End of life of my EIZO 2420 monitor?

[hruissen]

Since November 2018 I use an EIZO ColorEdge CS2420 monitor for processing my photos. Until now I had no problems and calibrating the screen is very easy. Recently I noticed a vague, brown bar at the top and the bottom of the screen (app 1.5 cm) You only notice it when viewing specific photos like black and white or snow photos at full screen. Once you notice it, you cannot ignore it anymore. I use the screen now for 7 years. It was quiet expensive (at least for me; 650 euros) and I wonder now if it is at the end of its lifetime. I do not use the screen every day and when using it, it is just a few hours a day. EIZO said that they can repair it for app. 200 euros but I wonder if it is worth investing it in a 7 years old screen. A new screen is about 620 euros.
Any ideas? Or does anyone know what the lifetime of monitors is.

Thanks
Henk

[Dennis Russ]

I know nothing about the Eizo monitors except they be to pricy so I will never buy one. Over Hyped as far as I can see. I have always used Dell Monitors until I read about the ASUS Pro Art ones. I now have two of them 24" each calibrated them and have never had a problem. Dell for 9 years, ProArt for 3. Have a read of this as it might help you. Worth a read.

https://www.google.com/search?q=got+a+brown+bar+at+top+and+bottom+of+my+eizo+monitor&sca_esv=8e3f949f37700064&source=hp&ei=NQBhaf5s742Fsg-_54XoCg&iflsig=AFdpzrgAAAAAaWEORbQMEaP_Ue_o8d0Ma7kFnBpTGW4N&oq=Got+a+brown+bar+at+top+and+bottom+of+my+Eizo&gs_lp=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&sclient=gws-wiz

[BDennis]

Just a long shot but have you tried a different cable to connect it to the computer or one of the other output ports it probably has? Also connect to another system or try resetting all the monitor settings to factory defaults if possible. It might be worth a check before spending any money on a repair or new monitor.

For the repair cost I'd be tempted to go for a band new monitor if I had the funds unless they can guarantee the repair for a significant amount of time.

As a guide I also have a 24 inch ASUS ProArt monitor similar to Dennis which is nearly 10 years old and it is still fine and I have a 2009 27 iMac I now use as a 2nd monitor and that doesn't show any screen issues either. I'd have hoped a top end EIZO monitor like yours would have lasted at least this long, a bit frustrating. I used EIZO monitors for computer work at a software company a while back and they were very reliable although costly - this was back in CRT days and you needed to do some weight training to move the things!

Bill

[drmarkf]

EIZO give a 5 year warranty with a loan screen with their monitors as long as you don’t buy a grey import, and from personal experience I can confirm they honour it.

I’ve got the same monitor (just under 500 quid from Wex) and at around 4 years of age it developed a magenta discolouration in the peripheries (all around, not just top and bottom). I contacted their U.K. customer service manager by phone as advised by Wex, and after I’d sent him an iPhone snap of the fault he arranged courier collection in a couple of days time - they delivered the loan screen and I gave the courier my screen in the shipping packaging it arrived in. After about a fortnight they confirmed they’d replaced the LED panel and a couple of days later the courier returned to swap out the loaner. No charge.

Of course it would have been better if these screens hadn’t developed issues, but you pays your money and takes your choice. EIZO is widely used by imaging professionals worldwide, and they give a gold standard warranty which is honoured. Doesn’t sound like hype to me.

[Rawcoll]

Oh dear? I have that very monitor, bought in May 2020 (and so out of warranty), where I've recently noticed edge discoloration. I'd rather dismissed it as I've changed over to a Linux system, and rather assumed that it was associated with that. But in the light of these posts I should investigate further. It is confined to the edges and doesn't interfere with displaying images, so I can live with it, so long as it doesn't deteriorate.

There are good alternatives, but none are cheap, as I recall.

Ian

[drmarkf]

Yes, mine slowly progressed over several months, but never became very noticeable. I had decided to try for my ARPS via a print panel, though, and that prompted me to investigate the warranty: fortunately it hadn't expired.

[Bruce Clarke]

I've had the CS2730 for 7 years, and it's still working well. I recently got the CS2740 4K version which is great, and moved the old one to second monitor use for editing.

It sounds like the screen is going, but worth reseating cables, trying others, and reseating the graphics card just to be sure. If something looks like it's going, I often give it a firm bash when off to possibly reseat a possible loose connection like a ribbon cable. If you are confident, it might be worth opening it up and reseat any ribbon cables that are accessible.

[hruissen]

Thanks for all the reactions. I tried to change the cables but that didn't work. Also installed the latest drivers for NVidia hardware but no results. I now decided to continue to use the screen, wait untill it collapses completely and then buy a new one. So no repairs on a 7 years old screen. After all it is just the top and bottom section where the brown ribbon shows. 95% of the screen is Ok.

Cheers
Henk

[Rawcoll]

When I contacted Eizo I was told that the condition was progressive, though what the rate of deterioration would be I don't know.

Anyhow, this is all rather moot, as I received this email regarding repair.

"Thanks for sending over the below picture. Having sent over the details of your case to our engineers, they've advised that a rough estimate for repair would be £562.27 + VAT. This includes parts costs, labour costs and the inspection fee. However, until the monitor has been inspected in-person, this can only be a rough quote as we won't know the full nature and extent of the damage until this point. If you did decide to bring the monitor in but ultimately chose not to proceed with the repair, we'd still require a £95 + VAT inspection fee." On top of this I'd have to ship at my own cost!

This is over the cost of a new one, though I'm not sure that Eizo are still producing this model any more. They are still available, but probably end of line. I'll probably just use it until it becomes unusable, and then fork out for a new screen. I chose it as a reasonable cost wide gamut monitor. I originally bought that model as I am a bit restricted on space too. Given that I run three different computers into it, the hardware calibration is also useful. The trend is for 27" models these days.

Ian
PS. Interesting comparison with hruisson's quote.

[hruissen]

Hi Ian,

That's quite a difference in costs!. Eizo still has similar 24" model for about 600 euros. Just ike you I will use my screen until it becomes unusable and then decide what to do next. Hopefully further detoriation will be slow.

Henk

[drmarkf]

If you are considering getting a new EIZO I’m sure it’s a good idea to check the warranty arrangements carefully, both for the particular model and for the vendor you’re buying it from.

[Rawcoll]

Currently I'm looking at the BenQ SW242Q, a bit less expensive than the Eizo CS2400S. Note that the 2400R is only sRGB, not wide band. I do like that I can switch between inputs on my current monitor, with all connected; I'm not yet sure I can do that with the BenQ.

Ian

[Rawcoll]

I did puchase the BenQ screen and so far I'm pleased with it. I can switch between all three inputs fine, and its resolution is a bit higher than the Eizo. It is 2k rather than 4k, but I'm not bothered by that. It does always seem to be in limited supply at WEX!

Ian