Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with laptop and lcd

Help Using a Laptop Without a Backlight

Charmian — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:36:46 -0800

Today my laptop's backlight stopped working. The screen is visible, but very dim. I can't repair it immediately (if it's even worth it). Does anyone have any tips for lighting the screen to make it more visible? Shining a penlight didn't seem to help much, because the screen is so reflective. The laptop is a three year old HP Pavilion dv1000. It is no longer under warranty. I probably will get another computer instead, because I don't think I'm up to replacing a backlight myself, and it sounds like getting it done in a shop will cost more than the computer itself.

Pixels not included.

_dario — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:02:44 -0800

I'm at my wits' end trying to find a suitable LCD monitor to use as a secondary screen for an oldish Toshiba laptop. I have an laptop, a Toshiba Satellite A30 with an intel 82852-GM graphic chipset. I would like to buy an external monitor to use it (mainly) to watch movies. My size and price requirements direct me towards a 22" flat panel, so I looked into the market for those. Speakers are not a requirement since the audio output from the laptop is hooked to a hi-fi system, and the input port should be the classic VGA.

First disappointment: I saw an LG panel that looked great, (WG2234, apparently not marketed in the US) but - turns out - the laptop is not able to drive the panel with its native resolution (1680x1050). A little research on forums pointed out that there are many laptops with that same problem - apparently all those that have that graphics chipset which - besides Toshiba - was used by Dell, Acer and others.

A possible solution that was presented would be to download a developer kit from Intel and compile a custom driver for the resolution/frequency of that specific monitor. I don't want to do that, since success is apparently not guaranteed and I'd need the monitor anyway to make tests, etc., with a sizeable chance (I think) to damage it or void the warranty by feeding it the wrong res/freq values.

Browsing the list of resolutions the graphics card is capable of, turns out that no 16:10 resolutions are supported, while 16:9 resolutions as 1920 x 1080 are, so I turned my search into 16:9 screens, such as this Samsung 2233SN (apparently marketed as SW in the US), which looks good and has the right resolution.

Second disappointment: I had the monitor ordered from the store and took my laptop to check if everything matched, just to be sure. Despite numerous attempts by me and the guys at the store, there was no way to have the laptop and the monitor hook up correctly: even when the laptop resolution on the secondary desktop was 1920x1080, the monitor would have two black lateral bands, and all icons and such would be horizontally compressed, so in the end I had to leave it at the store.

My only hunch is that the 1920x1080 res. from the laptop is actually a lower resolution, which is then supposed to be stretched to a 16:9 factor by the display, but other than that, at this point I'm out of ideas. Can you suggest alternative models or - preferred - a way to have the (Samsung) monitor work as expected?

HP LCD gone pinko; love it or leave it?

xz — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:38:28 -0800

I like pink, but not when it's all over my LCD. I like pink, but only when the other option is black. Help me confirm my novice diagnosis, please, concerning my screwed HP Pavilion dv5220us laptop. Doing lots of internet searching (and scrolling through older MeFi questions), i'm pretty sure what's wrong with my laptop is either a blown backlight or a busted inverter board or less likely, a loose cable. What I could use some help with is figuring out whether it's clearly one or the other. That will help me decide whether I get a pro to fix it, try to do it myself, or just save up to buy a new machine.

For a week, when I booted the machine up or woke it from napping (HP Pavilion dv5220us, 2.5 years old), the LCD would be pink for a bit (c.30 sec) then "warm up" and be fine. An external monitor showed no problems at all. Then, after a week of that, suddenly it went black. You could still see an image on the screen, but it was very faint. I rebooted the machine, and again, it was pink for a minute, then fine for a minute, then poof: back to black. Now, after a few days, I don't even get the pink, just the black (with ghost image). An external monitor still is 100% fine.

Repair estimates cost $75 here in Melbourne AU. I've been told "if it's the LCD backlight, we'll need to replace the whole LCD, and that's $700." (MLN Laptop Repair) No dice. The machine isn't worth that much! I found the repair guide online, so I think I could manage to replace the inverter board myself. I'm not super handy, but I've done some hardware stuff. If I need more than a screwdriver, I should probably leave it alone.

I'm just wondering if those symptoms clearly suggest one problem vs. another to one of you extra-smart people. Or, if not, if the likelihood it's just the cabling or the inverter board means I should roll the dice with a pro shop.

