Problem with old monitor

[TGong]

Hi, this is an issue with an old (5+years, Philips 170B) LCD monitor. Thought it was worth a shot to see if anybody could help out.

Basically last time I was home around 6 months ago the screen randomly went black out of nowhere, turning it off and on made it come back but eventually I think it stopped working. It didn't get used for the time I was away until today, where it worked well but would again go black. The screen seems to work perfectly for 3/4-3 minutes (sound, buttons on the monitor all work fine) and then just blacks out and does not seem to come back. Turning the monitor off and on (doesn't matter how long you wait) fixes it, but it seems the longer you leave it off the longer it stays fine when you turn it back on. I've switched it around on 2 computers and have the same issue. One is a desktop and the other is my laptop.

I've noticed that the status messages from the monitor itself seem to come back when I unplug the monitor after its gone black (e.g. No cable connection) but they also eventually disappear (I don't know if its the same as blacking out or the message just goes away, pressing the buttons when it's not plugged into a computer doesn't make it display anything)

So I'm pretty sure its an issue with the monitor but I'm wondering if its an easy fix with the inside the monitor or maybe its some kind of driver/video card issue? I looked up drivers but it only goes up to Windows XP I think (which is the OS on my desktop, laptop has Windows 7)

Or is it a more serious issue and I might as well get a new monitor?

Thanks

 

[Ghostman 1]

I have 2 monitors that do the same thing here, You will need to buy another one, OR take it to a repair shop... It sounds like a piece of solder came loose and when it gets hot, it turns off... I have one trying to fixed right now..

 

[henry222]

Ghoastman make an interesting comment -
- - - However, unless you are competant to delve - DON'T. - - - -
It is possible you have a solder fault - maybe caused at a time switching cables, etc. A tiny break in the connection on the pcb.....(you've tried an alternative cable?).
So, it "might" be worth having a look, but in reality solder joints are difficult to check (unless you have great eyesight and suitable experience) - many parts are surface-mount making the mechanical inspection even more fraught.
You can try to reflow the solder and "hope" - using a hot-air gun (industrial, for the purpose)...could fix it. But a visit to a secondhand supplier is "probably" the easy answer.