Can I RMA my monitor?

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chylld
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Can I RMA my monitor?

Post by chylld » Sat Feb 07, 2004 5:30 am

My monitor is a philips 109P40, well within the 12-month warranty period. Does anyone have any advice as to how to get a refund for this monitor?

Reason is, it's the loudest part of my system and the constant high-pitched buzzing is really really starting to get to me.

Something tells me though that I won't be able to :(

edit: p.s. what does rma stand for? :)

Rusty075
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Post by Rusty075 » Sat Feb 07, 2004 5:44 am

Return Merchandise Authoritzation

And you will likely be in for a fight. Buzzing is usually not considered to be a defect by the manufacturers.

But give it a try, you've got nothing to lose. (except time and money :wink: )

m0002a
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Post by m0002a » Sat Feb 07, 2004 6:40 am

The term RMA was described by Rusty. What it really means is that you must get prior authorization beforehand to return an item. An RMA number is issued and used to credit your account when the item is received and inspected.

Before Internet retailing, it was known in the commercial world as Return Material Authorization.

What you can get RMA'd depends on who does the RMA, the manufacturer or retailer. Some retailers have a satisfaction guarantee warranty for 30 days or less (usually 14 days for high tech stuff). If all samples of that monitor have that buzz, then the manufacturer might not replace it. But I would contact the manufacturer’s technical support and ask them about it.

chylld
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Post by chylld » Sat Feb 07, 2004 2:02 pm

yeh, i contacted them and they said to bring the monitor to some computer shop to have it checked out.

problem with that is, the monitor's really only audible in my room.

*sigh*

m0002a
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Post by m0002a » Sat Feb 07, 2004 2:07 pm

Is the monitor plugged into the same wall outlet (or UPS) as the computer?

chylld
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Post by chylld » Sat Feb 07, 2004 2:27 pm

yep.
i have a 2-outlet surge protector plugged into the wall, and a 4-way powerboard connected to each of its 2 outlets. both the computer and monitor are plugged into the same 4-way.

m0002a
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Post by m0002a » Sat Feb 07, 2004 4:01 pm

Just for a test, try plugging both computer and montior directly into the wall outlet.

chylld
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Post by chylld » Sat Feb 07, 2004 4:23 pm

i tried, it doesn't help.

thanks for the suggestion anyway.

would an LCD screen be quieter?

Pete
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Post by Pete » Sat Feb 07, 2004 6:25 pm

Definetely quieter. That's the main reason I sold my 19" monitor. It had a contsant buzzing noise that drove me nuts. So I replaced it with an LCD monitor which is completely silent from where I sit. I haven't regretted the decision to switch and I've never heard of anyone else switching and afterwards wishing they had not. Go for the LCD - you won't be sorry you did.

chylld
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Post by chylld » Sat Feb 07, 2004 6:39 pm

yeh.. really shoulda chosen LCD :(

another problem i'm having with this monitor (even tho it's a "professional" monitor) is that the convergence is off with certain colour combinations.

LCD monitors don't have this problem, do they? :(

m0002a
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Post by m0002a » Sat Feb 07, 2004 9:10 pm

LCD monitors are not perfect either, and some of them have been known to buzz. I have used CRT monitors for a long time and never had one that makes noise. My current 19-inch Viewsonic CRT is dead silent.

First I would tighten the video cable, remove any other USB cable that may be connected to the monitor and then try some other video resolutions/settings. I would try the monitor on another computer. It may be your video card that is causing your monitor to make noise (by sending out invalid signals that the monitor cannot handle), so if you can try another video card in your current computer, that would also be good.

According to the Philips website this product part of the Philips First Choice Program and has a “comprehensive 3-year warranty with a 1-year 48-hour advance swap guarantee” (not sure exactly what that means). CRT's do not usually make noise. Pursue this with Phillips until you get this resolved.

Yomat
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Post by Yomat » Wed May 12, 2004 8:33 am

Guess this is kind of late post. But there might be someone interested. I have been messing for a couple of years now with 'professional' Philips monitors. To me it seems like most companies have given up on producing good CRT monitors. Eizo (which I considered to be the best manufacturer) has discontinued all CRTs. Samsung does produce them but they have no info about them on homepage. Sony which also had great CRT monitors has also ditched that whole line.

