Difference between revisions of "Monitor Burn-in HOWTO"

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

THE SHORT VERSION aka CHECK LIST

After the monitor is powered up, go into the Menu Settings & select IN THIS ORDER:

the Recall or Reset function (it may be a separate button or it may not exist)
Color Temperature to 9300K
Degauss
Adjust Contrast and Brightness to a maximum of 85
- if the Contrast or Brightness need to be higher than 85 to be up to par, then RECYCLE IT

Monitors must burn-in for AT LEAST AN HOUR (longer is better!!!)

If the picture is not looking good, RECYCLE IT

THE LONG VERSION aka Explanations

(1) Double check for initial quality

Recycle if...

Monitor is ugly (i.e. dirty, covered in stickers, dingy, yellowed, etc.)
Plastic case is cracked or damaged
Year on back is 1999 or before (Year may change. See optimization section below.)
The base is missing, leaving a round unstable bottom

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

(2) Testing

Put monitor on testing shelf
Plug in a power cord to the back of the monitor
Plug the monitor's signal cable into one of the nearby signal sockets
Power up the monitor
In the Menu setting, select in this order:
- the Recall or Reset function (it may be a separate button or it may not exist)
- Color Temperature to 9300K
- Degauss
- Adjust Contrast and Brightness to a maximum of 85

Note: If the Brightness or Contrast must be set above 85, then RECYCLE it.

(3) When to Recycle a Monitor

After adjusting the Menu Settings listed above, look for the following:

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 85
Picture is black or doesn't show the Linux desktop
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

If any of the monitors fail while setting them up (see criteria above) recycle them & replace them with potentially good monitors until there are 8 on the shelf worth testing. Make sure to safely stack the monitors in the Recycled Monitor Gaylord - ask someone to show you how!

(4) Burning in the Potential Keepers

Note: Monitors must "burn in" for AT LEAST AN HOUR (although longer is better)!!!!!!!!!

If you are not going to stick around for the whole burn in process, record the time you set up each Monitor on the clipboard so the next person knows how long they've been running.

(5) 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 a round, color sticker on the front of the monitor & mark the size in inches.
- Unplug the cables (leave the power cord attached to the power strip).
- Put the monitor on the Keeper shelf and continue with another.

Optimization of your time

Before testing a monitor, check the back of the monitor for the manufacturer's date.
Near the monitor testing area, keep a tally sheet with three columns:
1. A column listing the year of manufacture
2. A column for hash marks indicating number of passing monitors
3. A column for hash marks indicating number of failing monitors
Put a start date at the top of the tally sheet and after awhile check to see what year (and before) is not worth testing.
Place a sign up that says "RECYCLE ALL CRT MONITORS MANUFACTURED BEFORE YEAR 20XX". You can change the year depending on your tally results, supply of monitors, and production needs.

