Monitor or Me ?

[Endemoniada]

Hi guys,

I'm developing an application that has a totally custom GUI and runs in full screen. I'm using about six shade of grey ranging from RGB(64,64,64) to RGB(255,255,255).

In the mornings everything looks vibrant and great, but as the day goes by it doesn't seem so vibrant, it still looks good but not as good as first thing in the morning.

Is that me or maybe my monitor is failing and gets bad as it warms up ?

Thanks.

[zoobie]

guessing you have a crt monitor...probably shot
the first thing i did when getting into amateur home video production was to buy a dell ultrasharp flatpanel monitor
I knew I had to see exactly what's going on

[Bjs]

The possibilities can turn up from either the monitor , or your video adapter .

Update your video drivers ... you may be suffering from partially damage drivers for the hardware ... the simplest things first .

Next .

Shut down the monitor for 1 hour , or until little heat is detected , and turn it back on ... if all is fine , and then gradual loss is seen later , then the monitor is on it's way ... it may keep going for years yet , but ...

Warning : High voltage components inside .

Shut down pc , disconnect monitor from power source , remove rear cover .

Reconnect monitor to power and startup pc ... once pc is up and running you can make some minor adjustment's .

You'll find in the back of the monitor tube a large rubber gromet , attached to it is a cable ... do NOT touch these ... you will end up being thrown a mile .

Connected to the other end is a type of transformer ... some have 2 or 3 adjustment points ... a philips screw driver is required ... marked near them should be an indication as to which controls ... this device dose hold alot of power ... but so long as you only touch those adjustment screws , it's fine .

If any of these adjustment screws look damaged in any way ... replace monitor ... it is not worth having this device replaced as it would cost you almost what you would pay for a new monitor .

Start with one , adjust either left or right and watch monitor ... if no improvment , return back to original value (count full / half and quater turns and the direction used) .

Adjust the second , and follow as previously described .

You may beable to adjust to almost perfect ... reasemble the monitor after it has been turned off at the power point ... and retest for quality loss over time .

If quality gose south again ... then the problem is usually within the transformer you adjusted ... they do just wear out ... all that heat has to do something sooner or later .

If monitor is now stable ... you found fault .

Yes ... I do this all the time and never been shocked once ... but then I know what I am doing .

-------------------

To test the vga adapter , you do need a good working monitor to test it .

-------------------

Colour loss in monitors and tvs :

Visit local repair shop ... for about 80 bucks ... they can flash the tube with a special device that seems to reset the material used in the tube's ... worth it ... dont get fobbed a load of rubbish "you should by a new one ... see , green is almost dead in you old set" .