Watch this tutorial if you are going to replace laptop LCD screen yourself:
Showing posts with label LCD screen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LCD screen. Show all posts
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Common LCD Screen Cleaning Mistake
Question:
I sprayed Windex on my laptop LCD screen and now it has pink streaks. Is it possible to remove the pink streaks from the screen using a stain remover?
Answer:
Pink streaks on your screen are not paint or dirt and cannot be erased by stain remover. Since Windex is a solvent, the pink color is a result of dissolved surface of the screen. Every LCD panel has a coating on top of the actual screen, this is what is damaged. It is hard to believe that you can easily rid of these streaks. However, the LCD screen in a laptop is easy to remove and replace. You may learn from some on-line guide how to replace LCD screen.
For your information in the future. Despite the fact that the technology is changing fast and screen coatings are different, in general, it is not recommended to use any solvent including alcohol. It is better to use distilled water. Shut down your laptop before cleaning. Using a lint-free microfiber cloth is best, an old cloth can introduce dust. After cleaning dry a wet screen with a dry cloth. Read more How to Clean LCD Screen
I sprayed Windex on my laptop LCD screen and now it has pink streaks. Is it possible to remove the pink streaks from the screen using a stain remover?
Answer:
Pink streaks on your screen are not paint or dirt and cannot be erased by stain remover. Since Windex is a solvent, the pink color is a result of dissolved surface of the screen. Every LCD panel has a coating on top of the actual screen, this is what is damaged. It is hard to believe that you can easily rid of these streaks. However, the LCD screen in a laptop is easy to remove and replace. You may learn from some on-line guide how to replace LCD screen.
For your information in the future. Despite the fact that the technology is changing fast and screen coatings are different, in general, it is not recommended to use any solvent including alcohol. It is better to use distilled water. Shut down your laptop before cleaning. Using a lint-free microfiber cloth is best, an old cloth can introduce dust. After cleaning dry a wet screen with a dry cloth. Read more How to Clean LCD Screen
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Fixing a Broken Laptop Screen Yourself is Easier Than You Think
Laptop screen problems can be different. It may be easy fixable or may require certain efforts. Some LCD screen issues can be resolved by cleaning or running software, others replacing with a new LCD panel in worst-case scenario. Anyway, the first step is to define what type of problem your screen has.
First of all, if your LCD screen has small black spots it can be just a dirt. In this case you will need to clean the screen. It is better to use distilled water (or tap water, at last resort) but not a solvent. Shut down your laptop before cleaning. Using a lint-free microfiber cloth is best, an old cloth can introduce dust. Finally, dry the screen with a dry cloth.
If small black spots did not disappear after cleaning or the spots are white or colorized, it is quite possible that the screen has faulty pixels. Faulty pixels can be different by nature. According to a typical classification, they can be stuck, hot, and dead. And consequently, they require different approaches to fix. At times, stuck pixels may start working with time again. Sometimes such pixels can be re-energized by turning them on and off rapidly (you can try to use some pixels-fixing software tools).
You may find many different advices on the Internet how to deal with faulty pixels. Some of them are worth to try, others may damage the screen (for instance, using an excessive heat). Anyway, it is better to try different approaches to fix these pixels (at least to make sure that the only one option is left). Unfortunately, if your srceen has a dead or a partially dead pixels, in most cases there is nothing that you can do about it other than replacing your LCD screen with a new panel.
LCD screens are more fragile than old CRTs and faulty pixels can be easily contributed by users if pressure is put upon screen. As well as, the screen may have scratches. Some people try CD scratch remover but as a rule it makes the screen worse. The matter of fact, every LCD panel has a coating on top of the actual screen, this is what is scratched. Unfortunately, it can not be repaired. If your screen has many scratches, looks too ugly, then the most radical solution would be to replace the screen.
