My monitor has the energy saving feature, but it’s been running all day. How do I make it go into power management mode?
Your monitor is compliant, that is, it responds appropriately to power management signaling from the video controller and computer.

If either Vertical Sync or Horizontal Sync coming from the display controller are removed, the monitor will enter the Standby/Suspend mode. In this mode, the deflection and high voltage are turned off, reducing power consumption in the monitor to less than 30 Watts.

If both sync signals are removed, the CRT filament will be turned off, in addition to the deflection and high voltage. This is the Off mode. The monitor power consumption is reduced to less than 5 Watts.

In order for the monitor to be commanded to go into these modes, intervals are set within power management software on the computer. This can be found most often in the display controller driver utility directory on your hard drive. It may also be controlled from your PC’s BIOS, if the motherboard is capable of power management signaling. Consult your computer and display controller documentation or contact their Technical Support. Do not contact the monitor vendor for DPMS software unless you manual specifically states that software is included with the product.

If your display controller does not have DPMS software, or you do not have a DPMS motherboard, there are separate programs available that run as TSR’s.

My monitor blanks out every five minutes. What can I do about it?
Adjust or disable the interval settings in your power management software. Keep in mind that you may have more than one power manager running simultaneously (BIOS and display controller) or a stand-alone TSR. Make sure that only one is running to eliminate any conflicts.

I turned on my monitor and computer, and the monitor power light changed from green to orange. Why did the monitor do that?
Turn off the monitor and computer. Now turn on only the monitor. Check to see if the power light stays green. When the monitor is powered on with no signal going to it, it is in free-running mode. Now turn on the computer. If the power light changes to orange, check your video cable. When the computer is powered up, and signals are sent to the monitor, the monitor is latched into the ON mode. But, if the video cable is not properly seated and only one of the two synchronization signals reaches the monitor, it will immediately latch into the suspend mode. If the cable appears to be OK, then either the video card or computer may be the source of the problem. To determine if the monitor is at fault test the monitor on another computer.

My monitor image disappeared while I was in the middle of a program. Moving the mouse or hitting a key has no effect. What do I do?
First determine if the monitor went into the power management mode by observing the power light - green = on, orange = power saving.

Then perform the following diagnostic sequence to determine the reason for the monitor image to disappear.

1. Disable your power management software. Check your BIOS, Windows power management or screen saver (determined by controller software installation) and the AUTOEXEC.BAT file which may have a line in it to set a TSR.

2. If the problem recurs, leave the computer on, turn off the monitor power switch and disconnect the monitor signal cable from the controller. Power on the monitor, turn the brightness control fully clockwise and observe the power light. You should observe the raster on the screen and the power light should be green. Leave the monitor on and go on to step 3.

3. Reconnect the signal cable to the controller. If a picture appears, the monitor may have gone into the sleep mode by itself.

4. If the image disappears again, leave the computer on, do not disconnect the signal cable, but turn the monitor power switch off for five seconds, then back on. If the image disappears again, contact your vendor for service.

5. If the monitor continues to operate with a green light and a raster, it indicates that there is no signal from the computer. If the display is restored by rebooting the computer, there is an indication that the computer is crashing. Please consult your computer vendor for assistance.

The monitor’s power management circuitry cannot be disabled since it merely responds to signals from the computer and video controller.

Does the power management operation put a strain on the monitor? I don’t want to damage the monitor, but I don’t want to burn the CRT either. How should I set the intervals?
Monitors are designed to operate all day with no problem. The idea behind power management is to conserve power and save natural resources. It is not practical to have the monitor turn off and on at five or ten minute intervals. Thirty minutes should be the minimum. The key is how long you will be away from the computer. If you will be away for a couple of hours or more, then it is practical to either set up the power management software. The monitor has a soft-start function, so controlling it via the power management software will not stress it. It is not recommended to leave the monitor in the power saving mode all day or all night, because the monitor’s power supply is operational to allow signal sensing, and this does stress the monitor. Since it takes a minimum of thirty minutes for the CRT to stabilize to the point where the color balance is correct, if you are engaged in any graphics work, it is recommended to use the Standby/Suspend mode only, as the CRT heater is left on and the CRT remains stable. Phosphor burn is not a problem with modern CRT’s since they are less prone to phosphor burn than older CRTs. Properly adjusting the brightness and contrast levels and using power management software or a blank screen saver will help extend the life of the CRT.