Okay, on top of everything else that is going on with my household, my Samsung 24 inch monitor decided to actually just blink out on me...as in it was there then totally gone.  I've done all the checking and so far nothing....I've hooked up another monitor to check the vid card and all is good there.  Sucker won't even turn on, totally and utterly silent.

Of course it was a replacement for the original one that did the same dang thing, called Samsung, out of warranty of course since they don't extend the warranty on the replacement.

I can't replace it right this second, money needs to go to more important places (like house payments) but I would appreciate any input for recommendations for a really good reliable monitor that has a good warranty and a good company to back it up.

Your experiences and thoughts would be great :)

Thanks!

I got mine fixed for about 13 bucks...it's most likely just a blown capacitor. There is still a LOT of electronics out there with faulty caps from the cap plague. There is a website (will find it for you) that will replace the caps for a few bucks or if you have a friend or relative that is electronically inclined and that can solder, you can have them do it. The cap should be really easy to find...puffed up and most likely split.

Mine did the exact same thing as yours....just wouldn't turn on one day. A friend soldered replacement caps (around 13 dollars at the local radio shack) and I'm looking at it right now - good as new ;).

edit: here's the web address: http://www.lcdalternatives.com/

Laurie

How far out of warranty is it? If you're based in the UK you have a lot of rights even then. For example, if you can get an engineer's report to state the item failed due to a defective component, rather than "Normal wear and tear" or misuse, the retailer would have to provide either a free repair or, if that's not possible, a replacement of a reasonable standard or depreciated credit. Depreciated credit is calculated on how old the product was when it broke down and how much you paid for it, based on an expectation of around 5 years life. In England (Scottish law is a little different here), major electrical items should last for around 5 years at least. Any breakdown within that time may (and I stress "may") qualify for one of the remedies I mentioned above. Outside the UK, I dunno how that would work. As far as replacements go, I haven't a clue; I'm going to be looking for a new monitor next year so I'll be reading this thread with interest.

I recomment LCDalternatives fully.

I ordered 4 kits of them - 3 Samsung 731b and 1 791b. yup all 4 monitors bought in a six month span had all gone. switching them on was like kick starting a bike. on-off, on-off, until it stayed on.

opening one 731b I found domed caps. the same ones on each 731b and I found domed caps on the 931b.

ordered the kits, they arrived 2 weeks later.. some soldering - replace all the caps with those supplied it's the best idea - and the monitors all powered up perfectly.

total cost, with shipping, about $47 to repair all 4 monitors. to replace just 1 17" at the time, started at $70.

I'll definately look at that, I have a nephew that is an electrician/geek by trade :)  since it's out of warranty and it's not working anyway,opening it up is a no brainer as there is nothing to lose ;)

thanks for the advice :) I'll let you all know how it comes out :)

Quote - I'll definately look at that, I have a nephew that is an electrician/geek by trade :)  since it's out of warranty and it's not working anyway,opening it up is a no brainer as there is nothing to lose ;)

thanks for the advice :) I'll let you all know how it comes out :)

Sounds like the nephew is the one to ply with beer and/or soda if he's underage...lmao. Works slick as anything :). And if there's no longer a warranty...you're right. Nothing to lose but maybe 10-13 bucks ;). We opened the back and looked at the caps and got matching ones at Radio Shack rather than order from that link I gave. But that link is a really good place to start, especially if you don't wanna do the legwork yourself.

Laurie

Yeah, no beer LOL!  At least not until after we get it pulled apart.  Did some more reading on the symptoms and the age of the monitor would put it around the time of the faulty cap plague, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Sam, it was (they said) 1 1/2 years out of warranty.  The problem is, they already had to replace it once, the new one they sent me didn't come with a new warranty, but rather just the old warranty continuing on,which I think is a horrible way to treat their customers.  To send it to them I would have to pay both sending and return shipping PLUS $150 for them to look at it and repair it. If that was the only way to go, I might was well use the old one for a nice paperweight and just buy a new one.  I can get a new ASUS 24 inch LED for $209 with free shipping from TigerDirect.

Like I said, I'm keeping my fingers crossed, it was breaking my heart to think I was going to have to junk this one, while it's still what I consider brand new in the scheme of things for monitors.

You all have given me some hope, I thank you whole heartedly for that :)

Deb

Oh yes, save the beer until after it's fixed...giggle

Laurie

He'll probably want scotch instead LOL!!!

