With every new technology, there are also new worries and problems for the user. We see these issues in PCs all the time. With the introduction of flat screens, new collective paranoias are affecting the masses.
In this case, we will analyse some of the main problems in LCD and plasma technologies.
It is necessary to read online analysis of the products before buying the cheapest monitor of the season to make sure that your device will work propery.
There are two liquid crystal monitors that do not work the same way and respond differently to certain environmental factors.
Liquid Crystal Display or LCD screens based on TFT (Thin Film Transistor) face many problems that you have to be aware of, although they have several advantages that make them the best option for most of us, such as the exposure/contrast and energy savings.
White spots:
White spots on a monitor generally appear on laptops’ soft screens. Many factors,even touching or cleaning the screen with chemicals, can make them appear. One obvious factor is the temperature of the laptop’s screen. This usually occurs because the transistor films are deformed, causing a sort of “hologram effect”. If you have a desktop screen, you should not have this problem, unless it is an old screen. If it is new, return it immediately.
Back light leaking:
The back light of the screen is one of those common nuisances that occur because of the way the TFT is glued to screen, as well as the shape in which the frame’s pressure influences the white halo we see. Let’s remember we look at the screen from a different angle, so the colours are whiter, and if the film is a bit distorted, halos will appear. This is why, when we look at the screen from a different angle, the halos disappear.
Generally speaking, LCD screens will have this problem to a higher or lesser degree. There are many brands who offer these screens (LG, AOC, Sony, Viewsonic, etc.), but not much is done to solve this problem, although the demand for something to be done is increasing, so some brands are releasing high gamma solutions.
If the upper and lower borders are within acceptable ranges (1 and 1.5 centimeters), do not worry too much, unless the monitor is too bright.
Pixels are always off or always on:
This happens when a transistor is damaged, becomes too sensitive or stops responding to electric stimuli properly. This creates little white squares (which can also be green, blue or red) that are always on, or black spots. The causes for this are many, and it is almost impossible to fix this once it happens.
If the monitor is brand new, it is recommended to change it immediately. This is why you should avoid purchasing monitors online or second hand ones, as a monitor is very delicate, so it deserves to be bought at a proper store with a guarantee.
There are some methods to fix this problem, but it can create more problems if it is not done correctly.
Microfissure or expanding colourful dots:
This happens because of a tear, which generates oxygen in thee areas between the plastic film TT and the screen. It can be stopped with an acrylic, such as nail glue, applied on the damaged surface.
This will only stop the spreading of the spots that distort the screen’s colours, so it is better to replace the monitor for a new one.
You can avoid this problem by not touching the screen and keeping it away from warm conditions, such as sunlight. Graphic designers often face this problem because their clients touch their screens with their nails when they point at something.
Ghost image and persistent image:
It is a problem of old monitors and CRT screens (Cathode Ray Tube screens). It happened when the screen, made of phosphorus, froze on an image. It happened because the user was careless and paused the VCR or DVD and then forgout about it. When the user was back, the screen had a ghost image that, depending on the pause time, could be permanent.
LCD screens have this problem sometimes, although it can be temporary, depending on the model and its technology. The main problem is not that it’s temporary, but that it damages some transistors, which will make some pixels stay on or indefinitely off.
At the moment, monitors turn of automatically after using them for some time. For the office user who looks at the screen all day, it’s better to give the monitor some rest. The screen and yours eyes will thank you for it.
Response time:
This is a LCD technology defect: it involves the time it takes for a pixel to go from white to black or grey. This problem is one of the major disadvantages of this technology, even though we can barely perceive it. There are new systems that will soon replace them, such as OLCD (Organic Liquid Crystal Display).
This makes that monitors with a response time of less than 16 miliseconds (ms) when moving or showing a continuous sequence of images end up overlapping each other. This is shown as a blur in texts, and the same happens with games and movies. At the moment, all monitors have a response time of 5 ms, and this allows for the issue to be imperceptible. This issue can be bothersome because of the ghost effect it produces when watching movies. If you plan on buying a monitor, make sure the response time is of 5 ms or less.
Fixing a monitor is dfferent from CPU damages, because we can fix the CPU by ourselves. With a monitor, it’s better to get help from someone who knows electronics and TV structures quite well, and who also has the proper tools, as it might be dangerous for those who do not know about the topic. Some parts of the monitor can stand a really high voltage (more than 20,000 volts) so, even when we unplug the monitor from its power source, its parts will remain charged for quite a while.
In all instances, we must take the monitor to a repair technician. If we do not have access to the brand’s technical services, we can take it to a TV repair technician, as most of these service technicians also repair monitors.
If you live in Spring or Houston, TX; and you have a problem with your LCD screen, don’t hesitate to contact 911-computer.com. We provide onsite computer consulting and repair services. Call us and one of our professionals will visit you at home to help you with your desktop or laptop.