Monitor strangeness

[Sol]

I'm having a bit of an issue with my monitor and was wondering if anybody could help.

I'm using a Mitsubishi Diamond View 19NF
I normally have my desktop set at 1600X1200@85Hz, this usually works fine and looks nice.
For the last couple of days, however, the screen has been a bit flickery, as though it was running at 75Hz or less. When I reduce the resolution and run the monitor at 100Hz it looks fine, but at 85 it gets hard to use for too long.

Anyone know what might have caused this change, and how to fix it?

 

[Tea]

You shouldn't buy that cheap muck that Tannin sells.

Also, remember the old rule about "mummy, can I just do it until I need glasses?"

 

[Tannin]

Tea! Take that back right away!

(Disgusting child.)

Where are the mods when you need one?

Four possible causes occur to me, Sol:

(1) You are dreaming. I doubt this but we should consider it.

(2) Cable has come loose, deteriorated, or is getting interference from something else. (I doubt this one too.)

(3) Video card has lost the plot. (Serves you right for not buying it from me.)

(4) Monitor has deterioriated. This seems most likely of the possibilities so far to me. I think this happens from time to time. In fact, I'm nearly sure that my beautiful big Hitachi isn't as nice as it used to be. Not so sharp. But whenever I think this, I tend to put it down to simple eye-strain. (Refer Tea's second taunt above.)

(5) Your display software is lying, and it really is running a lower than reported refresh.

I'll lend you a Matrox G450, and you can see if it's the same or not. If it is, we can put Mitsubushi's service to the test.

 

[P5-133XL]

Tannin, you left off one other possibility - There is a magnetic disturbance nearby like a unshielded speaker causing interferance. However, the most likely cause is simply the monitor's interior electronic parts have deteriorated somewhat. This is a relatively normal aging process of a monitor that causes the bandwidth capability of the monitor to decrease over time. The result is a poor display at high bandwidths and an improved display as you lower the bandwidth requirements by lowering the screen resolution/refresh rate combination.

There is no good solution other than changing the screen resolution and living with that untill the monitor degenerates more and further decreases in bandwidth are needed. The next solution is to replace the monitor. repairing the monitor is not really feasible.

Buying a better quality monitor with more unused bandwidth capability allows your future monitor to age more gracefully.

 

[Tannin]

Hmmm .... I guess the question then becomes, at what point does a deterioriation become something that it's justifiable to send back on RMA? I'm thinking in particular of my two year old Hitachi here, because it's almost out of warranty - though it's probably more my not-getting-any-younger eyes in my case.

(BTW: nice to see you around the place again, Mark.)

 

[P5-133XL]

Tannin,

I may not be writing much, but I visit everyday, read everything and write where it seems appropiate.

When replacing a working piece of hardware always note that it will be replaced by a refurbished piece of equipment. The replacement may actually be worse (or better) off then the original. My observation is that the odds are against you with a refurbished piece and the odds are in your favor when buying new.

 

[Mercutio]

My rule of thumb is 4 - 5 years for a 17" display. 14" displays usually don't age very gracefully at all; after three years or so, there is a really noticeable deterioration. I've not had a 21" monitor for long enough to really tell, but 21" displays tend to be overspecified anyway. I'd expect bigger monitors to last longer than 17".

My five year old Mag DX17F looks much, much better at 1024x768 than it does at 1280x1024, but guess which resolution I like better?

 

[P5-133XL]

I diagree that monitor size has anything to do with the deteriation. It is the electronic parts that are causing the problem, not the screen. The resistors go from 1% to 5% or 5% to 10%. The insulation within capacitors slowly degenerate over time. As these parts, as well as others, degenerate the monitor can not keep the tolerances needed to maintain the high speeds used in high bandwidth operation. I think the larger the monitor the more likely it was over specified and thus the more bandwidth can be lost before it becomes noticable The quality of the original parts do matter and that is why I avoid no-name brands for monitors like the plague.

I think 4-5+ years is just the normal electronic lifespan of a reasonable quality monitor. For one way over specified, it can be much longer, but by then you will want to replace it anyway, even though it still works fine.

 

[Clocker]

Do you think an LCD Panel would have a longer userful life? I plan on replacing my MAG DJ810 (19") with a nice LCD panel when it deteriorates too much (and LCDs are more affordable)...

C

 

[P5-133XL]

On the surface, I would say LCD's would last longer, because there are fewer parts. However, in the end, I don't really know. I don't have any long-term data and I don't know enough about their construction to know what are the normal failure points or even how or why they would fail. I think you would need someone involved in their manufacture to answer the question and that is not me.

 

[CougTek]

Do you think an LCD Panel would have a longer userful life?

Without any proof, I tend to believe that the average LCD lifespan would be shorter than the one of the average CRT. That's because of the backlights used in LCD, I think one of the backlights is far more likely to burn after 3 years (making the screen totally unusable) than the cathodic ray tube or electronic parts of a conventional display.

 

[timwhit]

But if the backlight doesn't burn out or if it is easily replaced, then a LCD should work a long time. Unless you burn it in somehow or a lot of the pixels start dying.

 

[Pradeep]

1600*1200*85Hz is the max that that monitor can do, so it could well be deteriorating past the point where it can support it.

 

[Buck]

Sol, just buy a new monitor from Tony, he's bound to give you a great deal! Plus he provides lifetime warranty and service. :erm:

 

[Pradeep]

What video card are you using Sol?

 

[Tannin]

He already did, Buck. About six months ago. Last of the 19NF before they went to the new model. Sol has a Hercules Gforce III.

 

[Sol]

Thanks for the feedback people, I havn't been online for a couple of days because I've been working and I took my PC 'round to a friends place for a LAN gamming night. Bizzarly my monitor worked just fine there and obviously my PC hasn't changed. I guess this suggests that there is some interference but since I havn't changed anything in my room recently I can't see why that wouldn't effect it before.

My current theory is that there may be somhing wrong with the cable since I havn't tested it since getting it home - Another gamming night tonight so I havn't bothered putting my PC together as there are 16 cables to plug in and I just can't be bothered.

At least it doesn't seem to be the monitor itself. I don't think I can afford to replace it just yet.

 

[Handruin]

Gaming night! I need one of those soon. :mrgrn: Hopefully sometime this summer. Too bad Australia is so far away.

 

[Sol]

Problem solved. The offending peice of hardware was my PC itself. Pretty odd since the only new thing I've put in recently was a burner. Now its on the floor and my monitor is fine.

Gaming night! I need one of those soon. Hopefully sometime this summer. Too bad Australia is so far away.

You need a gaming night? Don't you live in the land of broadband where you can just hop online and xperience pings of next to nothing playing people arround the country?

 

[Handruin]

Problem solved. The offending peice of hardware was my PC itself. Pretty odd since the only new thing I've put in recently was a burner. Now its on the floor and my monitor is fine.

Gaming night! I need one of those soon. Hopefully sometime this summer. Too bad Australia is so far away.

You need a gaming night? Don't you live in the land of broadband where you can just hop online and xperience pings of next to nothing playing people arround the country?

Well, maybe Clocker can get those pings, but in my case I'm the only one who has broadband out of our group of gamers. My connection isn't fast enough to host a server, so it wouldn't work. Besides, it is more fun when everyone is in the same room, this way you can call them names and laugh.