Degauss monitor or shop for stylish flat-panel model
Cox News Service
September 30, 2008
Q: My CRT monitor has developed wavy lines and a blurry picture. I guess I should junk it and get one of those flat-panel monitors. But I wondered if you have any idea on how I can try to fix the picture on my old one.
— Bill King
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A: Try a couple of things before heading to the store. CRT monitors can develop a fuzzy and out-of-adjustment picture if any magnet — including the magnets that are used in speakers — is too close. I remember once finding that even a small digital clock on top of a monitor generated enough interference to mess up the picture. So first make sure no such objects are close to it.
Next, go to the menu button for your monitor and look for a setting called "degauss." That can often remove some of the problems. You can read about how that works at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degauss.
Also, a defective video card or loose connections could be the problem. If you still have problems after checking for loose wires, try hooking up the monitor to another computer if you have one, or trying the computer with a second monitor. That will tell you whether the problem is the monitor or the video card.
If you do have to go shopping, take heart. Flat-panel LCD monitors are affordable and deliver fantastic quality. Magnetic objects won't interfere with the picture, and the monitors use less power and are far more stylish and space-efficient.
Q: I've been looking at some of the Internet radios that let me tune in radio stations from around the United States and the world. What do you think of them?
— Mary Beth Cloud
A: I've tried one from Philips that worked great and a model from Tivoli recently got a favorable mention in The New York Times. There's no question that they work great and also can be less confusing than using your PC — which can do the same thing without the added cost of buying a dedicated Internet radio. But prices can be staggering. The Tivoli network radio (www.tivoliaudio.com/home.php) costs $600. Unless the convenience and audio quality are overriding factors, then you may want to simply use your PC as your Internet radio. A Google search under "Internet radio" — including quote marks — offers pages full of Web sites that offer the same sort of services right over your PC. You'll also find free software that can duplicate many of the features offered by these radios.
Please send your questions to Bill Husted at tecbud@bellsouth.net. While he reads every e-mail, not all are answered. E-mails are selected for publication based on the likelihood that the answers will be of general interest.
