i think i need a new monitor..

hey all
my monitor is leaving me... heh. slowly but surely, it keeps getting worse.. it started off as just throwing a pink haze over the screen ever now and then.. i could either be patient or slap the side of it and it would go away. now, every now and then the monitor will flicker.. like, the image shrinks horizontally to about 60% of what it should be for a 1/10th of a second or so, then goes back. the pinkness is coming less often... anyway, i think i'm gonna buy a new monitor. i was going to get a 19"... but along with the size comes weight (LAN parties....) and price... so i don't think so. i'm going to get a perfectly flat monitor, and i want high resolutions to look decent. right now i think my choice will be the viewsonic P75F+B ( http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...ption=P75F%2BB ) so i was looking for opinions on the monitor.. any other suggestions with roughly the same specs/price? another that i'm considering is the samsung 765MB (cheaper cause of free shipping :p)( http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...cription=765MB )

any suggestions/comments/opinions appreciated..
thanks




edit:
btw.. the viewsonic has a coax in on the back.. it says that with the optional "video processor unit" you can make it a high def TV... why the hell do they have coax in if it doesn't come with a TV tuner? can i do anything with it? or do i have to keep my crappy ATI tv tuner? i'm guessing that the coax in without the tv tuner must just be so that someone can use it as a high def small TV without a computer... but that seems like it would happen rarely...
guess i gotta keep my crappy ati tv tuner.. sigh.. heh
thanks again

edit:
i just thought of something (d'uh... too tired)
i could buy a cable box at radioshack and hook it up to the coax in on the monitor..

hmm.. yet another edit:
is it just me, or does radioshack (at least the .com) not sell cable boxes anymore?

You might want to also consider this monitor...

NEC 17" CRT VGA Monitor Model FE791SB-BK Black Retail Make a bright investment in performance with the 17” (16” viewable) NEC MultiSync FE791SB-BK, a flat-screen CRT monitor boasting superior resolution quality and unprecedented brightness.
Specifications:
Screen 17" (16.0" viewable image size )
CRT: SuperBright Diamondtron Totally-Flat Aperture Grille
Maximum Resolution 1600 X 1200 @ 76 Hz
$189/w free shipping

Max resolution is also 1600x1200 so it's comparable to the Viewsonic, it's black, plus it's much cheaper since shipping is free. I'll probably be picking this one up myself... :) And it also helps that pcworld gave it the best 17' award.

At newegg.com, note FREE shipping:

SONY MONITOR 17" Black CRTmodel CPD-E240/B Retail The Multiscan® E240 computer display is ideal for spreadsheets, detailed graphics and gaming. Specifications:
CRT size: 17" (Viewable image size: 16.0") (black version)
Maximum resolution: 1280 x 1024
Recommended resolution: 1024 x 768 @85Hz
Aperture grille pitch: 0.24mm - 0.25mm
Dimensions (WxHxD): 16.5" x 15.8" x 16.6"
Manufacturer Warranty Period: 3 years (CRT, Parts & Labor). 3-year Manufacturer Warranty.
Special Free FedEx Saver Shipping
$219.00

I had the same problem with my monitor a couple of months ago (Although was a different color going out). If you can tap the monitor and the color(s) come back... it is almost a sure sign of cold solder joints.

Basically what you have are solder joints that are not making contact with pads on the PCB. If you have any soldering skills then you might try popping off the back cover of the monitor (with the power unplugged of course) and checking for/repairing the connections. Usually this will happen around high voltage points in the guts of the monitor. Where the neck of the CRT (back) connects to a PCB is a prime spot to look.

Now... having said these things... if you have no idea what i just said above DO NOT try to do this. There are components on a monitor that will shock the crap outta you if you don't know what you are doing. A CRT will hold a pretty painfull charge even if it hasn't been powered on for months.

i know about the risks of working on a monitor, even when unplugged. i'm not sure where exactly it is that i would get zapped from though.

i took a monitor apart once before i knew that and was messing all around.. i was fine though.. maybe cause i was working on un-grounded territory? :p

unless the messed up joints were plainly messed up to the naked eye, i don't think i would notice the problem once i opened the monitor.. i guess i should open it up and take a looksie.
thanks for the suggestion, and welcome to the board. your first post in my thread, i'm touched. hehe

You will be able to see it with the naked eye..... if it is what you described above it will be visible (in good light). It really does sound like cold solder and i would bet a dollar it is on the neck PCB. You will be pretty safe back there (power unplugged of course).

You will have to unsolder the shielding from the back of the PCB.... and unplug the PCB from the back of the CRT before attempting (to not break off any pins from the CRT). Once the shielding is off... you will see a white connector on the business end of the PCB... flip it around and looking at the solder joints corresponding to that connector on the back you should see cracks. Just touch them up with a little solder and put 'er all back together.

If you are comfortable using a solder iron you can probably have it working like new for the 10 dollars or so you would pay to buy the iron at radio shack. If it doesn't pan out... you are only out 10 dollars anyway. It may be well worth it if you were happy with your monitor before you started having the problems.

Thank you for the welcome... my first day on the forums and was looking for advice on a good 19" monitor was why I am here.

hmmm.. seems like a pain, but such things tend to sound worse then they are...
i've had this problem ever since i got it... it's still under warentee, but the ***** is that if i send it in, i don't have a monitor for.... 2? 3? weeks... i don't have a backup. i'd rather buy a new one and have this as the backup :p

anyway, maybe i'll give that a shot..

thanks

Here is what you do:

Go to your nearest circuit city. They have a no questions return policy. Buy yourself a new monitor. Send your old one for RMA. Once the RMA one comes back, give the monitor you bought back to circuit city and get your money back. There ya go, solution :)

Quote:

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Originally posted by Hocktwoie2

Thank you for the welcome... my first day on the forums and was looking for advice on a good 19" monitor was why I am here.

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Hey Hocktwoie2 join the group and get ready for a whole lot of different opinions on 19" monitors. New and or Used.
Here is my list.
MY fav.s (*) so far, and still looking.
These are NOT in any order of preference and some of these are OLDer models still on the market but at lower prices...Check provantage.com.

Sony g420s *
sony g410s
sony E440B *
Samsung 900-NF * <<<most reviewed one and most talked about monitor.
Viewsonic P95F
NEC FE-900
NEC FE-955
NEC DP-920
Dell P1110
Dell M-992
Dell P-991
That should keep you busy looking up reviews for awhile.
Hope this helped.

Also see Talldude's thread http://www.sharkyforums.com/showthre...hreadid=179068 for GOOD used Monitors CAD & CAM High End used ones. GOOD DEALS there.
Sorry Korndogg, but I kind of forgot who started this thread. Maybe my post will help you out too.

Quote:

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Originally posted by talldude
Here is what you do:

Go to your nearest circuit city. They have a no questions return policy. Buy yourself a new monitor. Send your old one for RMA. Once the RMA one comes back, give the monitor you bought back to circuit city and get your money back. There ya go, solution :)

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lol, nice thinkin'
but then what would i use for a backup? hehe



edit:
what does Circuit City do with all their returns? sell them cheap?
if so, maybe that's a good place to get a monitor... heh