I hope that's it, I will be doing the happy snoopy dance for sure :)

Hah. My 24" Samsung also stopped - I plan to replace the caps myself, but my soldering iron also stopped working this year. sigh

Well I hope you can get yours to working again as well BB....was it a 245BW by any chance?

Well, at least I know not to buy Samsung.  :)

I'm going to be looking for a Wide Gamut monitor so any advice in that area would be gratefully received. 

Quote - Well I hope you can get yours to working again as well BB....was it a 245BW by any chance?

No, but similar - 2493 HM.

Quote - Well, at least I know not to buy Samsung.  :)

I'm going to be looking for a Wide Gamut monitor so any advice in that area would be gratefully received. 

Hehe...my monitor is a 20" ViewSonic ;).

Those bad caps are pretty much in everything that uses capacitors, regardless of manufacturer...sigh

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

Laurie

If you bought the monitor with a credit card check that it may have a warranty extension program. I know American Express adds a year. 

Interesting info. I also had a Samsung monitor that didn't stop altogether but flickered.

It was replaced. Replacement is under my bed as a back up. I'm using my old

ProView..

Very strange, capacitors don't blow without any reason and the only reason is overvoltage. Probably you have voltage spikes in the power line and the monitor are using the most cheap capacitor designed for just only the nominal voltage with very little margin above.

Then a Medion 25" 1900x1200 modeling screen.
In the corner a Medion 47' 1920x1080 main Poser screen. (a TV)
Both hanging behind an ATI card and I7 hyperQuad in a Medion PC.

And on the side wall muy draft or reference screen-monitor a 30" 1920x1080 Silvercrest (a TV), that is ATI powerd from a simple quad in a HP PC.

Quote - Very strange, capacitors don't blow without any reason and the only reason is overvoltage. Probably you have voltage spikes in the power line and the monitor are using the most cheap capacitor designed for just only the nominal voltage with very little margin above.

Kawecki, look up "capacitor plague"

it's real, it's not overvoltage. something even better, you'll just love. trust me. it's right up your alley....

Quote - Kawecki, look up "capacitor plague"

?????????????

use google dude. trust me. you'll love this.

Ohhhh Wikipedia again:

"The capacitor plague[1] (also known as bad capacitors [2]) was a problem with a large number of premature failures of aluminium electrolytic capacitors with non solid or liquid electrolyte of certain brands especially from Taiwan manufacturers.[3] The first flawed capacitors were seen in 1999...."

It is the lack of screening and quality control. Premature death only happens in the first hours of use and a normal quality control will reject these cases. If you turn on some device and it work for some hours, it will continue to work for years if it was properly designed.

I don't know what crappy products you are using or if you buy a bottle of whiskey and it has inside water instead of whiskey. Capacitors and resistors that have normal quality, you don't need NASA quality, and with proper specifications for your application continue to work for decades. You even can take a radio of the 20's and unless it was smashed it will work today.

The only thing that can damage properly designed electronic devices is overvoltage, heat and mechanical shock, but if apply 20V to a 12V electrolythic capacitor you can be sure that it will explode making noise and a lot of smoke.

ok not arguing it with you Kawecki. I learnt long ago thats useless...

Products and components made in Taiwan are a problem, many are good and have quality, but other are falsifications, fake, made with defective components or rejected by the quality control of other company or even have nothing inside, of course that never will work.

Products and components from China are more reliable, not so because Chinese from China are better than Chinese from Taiwan, but because they must be more careful to not receive a bullet in their neck.

Interesting.

Quote - Well, at least I know not to buy Samsung.  :)

I'm going to be looking for a Wide Gamut monitor so any advice in that area would be gratefully received. 

I've been happy with my HP LP2475w

Please note that some capacitors have pcb's inside of them, yes, they still exist...just dealt with one the other day. If unsure handle cap with gloves.

Quote - Products and components made in Taiwan are a problem, many are good and have quality, but other are falsifications, fake, made with defective components or rejected by the quality control of other company or even have nothing inside, of course that never will work. Products and components from China are more reliable, not so because Chinese from China are better than Chinese from Taiwan, but because they must be more careful to not receive a bullet in their neck.

Yanno, the day I can choose which country the components in the electronics I buy come from, I'll give ya a call.

Laurie

Quote - > Quote - Well, at least I know not to buy Samsung.  :)

I'm going to be looking for a Wide Gamut monitor so any advice in that area would be gratefully received. 