How to fix a broken HP LCD backlight?

nasreddin — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 07:15:06 -0800

Woke up this morning, opened my HP laptop, and found out that the LCD screen was showing a very faint and dim image. I suspect the backlight is broken. It's out of warranty. What should I do? I'm in New York City, and I'd like to somehow get this done quickly and cheaply. I can probably replace the bulb myself, if necessary, although I have very little experience with soldering and that kind of thing. How can I check if this is indeed the problem? Where can I get parts (brick and mortar store)? How much is it likely to cost if I do it myself? What about if I get it serviced (at HP, presumably, although I'd like other suggestions as well)?

It's an HP DV2000T, bought in January 2007.

WSXGA+ LED, where art thou?

knave — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:16:08 -0800

LongshotFilter: Does anyone know if any 15.4" WSXGA+ panels with LED backlights are coming to market soon? As far as I can tell, no one is selling a 15.4" laptop with a WSXGA+ (1650x1080) LED-backlit screen (I'd love to be proven wrong!). I know it's unlikely, but does anyone out there have any idea if there's one in development or coming to market any time soon?

My current alternatives are basically 1440x900 LED or 1650x1080 CCFL, and I just can't make up my mind between the two.

Backlight or Inverter? How can you tell?

doomtop — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:54:28 -0800

Backlight or Inverter? How can you tell? Generally, when a laptop's LCD screen is functioning but extremely dim to the point of not really being able to see, this means that either the Backlight or the Inverter for the Backlight needs to be replaced.

Is there any way to determine whether the problem is due to the Backlight or due to the Inverter, without testing by replacing one or the other?

I am trying to avoid having to buy one part only to find out the problem is the other one.

Need Cleen Screen

imjustsaying — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:40:11 -0800

How can I safely get this glossy laptop LCD clean and free of dust without running the risk of damaging it? Dirty computer LCD screens drive me crazy.

My laptop is a Sony VGN-FE550G with a glossy screen. My acid test for a a really clean screen is to fill it with a black background and view it with bright light hitting it.

When I managed to get the dust off of it I invariably end up with streaks.

Help me reduce the reflection on my laptop lcd.

exphysicist345 — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:28:13 -0800

How can I make my laptop's lcd screen less reflective? My cheap laptop's lcd screen is glossy like glass and reflects like a mirror. Granted, I could have paid more money and gotten a better laptop, but...

When I look at the screen, I'm staring into my own reflection. How can I make it less reflective?

The googles talk about matte screens, and I don't want that. I like the sharp, contrasty look. I just want to lose the reflection.

I think what I want is called an anti-reflective coating. Anyone found it? Where can I get it?

Will gluing together a laptop's LCD screen panels work?

cog_nate — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:49:31 -0800

Will using superglue or gorilla glue to glue together the LCD screen case on a laptop computer work? I bought an old beater laptop for my wife to use for at least one month. The laptop works fine, LCD looks great, but the outer panel edges around the screen's case are a bit loose (and are currently being held together by not-very-confidence-inspiring tape). Can I use a few drops of super glue or gorilla glue to fasten the edges together? Or will it off-gas and/or turn solvent and somehow damage the plastics and/or electronics? (This is a Sony Vaio GRZ610, if that makes any difference.)

Thanks in advance.

"A screen",the pittiful cry they heard. Then more wailing and gnashing of teeth.

mu~ha~ha~ha~har — Tue, 15 May 2007 11:52:41 -0800

What is it? Is it possible to repair? Or where on Gods green earth can I get a replacement? Slowly increasing white strip with sporadic coloured lines throughout on my notebook screen. Funnily enough it is more frustrating to look for the answer than it is to just try to ignore it. Ok it was picked up by the screen and too firmly it appears. It started as just a few coloured lines and proceeded to spread inwards then turning white and getting larger slowly but surely.

It is a Sony Vaio VGN-B88GP (PCG-5B3P).

What gives me reason to think it's repairable is that I left it sitting close to the air con. When I came back and the screen flicked back on it was ok. Well I can't be sure completely but from when I was paying attention a good 3/4 of it was back to normal and then began to fade left to right back to white. So there must be hope... perhaps.

Crappy MacBook displays: true or false?

