Monitor age

The quality of a CRT monitor is supposed to degrade after a while. What actually is happening in the monitor, and what causes it? Is there a way to tell that a monitor is "too old"? Can calibration or some other means resurrect it? Thanks.

It’s easy. A monitors age is driven by the amount of loose cash you have at your disposal.
Keith.

writes:

The quality of a CRT monitor is supposed to degrade after a while. What actually is happening in the monitor, and what causes it? Is there a way to tell that a monitor is "too old"? Can calibration or some other means resurrect it? Thanks.

In my experience, the black level goes first. What used to be very dark is now totally black; there’s a flat spot in the response near zero. And the "brightness" control doesn’t have enough range to get it back. Presumably the black levels on individual channels could be tweaked internally, but that gets into color balance issues, and I’ve never succeeded.

That said, the pricey Sony in front of me (a GDM-F500R) is over four years old and seems still to be going strong. Perhaps this problem isn’t present in newer monitors. Of course, I have no measurements of this monitor over its lifetime, so I don’t know if it has changed in more subtle ways, but the black level is still OK.

—
-Stephen H. Westin
Any information or opinions in this message are mine: they do not represent the position of Cornell University or any of its sponsors.

On 11 Jun 2004 10:25:21 -0400, westin*
(Stephen H. Westin) wrote:

In my experience, the black level goes first. What used to be very dark is now totally black; there’s a flat spot in the response near zero. And the "brightness" control doesn’t have enough range to get it back. Presumably the black levels on individual channels could be tweaked internally, but that gets into color balance issues, and I’ve never succeeded.

I’ve got a 2.5 year old Phillips 21" that has trouble maintaining its "auto calibration." As a result, sometimes (about 25% of the time) when the computer reboots the brightness value is out of whack; the screen looks milky… too white. Only rebooting the machine so that the auto calibration comes back to the "normal" helps. (Well I say "only" but IF you’re sick of the reboot then you can get a better screen view if you turn the brighness on screen control to zero, but that does not completely solve the problem on a custom calibration set up as you can imagine).

Perhaps this problem
isn’t present in newer monitors.

I doubt the color display of any monitor will remain constant over time. Unfortunately the fact of life is that the electronic components degrade and, eventually, fail completely. I have a 10 year old NEC. It was used for color work. Now I’d only use it at my own peril. It is good for running an old machine hooked to a Cheshire label printer though.

I’ve a four year old second-hand DELL P1110 20" monitor sitting on my desk. At first I thought it was too old to work perfectly well. The picture had a very nasty geometry problem (it’s a flat screen and obviously, someone had kept a nice pair of speakers next to it) but the colors were okay so I didn’t complain (outloud).

However, I’ve recently purchased a new machine with ATi 9600XT card. The geometry was fixed miraculously and the color has never been better. The only thing left is very slight landing problem in both right and left lower corners (but that VERY slight). Not even noticeable. The black point is also not too dark, and short of setting the brightness to 0, nothing can be done without sacrificing the white point. I guess that’s the age thing. I bet old monitors will work fine five to six years if your standards are not too high. The 17" SyncMaster that I’d gotten three years ago still works as it did the first day.

wrote in message

The quality of a CRT monitor is supposed to degrade after a while. What actually is happening in the monitor, and what causes it? Is there a way to tell that a monitor is "too old"? Can calibration or some other means resurrect it? Thanks.

wrote in message

The quality of a CRT monitor is supposed to degrade after a while. What actually is happening in the monitor, and what causes it? Is there a way to tell that a monitor is "too old"? Can calibration or some other means resurrect it? Thanks.

I have a very old CRT monitor that really needs replacement, but when I recently updated my video drivers (Nvidia Forceware driver) I felt the urge to buy a new monitor fade to the background. Now I can at least wait a little longer for the prices on TFT’s to drop some more. :o)

wrote:

The quality of a CRT monitor is supposed to degrade after a while. What actually is happening in the monitor, and what causes it? Is there a way to tell that a monitor is "too old"? Can calibration or some other means resurrect it? Thanks.

