What happens when a CRT monitor dies?

[lutherl]

I'm picking up an old school HP CRT monitor from a neighbor to compliment a vintage Vectra XA-6 I just finished fixing. Naturally, as with all displays, I don't expect this thing to last forever. What happens when a CRT monitor stops working? I would like to know any possible components that could lead to failure (Power supply, transformer, electron guns, capacitors, ect.) and most importantly the effects. Unfortunately I'm a bit paranoid as I haven't owned a CRT for more than 2 years at a time and I'm planning to keep this one until its demise.

Let me know about your experience with a CRT that died in your presence or your professional knowledge about what happens. All I can find online are small tidbits because ya know, it's 2017.

Thanks in advance!

 

[10tacle]

I'm no pro tech, but I'll give you my thoughts: You take it to a recycler of old electronics, that's what. I still have three of my four of my old CRT monitors, one being a monochrome 600x480 from a Packard Bell DX2 486. My favorite is a 1600x1200 19" Sony Trinitron from 2000.

My 1998 1280x1024 Dell 17" Trinitron (made by Sony) kicked the bucket years ago when LCDs were just coming into main stream (2007 or so). I gutted it hoping I could salvage some components for my 19". But I found out from a repair tech that most of the components were all different and not interchangeable except in the exact same model (different voltages of components, etc.). Kind of like in today's LCDs.

CRTs are going to be museum pieces one day in the near future and kids are going to say "what the heck is that big fat ugly thing?" Some are already saying that.

 

[James Mason]

It's also extremely dangerous to go poking around in a CRT monitor, even after being unplugged for extremely long periods of time, like months. The components can hold deadly levels of electricity still after what you'd think would be a safe time period.

When they're dead, they're dead.

If people want CRTs in the future, some micro manufacturer will still produce them.

 

[10tacle]

It's also extremely dangerous to go poking around in a CRT monitor, even after being unplugged for extremely long periods of time, like months. The components can hold deadly levels of electricity still after what you'd think would be a safe time period.

Good reminder for everyone, but it sounds like he understands that. I was more worried about the glass blowing up which is why I also wore a full face safety mask and thick clothes. Residual voltage can actually build up powered off. CRTs and the earth's magnetic field do not play nice, which is why there is (was) a degauss button. I'm sure most remember the static electricity that CRT monitor and TV screens would generate.

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

First thing to go on my CRT monitor (that must have been 20 years ago, only ever bought one) was one of the colour guns died, leaving an ugly deep-green tint over the entire screen. Wasn't sorry to get rid of it, ridiculously heavy, poor graphics quality, and ugly by today's standards.

Same applies to those old CRT telly's - - glad to see the back of 'em.

Wouldn't have one even it was free,

 

[10tacle]

LOL. Yeah I do *not* miss moving around with a 27" and 32" CRT TV, let alone those 17" and 19" CRT monitors. However, I will say that only in the last few years have LCD monitors had equal to or better (OLED) RGB accuracy than the good CRT monitors of years past like my Sony Trinitron 19". But in the case of OLED, you have to pay for it like here. There's a reason some old school photography/graphics artists still swear by them.

I remember getting my first LCD monitor in 2007, a 22" Samsung 1680x1050 (that I still have), to replace my Sony CRT and playing games. The colors were so washed out even after calibration. Things have gotten way better, but it's been a long and slow evolution for LCDs, including the crown jewel IPS, to equal color and contrast quality of a good CRT monitor. Old plasma LCD HDTVs, of which I still have one by Samsung, were the closest at the time.

 

[lutherl]

Sorry for not being specific enough, I have NO INTENTION of disassembling or tinkering with this monitor once it dies or try to repair any components. What I meant is I want to know what the death of a CRT is like and what causes it to go bad. I have a flatscreen 23" HP w2338h that I use daily and works beautifully as well as a Samsung GS5 with an OLED panel, this CRT I'm getting is simply for appeal and decoration to match the vintage computer that goes with it.

I only want to know personal experiences or detailed info of what happens when a CRT stops functioning, much like Phillip Corcoran did above.
Thanks