Monitors: Is it just me or do they die too easily?
Monday, August 4, 2003 by messybuu | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
My monitor just died, and it was a beautiful one. Now I'm stuck with this flimsy thing that has too many problems to let me be content. Hopefully, I'll buy another one soon, but before I do, I'd like to know something from the common man...
Is it normal for CRT monitors to just die after 1 1/2 to 2 years, or am I just unlucky or very abusive with my monitors?
Is it normal for CRT monitors to just die after 1 1/2 to 2 years, or am I just unlucky or very abusive with my monitors?
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Doomgaze
Reply #2 Monday, August 4, 2003 9:20 PM
Reply #2 Monday, August 4, 2003 9:20 PM
3 years on this monitor now... and still going strong
Jafo
Reply #4 Monday, August 4, 2003 9:50 PM
Reply #4 Monday, August 4, 2003 9:50 PM
Just remember not to push the refresh-rate and resolution too high.....'not supported' means just that...
DavidK
Reply #5 Monday, August 4, 2003 10:09 PM
Reply #5 Monday, August 4, 2003 10:09 PM
I had a Mits 17" die after about 6 years, really pissed me off it was so expensive (about $2k back then)
My other 17" is still running (my son has it now) after 12 years - and my 21" is starting to get the trembles occaisionally but it's 10 years old.
1½ to 2 years sounds like your voltage isn't good or what Jafo said. You should get more time than that...
Sugaree
Reply #6 Monday, August 4, 2003 10:14 PM
Reply #6 Monday, August 4, 2003 10:14 PM
I out grow them before they burn-out 
I donate them to my kids school
I donate them to my kids school
XX
Reply #7 Monday, August 4, 2003 10:24 PM
Reply #7 Monday, August 4, 2003 10:24 PM
my montior was 8 years old when it started getting blurry and losing its brightness.
grayhaze
Reply #8 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 2:28 AM
Reply #8 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 2:28 AM
My last one was a Gateway 17" (a rebranded Sony) and it started to give out after 5 years. I ended up having to use PowerStrip to get a reasonably accurate colour range, and everything just got more and more blurry.
DavidK
Reply #9 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 2:33 AM
Reply #9 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 2:33 AM
Kevin - how's your 22" NEC working? Did you get that problem sorted out or is it still there? That's the monitor I've been eyeing to replace my 21 when it goes, which will probably be soon.
grayhaze
Reply #10 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 2:36 AM
Reply #10 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 2:36 AM
Well the company I bought it from are still yet to respond to my request for a replacement, so nothing's changed just yet. So long as the geometry problems aren't there in all of them, it's a mighty fine monitor. The sharpness is pretty incredible most of the time. I never expected to be able to see the pixels at 1600x1200 on a CRT!
DavidK
Reply #11 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 2:40 AM
Reply #11 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 2:40 AM
cool! I gotta start saving for it, my 21's getting dicey. Good luck with the replacement.
RotAtoR
Reply #12 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 10:18 AM
Reply #12 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 10:18 AM
Monitors should be good for many years as long as you don't get the absolutely cheapest model, like my friend made the mistake of doing. He went through 4 monitors in one year (under warantee luckily) before he got fed up and bought a decent monitor.
joetheblow
Reply #13 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 12:28 PM
Reply #13 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 12:28 PM
Jafo has a point. Not supported means just that.
Also don't push you monitor and it won't push you back.
I have had mine since 1999. and no problems yet. CRT model.
I figure it is time for it to burn out but since I have had no problems at all I can't even figure out when it will go.
Also don't push you monitor and it won't push you back.
I have had mine since 1999. and no problems yet. CRT model.
I figure it is time for it to burn out but since I have had no problems at all I can't even figure out when it will go.
messybuu
Reply #14 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 8:16 PM
Reply #14 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 8:16 PM
I guess brand name does matter when it comes to the quality of monitors eh? I never went above a 1028x768, which I hope a 17 inch monitor supports, so I am guessing it's just the fact that it was a no name model.
joetheblow
Reply #15 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 8:27 PM
Reply #15 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 8:27 PM
What about the color setings? Did you have it set to 24 bit true color all the time?
Was it next to any magnetic fields like other appliances... a radio, speakers or a TV?)
I don't think name brand matters either. Not sure what happened in your case.
