Flat screen computer monitor

[Sproket]

Does anybody know how long time wise a flat screen LCD monitor should last ?The reason i ask is the one i use for our cctv has just died, it was only four years old...I thought these LCD flat screen monitors were suposed to last for a long time If it had been on for 12hours a day 7 days a week it would only equate to 17,500 hours, if it has been on for 10,000 hours i would be suprised.

 

[Gafferbill]

Perhaps the flies have munched their way through some components in your LCD TV!!!
They are also in your computer ;-0

 

[John_374564913]

I am not sure about a LCD screen but we purchased a Plasma Television when they first came out and paid a lot of money for it after 3 years it stopped working which I was very annoyed about but when and after doing a lot of research we found the life in hours equated to about 12 hours a day 365 days a year for 3 years

So it was the norm then for a plasma, I know LCD are supposed to have a much longer life but how much I do not know.

 

[Sproket]

Perhaps the flies have munched their way through some components in your LCD TV!!!
They are also in your computer ;-0

They keep escaping )

 

[lohr500]

Hi Sprocket,
Does it have a remote power supply/transformer, or is it built in with the 240V mains cable plugging straight into the monitor?
Either way it could be the transformer that has packed up. Do any of the indicator led's light up when it is powered up?
I gather transformer failure is a common problem on some monitors.

 

[Woody3]

Its called built-in obsolecence. Modern kit is built down to a price so corners are cut wherever possible. It doesn't necessarily follow that the more you pay the longer it lasts - as was often the case years ago. A CRT TV would not unreasonably be expected to last 10 years or much much more - how many readers have one in excess of 20 years and still working I wonder? (IMO they give better pictures than LCD as well!) A modern TV does well if it lasts 5 years, although arguably such is the pace of deveolpment that after five years it will probably be obsolete by technological change. How many have had to replace their DTTV box that is only a few years old as it has stopped working because of the technical changes in broadcasting ahead of DSO? Indeed how many people bought a so-called HD-ready TV in the last few years and will now have to buy an extra box to use with it to get Freeview HD?

In many cases, the failure of modern screen equipment is down to the power supply, either it fails completely or it stops producing the higher voltages needed to light the tubes behind the LCD panel. IME it is rarely the LCD that fails as such. The upcoming use of LED backlighting may help things as they run at low voltage and low(ish) current. The power supply has been built down to a price often with insufficient heat-sinking so it eventually dies due to stress. If you buy a TV or screen - especially the smaller ones - you will probably fare better if it has an external PSU as (a) it has better cooling through air circulation around it and (b) it can be replaced if it fails.

 

[xtrailman]

We have a 6 years plus LG 15" TV which we use for our CCTV, also take it for use when we tour. Still working ok, but we find when using it as a tv in the caravan, the brightness has to be on maxium.
When used for the cameras the brightness needs to be reduced.
And the TV was only a cheap one at the time.

 

[Sproket]

The flat screen what has died came with this packard bell computor that i use, we used it for about two years plus & then bought a bigger one for the computor & put the old one to use with the cctv....
So it works out at just over £25.00 per year of use...
This one just started to shut itself down & in the end it would only stay on for a few mins...

 

[joeby]

we bought 2 laptops 3 years ago , same brand and model , my wifes screen went on the blink after 6 months ,which was replaced under guarantee ,and yet mine is still working fine after 3 years , a bit like most things reallly ,some die early and some keep going on

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi sproket.
we got a LCD TV when the old granada rental died. quite expensive at the time however it had the pc vga imput socket on the back so I was able to use it as a monitor as well as a TV and get rid of the CRT monitor that was a bit bulky. cant remember exactly how old it is now but it still works "I never throw anything out that still works" LOL.
Anyway the reason for replying to your post was about 3years ago it suffered the same problem as yours that is turning it's self off after about 15/20mins and smelt quite warm suspecting a cooling problem took the back off it was full of dust. after cleaning it out completly it was better and would run for about an hour or two before shutting down I then hit on the idea of using a computer case fan attached to the rear panel to aid cooling and hey presto fixed. ok so I have to change the fan once a year when it wears out and gets noisy but hey at £3 a time its better than forking out for a new TV.

I know my solution will probably not help you but the thought crossed my mind how many pieces of equipment that could be repaired are thrown away for a minor fault because no one will repair them.

colin

 

[Woody3]

I think Colin's comments fully support my notes - it is often the PSU and/or overheating that is the problem with modern kit - there isn't enough of it. I would however add one cautionary note - if you do take the back off to clean it out make sure it has been unpowered for at least several hours. Switched mode power supplies rectify and smooth incoming mains - the capacitors that do the smoothing run at 350-400V or even more and can hold that charge for some considerable time before it leaks away. You might well get more than one go if you touch it but it don't half make you jump!

Curious note:
Has anyone noticed how many people leave comments on this group late at night and (especially) in the early hours? We are either a load of insomniacs or just plain sad methinks!

 

[Philspadders]

A televison or monitor can be expected to last up to 6 years, thats it design life span. Not many people realise that you could return it to where you bought it a request a repair.

For example , a Lap Top computer should have a working life of up to 7 years, but if it fails after perhaps 3 years the supplying shop does have a legal duty to repair it.

This takes a lot of arguing but it work, i have done it.

 

[Reg]

Phil I wonder if the same would apply to a caravan after 5 years?