I've been asking around in a bunch of places and really haven't gotten very good responses, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask here as well.

I've been having a problem with my display going dim. I noticed it the first time about a year or so ago, and I adjusted the contrast/brightness on my CRT monitor to compensate. Eventually I had both brightness & contrast maxed and was still having problem with things being too dark. Fortunately I had installed a new video card about 3 months prior that allowed me to adjust the brightness, gamma, contrast and what-have-you through the software. I lived with this until about 2 months ago when the monitor wouldn't stay on for more than 5 minutes at a time.

I brought up an old monitor from the basement without a second thought. The one I had been using had been refurbished when I bought it 3 years ago. Well, the same thing started happening after using this monitor for about 3 days. Very gradually, the screen gets dim.

Now if I switch the display to my old video card it's still really dark which leads me to believe it's the monitor's fault. Also, if I turn the monitor off for a few minutes and then back on, it's fine for a little while. This didn't happen with the last monitor, but this also leads me to suspect that it's the monitor's fault.

However, seeing as how this has happened with two monitors it makes me think there's some bigger issue at hand. Tonight, I'm going to lug this monitor upstairs and plug it into my other computer just to see what happens.

So can anyone shed some light or even speculate as to what might be happening? Aside from two monitor spontaneously combusting...

Wow. I have no idea. You'll want to test both monitors on another system.


Sounds like it's time to move to LCD land. LCD monitors are pretty cheap nowadays. Hover over the Best Buy and Circuit City ads every sunday and eventually you'll see a 19" LCD widescreen for $150.

Okay, tested both monitors on my other computer and they're definitely dying - both are still very dark. My question at this point is, why did they both die in the same fashion? Bad luck? Bad video card? Bad something else? I have absolutely no idea. Are video cards capable of sending electrical charges to a monitor that would blow the caps? Note to self: Check the power supply. Should I add that the second monitor is not only going dim but the display is shrinking as well?



Man, I got these monitors for $20 and $30. Perhaps I got what I paid for.

I'm not sure, to be honest, not unless your system is sending out a retarded amount of juice.

It just sounds like unfortunate timing to me. The shrinking display definitely sounds like outright failure is eminent.

It's time to give 'em the ol' "heave ho!"

Is there any difference in reliability or lifespan between CRT and LCD monitors? I'm thinking about going with yet another used or refurbished one since I'm not sure I want to spend $100-200 on a new monitor if it's going to crap out again. I emailed the manufacturer of my video card to ask their opinion. They haven't gotten back to me yet.

Not that I'm aware of. The method of failure is obviously different, but LCDs have three distinct advantages:

1) Smaller footprint takes up less space
2) Less Electricity (I honestly don't know how much that adds up to savings per month)
3) Easier on the eyes

(3) is my big selling point. Being a codemonkey, I stare at a monitor all day, and I can attest to the easy of staring at an LCD vs CRT. The CRT monitors really do a number of my eyes, while the LCD monitors are much easier.

That, and the prices are coming down so quickly that there's little reason to NOT get an LCD. If you needed this in November, on Black Friday, Best Buy had a 22" LCD for $150 (which a few of my friends picked up).

Well according to ATI the card I have could never ever ever send a power surge to the monitor that would cause the problems I had. I don't completely believe them, but I went out and got a new monitor anyway.

I took your advice and went for the LCD. I'm now the proud owner of a gently used Sony CPD-L181. Cost me $12 in traveling fees to go pick it up from a friend.