Was it next to any magnetic fields like other appliances... a radio, speakers or a TV?)
I don't think name brand matters either. Not sure what happened in your case.
messybuu
Reply #16 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 9:08 PM
Reply #16 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 9:08 PM
I had it set to 32-bit and well the only speakers that close are the tiny computer ones. I asked someone on my contact list, and they said it could be karma (which I doubt because I am perfect) or psychic brainwaves, which prove my theory about myself.
joetheblow
Reply #17 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 11:51 PM
Reply #17 Tuesday, August 5, 2003 11:51 PM
32 bit?? and here I am thinking 24 is the highest.
another point:
If you see that your screen starts flickering at a certai setting turn it down (I had to do that once. works fine now)
another point:
If you see that your screen starts flickering at a certai setting turn it down (I had to do that once. works fine now)
grayhaze
Reply #18 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 2:44 AM
Reply #18 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 2:44 AM
Flickering is caused by using too low a refresh rate. All you need to do is raise the refresh rate in Display Properties and the flickering will go away. If you can't raise it any higher, then it's probable that you're using too high a resolution for your monitor.
32 bit colour has been around for a long time now. Modern graphics cards offer the option of 256 colours, 16 bit or 32 bit. If you're only offered 24 bit as a maximum you've probably got a pretty old card.
In general, brand name does matter when it comes to monitors. It's the exception to the general rule that you can get equal quality for less if you buy non-brand products. The big brands have spent big bucks on developing their screen technology, and it generally pays to take advantage of their developments. The smaller brands are still using the same technology for CRT monitors the others were using several years ago.
32 bit colour has been around for a long time now. Modern graphics cards offer the option of 256 colours, 16 bit or 32 bit. If you're only offered 24 bit as a maximum you've probably got a pretty old card.
In general, brand name does matter when it comes to monitors. It's the exception to the general rule that you can get equal quality for less if you buy non-brand products. The big brands have spent big bucks on developing their screen technology, and it generally pays to take advantage of their developments. The smaller brands are still using the same technology for CRT monitors the others were using several years ago.
paxx
Reply #19 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 3:04 AM
Reply #19 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 3:04 AM
My last monitor was a cheap Viewsonic monitor. Died after 6 years. My other monitor is a 7 years old Apple monitor (rebranded Sony Trinitron) and it's slowly passing away. The average life of a monitor should be between 5 and 7 years, or more depending on how much you use it (is it always turned on, or do you turn it off when you dont need it - how many hours per day is it being used, etc.)
Ingui
Reply #20 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 6:05 PM
Reply #20 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 6:05 PM
Most manufacturers will quote an MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) of
somewhere in the 30,000 to 60,000 hour range, EXCLUSIVE OF the CRT. The
typical CRT, without an extended-life cathode, is usually good for
10,000 to 15,000 hours before it reaches half of its initial brightness.
Note that, if you leave your monitor on all the time, a year is just about
8,000 hours.
The popular rationalization for what is most often just laziness is that
power-on is a stressful time for any electronic device and reducing the
number of power cycles will prolong the life of the monitor. With a properly
designed monitor, this is rarely an issue. Can you recall the last time
a monitor blew up when it was turned on? The other argument, which has more
basis in reality is that the thermal cycling resulting from turning a monitor
on and off will shorten its life. It is true that such thermal stress can
contribute to various kinds of failures due to bad solder connections.
However, these can be easily repaired and do not effect the monitor's
heart - the CRT.
somewhere in the 30,000 to 60,000 hour range, EXCLUSIVE OF the CRT. The
typical CRT, without an extended-life cathode, is usually good for
10,000 to 15,000 hours before it reaches half of its initial brightness.
Note that, if you leave your monitor on all the time, a year is just about
8,000 hours.
The popular rationalization for what is most often just laziness is that
power-on is a stressful time for any electronic device and reducing the
number of power cycles will prolong the life of the monitor. With a properly
designed monitor, this is rarely an issue. Can you recall the last time
a monitor blew up when it was turned on? The other argument, which has more
basis in reality is that the thermal cycling resulting from turning a monitor
on and off will shorten its life. It is true that such thermal stress can
contribute to various kinds of failures due to bad solder connections.
However, these can be easily repaired and do not effect the monitor's
heart - the CRT.
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Reply #1 Monday, August 4, 2003 9:16 PM