New LCD Monitor

[William Young (SE BC)]

got a new LCD monitor and I can realize why some pictures showed too dark to view on my old CRT one regardless of the settings. This one is bright and sharp and clear.
I used to leave my old monitor on from morning to night with just the screen saver kicking in after about 10 to 15 minutes of idle use but I never actually shut it off any time during the day.
My question is , , , Should I power this monitor off between uses or use it just like I did the old CRT one. I have no idea if the life span of a LCD one is shorter or longer than than the CRT one .
I have some serious ARMD going on and I would like to keep this one working the way it is now for as long as possible.
W.Y.

[Marcel in Longueuil]

Bill,

Congrats on your new aquisition.

I've had a 19" BenQ LCD monitor for close to a year and a half now, and never shut the power through the switch.

BUT

I do have the OS shut the power to the monitor after 45 min inactivity (set through the properties menu (right click on your desktop)). The screensaver is set to kick in after 15 and is set to "Blank". I figure that if I haven't used my system for more than 45 min, then I'm probably not going to for a while. And, anyways, a shake of the mouse turns it right back on.

The half hour between Screensaver and Powerdown lets me answer the door, or nature's call

I never had problems with my displays when using these settings, and you actually save money on electricity (not much but it all adds up, as they say).

Hope this helps.
Regards,
Marcel

[William Young (SE BC)]

Thanks Marcel;

I do have the OS shut the power to the monitor after 45 min inactivity (set through the properties menu (right click on your desktop)).

I do have the screen saver set to 15 minutes which I found by right clicking on the desktop and selecting properties. But I cannot find the power down choice of settings that you mention.
Could you please step me through that to find it. I would like to set it at 45 minutes like you have yours set.
W.Y.

EDIT re above;
I went back in and found the power management settings. It was set at 3 hours so I put it back to 45 minutes.
Thanks for the help.
W.Y.

[GrayBeard Phil]

W.Y.:

You know this already: The two monitors use different technologies.

The old CRT monitor used an electron beam that caused a coating on the inside of the glass screen to glow. Three things change over time, the emissions of the Cathode, the brightness of the glowing of the coating, and the focus of the beam. CRT monitors were only good for about 5 years.

The CRT monitors generally have some components in the High Voltage power supply that require 'Proper Disposal' in many communities in the USA, like mine. It is not permitted to dispose of a TV or CRT monitor by putting out for trash pickup nor can it be taken directly to the trash land-fill. You must take to one of the County's Hazard Waste Disposal sites for 'Proper Disposal.' LCD monitors don't have this problem.

A LCD monitor, which technically I don't think is Liquid Crystal Display technology but a similar technology so we can have color, is vastly improved over the last 10 years. And the cost has dropped a lot too.

You should enjoy your new monitor for many years. IMHO, the new class of LCD monitors should last about 10 years. But WAY before that time, newer technology will overtake them.

Best of Viewing with the new monitor.

Phil

[William Young (SE BC)]

Thanks Phil;
Yes, I am well aware of the workings of the old cathode ray tubes (CRT) . I was a licensed TV and radio repair technician back in the 50's and 60's with my own business . Back then it was all vacuum tubes. The transistor had not hit the market yet . I was a dealer and authorized service shop for the first color TV's in my area at the time and had lots of fun servicing them after a six month college course in London , Ontario dedicated soley to color TV servicing.. I got out of that business when they were starting to go hybrid and eventually everything went solid state. So that is why I know the need for a screen saver to prevent burning of images on the phosphous coating on the inside of CRT's .
But all this new technology is all the more interesting and I now understand why a screen saver is no longer required on the new LCD monitors so I have set mine *none* in the screen saver settings.
W.Y.

[Rolf]

I believe that the LCD's have a lamp in them that actually backlights the screen. That light like any has a finite life. I agree with Marcell the monitor should power down through the OS, as should your hard drives. I usually buy a new system before any of it dies anyway.
My wife just bought me a new 19" NEC LCD monitor for my BD.

[William Young (SE BC)]

Here is a message that came in on the off topic board in my own Woodworking Friends Site

It's a misconception that LCD screens will not burn because they do! At our mill, we use LCD screens for our operating stations and they are on 24 hours, 7 days a week, and I've seen the results of it. And these are high quality monitors. They don't burn as bad as the CRT's, mind you, but they still do.
So, I suggest that any of you that have LCD monitors, that you still use a screen saver and shut them down when not in use for long periods.

So that makes the above opinions in this thread seem a little confusing in a way because there are different viewpoints on this. So 'just in case' I switched back to using a screen saver. Can't see that it will do any harm and better safe than sorry. Kinda looks nicer than just a black screen as well . .
W.Y.