Venadium — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 22:49:56 -0800

Are the displays on the MacBook Pro really as bad as I hear they are? I've heard some talk about uneven backlighting (dark or overly bright spots), grainy displays, something about gradients being displayed incorrectly, 6 bit color depth, narrow viewing angles, etc. Has anyone here experienced any of these problems with their MacBook Pros? I'd especially like to hear from people with the 15"/2.33GHz C2D model because that's what I'll most likely be buying within a week or two.

Why is my new laptop buzzing? And why do dogs have wet noses?

johndavi — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 06:23:12 -0800

Why does my laptop make an annoying, high-pitched buzz when it accesses the hard drive? New Dell 6400 laptop that I very much enjoy, with one exception. Seemingly whenever I do something that involves making the hard drive spin (load a web page; breathe) the computer issues a subtle, high-pitched hum.

It's seemingly an extension/augmentation of the usual hum the computer naturally emits. It just gets louder when it's working -- to the point of really annoying.

As far as I can tell the sound is louder when the screen is whiter. Like a blank Word doc. But here I may just be smoking crack. Using a scrollbar almost always seems to kick it up a notch.

It's not affected by the volume controls or wifi being on/off or the screen's overall brightness.

I borrowed a friend's MacBook Pro earlier this year and had similar issues (worse on the Mac). After nearly tossing the Mac into the trash compactor, I discovered that keeping the iSight application stopped the hum. Strange but awesome. Any such solutions/ideas for this?

Thanks!

Using a PowerBook as an extra display...

Aanidaani — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 14:43:58 -0800

Is it possible for me to use my PowerBook G4 as a display -- meaning, can I connect some input source and view it just like I would an external LCD? I'm not planning on upgrading my computer until the summer of next year, but I wanted to see if I could use my old PowerBook G4 just like an external monitor. The mac comes with a port and an adapter so that a VGA cable can be connected, but I wasn't sure if it's possible to display input on the PowerBook's display. Does anyone know anything about this?

Laptop LCD to Desktop PC

blue_beetle — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 08:50:57 -0800

Laptop Screen adapter for desktop PC... I'm looking for a way to hookup a laptop screen from a broken laptop to a desktop computer. Does this exist? I've found some threads out on the web saying that it's possible, but not trivial. I have a 17" tru-brite screen from a Toshiba P30 laptop that i want to use as a second monitor. From my readings it looks like the signal format for laptop screens is neither Analog nor DVI related, but a conversion is possible. This could be a PCI card, or a cable adapter, or some sort of magic box that lets me plug in the tiny little plug from the screen. Hope me!

Damn you fancy LCD screen!!!

blahtsk — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:33:21 -0800

My laptop LCD "native" resolution is killing my eyes... I can't lower the resolution or everything gets all funky and fuzzy...

If I raise the DPI or use large fonts (Windows XP), it helps, but a lot of apps start looking weird. Being that I develop apps, I need to see what most users will see.

I have an external monitor I plug into sometimes that has a lower native res, but again I have to lower the laptop's res to get it to work with the monitor. Everything about the situation is kludgey.

I'm at a loss... any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

Laptop has gone dim ...

blueshammer — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 07:28:30 -0800

I left my HP/Compaq laptop in my work bag an un-air conditioned part of the house during the 90-degree weekend. I can't imagine that it was under sustained temperatures any higher than 85 deg., give or take the high humidity. This morning, the screen is ultra-dim. Is this likely to be an effect of the heat?

Can I make my Mac laptop's screen brighter?

TochterAusElysium — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 18:18:32 -0800

Is there any software for OSX that will let me make my G4 PowerBook's screen brighter? I like to use it outdoors, but even with all the brightness settings at their highest, I have to sit in the shade to see the screen very well. Brrr.

cracked LCD, new computer?

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Sun, 07 May 2006 17:37:32 -0800

My iBook's LCD cracked. I am a poor college student. What is my next step computer-wise? I have a 12" iBook. Yeterday when I got home from essay writing, I toook iBook out of its case and saw a black splotch with cracks on the upper left side of the screen. [the cracks look sort of like when hail hits a car windshield and it shatters] Now half of my screen does not work.

I know that replacing the screen would cost too much money to be reasonable.

Should my next computer be a Mac? I love OS X, I love Apple, but I don't know if I should get myself into a lot of debt for a Mac, and I don't know if a PowerPC Powerbook/iBook is the better idea or is an Intel MacBook Pro would make more sense in the long run.