In case of dark screen, flicker, stripes, or other image problem, the first step should be to make sure that this is a screen problem, not other laptop's part. Therefore, it is necessary to check if other parts of laptop work. The easiest way is just to connect an external monitor through video output. If picture is good it means the laptop screen is non-functional or broken.
In case of dimmed screen or flicker it might be broken inverter or back-light bulb (that causes flicker). The back-light lamp is mounted inside the screen. When the back-light lamp fails, you have to replace the whole LCD screen (it is possible to replace only the lamp but very hard). All screen parts are supplied in one module that can be replaced.
If your screen is not repairable, a good cost-effective solution could be to replace the screen on your own. Are non-technical people capable to replace a laptop screen themselves? Evidently, yes. No doubt that most people are scared to change their laptop screen first time. But replacing LCD screen is easy. It is only slightly more difficult than changing a light-bulb: removing 6 screws, pulling off a bezel, disconnecting the old screen, and the installation of the new screen by following steps in reverse order. You may learn from some on-line illustrated guide how to replace LCD screen.
Since most laptop manufacturers charge too much, search for a good online store-retailer for your screen replacement (it should be within $50-150 depending on model). Some places carry a big inventory of brand new LCD panels to replace any notebook screen. If you are unable to find a particular model listed on their website, call or email them to find a screen replacement for your laptop.
© Alex Smartson. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
First of all, if your LCD screen has small black spots it can be just a dirt. In this case you will need to clean the screen. It is better to use distilled water (or tap water, at last resort) but not a solvent. Shut down your laptop before cleaning. Using a lint-free microfiber cloth is best, an old cloth can introduce dust. Finally, dry the screen with a dry cloth.
If small black spots did not disappear after cleaning or the spots are white or colorized, it is quite possible that the screen has faulty pixels. Faulty pixels can be different by nature. According to a typical classification, they can be stuck, hot, and dead. And consequently, they require different approaches to fix. At times, stuck pixels may start working with time again. Sometimes such pixels can be re-energized by turning them on and off rapidly (you can try to use some pixels-fixing software tools).
You may find many different advices on the Internet how to deal with faulty pixels. Some of them are worth to try, others may damage the screen (for instance, using an excessive heat). Anyway, it is better to try different approaches to fix these pixels (at least to make sure that the only one option is left). Unfortunately, if your srceen has a dead or a partially dead pixels, in most cases there is nothing that you can do about it other than replacing your LCD screen with a new panel.
LCD screens are more fragile than old CRTs and faulty pixels can be easily contributed by users if pressure is put upon screen. As well as, the screen may have scratches. Some people try CD scratch remover but as a rule it makes the screen worse. The matter of fact, every LCD panel has a coating on top of the actual screen, this is what is scratched. Unfortunately, it can not be repaired. If your screen has many scratches, looks too ugly, then the most radical solution would be to replace the screen.
In case of dark screen, flicker, stripes, or other image problem, the first step should be to make sure that this is a screen problem, not other laptop's part. Therefore, it is necessary to check if other parts of laptop work. The easiest way is just to connect an external monitor through video output. If picture is good it means the laptop screen is non-functional or broken.
In case of dimmed screen or flicker it might be broken inverter or back-light bulb (that causes flicker). The back-light lamp is mounted inside the screen. When the back-light lamp fails, you have to replace the whole LCD screen (it is possible to replace only the lamp but very hard). All screen parts are supplied in one module that can be replaced.
If your screen is not repairable, a good cost-effective solution could be to replace the screen on your own. Are non-technical people capable to replace a laptop screen themselves? Evidently, yes. No doubt that most people are scared to change their laptop screen first time. But replacing LCD screen is easy. It is only slightly more difficult than changing a light-bulb: removing 6 screws, pulling off a bezel, disconnecting the old screen, and the installation of the new screen by following steps in reverse order. You may learn from some on-line illustrated guide how to replace LCD screen.
