smeared monitors

Hi All,

I have a customer with 6 Dell Optiplexs and the cheapie
Dell flat screens. All six monitors are smearing. They
look like someone wrote a paper in pencil, then rubbered
their sleeve across it. It looks like a faint gray scale
shadow of the major images to the side of the major image.

All are set to 60 Hz. 1024x768 and 1280x1024 give the
problem, but 800 x 600 does not. Since all six have started
doing the same thing with in three months of each other, I
can not swap to test if it is the monitor or video card.

What do you guys think: monitor or video card?

Many thanks,
-T

ToddAndMargo wrote:
I have a customer with 6 Dell Optiplexs and the cheapie
Dell flat screens. All six monitors are smearing. They
look like someone wrote a paper in pencil, then rubbered
their sleeve across it. It looks like a faint gray scale
shadow of the major images to the side of the major image.

All are set to 60 Hz. 1024x768 and 1280x1024 give the
problem, but 800 x 600 does not. Since all six have started
doing the same thing with in three months of each other, I
can not swap to test if it is the monitor or video card.

What do you guys think: monitor or video card?

Do they have the same reaction on another computer?
(Not sure why you would be unable to do this. If a monitor works on one
machine at a given resolution but not on another - then it's probably not
the monitor.)

What is their native resolutions?

Guess they are out of warranty?

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

ToddAndMargo wrote:
I have a customer with 6 Dell Optiplexs and the cheapie
Dell flat screens. All six monitors are smearing. They
look like someone wrote a paper in pencil, then rubbered
their sleeve across it. It looks like a faint gray scale
shadow of the major images to the side of the major image.

All are set to 60 Hz. 1024x768 and 1280x1024 give the
problem, but 800 x 600 does not. Since all six have started
doing the same thing with in three months of each other, I
can not swap to test if it is the monitor or video card.

What do you guys think: monitor or video card?

Do they have the same reaction on another computer?
(Not sure why you would be unable to do this. If a monitor works on one
machine at a given resolution but not on another - then it's probably not
the monitor.)

What is their native resolutions?

Guess they are out of warranty?

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

ToddAndMargo wrote:
Hi All,

I have a customer with 6 Dell Optiplexs and the cheapie
Dell flat screens. All six monitors are smearing. They
look like someone wrote a paper in pencil, then rubbered
their sleeve across it. It looks like a faint gray scale
shadow of the major images to the side of the major image.

All are set to 60 Hz. 1024x768 and 1280x1024 give the
problem, but 800 x 600 does not. Since all six have started
doing the same thing with in three months of each other, I
can not swap to test if it is the monitor or video card.

What do you guys think: monitor or video card?

Many thanks,
-T

Do you carry good quality monitor cables with you, for
swap testing ? Give one of those a try.

At least on a CRT, ghosting can be causes by a reflection
on the cable. The cable impedance has to match the transmitting
end (the video card) and the termination in the monitor.

On some monitors, the cable is "captive", meaning it is
permanently affixed to the monitor and cannot be removed.
I don't have an easy answer for that case.

If the monitors have more than one input, such as having
a DVI option, you could change to a different interface
and retest. Just to verify the panel is working well,
when a good quality signal is present.

You could also bring a test monitor with you, and give
that a try on one of the machines. That will tell you
whether the video card is at fault. But I don't see
a reason for that to be the problem. Video cards have
plenty of failure modes, but "ghosting" is less likely
to be coming from the video card.

Paul

ToddAndMargo wrote:
Hi All,

I have a customer with 6 Dell Optiplexs and the cheapie
Dell flat screens. All six monitors are smearing. They
look like someone wrote a paper in pencil, then rubbered
their sleeve across it. It looks like a faint gray scale
shadow of the major images to the side of the major image.

All are set to 60 Hz. 1024x768 and 1280x1024 give the
problem, but 800 x 600 does not. Since all six have started
doing the same thing with in three months of each other, I
can not swap to test if it is the monitor or video card.

What do you guys think: monitor or video card?

Many thanks,
-T

Do you carry good quality monitor cables with you, for
swap testing ? Give one of those a try.

At least on a CRT, ghosting can be causes by a reflection
on the cable. The cable impedance has to match the transmitting
end (the video card) and the termination in the monitor.

On some monitors, the cable is "captive", meaning it is
permanently affixed to the monitor and cannot be removed.
I don't have an easy answer for that case.

If the monitors have more than one input, such as having
a DVI option, you could change to a different interface
and retest. Just to verify the panel is working well,
when a good quality signal is present.

You could also bring a test monitor with you, and give
that a try on one of the machines. That will tell you
whether the video card is at fault. But I don't see
a reason for that to be the problem. Video cards have
plenty of failure modes, but "ghosting" is less likely
to be coming from the video card.

Paul

Shenan Stanley wrote:

Do they have the same reaction on another computer?
(Not sure why you would be unable to do this. If a monitor works on one
machine at a given resolution but not on another - then it's probably not
the monitor.)

Every monitor acts the same (now) on every computer.
The monitors went out one by one. They did not tell me
till all went out.