The other option I am considering is getting a cheaper PC notebook, installing Linux, and spending the summer learning to use Linux. The problem with that is I know nothing about PC laptops - I don't know which ones have a reasonable weight/battery life/price or how easy it would be to use wireless internet with Linux.

What should I do?!

Also, what should I do with my iBook after all of this goes down?

Laptop repair

rolypolyman — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 12:39:01 -0800

Can you find instructive examples of shady high-tech auctions on eBay, especially in regard to notebook computers? Can you relate things you have seen in a high-tech auction listing that set off warning bells for you? What should I watch out for? Short story is the LCD screen just flat-out died on my 3-year old HP Omnibook XE3, and I'm having to route the video to a monitor to get work done. I'm amazed that the LCD just snuffed out like that; I opened up the computer and found no loose connections, but can't figure out how to open the screen panel (no screws). I was going to get it repaired, but having heard anecdotes about notebooks having astronomical repair costs, and seing similar models on eBay going for $300, the choice seemed obvious.

Regarding eBay, I'm a veteran of online auctions, but have never bought a high-tech item and I know that the notebook area is probably the shark tank. I know all about feedback ratings and so forth, but I'm mainly looking for warning flags unique to high-tech auctions, seller scams that are going around, and so forth.

In a brief browse of the laptops, I found some weird stuff. Like this auction -- aside from the patriotic/religious overtones, should I be concerned that they only put "God Bless America" in the item location? Or this auction, where only a bunch of manufacturer art instead of a pic of the actual computer is posted, and no specific HD size is mentioned (though I do see the high feedback total).

I figure on used notebooks there's little chance of the battery being in any decent shape; anything else I should be concerned about?

Vid problems on LCD projector

RockyChrysler — Wed, 11 May 2005 14:20:07 -0800

The school where I teach recently purchased a LCD projector and I'm having some trouble getting it to play video... [mi] It's a Hitachi cp-x328 and it seems to be working fine, until i try to play a video file (ie: avi, .mpg, vts type files) in windows media player or powerdvd. quicktime converts/plays the aforementioned files fine (vts, of course being the exception). but wmp and powerdvd just show a blank screen on the projector image, despite the fact that the laptop dispaly is showing the playback fine. all the other desktop features are still visible on the projector's display, but the video window is just black. the children will not accept this.

both the laptop and the projector are set to 60hz. the projector's set to auto select the video input type, but even when i manually switch to ntsc i still get no video playback. however, the projector's picking up the audio signal fine. what am i missing? the problem seems like it should be simple enough to solve, but i'm stumped.

Screen resolutions for Windows

skallas — Sat, 20 Nov 2004 18:39:39 -0800

Windows users: What's your screen resolution? Are you using clear type? Sometimes I find I cant get anything done unless I'm at 800x600 and with clear type off, but when I'm not working, coding, writing, etc I really like the higher resolution and nicer fonts. What gives?

Is it possible to get good color out of an (oldish) laptop LCD?

Grod — Tue, 30 Mar 2004 18:59:57 -0800

Is it possible to get good color out of an (oldish) laptop LCD? {More Inside} I ask because every few months I find myself messing with Adobe Gamma, trying to get colors that are saturated and contrasty (probably not a word). OF course when I do this I have to reset all the color management in photoshop, which is a pain. Then the new color settings start to bother me an I mess with them again. For example, now red's and blues are more saturated but greens are darker than I want. I'm not aiming for perfection I even have a profile that works beautifully for visualizing cmyk while in RGB mode, no surprise print but for general web browsing, viewing my photo collection, etc. I find my colors to be inadequate. Can this be adjusted through the hardware, or do I need a more sophisticated monitor (either a decent CRT or a pricey LCD)? Specs on the monitor:
IBM LCD XGA 1024x768 native
The computer is a Dell Inspiron 4000 purchased in May 2001. The same model was also available with a "super" XGA at 1280x1024. Other than that there was no hardware difference, leading me to wonder if I could pick one up on ebay and swap it in. I remember they were slightly better displays all around, not just in resolution. as a side note, unlike many I am very comfortable messing around with laptop hardware and have replaced a couple hard-to-reach parts as well as cleaned the innards with no bad effect.