Samsung SyncMaster 226BW / Bad Inverter/Backlight?

[sicuro]

General Information:

I bought my Samsung 226BW about 2 years ago. The Warranty has run out. I contacted Samsung and received little helpful support as they kept directing me to do the same thing.

Model#: LS22MEWSFV/XAA

My Symptoms:

For the past two months the monitor has been having problems after it was on standby for 1+ hour(s). When you turned the monitor on it would take awhile to warm up, going from black to dim (blinking), to working normally. It would eventually fix itself but, now it just blinks (and it has been for the past 36 hours). The blinking is much like when the starter on a florescent bulb is going bad.

The time it took to 'warm up' was increasing so I tried NOT to turn the monitor off for as long as I could. However the computer does get turned off or put to sleep every so often and now the monitor won't stop flickering/blinking.

What I have Tried:

Different Computer. Problem Persisted.
Different cords, ranging from VGA (w/Adapter) to DVI & even power. Problem Persisted.

What I don't want to do unless needed:

Buy a new monitor. I find it ridiculous that one has to buy a new appliance every time it goes out. I know you can normally fix it yourself with some knowledge but, the majority of the populace can not. This monitor has great statistics and as a designer I am picky.


What I do want to do:

Find out what the problem is. If it is the inverter/backlight (I am just guessing from other articles I read), then it would be lovely if someone could direct me to what I have to buy and possibly a guide to replace it.. if necessary.

 

[o1die]

Samsung had some quality issues with certain tv's and monitors a few years ago. Sorry I can't help you on do it yourself servicing. I just purchased a sceptre hd tv and it works fine. Newegg has a sceptre monitor with specs similar to your samsung for only $159.99 with free shipping. It's really a question of how much money you want to spend on fixing your old monitor. I rarely fix old electronics. Some of the boards inside monitors and tv's cost more to replace than the original price of the item. If you live in the usa, another option is to donate your monitor to goodwill and take a tax deduction. Goodwill has electronics centers around the usa and accepts used monitors and tv's. Let them repair it.

 

[sicuro]

I had priced:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009145
&
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824112009

I don't really have a problem with the money part of buying a new monitor. I was hesitant at first because I don't know much about the specifications. I often Just compare the Response Time, Contrast Ration, Screen Size and... that's it. So which of the the two above are better?

 

[sicuro]

As an additional side note, I just turned the brightness down and reduced flickering/blinking as much. When I turn it up the blinking increases.

Update:
After about 10 minutes of turning the brightness down, the screen stopped blinking. If I turn it up just a bit it continues again. None of this is going to help I bet but it is worth stating.

Update2:
After 10 of update 1, I could turn the brightness of my monitor up to 50 (where it was at before) without it blinking. Although I may still get a new monitor, it is nice that I can use this one until I do by messing around with the Brightness.

 

[o1die]

I'd go with the acer just for the 3 year warranty. Be sure to register it online if you order it.

 

[nemo888]

My 226bw flickers after being in standby. It's gotten slightly worse over the last couple of months. After a few minutes it works fine though. Annoying. I wish their was some way to fix it.

 

[sicuro]

This monitor did end up dying completely on me. I bought the Acer I had posted in this post at the time and now I am on a SyncMasterP2770 HD. Apparently the 226BW has a lot of issues with it's backlight, my backlight for example wasn't even going out, there and an inverter or a sensor messed up in the monitor itself.

 

[dicer91]

I have the same model monitor and had the same problem. After replacing the puffy brown capacitors on the power board, the problem went away. When replacing capacitors, only use capacitors of equal or greater voltage and be sure to get the polarity correct. Capacitance (uF) doesn't have to be exact, but get within a few hundred microfarads. Look for any capacitors that are bulging or leaking brown rust on top, mine were 25 volts. If you have unwanted electronics like VCRs and PSUs, you can harvest capacitors by putting the iron on the legs and rocking it loose gently. You might also see crazy green lines on the screen at first, but these went away. I hope this helps.

 

[dicer91]

http://www.hans-egebo.dk/Tutorial/electrolytic_capacitors.htm