Monitor Woes

[Blind_Io]

Ok, I am running a Dell 20.1 inch monitor that is only a few years old. Recently I have been noticing that I get ghost images of windows on my desktop. My desktop is mostly black and iTunes and Firefox tend to be light colors. These are not burn-in images, because they eventually fade, it's more like the monitor isn't reacting to new signals.

I tried to narrow it down to either the video card or the monitor by doing a series of screen shots, swapping monitors between computers and changing resolutions. The results indicate that the problem is the monitor, not the video card.

So, I'm really pissed at Dell, this monitor was bloody expensive and it's only a couple years old. I would like another high quality LCD monitor for gaming, so it needs to be responsive, bright and have good contrast. Any recommendations, or if you think this problem is something other than my monitor please tell me. I would love for it to be something cheap and simple to fix but I'll be buggered if I can figure out what it is.

[hokiethang]

I'd try checking the video cables. I have noticed that sometimes cables can cause the symptoms you are seeing.

[oliB]

Originally Posted by hokiethang

I'd try checking the video cables. I have noticed that sometimes cables can cause the symptoms you are seeing.

I second that.

I had the same issue (ghost images) with my old 19" CRT. After pressing the VGA cable/plug firmly against the monitor/its socket, the ghost images were gone for a while.

[sandor_]

Originally Posted by oliB

I second that.

I had the same issue (ghost images) with my old 19" CRT. After pressing the VGA cable/plug firmly against the monitor/its socket, the ghost images were gone for a while.

thrid that. and if you are using VGA, try DVI if possible. quite a number of Dell LCD models (cannot remember off the top of my head) had problems (sometimes random) with video sync & VGA. DVI have typicaly been stellar. i use a 20" widescreen Dell LCD both at home and work, and have no problems - DVI on both.

Try a new cable first, however.

[cvrefugee]

It's called image persistence - http://compreviews.about.com/od/moni.../LCDBurnIn.htm

[Blind_Io]

Originally Posted by cvg

It's called image persistence - http://compreviews.about.com/od/moni.../LCDBurnIn.htm

I don't think so, that is for the constant display of the same image, this happens after just a few minutes. (< 10 minutes)

I will check the cable thing and see if that does it.

[cvrefugee]

Originally Posted by Blind_Io

I don't think so, that is for the constant display of the same image, this happens after just a few minutes. (< 10 minutes)

I will check the cable thing and see if that does it.

Does it look like this? - http://www.widescreengamer.com/artic...l_2005fpw.html

[Blind_Io]

It's similar to that, but again, they are talking about leaving a monitor on overnight. This happens in ten minutes or less. If it is image persistence then I think it's a problem with the monitor. No monitor should have that problem after such a short period of time.

[sandor_]

Originally Posted by Blind_Io

It's similar to that, but again, they are talking about leaving a monitor on overnight. This happens in ten minutes or less. If it is image persistence then I think it's a problem with the monitor. No monitor should have that problem after such a short period of time.

try new video cables first, and a DVI one if you can.

Dell's support will work, but you'll get so pissed off in the 6 hours of being on hold that you will want to puke.

[xtasy127]

i have the exact monitor my tool bar is burned in already. ever since like the 2nd week ive been using it i noticed it and my itunes buttons are kinda burned into too so like if i dont use it i turn it off and the burn in is not that bad but the toool bar is definately there.

[Blind_Io]

Sounds like it's time to find a new monitor company. Pity, monitors were the only thing left of Dell's that I felt was worth while.

[Raparperi]

I had a 2005FPW for a year and had those same nasty burnt images on the screen (first I was told to run a screen saver but that didn't remove the problem)...contacted Dell again, told them about the problem and practically the next day a courier came, took my old screen away and gave me a brand spanking new 2007WFP. I'd call that customer service Haven't had any problems with the new screen.

Well, I have a minor nag about it though, the setting for image interpolation is a POS. In the old monitor if I selected 4:3, it stayed that way. Now, whenever I'm in Windows (= I have the full 1680x1050 native resolution in use) the setting resets itself to full/stretch (can't remember the correct name, I'm at school now). So every time I want to play a game without the picture being stretched horizontally, I have to go to the menu -> display settings, change the interpolation to 4:3 and exit. And those Dell pain-in-the-ass buttons are not helping a bit... And no, my computer can't run games fast enough in 1680x1050, so I usually play them in 1024x768 (reasonable quality and good fps).

[POWERRR!!]

Raparperi - How is your 2007WFP so far? Have you experienced any banding issues with the DVI connection? A lot of people seem to have that problem with that particular monitor. I'm planning to get myself that for Christmas, but I don't know, that banding issue could be a deal breaker for me.

[cvrefugee]

Originally Posted by POWERRR!!

Raparperi - How is your 2007WFP so far? Have you experienced any banding issues with the DVI connection? A lot of people seem to have that problem with that particular monitor. I'm planning to get myself that for Christmas, but I don't know, that banding issue could be a deal breaker for me.

I believe they had a firmware upgrade that fixed the banding issues. But it doesn't matter, as Dell released a cheaper version (E207WFP) which supports HDCP.

[Raparperi]

Originally Posted by POWERRR!!

Raparperi - How is your 2007WFP so far? Have you experienced any banding issues with the DVI connection? A lot of people seem to have that problem with that particular monitor. I'm planning to get myself that for Christmas, but I don't know, that banding issue could be a deal breaker for me.

Sorry, forgot to answer. I have seen the banding problem, but that is easily solved by selecting "desktop mode" from image modes. The other two modes show the banding quite badly.

Let's hope that I don't get those same burnt/ghost images I got with the 2005FPW, though I must admit I'm already seeing some faint lines when I have neutral grey displayed on the screen. Well, at least the Dell guarantee worked the last time and I'm pretty confident they'll switch the display again, if the same problem happens with this one.