Flashing lines across monitor

[Atwooooood]

So i have a Samsung 23" 2333sw monitor, its only about 9 months old, and ive noticed that whenever i turn the monitor off for atleast a few hours or so and turn it back on, or if i have windows set to power off the monitor after a certain amount of time and i move the mouse to turn it back on, there are some horizontal lines spanning from top to bottom in the middle of my monitor.

They just kind of flash sporadically, and theyre not too thick, but noticable. They only last for 10-20 seconds. Whats weird is it only does it when the monitors been turned off for a good amount of time. If i turn the monitor off and back on quickly, it doesnt do it. I tried it with my old dell monitor and it doesnt do it, so i figured it was the monitor and not the video card.

Any help as to what could be causing this would be appreciated.

 

[raybay]

Did you buy it new? If so, it has anywhere from a 1 to 3 year warranty. I would get it back to the seller for an explanation and tests.

 

[Atwooooood]

Yea, i bought it new. I checked and i believe it has a 1 year warranty and i'd have to pay to ship it to and from :/. Just didnt know if this was something normal, like maybe just the monitor warming up or something. I dont know =[

 

[Atwooooood]

any ideas?

 

[raybay]

No Ideas, but our shop manuals from a variety of monitor manufacturers tell us that flashing and streaks are a problem that requires their return to their service center.
Did you check the manufacturer's website to see if there is a trouble shooting procedure for the monitor, or if you can search their site for lines or flashing or whatever.

 

[Atwooooood]

I checked the warranty paper that came with my monitor and it says it has a 1 year parts and labor warranty, but when i filled out a service request on samsungs website and entered my serial number it said it was 3 years which is better.

But since i have to pay for shipping to ship this thing to NJ from KY, its gonna run me atleast 25 to 30 bucks if not more. I'm starting to ask myself if its even worth it. It isnt a huge problem that keeps me from using it as the flickering only lasts under a minute, but when i pay good money for something, i expect it to work properly.

I've done some troubleshooting from using different DVI cables, using the other DVI port on my video card, plugging it into another computer (via VGA since that computer didnt have a DVI port, it still did it with the VGA connection), to turning every other electronic device around it off except the computer (stereo receiver, external HD, ethernet switch, anything that could cause interferance.) It's done it with every scenario so im pretty certain its the monitor.

Could having it plugged into a power strip instead of directly in the wall cause this to happen to this monitor but maybe not another monitor?

 

[raybay]

You should be able to ship it for $10 or $12... check around... USPS is expensive. FedEx Ground is cheap. UPS has a low cost rates.
When you send it back, they will send you another one... not the same one you sent it, but another that has been reassembled and tested on a bench for a week.

No, being plugged into a power strip has nothing to do with it.
Think of all the thousands upon thousands they manufacturer and ship. Not all components are thoroughly tested. Some have bad parts that slipped through quality control.
The one you get back from Samsung will have been cleared by quality control.
Any part can fail. Some will repeatedly fail.
Ship it back and get another that works properly... it is worth the $10 to $15... and the 3 year warranty is a bonus you did not have... Think of it as paying $15 for a three year warranty... $5.00 a year is a great deal.

 

[Atwooooood]

Well knowing now that it has a 3 year warranty, im just going to let this service request expire and wait until i have some extra money to actually ship it out, cause at the current moment im brokkeee. I went on UPS.com and tried to get a estimate on price by entering the dimensions/weight and whatnot and thats where i got the price of 14 dollars, and the warranty said im responsible for shipping to and from, which makes it in the 25-30 range.

Also when i filled out the service request on Samsungs website, they gave me some troubleshooting guides to try first and said if they recieve the monitor and they dont see anything wrong with it i can be charged 55 dollars. The screen flickers but only when its been turned off for atleast an hour or two. What if they get it and dont see it acting up? I'd be worried i'd get charged for that.

