Customer Reviews

Sony SDM-S81 18" Flat Panel LCD Monitor

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I've had the same problems with this monitor. This first year is was fine and then it started to go. I called SONY and they send me a rebuilt and that one did the same this after a week. I am now on to my third monitor and just today it started to go bad. So it looks like I'll be calling SONY again. I very disappointed I've got a SONY TV that is 30 years old. I guess they just don't built things like they used to.

I'm having the exact same problem. IN the begining everything was great, but after a year it is flashing green pixels around dark black contours.

I had problems with this monitor 5 months after I received it. I saw pixels flickering in green all over the screen. It appeared to be electronic noise or interference. I sent it in to Sony for repairs and it was fine for 7 months and then the problem occurred again. This time sony wanted $275 to fix it since the warranty period had expired. FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE THIS PROBLEM DO THE FOLLOWING:

- Remove the screws to the pedestal, and remove the pedestal
- put the monitor face down and remove the screws holding the back cover in place.

- carefully pry off the back cover (it snaps onto the front cover.

- You will see two heat shields covering the power suppy and controller card.

- Remove them (if you plug your monitor back into your system you will notice that the noise problem is gone)

- Line the inside of the heat shield that does not make contact with the IC with duct tape and secure the cables that are under the controller card with duct tape

- Put the heat shields, back cover, and pedestal back on.

- The problem should be gone.

I first purchased my monitor in March of 2002. It was first used as a monitor for a MacIntosh G4 and now for a Dell XPS. I use this monitor for work and for personal use, for graphics, gaming and spreadsheets. The images are clean, sharp and vibrant. Adjustments are easy although I've probably changed them twice in the 8 years it has been in use. I have never had any problems until recently. Just recently I thought the monitor had reached the end of its life as I was experiencing strange pixel color problems. I switched monitors and found that it is a video card problem and not the monitor. For 8 years of heavy and reliable use, it was a very good investment. Although I will be purchasing a new monitor for the size and flexibility today's technology offers, I will be keeping the SDM-S81 in service as an alternate monitor for the laptop since it's so much easier on the eyes than a small laptop screen.

My Sony SDM-S81 just recently started the full time green and orange pixel problem.
I'll try to Jerry-Rig it as suggested.
It does appear to be heat related.

4 years isn't too bad, but it should last 10 years at least for the $ paid.

I've had the monitor about 2 years and it started doing that funky pixel flash thing that others have seen. Very disapointing considering the usual Sony quality.

I thought it must be electronics going bad, but thanks to the poster below I took off the covers and was able to fix it. Or at least the pixel-flash went away for now.

Just taking the covers off did not work for me. It still was messing up. But then I pushed on all the connectors on the main electronics board, and after pushing on the one that is near the center of the board, it started working fine.

The connector I'm talking about is the one with a metal strap holding it down. You might want to give it a try before junking it. I'm hoping for the best...

The LCD is beginning to go bad. Green hazy areas - comes and goes. I started checking out websites to see if there were any reported problems and came accross the reviews posted here about the major problems with the LCD. I guess trying to get a replacement is not going to help.

I was a real Sony fan. I've always bought Sony T.Vs. This has really ticked me off.

I bought this monitor(SONY SDM-S81R) from DELL last december. It suddenly failed to work after 8 months. SONY sent me a refurbrished one for replacement. This one sony sent is a crapy old one. It even had a stick on it... They did not even clean it before sending out. They refuse to send a new one. The waiting time for customer service takes about 20min.

I called DELL for help, but dell does not want to do anything..

Hi,

I'm just adding my 2 cents to this monitor mess. I bought my original monitor not quite 2 years ago. Today, my 3rd replacement monitor is now going bad, and I will be contacting SONY to have a 4th monitor sent to me as replacement. Every monitor has done the exact same thing, after so much time, some type of weird greenish monitor flicker starts, usually intermittent at first, and then always. My system is on 24/7, and the monitor does shut off when not in use.

This monitor is terrible. Very disappointed in Sony, the new one cost me $900.

A good thing to note is that SONY has been good about shipping me replacement monitors.

-Jerry

I have gone through 3 Sony SDM-S81 monitors and still can't get one that will work more than a month or two. I am trying now to get a replacement model from Sony - they have sent 3 rebuilt units that all end up doing the same thing. Screen has green-glittery haze and contoured lines moving around screen. Very disappointed with Sony for this junk of a monitor. Paid 800.00 for mis-engineered Sony mistake apparently.