Busted monitor x 2

[erwin1978]

busted monitor for the second time in a year

I don't understand this: I just used my computer a few hours ago and when I turned it on again, the monitor is *messed up. This is the second time this happened and this 19" RIC monitor is a little over a year old. Is this what I get for paying less than $200 for a 19 incher?

When the computer is turned on and starts loading, the screen is squiggly and warped outward, like a fat-bellied man. Once it reaches the logon screen and shows the desktop, the squiggly is gone and the screen is a perfect rectangle again, but the extreme top and bottom portion of the screen are compressed. This becomes evident as you scroll text from top to bottom of the screen since the text gets larger when it reaches the center of the screen and gets smaller as it reaches the top or bottom of the screen.

I don't know if I should send it for repair again or just do it myself. If the shipping was free I would send it in, but for the price of shipping a 50lb monitor I would just as well get a new 17 inch monitor. I'll also have to wait until school is over.

Can anyone guide me to how to fix this, if it's as simple as replacing a resistor?

* Edited by moderator

 

[boeingfixer]

I would call them and tell them you are very displeased, if they won't fix it or replace it, ask for your money back !! When buying a cheap one, make sure there is a service center in your area if at all possible. Another alternative is find a local electronics shop that fixes TV's and such and take it there. I have one here that has fixed a ton of my stuff and nothing has ever had to be returned !!

 

[Arris]

I'm not sure about what you could do yourself to fix your problem but read this thread and heed the warnings about trying to fix monitors yourself.

 

[Rick]

Do the monitor's pin cushion and geometry controls not fix this? Your settings may have been reset somehow. Adjusting these accordingly should fix it.

It would make sense since there is such a diference between boot and logon, considering they use different refresh rates and resolutions.

I would suggest twiddling with your controls and using a different refresh rate and/or resolution could help as well. Some refresh rates and resolutions are more sensitive to monitor geometry settings.

 

[vegasgmc]

Is RIC a brand? A friend has a 19" Mag that just crapped out, 1 month after the warranty. Proview has the same model. I was just about to buy one because Best Buy always has them on sale for $150. Guess I'll go with the Phillips.

 

[Phantasm66]

Originally posted by Arris
I'm not sure about what you could do yourself to fix your problem but read this thread and heed the warnings about trying to fix monitors yourself.

YES PLEASE DO!!!!! PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED MUCKING AROUND INSIDE MONITORS WHEN THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING!!!!!!

Originally posted by Phantasm66
there is a guy at my work who has worked there for 25 years, and about 7 years ago (he claims) he was working on a montor which had been unplugged for some time and he got a VERY nasty shock.....

please play carefully, kiddies.... I don't want to be visiting any of you in hospital.....

Originally posted by Mictlantecuhtli

Yep, the monitor that shocked me was unplugged, too. It takes quite a long time for the tube & capacitors to discharge, up to a month! It can be helped, of course

Now that that's over, you don't have a massive subwoofer under your desk or something, do you??

 

[erwin1978]

Who the fok edited my original post. That was not a cuss word. You assumed it was when it wasn't. It wasn't even a real word. This is getting ridiculous. I almost feel like I'm in kindergarten where I'm forced to eat soap everytime I cuss. Fok that. How about that? Do you know what I just said? Is it a cuss word or is it not.

Right after I posted, I opened my monitor. As usual I didn't know what I was doing so I just sat and Idly stared at the innards for a good time. I did adjust the focus and brightness.

My monitor used to make a clicking sound when switchng resolutions; it doens't any more. I have come to the conclusion that it's a relay problem.

The problem isn't just a warped screen at any resolution; the image during boot up is in a wave pattern like a bad TV reception. When the PC is fully loaded, I switch to 640x480 60Hz and the problem is evident. This setting is the same monitor settings when the PC is loading.

 

[Rick]

Check your private messages for an explanation of why this was probably done.
http://www.3dspotlight.com/vb/private.php

 

[erwin1978]

Actually, Pixie is the manufacturer of my monitor.

I'm wondering if the OS or the video card could cause a monitor to break?

 

[Rick]

Originally posted by erwin1978
Actually, Pixie is the manufacturer of my monitor.

I'm wondering if the OS or the video card could cause a monitor to break?

If it means anything, I can't think of any concievable way either could "break" your monitor.

I'm guessing you can't fix this with your monitors OSD? Sometimes the simplest answers are overlooked. Of course, there is an added complication in here somewhere since it just kind of "started" doing it. But this could offer temporary relief. Perhaps your monitor cannot remember it's color and geometry profiles anymore.

Or maybe the tube is about to blow. :O

Who knows.

 

[erwin1978]

Well, I contacted Pixie and they have arranged to pick up the monitor if I call the number in New Jersey. I know the fix has got to be very simple. The last time it took 3 months for them to return my monitor when it only took them a day to fix it. After the 3 months my monitor have been sitting idly in their warehouse, they called me to ask what the problem was, despite all the emails I've already sent. The following day, they sent me an email saying that they've fixed it. Whoopie...

 

[Rick]

Originally posted by erwin1978
Well, I contacted Pixie and they have arranged to pick up the monitor if I call the number in New Jersey. I know the fix has got to be very simple. The last time it took 3 months for them to return my monitor when it only took them a day to fix it. After the 3 months my monitor have been sitting idly in their warehouse, they called me to ask what the problem was, despite all the emails I've already sent. The following day, they sent me an email saying that they've fixed it. Whoopie...

Best of luck to you. I certainly hate returning things for repair myself.

 

[erwin1978]

In winXP the monitor resolution can't go any lower than 800x600; do any of you get this, too? I'm wondering if this could have contributed to my problem.

Every week I hate winXP even more. I may have to revert to win2000.

 

[Didou]

800*600 is the minimum resolution for WinXp. It's in the minimum system requirements -> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/evaluation/sysreqs.asp