up vote 5 down vote favorite
1
share [g+] share [fb]

tomorrow i will be buying a second hand monitor, a Benq LED Benq 24 V2420H FullHD.

What methods can i use to test that the monitor is OK. I mean like dead pixels etc.?

Thanks.

link|improve this question
nice question. +1 – kokbira Jul 7 '11 at 18:14
feedback

migrated from electronics.stackexchange.com Jul 7 '11 at 14:53

This question came from our site for electronics and electrical engineering professionals, students, and enthusiasts.

1 Answer

up vote 4 down vote

Best way I can think of is show a fullscreen completely white image. Try to get the contrast on the monitor up a bit, then the dead pixels should stick out like a sore thumb.

Check out: http://jasonfarrell.com/misc/deadpixeltest.php

For stuck pixels: http://www.gdargaud.net/Hack/DeadPixels.html

link|improve this answer
2  
While this is true for dead pixels, it may not reveal stuck pixels. So in addition to white, several other colors or combinations. I for example have a stuck pixel which shows fine on each of the tests but is obvious on the title bar of any program. – AndrejaKo Jul 7 '11 at 15:27
1  
Thanks @AndrejaKo. I added a link in my answer. – MaxMackie Jul 7 '11 at 15:30
1  
I'd only add that you can crank up brightness a bit, as stores tend to be rather bright, and then cycle through several different solid background colors. Make sure to set the taskbar (if in windows) to auto hide so you get the bottom edge checked as well. Most stores with tech departments (Fry's Service Department, Best Buy Geek Squad) should allow you to open the monitor you're planning on buying and connect it to one of their computers for this testing. – music2myear Jul 7 '11 at 15:42
1  
Also, while the store will generally not have an issue returning devices with dead/stuck pixels, most manufacturers have different definitions of how many stuck or dead pixels are necessary before the screen counts as defective. BeHardware had an article regarding this. The site reported some sort of SQL error first time I accessed it, but it loaded OK on refresh. behardware.com/articles/666-1/a-look-into-dead-pixels-2007.html – music2myear Jul 7 '11 at 15:48
It's also worth nothing to test the actual settings of the screen. The buttons on the bottom, do they work? – MaxMackie Jul 7 '11 at 15:50
show 1 more comment
feedback

Your Answer

 
or
required, but never shown
discard