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How reliable are lcd monitors?

K

kypron7

Member
Hello, I just bought a Samsung 225BW widescreen LCD, and I still have the option to purchase extended insurance for another 80 bucks. Anyone here have LCDs die in the first few years? Are they more prone to failure than CRTs?
 
I have 2, a just over 3 yr old one and the other is nearly 3 yrs old with no problems on either. Almost forgot, my laptop is 3 yrs old last month. So 3 lcds with no problems for me.
 
LCDs have a better life than CRTs. At least i certainly hope so, since i didn't buy extended warranty for my Westinghouse 42" LCD display.
 
I wouldn't waist money on the insurance. I have many LCD monitors from Dell, Viewsonic, NEC. The oldest one I have is from NEC it's 15" and I have it for about 5 years, no problem at all.
 
My BenQ is 2 years old with no problems. Well there was this one pixel that was getting stuck on blue occasionally, but each time it did it I gave it a quick flick and it behaved itself again.
 
Extended warranties are in general, not a good idea. They would not exist if they were not profitable for the seller. If they are profitable for the seller, they are statistically losers for the consumer. Take the cost of the extended warranty, and save it towards your next monitor - in the long run you'll win.

I have two 19" LCDs, not going on three years. Not a hint of a problem with either.
 
Most of the defects with LCD displays develop during the manufacturing process, not after the consumer begins the product's operational life. Stuff like dead pixels typically only develop during the actual creation process for the display panel; so, once you get the display and confirm that there are no dead pixels, you should be good to go.
 
http://www.citylinkpcs.com.au/userguide_lcd_monitor.htm

"Warranty
In general you should be looking for a 2-3 year warranty with your LCD monitor. The warranty is fairly standard and will cover all defects in manufacturing, however often times with the exception of dead pixels. What are dead pixels? LCD and other flat panel displays can have components fail within the display unit that can cause pixels to fail, better known as dead pixels. many users consider this to be a defect with the display itself, however most manufacturers will not replace the LCD monitor unless it has multiple dead pixels, generally four or more that are at least a few millimeters away from each other. It is recommended that you review the LCD monitor documentation or contact the manufacturer regarding their dead pixel policy before you purchase the LCD display device.
So what does a dead pixel look like? It can be either a bright or dark colored spot that you will only notice when the background of the screen is a different color. Dead pixels can be very annoying when you notice them and can frustrate you if you have to look at them every day. Some people don't mind them but let me tell you I really dislike them! I recommend selecting an LCD monitor that has a low counting or zero dead pixel warranty. Some dead pixel warranties even extend for the full length of the manufacturers standard warranty time, up to 3 years! In my opinion this is worth considering. Some warranties will give you the first 7-30 days zero dead pixels, then after that period if you get dead pixels your stuck with them! As an LCD monitor ages it will likely develop more dead pixels, it is the current technology and until they improve it we all need to read our warranty policies prior to purchase. There would be nothing worse than getting your brand new LCD monitor only to find that it has 5 or 6 bright and dark dead pixels dotted everywhere about the screen, but your warranty only covers you for 7!

At the end of the day it is all up to you, your environment, your budget and your preferences. As for me I prefer a large non-wide display with high contrast ratio, low response time and full zero dead pixel warranty for life of the standard warranty. But that does not come cheap. Whatever you decide I recommend patience when deciding on the LCD monitor that is perfect for you, one that will suit your needs now and in a couple of years down the road.

"

Now i only point this out...because i have always thought dead pixels can arise anytime. So i was quite surprised to read it only happens during manufacturing here.

If true, that would be a relief 🙂

edit: I only recommend people get a store extended warranty if they have bought something refurbished and it only has a warranty of 30-90 days 🙂
 
Well I've had a couple of LCDs in the past, never had a problem. THis one I purchased 4 years ago is a no name brand. The first one had a dead pixel so I exchanged it. I've had this one for 4 years and it works like the first day.

I just purchased a 20" samsung and it looks GREAT!

The only extended warranty I've ever gotten regarding electronics was with my head phones because I go through them fairly quickly. I wouldnt suggest getting one for a monitor.

