Gosh, is it really time for a new monitor?

Hi All,

I have a LaCie electron 19 blue IV, purchased in Feb 2004, and I’ve been noticing a disturbing trend over the last several months. Each time I calibrate (about once a month with a ColorVision Spyder), I’ve noticed that I’ve had to push the brightness to the max in order to distinguish among the little gray boxes (can’t remember the technical name). I calibrated again last week, and can no longer see the boxes – it’s just one big dark bar. As I read it, that means the monitor simply can’t get bright enough any more.

Less than three years seems like a pretty short shelf life for a “high-quality” monitor. Any thoughts on this? Is it really time for a new monitor?

Thanks for the help!
Martin

I've had a ViewSonic for about the same length of time. However, I use it less than 10 hours a week. I bet it's the hours of use that kill 'em. I have about 100 lbs of CRTs (two 19") on my desktop and I can't wait for them to burn out!

Pete D.

You're scaring me Martin!

I'm looking at an elctron19blue III at this moment, and it's quite a bit older than yours. No problems yet, but I'd hate to lose my favorite.

Don't remind me. I've just passed the 4 year mark on my Dell CRT. My calibration is up to a 98 in contrast. A few months ago I was around 86.

That is about how old my same Lacie is.. so far so good here..

My experience is much the same. My first top of the line monitor was a Sony with the usual 3 yr warranty and within a month after the warranty had expired the bottom right side of the screen started to turn orange so I bought another one. This one lasted the 3 years then quickly started to dim. Next I bought the Lacie 19" Electron Blueboy, it's now 5 years old but the brightness is now at 99%. It has been the best Monitor I've ever had but they are not available any more so I am shopping around. It must be said that my computer is on more than 10 hours each and every single day so I'm not complaining.
I also have the Apple MacBook Pro laptop and I am pleased with it's LCD screen so am likely to soon buy the Apple wide screen monitor.

Leo Doucet

Contrast is at 88 and brightness on my LaCie is still only at 40%, amazingly. It is our last remaining CRT Leo, and our other three are all Apple wide screens. The Apples are only a couple of years old so I can't say anything about longevity, but I can certainly speak up on behalf of their quality. Wow!

Thanks for the responses. My LaCie has functioning as the main monitor on my system -- used for photography, web design, and everything in between. Definitely more than 10 hours/day. Maybe that's the kicker.

So I guess it is time for a new monitor. But maybe the next time around I'll set it up as the secondary monitor (on a dual monitor setup), and just switch the two every time I need to work with photos, so as not to "overuse" the good monitor. Sounds like a pain, but I guess the only other solution is to have a separate system devoted just to (and only used for) photography. That's not in the budget, though.

Martin

In my experience at least, that's not necessary Martin. My LaCie is often on 12-15 hours a day, six and seven days a week. Based upon the advice of an electronics friend, I plugged mine into an APC along with the computer. It is his contention that voltage fluctuations do more damage to CRTs than extended use, as do frequent on and off cycles. Others may differ on that advice, but that's the only reason I can guess that mine has done so well.

Interesting, Hank. That's about how long mine is active. I hadn't heard that advice about the APC before -- I'll definitely look into that for my next monitor. Any idea if it makes a difference for LCDs as well as CRTs? I may look into an LCD as a replacement, if I can find a good one for a reasonable price.

He said it's not as big an issue with LCDs because they don't have the tube. Evidently the voltage fluc is really hard on tubes. He's head of electronics for a big government division, and I noticed the other day that not only were all his workers using LCDs, but also that none of them were plugged into the APCs. We get pretty frequent and severe flucs here, so it may be a bigger issue than in other areas.

The good news is that prices on LCDs have really come down. I think there have been recent threads here discussing best.

An APC does not only protect against voltage fluctuations, they also filter the line voltage to remove transient spikes and other noise, ensuring that your equipment has clean power. Additionally, a good APC with software to shut down your computer in case of a power failure is excellent insurance.

The other 'killer' is heat. If your work area is not well ventilated or has a high ambient temperature, components will not cool adequately, resulting in shortened life. dust buildup can also cause overheating.

-PB