LCD problem

iron2000 · Post by **iron2000** » Thu May 02, 2002 4:06 am

Yesterday I noticed that the upper left corner of my LCD screen became darker than the rest of the screen.

Is the monitor going to spoil?
(the LCD is only 2 months old)

Thanks

kieofwoo · Post by **kieofwoo** » Thu May 02, 2002 4:13 am

sounds bad, maybe a backlight has gone...

iron2000 · Post by **iron2000** » Thu May 02, 2002 5:06 am

What can I do to help ?

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Thu May 02, 2002 6:02 am

If it's only 2 months old, even the cheapest of brands should still be under warranty. Now's the time you test how good the support is from the place you purchased it.

iron2000 · Post by **iron2000** » Thu May 02, 2002 2:16 pm

After a shut down and a rest of 6 hours the situation seems better, that corner seems brighter.

Hope it lasts.

Thanks

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Thu May 02, 2002 2:34 pm

Call support to get a case number in...so you have a problem documented before your warranty runs out.

Brk · Post by **Brk** » Thu May 02, 2002 3:39 pm

After using LCDs of all sizes, the constant thread seems to be that LCDs are simply not consistent when it comes to visual quality. Every LCD I've used or seen, regardless of quality or reputation of the manufacturer, has darkening in at least one corner. On many of them, it's visible at all four corners, usually seeming like a slight "pinching" effect of the screen edge(s). I suppose it's just a part of the assembly process. If you get a good one, you'll be overjoyed by it, but if you get a dead pixel -- even if just one -- or anything else that doesn't sit right with your eyes, the whole thing will be a waste.

But the warranty is key with LCD. Three years no-hassle replacement on key parts like the backlight is a must. The cost of a LCD screen -- and especially the larger/higher resolution ones -- is justification enough for a buyer to absolutely inflexible to what they view as unacceptable visual quality.

For instance, I have driven Gateway's Accessory Store nuts in the past two months by sending back three Samsung 181T LCDs because one had a bit of darkening at the edges (which shows up a whitish against a black background), one had a very visible uneven brightness and a dead pixel on the third. I don't judge Samsung to be a poor product because of these problems, but chalk it up to the inherent nature of an LCD. Still, I won't put up with something I don't like when I'm paying $1000+. Whomever you buy from, you should be totally confident that you can ship it back to them and get it replaced without hassles. Gateway has been terrific to deal with in this respect.

I finally have one that I am happy with and recommend the 181T model to anyone interested in an LCD and doesn't mind the price tag.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Fri May 03, 2002 7:44 am

Originally posted by Roadbuster
I finally have one that I am happy with and recommend the 181T model to anyone interested in an LCD and don't mind the price tag.

Samsung has earned a reputation as one of the best for LCD's...they are indeed very nice. PCWorld or PCMag had them winning top LCD award for about 3 years on a row now.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Fri May 03, 2002 8:13 am

Originally posted by YeOldeStonecat

Samsung has earned a reputation as one of the best for LCD's...they are indeed very nice. PCWorld or PCMag had them winning top LCD award for about 3 years on a row now.

I've actually been more than satisfied with a variety of Samsung products in the past few years. Somehow, they turned themselves from a company that was known for their cheap imitation electronics to a major contender. The only product of theirs that I've seen people complaining about is their DVD-ROM drives, which apparently tend to die after a few months.