What is their native resolutions?

1280x1024


Guess they are out of warranty?

Oh you bet! :'(

Shenan Stanley wrote:

Do they have the same reaction on another computer?
(Not sure why you would be unable to do this. If a monitor works on one
machine at a given resolution but not on another - then it's probably not
the monitor.)

Every monitor acts the same (now) on every computer.
The monitors went out one by one. They did not tell me
till all went out.

What is their native resolutions?

1280x1024


Guess they are out of warranty?

Oh you bet! :'(

"ToddAndMargo" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

I have a customer with 6 Dell Optiplexs and the cheapie
Dell flat screens. All six monitors are smearing. They
look like someone wrote a paper in pencil, then rubbered
their sleeve across it. It looks like a faint gray scale
shadow of the major images to the side of the major image.

All are set to 60 Hz. 1024x768 and 1280x1024 give the
problem, but 800 x 600 does not. Since all six have started
doing the same thing with in three months of each other, I
can not swap to test if it is the monitor or video card.

What do you guys think: monitor or video card?

Many thanks,
-T

It sounds like more of a driver issue than hardware to me.
Did all 6 of them start having the display problems at the same time? If so,
was there any kind of system update, like a new video driver or OS
update/upgrade, that was carried out on all 6? Has the customer moved to a
new location, even if it is inside the same building?
I have an older NEC LCD monitor that is at 1024x768 at 72Hz. Try using a
higher refresh rate on one of them and see if that makes a difference. If
that works, change them all.

SC Tom

"ToddAndMargo" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

I have a customer with 6 Dell Optiplexs and the cheapie
Dell flat screens. All six monitors are smearing. They
look like someone wrote a paper in pencil, then rubbered
their sleeve across it. It looks like a faint gray scale
shadow of the major images to the side of the major image.

All are set to 60 Hz. 1024x768 and 1280x1024 give the
problem, but 800 x 600 does not. Since all six have started
doing the same thing with in three months of each other, I
can not swap to test if it is the monitor or video card.

What do you guys think: monitor or video card?

Many thanks,
-T

It sounds like more of a driver issue than hardware to me.
Did all 6 of them start having the display problems at the same time? If so,
was there any kind of system update, like a new video driver or OS
update/upgrade, that was carried out on all 6? Has the customer moved to a
new location, even if it is inside the same building?
I have an older NEC LCD monitor that is at 1024x768 at 72Hz. Try using a
higher refresh rate on one of them and see if that makes a difference. If
that works, change them all.

SC Tom

ToddAndMargo wrote:
Hi All,

snip

What do you guys think: monitor or video card?

Video Cable connection.

Try wriggling the end gently at either the monitor end or the PC. My bet
(knowing Dell FP monitors) it will be the monitor end has come a bit
loose, and you'll only need to tighten up the holding screws.

--
Adrian C

ToddAndMargo wrote:
Hi All,

snip

What do you guys think: monitor or video card?

Video Cable connection.

Try wriggling the end gently at either the monitor end or the PC. My bet
(knowing Dell FP monitors) it will be the monitor end has come a bit
loose, and you'll only need to tighten up the holding screws.

--
Adrian C

"ToddAndMargo" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

I have a customer with 6 Dell Optiplexs and the cheapie
Dell flat screens. All six monitors are smearing. They
look like someone wrote a paper in pencil, then rubbered
their sleeve across it. It looks like a faint gray scale
shadow of the major images to the side of the major image.

All are set to 60 Hz. 1024x768 and 1280x1024 give the
problem, but 800 x 600 does not. Since all six have started
doing the same thing with in three months of each other, I
can not swap to test if it is the monitor or video card.

What do you guys think: monitor or video card?


This sounds like the cable. The symptom is that of a cheap cable, but you
not that it did work once. Are the connectors secure at both ends (fully
inserted, screws done up properly)?

What you describe is typical if the ground connections are no longer
connecting at either end. It is possible that this is a failure of the
Board to connector soldered joints in either the PC or the monitor. Modern
lead free solder is far less forgiving of stresses and strains than the
leaded stuff was and can easily crack if stressed.

"ToddAndMargo" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

I have a customer with 6 Dell Optiplexs and the cheapie
Dell flat screens. All six monitors are smearing. They
look like someone wrote a paper in pencil, then rubbered
their sleeve across it. It looks like a faint gray scale
shadow of the major images to the side of the major image.

All are set to 60 Hz. 1024x768 and 1280x1024 give the
problem, but 800 x 600 does not. Since all six have started
doing the same thing with in three months of each other, I
can not swap to test if it is the monitor or video card.

What do you guys think: monitor or video card?


This sounds like the cable. The symptom is that of a cheap cable, but you
not that it did work once. Are the connectors secure at both ends (fully
inserted, screws done up properly)?

What you describe is typical if the ground connections are no longer
connecting at either end. It is possible that this is a failure of the
Board to connector soldered joints in either the PC or the monitor. Modern
lead free solder is far less forgiving of stresses and strains than the
leaded stuff was and can easily crack if stressed.