Since most laptop manufacturers charge too much, search for a good online store-retailer for your screen replacement (it should be within $50-150 depending on model). Some places carry a big inventory of brand new LCD panels to replace any notebook screen. If you are unable to find a particular model listed on their website, call or email them to find a screen replacement for your laptop.
© Alex Smartson. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Friday, April 16, 2010
What Laptop Users Should Consider When Choosing LCD Screen Size
Screen size is a key factor in the laptop's overall performance, size, and weight. The laptop screen size also is one of the most important factors when it comes to how long your battery is going to last. What is the most optimal laptop screen size?
It is easy to take the quality of laptop for granted. But when you consider that you probably spend more time using your laptop than any other device or tool, you realize that the screen you stare at every day is a vital part of your computer system.
The laptop screen size is one of the first things that is worth to choose before considering other laptop parameters. As a matter of fact, screen size is a key factor in the laptop's overall performance, size, and weight. The laptop screen size also is one of the most important factors when it comes to how long your battery is going to last. The most popular laptop screen diagonal sizes range from 12 to 17 inches. The most popular screen resolutions are 1024 x 768, 1280 x 800, 1280 x 1024, 1680 x 1050, and 1440 x 900.
Some people would never consider any laptop below a 14.1-inch screen. The laptops with 17-inch screen or even bigger are not so convenient for traveling. However, they combine the power of a desktop and the benefits of a laptop (that is why some people call them as desktop replacements). The battery life is short for such big laptops. Another disadvantage is that these laptops may be too heavy and too big.
What screen resolution is optimal? A higher screen resolution reduces the size of items on your screen and increases the relative space on your desktop. But on the other hand, you may feel uncomfortable if fonts are too small to read a text. Another parameter is aspect ratio (the relative numbers of horizontal and vertical pixels). Traditional screens built with 4:3 aspect ratio. For example, a native resolution of 1280x1024 indicates an aspect ratio of 5:4, which is the most used format on 17" and 19" LCD monitors in the recent years. New wide-screen monitors may use almost 2:1 ratio. Wide-screen monitors use a special aspect ratio control to resolve the problem of "unnatural" displaying video with different formats. Normally, a native resolution should allow displaying without any distortion. The best way to find the perfect resolution that is optimal for you and your screen is to try different settings.
Most people like the laptops with 14-inch or larger LCD screens with preferred Windows resolution of 1,024x768. These laptops are not too heavy. They are prone to have a long battery life and charge-cycle capability (run time more than several hours). Also 14-15-inch laptops are the most reasonably priced. The experienced computer users also consider this choice as the best compromise between viewable area and overall portability.
If you prefer to have the laptop screen with size less than 15-inch, it could be reasonable to use an internal display only when you are on the road. When you at your desk, your laptop can be connected to an external monitor (for example, with a spacious 19-21-inch screen) for better view and more professional works. At desk also it could be good to use an external ergonomic keyboard and mouse (that are connected to laptop).
© Alec Smith. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
It is easy to take the quality of laptop for granted. But when you consider that you probably spend more time using your laptop than any other device or tool, you realize that the screen you stare at every day is a vital part of your computer system.
The laptop screen size is one of the first things that is worth to choose before considering other laptop parameters. As a matter of fact, screen size is a key factor in the laptop's overall performance, size, and weight. The laptop screen size also is one of the most important factors when it comes to how long your battery is going to last. The most popular laptop screen diagonal sizes range from 12 to 17 inches. The most popular screen resolutions are 1024 x 768, 1280 x 800, 1280 x 1024, 1680 x 1050, and 1440 x 900.
Some people would never consider any laptop below a 14.1-inch screen. The laptops with 17-inch screen or even bigger are not so convenient for traveling. However, they combine the power of a desktop and the benefits of a laptop (that is why some people call them as desktop replacements). The battery life is short for such big laptops. Another disadvantage is that these laptops may be too heavy and too big.
