Monitor's flickering is driving me nuts

[Cindy]

I have an Acer V771 monitor, OS is win 2000 Pro, and the
darn thing constantly flickers. I have updated the NVidia
AGP adapter (which is so complicated I can't figure out
how to use all the features), and don't know where to get
an updated driver for the discontinued monitor. I have
tried the BenQ site (bought Acer), and found nothing
there. I found the update for the adapter on Windows, and
it hasn't made a visible difference. I tried the
troubleshooter files, and they are corrupted; all I get is
the error message. If anyone can help me I would be very
grateful. Thank you, Cindy

 

[Wolf Kirchmeir]

I have an Acer V771 monitor, OS is win 2000 Pro, and the
darn thing constantly flickers. I have updated the NVidia
AGP adapter (which is so complicated I can't figure out
how to use all the features), and don't know where to get
an updated driver for the discontinued monitor. I have
tried the BenQ site (bought Acer), and found nothing
there. I found the update for the adapter on Windows, and
it hasn't made a visible difference. I tried the
troubleshooter files, and they are corrupted; all I get is
the error message. If anyone can help me I would be very
grateful. Thank you, Cindy

Just bite the bullet and get a new monitor. Very nice 17" ones are available
for about $100 - $150Can these days - that's around $100 US or even less.
It's not worth your eyesight and sanity to put up with a bad monitor. Never
skimp on chairs and monitors is my motto. ;-)

HTH

 

[Cindy]

-----Original Message-----


Just bite the bullet and get a new monitor. Very nice 17" ones are available
for about $100 - $150Can these days - that's around $100 US or even less.
It's not worth your eyesight and sanity to put up with a bad monitor. Never
skimp on chairs and monitors is my motto. ;-)

HTH

--
Wolf Kirchmeir, Blind River ON Canada
"Nature does not deal in rewards or punishments, but only in consequences."
(Robert Ingersoll)

I didn't realize it was going bad; now that I know, I

will bite the bullet and look for a new one. Thanks for
the advice. Cindy

 

[Bob I]

If you r-click the desktop, select Properties, Settings, Advanced and
Monitor, you should be able to select 70 HZ for the refresh rate.(I am
assuming that the freq is presently 60 and you have the flicker caused
by "fluorescent lighting" or some people can pick it up from incandecent
lights too) If in fact the the monitor is "blinking" irratically then
yes replacing it is the thing to do.

 

[Cindy]

-----Original Message-----
If you r-click the desktop, select Properties, Settings, Advanced and
Monitor, you should be able to select 70 HZ for the refresh rate.(I am
assuming that the freq is presently 60 and you have the flicker caused
by "fluorescent lighting" or some people can pick it up from incandecent
lights too) If in fact the the monitor is "blinking" irratically then
yes replacing it is the thing to do.

Hi Bob, Thanks for your reply. Refresh rate is set at

85 hertz, which is supported. I should have said the
picture jiggles, or jumps, instead of flickering. The
color and picture are fine, they just jiggle sometimes. I
was hoping it wasn't going south on me since I went back
to school 3 years ago to study veterinary medicine, and
money is tight. Have had this monitor for 1 year, but if
it is going bad, it would help to know, since I don't have
a clue as to what is fixable, and what is a lost cause.
Thanks again, Cindy>.

 

[Dan Seur]

Cindy - you don't mention the extent to which you have fiddled with the
display settings in control panel. There's a chance that a different
refresh rate (possibly under a "monitor" tab somewhere in there, or a
different resolution, or both, might eliminate that flicker. The monitor
may in fact be OK; it's tough to tell from your note.

And yes, some of the newer videocard drivers have LOTS of settings...
most of which you probably needn't bother with, but the basic ones do
have to be such that they don't overextend older monitors. "Older" of
course is relative. The basic settings are refresh rate, resolution (the
across/down screen pixels), and the color depth (bits of information per
pixel). A combination of these that the monitor cannot handle can cause
unpleasant monitor behavior, even though the monitor is perfectly healthy.

 

[Bob I]

Any magnetic field producing devices near the monitor? (Unshielded
speakers, electric motor on the other side of the wall, you get the idea)

 

[Cindy]

Hi Dan, here goes - I have fiddled with too much I am
sure. I should have said the display jiggles, or jumps,
instead of flickers. Under the monitor tabs, the refresh
rate is 85 (lower bothers my eyes after typing papers),
resolution is 1024 x 768 with high color-16 bit. These
all say they are the supported properties, in fact, the
list of supported properties is huge. The computer and
all peripherals are about 1 year old - I know that is
considered old, but it was all purchased about the same
time, and I checked on compatibility before I bought. I
purchased a tower starter kit and built it myself last
Christmas. The monitor was purchased in March, on ebay.
I am wide open to any suggestions you may have, since I
went back to school 3 years ago to study vet medicine, and
am basically a cash poor student. Thank you very much for
your time. I'll check back soon, Cindy (feel free to use
my direct e mail if you like)

 

[Russ]

where is your cell phone??????