See: <http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/12802.html>

Xpost to: comp.graphics.apps.photoshop and alt.graphics.photoshop.

—
Regards
Madsen

Thanks, man. That was enlightening and demoralizing at the same time. 🙁

"Thomas G. Madsen" wrote in message

wrote:

The quality of a CRT monitor is supposed to degrade after a while. What actually is happening in the monitor, and what causes it? Is there a way to tell that a monitor is "too old"? Can calibration or some other means resurrect it? Thanks.

See: <http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/12802.html>
Xpost to: comp.graphics.apps.photoshop and alt.graphics.photoshop.
—
Regards
Madsen

"Thomas G. Madsen" wrote:

wrote:

The quality of a CRT monitor is supposed to degrade after a while. What actually is happening in the monitor, and what causes it? Is there a way to tell that a monitor is "too old"? Can calibration or some other means resurrect it? Thanks.

See: <http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/12802.html>
Xpost to: comp.graphics.apps.photoshop and alt.graphics.photoshop.
—
Regards
Madsen

Thanks for all the responses, but I found this article most to the point. To tell if one monitor is better than another by naked eye, one will have to compare the two under these conditions:

– same monitor size
– same image(s)
– same video cards with same drivers
– same lighting condition

Even then, the two monitor’s calibration profiles would have to be different. When a monitor degrades from aging, the change would be so incrementally subtle that it would be *impossible* for the owner to objectively notice it.

Thanks for all the responses, but I found this article most to the point. To tell if one monitor is better than another by naked eye, one will have to compare the two under these conditions:

– same monitor size
– same image(s)
– same video cards with same drivers
– same lighting condition

Even then, the two monitor’s calibration profiles would have to be different. When a monitor degrades from aging, the change would be so incrementally subtle that it would be *impossible* for the owner to objectively notice it.

I agree 100%. You absolutely need a point of comparison. Obviously a very poor monitor becomes self evident. It’s the same as televisions. In the showroom you can compare several makes & models and select one you feel is superior. However, once you have it in your home you no longer have a point of comparison. So if the differences in the showroom were very sublte, it’s unlikely that slight deficiencies would stand out on their own once you get the monitor home..
You can only shop for what you feel is the best and most affordable at the time of purchase and unless the deficiency is glaring, you’ll live with it, probably unwittingly. I’ve seen peoples monitors that were attrocious. How can they live with it?! But they just seem oblivious to the fact. Some have a more critical eye than others. It will be reflected in their work. I always found looking for the difference in the shadows the best guide (spec sheets aside). Just like good quality printing, the shadows, such as in a persons lapel, armpit, whatever, should remain open. Of course the monitor is only as good as the image that’s being fed into it too. I use a 21” Sony. It’s decent and was about the limit of my budget at the time (it would be over my budget now – I’m broke!).
Keith.

From a technical standpoint, three factors are involved in montitor aging. magnetic fields attribute dust particles to components
aging of electronic components degrade performance
color phosphor patterns applied to the inside face of the monitor age and emit with less intensity

"V1nc3nt" wrote in message

wrote in message

The quality of a CRT monitor is supposed to degrade after a while. What actually is happening in the monitor, and what causes it? Is there a way to tell that a monitor is "too old"? Can calibration or some other means resurrect it? Thanks.

I have a very old CRT monitor that really needs replacement, but when I recently updated my video drivers (Nvidia Forceware driver) I felt the

urge

to buy a new monitor fade to the background. Now I can at least wait a little longer for the prices on TFT’s to drop some more. :o)

"William R. Altman" wrote in message

From a technical standpoint, three factors are involved in montitor aging. magnetic fields attribute dust particles to components
aging of electronic components degrade performance
color phosphor patterns applied to the inside face of the monitor age and emit with less intensity

So?

wrote:

When a monitor degrades from aging, the change would be so incrementally subtle that it would be *impossible* for the owner to objectively notice it.