What screen resolution is optimal? A higher screen resolution reduces the size of items on your screen and increases the relative space on your desktop. But on the other hand, you may feel uncomfortable if fonts are too small to read a text. Another parameter is aspect ratio (the relative numbers of horizontal and vertical pixels). Traditional screens built with 4:3 aspect ratio. For example, a native resolution of 1280x1024 indicates an aspect ratio of 5:4, which is the most used format on 17" and 19" LCD monitors in the recent years. New wide-screen monitors may use almost 2:1 ratio. Wide-screen monitors use a special aspect ratio control to resolve the problem of "unnatural" displaying video with different formats. Normally, a native resolution should allow displaying without any distortion. The best way to find the perfect resolution that is optimal for you and your screen is to try different settings.
Most people like the laptops with 14-inch or larger LCD screens with preferred Windows resolution of 1,024x768. These laptops are not too heavy. They are prone to have a long battery life and charge-cycle capability (run time more than several hours). Also 14-15-inch laptops are the most reasonably priced. The experienced computer users also consider this choice as the best compromise between viewable area and overall portability.
If you prefer to have the laptop screen with size less than 15-inch, it could be reasonable to use an internal display only when you are on the road. When you at your desk, your laptop can be connected to an external monitor (for example, with a spacious 19-21-inch screen) for better view and more professional works. At desk also it could be good to use an external ergonomic keyboard and mouse (that are connected to laptop).
© Alec Smith. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Choosing between Matte and Glossy LCD Screens
It is easy to take the quality of your PC display for granted. But when you consider that you spend more time using your monitor than any other component of your PC, you realize that the LCD screen you stare at every day is a vital part of your computer system. What differentiates one LCD panel from another is image quality. The light source, the viewing angle, and the system's graphics card can have a dramatic effect on an LCD's performance. Also such parameters as, text readability, sharpness, grayscale range, color quality, or image uniformity are important. However, the recent researches show that the surface of your LCD panel is very important characteristic. There are two major types of LCD screens distinguished by surface – matte and glossy.
A matte LCD screen has an anti-glare coating that diffuses ambient light. A side effect of the coating is a slight blurring, reduced contrast, and a narrow viewing angle. A matte screen may be the best one for a color-minded professional. Also a matte LCD may be better for your eyes in the long run.
In general, a glossy LCD screen has a better contrast, brighter colors (more saturated), and better viewing angles. A glossy screen may look more vibrant to watch movies or play games. The major disadvantage of a glossy screen is the reflection of a light and other objects. Sometimes it is not easy to adjust the screen to make it less reflective. Glare may interfere with color perception. Also in print, supersaturated colors will not show up. Overusing a glossy screen may cause a vision problem (eye strain). Also the distractions from reflection may cause a headache (brain overloaded thought eye's nervous signals). Many visual designers find that the glossy screens present unrealistic colors and overly contrasted images. Sometimes photographs cannot be accurately matched to the final print.
So matte or glossy? Actually, it is a personal preference. When you choosing between two types of screens, make your decision after careful consideration. It is better to buy after seeing and comparing matte and glossy types first. Often a laptop manufacturer does not offer the option (or at least for now) to choose between glossy and matte screens. However, there is a solution how to get the LCD screen that you like. Just replace it. It is easy to do even if you are not a technical person (use some illustrated guide). Since most laptop manufacturers charge too much, you may try to find third-party companies on the market that are selling laptop screens. Some of them have a lot of brand new genuine LCD screens for laptops.
© Alex Smartson. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
A matte LCD screen has an anti-glare coating that diffuses ambient light. A side effect of the coating is a slight blurring, reduced contrast, and a narrow viewing angle. A matte screen may be the best one for a color-minded professional. Also a matte LCD may be better for your eyes in the long run.
