Monitor Burn-in HOWTO

This HowTo describes how to burn-in monitors for long-term use.

Quick Guide:

Inspect monitor and recycle if:

• Plastic case is cracked or damaged
• Year on back is 1998 or before
• The base is missing, leaving a round unstable bottom
• Monitor is 17" or less AND is manufactured before 2000

 Note:
 For recycled monitors, if it has a detachable cable then remove it (otherwise, leave the cable attached)

TO TEST

1. Put monitor on testing shelf
2. Plug in a power cord to the back of the monitor
3. Plug the monitor's signal cable into one of the nearby signal sockets
4. Power up the monitor
5. In the Menu setting
   • select Reset (this feature may not exist)
   • select Degauss
   • make sure the color temperature is at 9300K
   • adjust the Brightness & Contrast to 80

 Note:
 If the Brightness or Contrast must be set above 80, then recycle it

Mark the monitor recycle if:

• Picture clicks or jerks around
• You cannot clearly differentiate between the 3 black/gray stripes in the middle
• Picture is darker than the reference monitor even when brightness/contrast turned up to 80
• Picture is black or doesn't show the Linux desktop(check power and brightness/contrast)
• Picture is blurry and text is difficult to read (wipe dirt off screen with cloth to be sure)
• Color is uneven across the screen
• You are unable to center the picture properly with the controls
• The picture is warped and not fixable with the controls
• You smell BURNING or hear SQUEALING

Burning in:

• Record the date on the Burn-In sheet.
• Write the current time as shown in the lower right corner of the Reference Monitor in the Burn-In sheet's TIME STARTED column along with the Gizmo IDs of all the monitors you will be birning in.
• During this time, you can plug in and check up to 8 monitors at once. It is a good idea to test all 8 at one time, or it gets confusing.
• Leave the monitors running on the shelf at least an hour (longer is better).
• If any of the monitors fail while setting them up (see criteria above) process them as recyclers and replace them with potentially good monitors until there are 8 on the shelf worth testing.
• When finished, write the current time as shown in the lower right corner of the Reference Monitor in the Burn-In sheet's TIME ENDED column. Write your name in the column on the far right of the Burn-In sheet.
• What to do with KEEPERS: After 1 hour, if the monitor picture is still good, bright and not jerking around, and you do NOT smell BURNING or hear SQUEALING:
  • Put an orange sticker on the front of the monitor (NOT on the screen).
  • Put the monitor on the shelf and continue with another.
• What to do with RECYCLERS: Put it in the Recycle Gaylord, making sure to stack it safely