Don't put it by your monitor!!!!!! (Unless it's turned off) Same for TV's/.

I have two cell phones. It took me a long time to figure this out, but when
I was charging my phones, I would set them next to my TV in my room. The TV
would make occasional "clicks" and weird noise, and it was turned off!!! One
day one of the phones rang and the TV hummed very loudly every time the cell
rang.

I have noticed the problem you describe when my cell phone is next to my
screen.

 

[Dan Seur]

Cindy - I have a starving student immediate descendant so I empathize.

I looked up the basic specs of the Acer V771. While I'm no monitor guru,
from what I see (one sample below; see 30-72KHz Horizontal Freq) I
believe its max refresh rate is 72KHz. Higher than 72 and there'll be a
problem as the monitor electronics try to drink from a firehose. If this
is correct, and you in fact are driving it at 85KHz, and in fact you get
eyestrain below that refresh rate, you are between a rock and a hard place.

Model: V771
Max Resolution: 1280 x 1024
Sync Type: Seperate
H Freq/ V Freq: 30-72 Khz / 50-120 Hz
Monitor Type: Multi-Frequency
Tube Size: 17
Connector: HD-15

I'd try a 70KHz refresh rate for a while, see if the jumpyjiggles
disappear, and if they do and the eyestrain recurs, then make a decision
about which annoyance you can best endure (with some help maybe from the
medicine chest) until you accumulate enough spare change to try a newer
monitor. If you're happy with the resolution and color depth leave them
alone (although a lower resolution will give you larger screen print,
which might be easier on your eyes but could be a little frustrating
since the displayed field of view - the text lines displayed onscreen -
will be slightly fewer and shorter...)

If you're nearsighted or using bifocals your lenses could also be
contributing to eyestrain. This happened to me when I went to bifocals,
and I mentioned it, and the guy chuckled and wrote me a prescrip for
lenses with diopters in between the distance and reading lenses. I get
to carry 2 pairs of glasses with 3 different sets of lenses around now.
But I don't get headaches and a stiff neck any more. Good luck to you!

 

[Bob I]

Not to butt in, but the Vertical (50-120 Hz) is the operative spec( line
frequency is 60 cycles per second or 60 Hz) the Horizontal is the side
to side and is Kilo HZ or 30 to 72 thousand cycles per second.

 

[Dan Seur]

Bob - nice catch! Those 7 lines are cut/paste from a Google hit,
www.monitorworld.com. Their bad, but mine too for not noticing.

 

[Cindy]

Hi Dan,

I was not able to post a message or even read one here
earlier; I don't know why, but it's working now.

Thank you very much for the advice; I will lower the
refresh rate, etc, according to the information you left
below. I do wear glasses for reading, since I have become
farsighted, and I'm always looking for them! Atleast I
don't have three pairs of lenses to deal with . . . .
yet. I really appreciate all your help, more than you
know, and I will change the refresh rate as soon as I'm
done with this post. Thank you for your time, and the
good wishes. One week from Monday I will be back in
organic chem, genetics, and microbiology classes, to name
a few. I really do appreciate your help.
Gratefully, Cindy

 

[Jisha]

Cindy,
If you can get your hands on one, why don't you try a LCD (flat screen)
monitor.
Try borrowing one first.

I run multiple monitors on my system, a mixture of CRT and LCD.
I stare at them all day long... long days...

My CRT is very high quality, running at the same 85hz, for the same
reason... headaches and eyestrain.
But, the LCD monitors are SO MUCH easier on my eyes (even at 60hz) !

Their prices are also dropping daily.
My first LCD cost me about $1200 a year-and-a-half ago.
.... Second cost about $950, 6 months ago
....Third cost about $800, 3 months ago...
.... all brand new, identical, viewsonic vx900

Chris

 

[Cindy Mericle]

Hey Dan,

For the update, visit the thread on page 2, (page 2 on my
computer), dated the 16th, that has in the subject
line "Hey Bob and Dan, I'm still here". I believe I am
finally "shimmer" free, to use the term that Bob did. No
problem in days, and I learned alot of useful information
from you both. My fiance knows how to find the porn sites
and that's about it. If the monitor, or anything else in
the house is not actively blowing up, he thinks it's
fine. I'm a "let's fix it before it gets worse" person,
and he's a "we're not neck deep in water, so the leak is
okay" person. I really appreciate your time, and
explanations. Thank you.