In general, a glossy LCD screen has a better contrast, brighter colors (more saturated), and better viewing angles. A glossy screen may look more vibrant to watch movies or play games. The major disadvantage of a glossy screen is the reflection of a light and other objects. Sometimes it is not easy to adjust the screen to make it less reflective. Glare may interfere with color perception. Also in print, supersaturated colors will not show up. Overusing a glossy screen may cause a vision problem (eye strain). Also the distractions from reflection may cause a headache (brain overloaded thought eye's nervous signals). Many visual designers find that the glossy screens present unrealistic colors and overly contrasted images. Sometimes photographs cannot be accurately matched to the final print.
So matte or glossy? Actually, it is a personal preference. When you choosing between two types of screens, make your decision after careful consideration. It is better to buy after seeing and comparing matte and glossy types first. Often a laptop manufacturer does not offer the option (or at least for now) to choose between glossy and matte screens. However, there is a solution how to get the LCD screen that you like. Just replace it. It is easy to do even if you are not a technical person (use some illustrated guide). Since most laptop manufacturers charge too much, you may try to find third-party companies on the market that are selling laptop screens. Some of them have a lot of brand new genuine LCD screens for laptops.
© Alex Smartson. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Why LED Backlight Screens Are Better than Traditional Ones
LED-backlight LCD screens are brighter, thinner, less power-consuming, and more reliable than the screens built with fluorescent lamp. But they are more expensive too. Is it worth today to buy a laptop or monitor with LED-backlight LCD screen instead of traditional one?
A backlight (or backlit) is a form of illumination that used in LCD (liquid crystal display) screens. In other words, backlight is an internal source of white light that illuminates the LCD from the back of the display panel. This is how most modern laptop screens and desktop monitors are built. Note, LED-backlight LCD (or TFT) screen is not the same as an OLED (Organic LED) active screen which does not require a backlight to function.
Only a few years ago, display technology started incorporating LED (light emitting diode) backlights. Today LCD screens with LED backlight are still more expensive than traditional screens. Are they really better than old ones? Most computer experts would tell you that these new types of screens are brighter, thinner, less power-consuming (and less heat), and more reliable. They may forget to mention that these screens with LED backlight have longer life (old technology monitors starts dim after several years usage and loses brightness).
Also it is important that backlight-LED type of LCD screen is "greener" than a regular screen because it is mercury-free, less power-consuming, and able to prolong battery life in laptops (therefore, decrease its disposal problem). According to Dell's internal research, switching all of its laptops to LED, which use 43% less power than fluorescent lamp will save consumers $20 million dollars in energy costs and 220 million kilowatt-hours over 2010 and 2011.
There is one more reason to switch to LED backlight. Regular screens use CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) backlighting that produces inaccurate color. CCFL emits white light that has non-uniform (stripped) spectrum. Actual white light (sunlight or daylight) has a continuous spectrum. And LED is able to produce such full spectrum white light. That is why LED-backlight screens are able to reproduce more natural and richer colors. The first users who gratefully noticed this were photographers, designers, and graphics professionals.
Important to note, now we see only the first generation of LED backlight monitors. They are not developed and worked out properly yet. In principle, manufacturing LED is cheaper than CCFL and, eventually, the monitors with LED backlit will be cheaper. Evidently, LED-backlight screen will replace soon older CCFL type as LCD replaced CRT in the past. However, it seems, the true revolution will come with OLEDs.
© Alex Smartson. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Friday, March 19, 2010
How to Get the Best Quality of LCD Screen
It is easy to take the quality of LCD screen for granted. But when you consider that you spend more time using your LCD monitor than any other component of your PC, you realize that the screen you stare at every day is a vital part of your computer system. What differentiates one LCD panel from another is image quality. The light source, the viewing angle, and the system's graphics card can have a dramatic effect on an LCD's performance. Also such parameters as, text readability, sharpness, grayscale range, color quality, or image uniformity are important.