By the time the monitor fails, you will probably want to purchase a new one with newer technology. Thats pretty much the trend with electronics.
 
Projection televisions are about the only class of consumer electronics where buying an extended warranty is a good idea. These units are prone to failure and replacement parts tend to be fairly expensive (for example, should you ever need one a replacement light engine for a rear projection DLP typically costs $1200-$1500).
 
The only LCD I've had fail, failed within the first few hours of usage. Just buy an LCD with a 3 year warranty and avoid ones with 1 year warranties. Alternately, use a credit card that adds to warranty (my MasterCard Platinum will double a 1 year warranty).

The other thing is the plummeting price of LCDs and the increasing quality. A typical $200 19" LCD is better quality and half the price that my $400 19" LCD was 1½ years ago.
 
"The other thing is the plummeting price of LCDs and the increasing quality. A typical $200 19" LCD is better quality and half the price that my $400 19" LCD was 1½ years ago. "

that's the nice thing about computers in general 🙂
 
LCD monitors appear to be pretty reliable. I've seen some visual artifacts appear on some after a few years, but it doesn't keep them from being useful.

The biggest concern with LCDs are the fluorescent tubes that backlight them. Those tubes definitely won't last forever. But most of us haven't had our LCD monitors long enough to have tube failure or see significant dimming. It remains to be seen if replacement of the tubes will ever be cost-effective compared with replacing the entire monitor. Probably not.
 
Originally posted by: Zap
The other thing is the plummeting price of LCDs and the increasing quality. A typical $200 19" LCD is better quality and half the price that my $400 19" LCD was 1½ years ago.
Click to expand...

In that vein, today's marketing data for LCDs predicts a 13% per annum price drop over the next few years. Extended warranties are a negative drain in that scenario.

And, in today's market, buying a projection TV doesn't really make a lot of sense.
 
Originally posted by: PorscheMaD911
My BenQ is 2 years old with no problems. Well there was this one pixel that was getting stuck on blue occasionally, but each time it did it I gave it a quick flick and it behaved itself again.
Click to expand...

hahaha...

i got a sweet wide screen lcd a couple months ago and i forgot that ill probably have to deal with faulty pixels eventually 🙁
 
So wait... Was I not correct in telling the OP that most defects occur during the manufacturing process and not afterwards? I am positive that I had heard that several times before, though I will have to look up the sources...

Do a significant percentage of dead pixels develop during the operational lifespan of the LCD or not?? 🙂
 
Dead/stuck pixels can most certainly occur years down the road, & they do in some cases.
 
Originally posted by: n7
Dead/stuck pixels can most certainly occur years down the road, & they do in some cases.
Click to expand...

But the question was- don't they occur most often during manufacturing?
 
Originally posted by: Maluno
But the question was- don't they occur most often during manufacturing?
Click to expand...
I don't think I've ever seen a thread here asking about newly-developed dead pixels.

There could be three reasons for this:
1) It doesn't happen often.
or
2) It's happening after the warranty expires, so folks realize they can't do anything about it anyway.
or
3) Once the shine of the new monitor wears off, folks become less critical of any newly-devloped monitor flaws.

I've got a weird crinkle-like dark band that's developed on the very bottom of my 3- or 4- year-old Envision 19-inch LCD. I bought that LCD at Costco on Black Friday for $400. Using either Envision's warranty or Costco's warranty, I could almost assuredly retun the monitor to Costco and get my $400 back. But the problem isn't bad enough for me to bother.
 
Originally posted by: Maluno
Originally posted by: n7
Dead/stuck pixels can most certainly occur years down the road, & they do in some cases.
Click to expand...

But the question was- don't they occur most often during manufacturing?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is true.

Keep in mind though that LCDs are still a newer technology.

Most people haven't even owned one for more than a few years, which is partially why you don't hear as much about them.

That & AT is a bad place to get an overall sampling of just how reliable something is, since the users here tend to sell stuff after a year or two for something better, not to mention people here usually buy the higher end LCD where issues are slightly less likely to happen.
 
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