17" monitor shows strange colours

[Ikke]

Hi everyone,

A friend of mine has just brought in a 17" monitor (Smile), which has
worked perfectly until now.

Last night he called me to tell me that the colours were looking rather
strange, and when I visited him today I confirmed that the monitor was
indeed behaving very strange.

I've checked all the settings, and hooked up the computer to another
monitor - no problems there.

After that I tested the monitor on one of my machines, and the colours were
the same.

The picture is intact, but the colours seem to be mixed up. They seem a lot
darker, more grey, and some colours are switched.

The connection from computer to monitor is not a default VGA cable: one end
is default VGA, the other end is split into 5 separate cables (like the old
coax network cables) which I have never seen. Fortunately, the previous
owner has noted the colours on the back of the screen, so I know for a fact
that they are hooked up correctly (because prior to yesterday, they worked
like that).

Does anybody have an idea of what this can be?

Thanks in advance,

Ikke

 

[Grinder]

Hi everyone,

A friend of mine has just brought in a 17" monitor (Smile), which has
worked perfectly until now.

Last night he called me to tell me that the colours were looking rather
strange, and when I visited him today I confirmed that the monitor was
indeed behaving very strange.

I've checked all the settings, and hooked up the computer to another
monitor - no problems there.

After that I tested the monitor on one of my machines, and the colours were
the same.

The picture is intact, but the colours seem to be mixed up. They seem a lot
darker, more grey, and some colours are switched.

The connection from computer to monitor is not a default VGA cable: one end
is default VGA, the other end is split into 5 separate cables (like the old
coax network cables) which I have never seen. Fortunately, the previous
owner has noted the colours on the back of the screen, so I know for a fact
that they are hooked up correctly (because prior to yesterday, they worked
like that).

Does anybody have an idea of what this can be?

The cable between the monitor and the PC could have a short in it.
Those thick cables are surprisingly fragile, and can be damage by
someone pushing the monitor back into a wall, for instance.

At any rate, since you can test the cable by swapping in a different
one, it's a worthwhile diagnostic to make. Hopefully you can find one
to borrow rather than have to make a purchase.

 

[Rod Speed]

Hi everyone,

A friend of mine has just brought in a 17" monitor (Smile), which has
worked perfectly until now.

Last night he called me to tell me that the colours were looking
rather strange, and when I visited him today I confirmed that the
monitor was indeed behaving very strange.

I've checked all the settings, and hooked up the computer to another
monitor - no problems there.

After that I tested the monitor on one of my machines, and the
colours were the same.

The picture is intact, but the colours seem to be mixed up. They seem
a lot darker, more grey, and some colours are switched.

The connection from computer to monitor is not a default VGA cable:
one end is default VGA, the other end is split into 5 separate cables
(like the old coax network cables) which I have never seen.
Fortunately, the previous owner has noted the colours on the back of
the screen, so I know for a fact that they are hooked up correctly
(because prior to yesterday, they worked like that).

Does anybody have an idea of what this can be?

The monitor has obviously developed a fault.

Presumably it isnt new, its unlikely to be economic to repair.

 

[Ikke]

The cable between the monitor and the PC could have a short in it.
Those thick cables are surprisingly fragile, and can be damage by
someone pushing the monitor back into a wall, for instance.

Wow, I did not know those cables were that fragile - but fragile or not,
this is indeed something I need to check.

At any rate, since you can test the cable by swapping in a different
one, it's a worthwhile diagnostic to make. Hopefully you can find one
to borrow rather than have to make a purchase.

I can and will test this, but I'm going to have to find a replacement
cable. Since it's the first one I've seen of this type, I'll probably have
to rely on the goodwill of my favourite hardware shop

Thanks for your help!

Ikke

 

[Ikke]

@individual.net:

The monitor has obviously developed a fault.

Grinder has suggested to test the cable - if that does not solve the
problem, then the monitor is definitely broken.

Presumably it isnt new, its unlikely to be economic to repair.

It's an old computer with a matching monitor, a gift from my friend's
neighbour after he bought a new machine.

Repairing the monitor is indeed not a good idea, not only because of the
price, but because of the fact that it is an old, big, heavy 17"-er.

If another cable doesn't help, I think it's better to find a decent, cheap
flat screen instead of trying to repair this one.

Thanks!

Ikke

 

[Rod Speed]

Grinder has suggested to test the cable

I've never seen a faulty cable to more than lose one color.

It's possible that that is what you meant by 'shows strange
colors' but I assumed that that wasnt what you meant.

You can see that using one of the standard color bar test patterns,
the lack of one color stands out like dog's balls with those.
http://images.google.com.au/images?q="color+bars"+"test+pattern"&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

- if that does not solve the problem, then the monitor is definitely broken.

It's an old computer with a matching monitor, a gift from
my friend's neighbour after he bought a new machine.

Yeah, it would be very unusual to be buying a new 17" CRT with
those separate RGB connectors today, if its even possible now.

Repairing the monitor is indeed not a good idea, not only because of
the price, but because of the fact that it is an old, big, heavy 17"-er.

Yeah, completely uneconomic. Even 19" CRT monitors arent that expensive now.

If another cable doesn't help, I think it's better to find a
decent, cheap flat screen instead of trying to repair this one.

Yep, only way to go.

 

[rich510]

Hi everyone,

A friend of mine has just brought in a 17" monitor (Smile), which has
worked perfectly until now.

Last night he called me to tell me that the colours were looking rather
strange, and when I visited him today I confirmed that the monitor was
indeed behaving very strange.

I've checked all the settings, and hooked up the computer to another
monitor - no problems there.

After that I tested the monitor on one of my machines, and the colours were
the same.

The picture is intact, but the colours seem to be mixed up. They seem a lot
darker, more grey, and some colours are switched.

The connection from computer to monitor is not a default VGA cable: one end
is default VGA, the other end is split into 5 separate cables (like the old
coax network cables) which I have never seen. Fortunately, the previous
owner has noted the colours on the back of the screen, so I know for a fact
that they are hooked up correctly (because prior to yesterday, they worked
like that).

Does anybody have an idea of what this can be?

Thanks in advance,

Ikke

as a good ole VGA repairman..it sounds like one of 2 things

1: if you are missing colors its most likly a bent pin on the cable..or
a bad connection to the monitor...insert the cable and hold it at the
connetor end and wiggle it up and down ( not to hard)..if you see
colors changing or getting funky..its mostlikely a bent pin on the
cable or missing pin.....or the connector on the monitor is loose..a
simple fix if you know how to use a soldering iron ( loose solder
sonnection)..just resolder the connection

2) old monitors are highy magnetized ..if you lay it on its side or
shake it around it might just need to be de-magnitized (
de-gaussed)...a fool proof way to know is is if the monitors colors
(RGB) red, green, blue, are mixed together to make a funky color or
shaddow..its mostly on the corners of the screen...the one LINK that
one of the users sent you..has a collor page for RGB..you can see the
rgb and see if the colors are over-lapping..thus u have magnitism (
most newer monitors CRT have a auto de-guess built in or a button to
push..but they don't always work. take it to your favorite tv repair
man..he can do it in like 5 secounds..and prolly won't charge you..its
that simple)

hope this helps


3..worse case...the tube is going bad ..throw it out