perhaps this is how it's suppossed to look (i.e. in bootup dos is suppossed to be pure black, not reddish black right?). Also it seems as though there is some minor 'blue bleeding' along the edges of the screen. Non of this seems to major and for the most part the monitor still is displaying sharp pictures and text, and from what i can tell good color reproduction.

So basically I'm wondering

a) is there really anything wrong with the monitor or am i just being anal

and

b) assuming the monitor is starting to show some wear, how long do these things usually last? and by 'last' i mean in good working order..

tanx

http://freepctech.com/rode/004.shtml download the monitor test--

http://www.monitorsdirect.com/toolkit/index.shtml launch the calibrator here-\

At least you can test it out to see what exactly the problem is..

swimtech · Jul 27, 2004, 06:54 PM

The patterns there are necessary to do a proper white balance too!

pr0digal jenius · Jul 27, 2004, 07:11 PM

yea, with a trinitron monitor a TV repair guy is the way to go as trinitron is sony's own little way of focusing and doing scanlines and is all complicated and stuff(aka - better)

BWX · Jul 27, 2004, 09:20 PM

I don't like the line going through the middle of trinitron monitors.

Bellator · Jul 30, 2004, 05:03 PM

hey all, sorry for the late reply.. have been busy building my new comp.

My monitor is a Dell P991 and I have had a miraculous (weird) development occur now that the monitor is hooked into my new computer. The quality and purity of th the blacks/colors is back to where it should be. I ran that online monitor calibrator and did not need to calibrate at all, passed all the tests fine.

I guess this means that my old hardware was to blame? It was a four year old Dell computer so maybe the PSU or even the 64mb Geforce 3 was starting to go. Maybe even some other other components?

swimtech · Jul 30, 2004, 06:57 PM

Interesting,
Rarely see the symptoms you had due to bad video card - but hey - anything's possible...

Glad it looks good now and enjoy your new 'puter! - I gathered you were busy as I briefly glanced at the thread that mentioned you building one...

Jul 26, 2004, 11:55 PM	#1
Bellator DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 166 Rep Power: 0	How to tell when a monitor is starting to go? Hi, I have a 4 year old Dell Trinitron ( so Sony ) monitor. Lately I feel as though blacks are starting to show up with more red/gray hues in them, but am not sure if perhaps this is how it's suppossed to look (i.e. in bootup dos is suppossed to be pure black, not reddish black right?). Also it seems as though there is some minor 'blue bleeding' along the edges of the screen. Non of this seems to major and for the most part the monitor still is displaying sharp pictures and text, and from what i can tell good color reproduction. So basically I'm wondering a) is there really anything wrong with the monitor or am i just being anal and b) assuming the monitor is starting to show some wear, how long do these things usually last? and by 'last' i mean in good working order.. tanx

Jul 27, 2004, 04:01 PM	#5
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	Touching up a Trinitron monitor is not something you'll want to do unless your trained and experienced. There are several alignments (H-Stat, and, depending on design revision, some magnets that affect both horizontal and vertical beam landing) that may need to be done on the neck of the CRT (picture tube) while it is running - definitely not for the unexperienced. Other adjustments need to be done while the unit is running as well, but are not quite so dangerous. The fact you have crisp text tells me that your beam landing is good (in the center and in the corners as well?). The light reddish color and bleeding on the edges of the screen tell me that the G2 voltage may have crept up over the life of the unit. If this voltage runs high for long it could shorten the life of your picture tube, but for a short while causes no real harm. Some high value resistors may have changed value as well (having to do with the biasing of the tube - that is, the voltages that enable an electron beam to be thrown from the neck toward the front screen area). I had a Mag Trinitron that lasted only 5 years - but I pushed it at max resolution and refresh over its lifetime. Most monitors last from 5 to 8 years before the picture starts to dim and lose focus - a sign of the picture tube wearing out... __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it. Last edited by swimtech; Jul 27, 2004 at 04:06 PM.

Jul 27, 2004, 04:09 PM	#7
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	Take it to an experienced TV technician who also does computers. If he was ever an authorized Sony Service Center he'll know enough what to do and adjustments are usually only a minor (categorically speaking) labor rate... __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Jul 27, 2004, 06:54 PM	#13
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	The patterns there are necessary to do a proper white balance too! __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Jul 30, 2004, 06:57 PM	#17
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	Interesting, Rarely see the symptoms you had due to bad video card - but hey - anything's possible... Glad it looks good now and enjoy your new 'puter! - I gathered you were busy as I briefly glanced at the thread that mentioned you building one... __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Jul 27, 2004, 03:48 PM	Thread Starter #3
Bellator DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 166 Rep Power: 0	I think venting is pretty good (nothing on top of or under the monitor housing). As far as tuning goes, is that something I can do myself? Or even that I'd have to take in to a tech store... I called around and no one I could find said they fixed monitors.. so it looks like im up a creek on that front. Gonna have to rely on self-tuning if that's possible?

Jul 27, 2004, 03:57 PM	#4
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	are you just finding colour bleeding discolouration or is the screen also losing focus at the edges or any part of the screen?

Jul 27, 2004, 07:11 PM	#14
pr0digal jenius Delete Me Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 14,648 Rep Power: 0	yea, with a trinitron monitor a TV repair guy is the way to go as trinitron is sony's own little way of focusing and doing scanlines and is all complicated and stuff(aka - better)

Jul 27, 2004, 09:20 PM	#15
BWX unplugged Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: USNY Posts: 19,669 Rep Power: 110 System Specs	I don't like the line going through the middle of trinitron monitors.