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+{{migrated}}
+[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-hYu09K_xbqWkUGdaHEnMR_DBE9-rr0fvrUveswPIZg/edit?usp=sharing Link]
 This HowTo describes how to burn-in monitors for long-term use.
-==Quick Guide:==
-===Inspect monitor and mark recycle if:===
+==THE SHORT VERSION aka CHECK LIST==
+After the monitor is powered up, go into the Menu Settings & select '''IN THIS ORDER''':
+# the Recall or Reset function (it may be a separate button or it may not exist)
+# Color Temperature to 9300K
+# Degauss
+# Adjust Contrast and Brightness to a maximum of 85
+#*if the Contrast or Brightness need to be higher than 85 to be up to par, then RECYCLE IT
+'''Monitors must burn-in for ''AT LEAST AN HOUR'' (longer is better!!!)'''
+'''If the picture is not looking good, RECYCLE IT'''
+==THE LONG VERSION aka Explanations==
-    * Plastic case is cracked or damaged
+===(1) Double check for initial quality===
-    * Year on back is 1995 or before
-    * The base is missing, leaving a round unstable bottom
-    * Signal input is a 9-pin connector (we want 15-pin SVGA connectors)
-    * Monitor is 17" or less and only supports 120V operation (not dual voltage)
-Note: for recycled monitors, please keep the 15-bit VGA cable if it is detachable to use with other monitors that don't have a signal cable.
+Recycle if...
+* Monitor is ugly (i.e. dirty, covered in stickers, dingy, yellowed, etc.)
+* Plastic case is cracked or damaged
+* Year on back is '''1999''' or before (Year may change. See optimization section below.)
+* The base is missing, leaving a round unstable bottom
+; Note:
+:For recycled monitors, if it has a detachable cable then remove it (otherwise, leave the cable attached)
-    * Take a non-burned in monitor from storage to the burn-in area
+===(2) Testing===
-    * Plug in a power cord to the back of the monitor
-    * Plug the monitor's signal cable into one of the nearby signal sockets (15-pin female connector)
-    * Power up the monitor and (if possible) Degauss and Reset to factory settings
-    * Adjust the picture for brightness, size and centeredness
-    * Try all buttons and menu options, make sure everything works
-===Mark the monitor recycle if:===
+# Put monitor on testing shelf
+# Plug in a power cord to the back of the monitor
+# Plug the monitor's signal cable into one of the nearby signal sockets
+# Power up the monitor
+# In the Menu setting, select in this order:
+#* the Recall or Reset function (it may be a separate button or it may not exist)
+#* Color Temperature to 9300K
+#* Degauss
+#* Adjust Contrast and Brightness to a maximum of 85
-    * Picture clicks or jerks around
+;Note: If the Brightness or Contrast must be set above 85, then RECYCLE it.
-    * Picture is darker than the reference monitor even when brightness/contrast turned all the way up
-    * 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:===
+===(3) When to Recycle a Monitor===
-    * Record the date on the Burn-In sheet.
+After adjusting the Menu Settings listed above, look for the following:
-    * 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.
+* Picture clicks or jerks around
-    * During this time, you can plug in and check up to 4 monitors at once. It is a good idea to test all 4 at one time, or it gets confusing.
+* You cannot clearly differentiate between the 3 black/gray stripes in the middle
-    * Leave the monitors running on the shelf until at least 1 hour has passed. You can leave them much longer if that is convenient to other task you need to do.
+* Picture is darker than the reference monitor even when brightness/contrast turned up to 85
-    * 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 four on the shelf worth testing.
+* Picture is black or doesn't show the Linux desktop
-    * 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.
+* Picture is blurry and text is difficult to read (wipe dirt off screen with cloth to be sure)
-    * 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:
+* Color is uneven across the screen
-          o Log the monitor's Gizmo ID in the KEEP column of the TALLY sheet and circle the size, and put an orange sticker on the front of the monitor next to the label.
+* You are unable to center the picture properly with the controls
-          o Put the monitor on the shelf and continue with another.
+* The picture is warped and not fixable with the controls
-    * What to do with RECYCLERS: If the picture has degraded, log the monitor's Gizmo ID in the RECYCLE column of the TALLY sheet, circle the reason or write one in, draw an X thru the Gizmo ID on the monitor's label, and put the monitor in the recycle pile, snipping off its video cable.
+* You smell BURNING or hear SQUEALING
-===SHUTDOWN PROCEDURES:===
+'''If any of the monitors fail while setting them up (see criteria above) recycle them & replace them with potentially good monitors until there are 8 on the shelf worth testing.  ''Make sure to safely stack the monitors in the Recycled Monitor Gaylord - ask someone to show you how!'' '''
-At the end of the day turn off ALL monitors, including the Reference Monitor. Leave the testing machine ON.
+===(4) Burning in the Potential Keepers===
-Detailed Instructions
-If the monitor testing machine is not up and running, please turn on its power and wait for it to boot. It should boot up with a Linux desktop with a help browser showing some detailed text at 1024x768 resolution.
-DeGauss and Reset to factory settings:
-    * Some monitors will have separate buttons on the front panel, on others this will be menu options.
+;Note: Monitors must "burn in" for '''AT LEAST AN HOUR''' (although longer is better)!!!!!!!!!
-    * Newer monitors often DeGauss everytime they are turned on, you will hear the hum and crackle.
-===REFERENCE MONITOR SETTINGS:===
+* If you are not going to stick around for the whole burn in process, record the time you set up each Monitor on the clipboard so the next person knows how long they've been running.
-Listed here in case the Reference Monitor is accidentally reset
+===(5) What To Do With Keepers===
-    * Do NOT reset the Reference Monitor
+*After 1 hour, if the monitor picture is still good, bright and not jerking around, and you do NOT smell BURNING or hear SQUEALING:
-    * COLOR = 50@9300K
+**Put a round, color sticker on the front of the monitor & mark the size in inches.
-    * GEOMETRY = 50 by 70
+**Unplug the cables (leave the power cord attached to the power strip).
-    * SIZE = 34 by 19
+**Put the monitor on the Keeper shelf and continue with another.
-    * CENTER = 55 by 59
-    * BRIGHTNESS = 31
-    * CONTRAST = 100
-===Pointers===
+== Optimization of your time ==
+* Before testing a monitor, check the back of the monitor for the manufacturer's date.
+* Near the monitor testing area, keep a tally sheet with three columns:
+*# A column listing the year of manufacture
+*# A column for hash marks indicating number of '''passing''' monitors
+*# A column for hash marks indicating number of '''failing''' monitors
+* Put a start date at the top of the tally sheet and after awhile check to see what year (and before) is not worth testing.
+* Place a sign up that says "RECYCLE ALL CRT MONITORS MANUFACTURED BEFORE YEAR 20XX". You can change the year depending on your tally results, supply of monitors, and production needs.
-See also: [[Monitor Initial Testing]]
+[[Category:Howto]]
+[[Category:Hardware Testing]]
+[[Category:Monitors]]