© Alex Smartson. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Make sure that a display is adjusted to perform optimally, based on the manufacturer-recommended or default settings when possible. Ensure that your video card is set to the LCD Monitor's optimal resolution. Evidently, the most important tool (diagnostic equipment) to evaluate the quality of LCD screen is the human eye. Adjust the display settings on your computer so the brightness of the screen is about the same as your work environment. Also, adjust the screen settings to make sure the contrast between the screen background and the on-screen characters is high. And make sure that the text size is optimized for the most comfort. Use Control Panel > Display Settings > Advanced > Monitor and set up "Screen refresh rate" (frequency) to a maximum possible. According to the eye experts refresh rate should be 70 Hz or higher.
LCD screens often have trouble reproducing all of the levels of the grayscale (the range of grays between true black and true white). When producing a bright white image, many LCD screens oversaturate the grayscale: the lightest grays of the scale are lost in the white background. Oversaturation can also lead to loss of color range - a poor color reproduction of a LCD screen at the brightest end of the scale, closest to white. A color-tracking error occurs when the intensity of red, green, and blue (RGB) do not adjust identically with signal-level changes for LCD screen. This lack of balance between the RGB channels affects color as well as grayscale, but it is most easily identified as a shift in color within shades of gray.
Perfectly uniform backlighting across an LCD's entire display surface is difficult to achieve. It is not uncommon for an LCD to have bright or dim patches or subtler variations in color intensity, which give the appearance of shading across the screen, or variable color intensity on the LCD display. Additionally, using a dark screen is the easiest way to spot glare and reflection problems, both of which can have distracting effects when you are viewing an LCD screen.
LCD screens are vulnerable. Dead pixels can occur when the screen is damaged or pressure is put upon the screen. Unfortunately, few manufacturers replace screens with dead pixels under warranty. A cracked or broken LCD display is not repairable and requires a new LCD screen to be replaced. Luckily, it is easy to replace even if you are not a technical person. Since most computer's manufacturers charge too much, you may try to find third-party companies on the market that are selling LCD screens. Some places carry a large inventory of brand new LCD screens. If you are unable to find a particular model listed on the websites, you can call or email them.
© Alex Smartson. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
HP Compaq L2105tm Multi-Touch LCD Monitor
Now multitouch LCD screen is available with HP's monitor L2105tm. It is Windows 7 Certified multitouch monitor. Dell and HP Compaq compete closely creating new models of touchscreens. Dell recently released SX2210T and HP Compaq - its L2105tm. The touch screen is very sensitive and picks up the slightest movement with your finger. It is so sensitive so that you do not even have to touch the screen, it picks up your finger movement before you touch the screen.
Specifications
Display size: (diagonal) 21.5 in
Display type: Wide-aspect active matrix TFT
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz (Full HD), 1.76 Million pixels
Brightness: 250 cd/m2
Contrast ratio (typical): 1000:1
Viewing angle: 170°, vertical 160°
Response rate (typical): 5 ms (on and off)
Frequency Range: Horizontal 24 to 83 kHz, Vertical 50 to 76 Hz
Surface features: Anti-glare, Anti-static
Weight: 14.1 lb (6.4 kg)
Dimensions (w x d x h): 20.2 x 9.1 x 16.5 in (51.3 x 23.05 x 41.86 cm)
Price (typical): USD 300
source: HP Compaq
view demo: video
Specifications
Display size: (diagonal) 21.5 in
Display type: Wide-aspect active matrix TFT
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz (Full HD), 1.76 Million pixels
Brightness: 250 cd/m2
Contrast ratio (typical): 1000:1
Viewing angle: 170°, vertical 160°
Response rate (typical): 5 ms (on and off)
Frequency Range: Horizontal 24 to 83 kHz, Vertical 50 to 76 Hz
Surface features: Anti-glare, Anti-static
Weight: 14.1 lb (6.4 kg)
Dimensions (w x d x h): 20.2 x 9.1 x 16.5 in (51.3 x 23.05 x 41.86 cm)
Price (typical): USD 300
source: HP Compaq
view demo: video
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