 

[raybay]

Yep, it tough being broke. Been there many times.
It is every bit as tough using a bad monitor that can cause more mistakes than you can afford.

Skip a few meals. Skip other stuff. Borrow money.
I will loan you the first $15 with a written promise to pay it back someday...
Of course the cost back from Samsung will be high because they get a steep discount, but are obligated to charge you list price for shipping.

Tell me where to send the check.

 

[Atwooooood]

Haha, as nice as your offer is, i believe i'm going to wait until i am financially able to send this damn thing in, if i even do.

If i do, do i need to put the monitor in the box it came in and put that box in an actual shipping box? I've never shipped anything before =/

Edit: After reviewing an email that was went to me from samsung after i filled out a service request, it says:

"* For In-Warranty LCD Monitors, Samsung pays for shipping the product to and from service center.
* For all other ship-in in-Warranty products, transportation to the service center, and any associated fees, are the customer's responsibility. Samsung will ship product back to you at no charge.
* For out-of-warranty products, transportation and shipping of the product to and from the service center is the customer's responsibility."

They also sent me a UPS lable to put on the box. So i guess i wont even have to pay to ship it...

 

[raybay]

No, just assure that it is well packed.
We will send you a box... have seven or eight here... just tell me the screen size.

 

[Atwooooood]

It's a 23" monitor.

I still have a few questions. Do i just tape this UPS return label on the box, take it to a UPS store, they scan the bar code on the label, and it shows up as free shipping or what?

Also on one of the pages during the service request on samsungs website, it said something about if they dont recieve the package within 28 days they will cancel the request, then on another page it said something about 10 days. Also the UPS return label says its available for only 10 days.. If i just take the monitor in its original box to UPS, would they give me a box to put it in?

 

[nismo91]

to atwooood:

i got a laptop which has a single hairline in the LCD. similar to yours, it appears and disappears, especially when the background is black. within last 2 years, it create another 5 hairlines which is disturbing... to my surprise, at a local store, i saw another laptop with exact model as my one and it has about 100+ hairlines!

so raybay is right, since u're covered in warranty, do not waste the opportunity.

 

[Atwooooood]

thanks for your response nismo, i do plan on shipping this thing out hopefully tomorrow once i figure out what all needs to be done.

i just dont know if i can put it in its original box and tape the UPS return label on it or what cause i dont have any other boxes :/

 

[captaincranky]

It's a 23" monitor.

I still have a few questions. Do i just tape this UPS return label on the box, take it to a UPS store, they scan the bar code on the label, and it shows up as free shipping or what?

Also on one of the pages during the service request on samsungs website, it said something about if they dont recieve the package within 28 days they will cancel the request, then on another page it said something about 10 days. Also the UPS return label says its available for only 10 days.. If i just take the monitor in its original box to UPS, would they give me a box to put it in?

I can't speak to Samsung. but when Newegg emails you a shipping label, it means the house is buying.

Newegg ships LCD monitors in their own packing carton, and does not put that box inside another. As long as you have the original styrofoam inserts you should be gold.
I don't mean to lecture but, if you're going to keep any OEM packing materials, it should be that which comes with LCD monitors and TVs.

Intermittent issues like the one your describing, tend to drive bench techs crazy, since when they receive the unit, it always seems to work flawlessly. Sadly, electronics equipment never ships with self healing ability, so hope for the best. Over the next couple of days though, pray that it quits altogether.

 

[Atwooooood]

thanks for your response captaincranky.

and just so you know, i didnt purchase it from newegg, i bought it at a store so its in an actual Samsung box, thats what i was asking about, if i could put it back in there and ship it as is or if i could get a normal plain box at the UPS store.

Also this issue with the monitor has been going on for months, and i wouldnt be suprised if it did it when i first got it and just didnt notice it which is unfortunate because i could have taken it back to Bestbuy for a new one =[

 

[Atwooooood]

So i have shipped out the monitor today, hopefully all goes well. Thanks to everyone for your help and advice.