On Saturday 10 August 2002 06:04 pm, G. P. Miller wrote:
> Greetings all,
>
> My Viewsonic PT813 21" monitor is starting to act up. The problem manifests
> itself as very thin rolling lines and occasional screen shaking. After some
> monitor switching, I have established that it is not my video card(Matrox
> G400 Max)that is source of the problem. The issue seems to be one of
> refresh rate; it performs pretty well set to 1280x1024 @ 60Hz, but not at
> 85Hz, which is the rate I have been using. The monitor is rated to run at
> 100Hz set to that resolution. Along these same lines, I plugged this
> monitor into another machine and was doing some DOs-level work for several
> hours and the display was crisp and clear and without jitter. Dos is by
> default, I believe, 640x480 at some low refresh rate, probably 60Hz.
>
> Does anyone know what monitor component this issue might point to, and what
> it might cost to fix it? Will repair in this case be cost effective? Since
> I do video work and I have to stare at my screen 8+ hours a day I don't
> want to buy one of the second-rate $300-$400 monitors.
>
> I'm afraid I'm looking at a new monitor purchase. I am quite disappointed
> in this Viewsonic it is just three years old. I have a 17" five-year-old
> Wyse WY-17PS that is, and always has been, as crisp and color-rich as the
> Viewsonic. If I thought I could find a high-end 21" Wyse somewhere I would
> pobably buy one. I suppose I might buy a Hitachi 828.
>
>                                 TIA,
>                                 Glenn Miller

Glenn:
I've had good luck having monitors repaired. My recommendation is to find
a local company that specializes in monitor repair. They normally have a
minimum bench charge to diagnose the problem ($40 to $50), and will give you
an estimate before proceeding with the work. The bench charge should be
applied against the total bill.

I recommend using a local company in order to avoid the shipping costs, and
the associated hassles and delays. Check out your local Yellow Pages under
either computer or electronic repair; Viewsonic may even have a list of
authorized repair shops at their website. TV repair shops (if there are any
left) normally don't have the capability, and most computer stores seem to
use a central repair facility. Another advantage of specialty shops is that
they have ready access to the parts, and may well have the tech manuals
on-site, particularly if they are an authorized Viewsonic repair facility.

Regards,
Carroll Grigsby

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