My old CRT monitor finally decided to stop working; so despite the tight budget for this coming X-mas season, I was forced to purchase a new one.
I've been meaning to buy an LCD monitor and here comes the perfect opportunity to get one...
So spending some time researching and checking-out the price range of today's LCD monitors, I decided that the Samsung 740N 17" LCD should be perfect for my needs.
I badly needed to purchase a new monitor since I can't stand the idea that there lies my PC setup--useless, simply because I have no means of "seeing" what's going on. Immediately after work, I asked my girlfriend to accompany me in purchasing a new monitor. Well, I actually needed her to come with me since I don't usually carry cash and I need to loan money from her ATM account.
So there I was looking at the Samsung 740N...
I asked the sales guy if the indicated tag would be their last price--he said yes--fine with me, that's within my perceived budget.
Then I saw the AOC 193FW 19" Wide Screen LCD...
I never came across this item on my research, but it sure looked great. With DVI support plus 19" wide screen, I immediately considered purchasing it instead.
So for an additional P2000 (around $40), I am getting 2" more--plus wide screen--plus DVI. Although my current video adapter doesn't support DVI, it would sure prove useful in my next upgrade (considering the total price of this LCD, it would take a long time before such an upgrade happens).
And there I went, instead of the originally planned Samsung 740N, I decided to get the AOC 193FW.
Since I never read any reviews about it, I simply had no idea how this item would perform.
So as soon as I arrived home, I went-on to setting-up my PC back to its useful state... Imagine my heartbreak when I found out that there's stuck pixel on new LCD!
I can't believe how stupid I can be! I extensively checked for dead pixels, but I forgot to check for stuck pixels!
So let it go with a big sorrowful sigh--at least it's not a dead pixel--it is totally my fault anyway. In fact, aside from the stupid stuck pixel, the new LCD looks fantastic.
A day went-on and I kept convincing myself that the ugly blue stuck pixel shouldn't be much of a nuisance--after all, it is only noticeable on a dark picture.
Of course, the most difficult person to convince is yourself...
As with any problem, often times the solution starts with one simple word--Google.
With one quick search, I came across this website: How to Fix a Stuck Pixel on an LCD Monitor
The solution seemed ridiculous and dangerous, but what the hell? You have a desperate guy here!
So I followed the instructions: turned my screen off, applied pressure on the affected area, and turned my screen back on.
Voila!
No, it didn't really fixed the problem--but to my delight, the stupid little freaking stuck pixel flickered before my eyes! So in theory it's not stuck anymore--it's just... well, now it's simply acting rather strange.
So I repeated the procedure and it finally paid-off! It actually fixed the problem. It's not 100% fixed because the pixel sometimes still revert to its stuck state once in a while, but gently tapping on the surface puts it back to life (it's like reminding the pixel that you've already fixed it).
Since I'm not satisfied with a semi-fixed stuck pixel, I continued to try the alternative solution, and that is using a software...
So I went to this website and clicked on the Java Applet.
I just let the Applet run on top of the affected area while I watched Celebrity Poker. After the show is finished (about an hour), I visited my LCD and looked at it, teary-eyed and all... my LCD is fixed!
So there you go, a lengthy story with one simple moral lesson when buying LCD monitors: Don't be stupid, check for stuck pixels!
at 2:09 PM
Excelent link! Many thanks for the http://www.jscreenfix.com/ tip