I agree with that if there’s nothing to compare it with like a new monitor for instance. I have a four years old Sony FW900 and if I haven’t had a colorimeter to show me the signs of a worn out monitor, I probably haven’t noticed that it has degraded quite a lot over the years.

When I later bought a Viewsonic VP201s TFT to compare it with, the image on the FW900 looked awful. Now I only use the FW900 to watch movies and such.

Xpost to: comp.graphics.apps.photoshop and alt.graphics.photoshop.

—
Regards
Madsen

"William R. Altman" writes:

From a technical standpoint, three factors are involved in montitor aging. magnetic fields attribute dust particles to components

Only magnetic particles. I think you’re thinking of electric fields.

aging of electronic components degrade performance
color phosphor patterns applied to the inside face of the monitor age and emit with less intensity

—
-Stephen H. Westin
Any information or opinions in this message are mine: they do not represent the position of Cornell University or any of its sponsors.

Just so you’ll know. Every wire that has electric current passing through it generates a magnetic field. How do you think electromagnets work? If you think monitors don’t generate magnetic fields, try holding a compass nearby.

What I think is that maybe you should read a book on electronics before you expend effort proving your ignorance.
Ron

"Stephen H. Westin" <westin*> wrote in message

"William R. Altman" writes:

From a technical standpoint, three factors are involved in montitor

aging.

magnetic fields attribute dust particles to components

Only magnetic particles. I think you’re thinking of electric fields.

aging of electronic components degrade performance
color phosphor patterns applied to the inside face of the monitor age

and

emit with less intensity

—
-Stephen H. Westin
Any information or opinions in this message are mine: they do not represent the position of Cornell University or any of its sponsors.

On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 21:05:05 GMT, "William R. Altman" wrote:

Just so you’ll know. Every wire that has electric current passing through it generates a magnetic field. How do you think electromagnets work? If you think monitors don’t generate magnetic fields, try holding a compass nearby.

Just so you’ll know. Normal dust (particles from clothing, carpets, paper, hair) is not affected by magnetic fields. The magnetic fields in a monitor do not interact with surrounding dust of
non-magnetizable, usually non-metallic substances.

Otoh: There are strong electrical fields that actually do interact with non-conductive dust particles (seee: static electricity) from the monitor’s environment that cause problems once they build layers (heat isolation) or become conductive (at least for high voltages) after the permanent heat treatment inside the monitor.

What I think is that maybe you should read a book on electronics before you expend effort proving your ignorance.

I think you should follow your own carefully specified advice.

Michael

Ron

"Stephen H. Westin" <westin*> wrote in message

"William R. Altman" writes:

From a technical standpoint, three factors are involved in montitor

aging.

magnetic fields attribute dust particles to components

Only magnetic particles. I think you’re thinking of electric fields.

aging of electronic components degrade performance
color phosphor patterns applied to the inside face of the monitor age

and

emit with less intensity

—
-Stephen H. Westin
Any information or opinions in this message are mine: they do not represent the position of Cornell University or any of its sponsors.

"William R. Altman" writes:

Just so you’ll know. Every wire that has electric current passing through it generates a magnetic field. How do you think electromagnets work? If you think monitors don’t generate magnetic fields, try holding a compass nearby.

Right. How much of the dust in your office is attracted to a magnet?

My point was not that there isn’t a magnetic field, but that electric fields are far more likely to attract dust in most environments.

What I think is that maybe you should read a book on electronics before you expend effort proving your ignorance.
Ron

Well, I certainly don’t have an adequate answer for that.

<snip>

—
-Stephen H. Westin
Any information or opinions in this message are mine: they do not represent the position of Cornell University or any of its sponsors.

On 15 Jun 2004 11:47:13 -0400, westin*
(Stephen H. Westin) wrote:

"William R. Altman" writes:

Just so you’ll know. Every wire that has electric current passing through it generates a magnetic field. How do you think electromagnets work? If you think monitors don’t generate magnetic fields, try holding a compass nearby.

Right. How much of the dust in your office is attracted to a magnet?

That would depend on whether he worked in a foundry wouldn’t it? 😉

—

Hecate

veni, vidi, reliqui