 

I've been happy with my HP LP2475w

HP are certainly a consideration.  They at least seem to have a higher res than most other monitors, too.  The 1080 pixel standard most use is no good to me; my old CRT ran at 1600x1200 so I need something at least to that standard.

I'm with jismi!

I love my HP LP2475w

EDIT:  I bought an older HP version to get the 1920x1200.  The newer models all have the 1920x1080.  I had to look for quite some time to find this HP when I built the new system.

Quote - Yanno, the day I can choose which country the components in the electronics I buy come from, I'll give ya a call.

You can do it, the country of origen is by itself not important, but the vender, the company that made them and the specifications you can choose and must do it. If you want a component made, for example in Japan, you enter in contact with NEC, Toshiba, Hitachi..., or any vendor and ask "do you have the component xxxx and it must be made in Japan ?" If yes and the price is satisfactory you can purchase from him, if not you go to other vendor.

You not only select the component specifications, you also select the fabricant and the quality level that can be from military grade to crap level. Probably who is selling military grade components will not have crap grade, so if you want crap you must go to other vendor.

The story doesn't end here, once ou selected the vendor and component you purchase a batch of them. When you receive the batch you test it. The test can be one by one or by sampling, The test can be very simple or very intensive depending on your product and quality level of your product. If the components passed the test you use them in your product. If the components failed the test, you reject the batch and send it back to the vendor.

Of course, you can do nothing of this and use counterfeit or stolen components and give no satisfaction and return to your customers. When the sitaution gets ugly you only disappear and later appear again with another name.

Well, I  had no clue one could make something so complicated out of something so damn simple 

Laurie

Well, things can be very simple. If your monitor refuse to work, buy a new one and thow the old one in the trash can.

Damn, things get complicated again. You cannot throw the old monitor in the trash can, you must take your not working monitor to special place for recycling, who knows where it is and how much you have to spend in time and money to do it.

We have ppl here that pick up that sort of thing a few times a year when they come around for the regular garbage. But making sure you have components from x and y inside ur computer crap is not really easy...at least not around here. You buy, you have a warranty. When warranty ends and ur stuff breaks, you're shit out of luck. You either have the thing fixed, fix it yourself or toss it. Nice and simple.

Laurie

In all days machines worked for years or decades, when by some reason ceased to work you called someone to fix it or did by yourself and the machine returned to work for years.

Today is not more in this way, when something is broken you don't fix it, you buy a new one. There still exist some people that fix things, but every day is becoming more and more difficult, if not impossible, to fix something that is broken.

I had a monitor that had an integrated circuit burned, no one was able to fix it because no one was able to find this integrated circuits. I tried to contact by internet to the company that made the chip and I found that this company now is selling bananas, well it were not bananas, but nothing to do with electronics. The monitor ended in the trash can and the trash truck get it away with the other food and garbage (I am not green)

Some company makes a product or component, it makes and sells millions and more millions of it. One year later this company makes a new product and no more replacemnt of documentation or costumer support for the old product. Also the company can not exist anymore.

Products are designed to last very few time, it breaks and become obsolete very soon and you are forced to buy a new one.

As things are going, very soon you will be forced to purchase a new monitor, a new cell phone, a..., every month.

Buy, buy, buy, buy and buy, of course, use the credit cards for this. This is the Law

Hello? Have you been reading? I'm LOOKING at a monitor we fixed ourselves right NOW. Khai has 4 monitors that he fixed. HIMSELF. That's what we're TALKING about. Why buy new if you can fix it so easily?

We're not talking about your monitor that died years ago. We're talking about now...lol.

Read. Please.

I'm sorry Kawecki but a large part of the time, I just don't know what you're talking about or what point you're trying to make :P

Laurie

I've replaced motherboards on about 200 DELL Optiplex GX-270s because of bad caps.  I called them jiffy popped.  DELL shipped them out to me because they knew of the problem.

Makes me wonder if that's what happened to my CRT. I threw it out a few months ago when it rolled over and died. Shame really, it was a damn good monitor. Better than the silly little flat thing I have now. :(

Just an update,still not repaired but that's because we haven't been able to find the right resistors and capcitors, no biggee, had the computer guy look at it was a total waste of time,  I don't think he had ever seen a power board for a monitor before he's used to just selling people new monitors.

Anyway,  we've narrowed it down to what looks like some bad resistors and for everyone's info I found the most incredible forum for this type of stuff:

http://badcaps.net/forum  it has all kinds of info on repairs!  I was so excited.

I'll let you all know when we finish this odessy.