I started out with a really good 17" professional monitor from Philips that must have been produced 2001. To make a long story short I got problems with that one and ended up with a 19" 109P40 (replace upgrade the support centre called it) which I got recently. And.. I have a hard time believing this is a top of the line product, which its supposed to be. The noise is as bad as you describe and while the convergence is OK the geometry over the left edge of the display is junk. And I have also used some newer models of the 17" prof series that also make noise. Not as much as this 19" though. The monitor I started out with was practically noiseless.

Will see if I will be able to work up the steam to be able to call them again. I will probably have to ditch this oversized brick and dent my weak economy with a TFT purchase.

luminous
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Post by luminous » Wed May 12, 2004 12:19 pm

I've had a similar problem as Yomat's. I had a great 19" monitor for ages (Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 91), but it developed a fault and had to be replaced with a Diamond Plus 93 SB. The new one looks nicer, but it sounds like it has a very cheap transformer that emits a constant buzz.

In the end I have ditched the replacement monitor and have gone for an old Dell unit :(

trodas
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Post by trodas » Wed May 12, 2004 12:53 pm

My first monitor was in 1993 Commodore C=1084S :lol: (14")
Then I bought in 1997 Eizo F35 FlexScan :P (15")
And then in 2001 Eizo F570 (17")

None of these monitors even make any form of noise. Ever.

I have had some TVs, that making noise, but this can be easily fixed by appling a lot's of the stuff companies use to hold the cables and come off hot from pistol... Not sure how to call it in english, sorry... Just glue the damn VF transformer that making the noise and you are fine.

Recent PSU of my bro making a high pitched noise everytime a frame redraws in 3D - the stress is evident. It took few minutes to find the coil that making the sound just by letting Q3 demo loop and using isolated wooden stick touching the components in open, working PSU :wink:
Another fewminutes to heat the pistol, flood the coil, let it cold and after 15 minutes, the problems are gone forewer.

I don't know what the hell you are talking, peoples :lol:

...okay, not everyone is skilled maniac, that is used to tweak everything and break all warranties and I feel sorry for the poor users, with noisy monitors :?
The RMA could be tough, because in all the shops are the background noise level so high, so even the noisiest equipment sound relatively "quiet and civilized", so the salesperson is likely to wonder, what do you have agains such perfectly good monitor...
Best luck to let him convince to allow you exchange it for random other one (random because you likely can't hear the difference in the place...) and the random one will be at least notably quietier... :)

I even made few transformators for myself and they are, after tested, being inserted for hours into bath, suck all the special fluids and then burned in furnance to become rock-solid bricks that never vibrate or make noise :roll:
When amateur like me do these things, I wondering why the prefessionals results are much worset then... :?

Only one possible answer come to my mind - saving cost... :x

luminous
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Post by luminous » Wed May 12, 2004 1:14 pm

Mitsubishi did have the reputation as being one of the better manufacturers. In their credit they have changed my replacement monitor 3 times. All of them are the same :( All emit the same noise....arse... :(

Its always down to cost, I wonder how many pence they saved by allowing buzzing monitors.

trodas - are you referring to a glue gun? I may just be tempted to down my monitor with it. Its either that or I sell it on EBay

chylld
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Post by chylld » Wed May 12, 2004 1:58 pm

Yomat - thanks for sharing that opinion, i'm ?glad? that someone has the same problem as me. when i have time i'll get it replaced or even better , refunded.

Yomat
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Post by Yomat » Wed May 12, 2004 2:00 pm

luminous: Yes. Same here. Its the manufacturing of the monitor. Some says monitors can start to make more noise with age. But the one I have is fairly new I think and it still makes alot of noise.

trodas: Funny. :) I just started up another thread asking for the experience you've had. Perhaps you can reply there and explain what you do exactly when you fix TVs coil whine. The thread is this one:
http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=12629

Maxamus: I am not complaining about the service. But what use is good service if they have nothing good to serve you? :?

Gooserider
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Post by Gooserider » Sun May 16, 2004 8:31 pm

It sounds to me like Trodas is talking about a hot melt glue gun. Trodas, does the glue come in 'sticks' that you put in the back of a gun that melts them and runs the glue out a nozzle as a hot liquid? If so, that is probably what you are describing.

The only concern I would have with your solution is that the glue melts at a fairly low temperature, and some coils might get hot enough to remelt the glue. (I assume that you turn the device off once you've found the noisy part so you don't risk shorting things out with the nozzle)

I have heard of others using this technique, or else doing the same sort of thing with a silicone rubber (acetic acid free type) compound. The silicone has the advantage of being less subject to melting when it gets hot.

Gooserider

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