LCD + Sunlight = bad?

[ChingChang]

I don't have shades put up in this room yet, and was just wondering if I should try to prevent my LCD monitor from coming in contact with too much sunlight. Couldn't find much info from google or the forums.

So before I put up shades, should I cover the monitor with a towel or something when I'm not using it? And I've just been moving it around, dodging the sun while I use it. I stuck a motherboard box in one of the windows so there's less sunlight in the room, but there are still some patches of sunlight coming from the other windows until I either put up more cardboard or some shades

I just don't want this thing to get damaged/worn out for at least a few more years

 

[Tiny]

Put some shades up, nobody wants to see you.



jk.

Shades could only help, so I don't see why you wouldn't.

 

[ChingChang]

yeah shades will be put up eventually, but until then I was just wondering how much damage the sun could possibly do.

 

[Tiny]

I wouldn't think it would be good for the LCD.

Just throw a towel over it until you get some shades.

 

[jebo_4jc]

Anybody have conclusive information about this? I'm thinking about mounting an LCD screen on my deck, but it will face West, so the screen will be in direct sunlight from about 3:00 to when the sun sets.

 

[Klintor]

Anybody have conclusive information about this? I'm thinking about mounting an LCD screen on my deck, but it will face West, so the screen will be in direct sunlight from about 3:00 to when the sun sets.

Have you ever left a piece of plastic out in the sun for an extended period of time?

Have you seen the results of what the sun does to most plastics?

Is the monitor made specifically out of "UV resistant" plastic?




Yeah.

 

[jebo_4jc]

This sarcastic response is more confusing than helpful

Have you ever left a piece of plastic out in the sun for an extended period of time?

Of course

Have you seen the results of what the sun does to most plastics?

Essentially the same question as above, so yes

Is the monitor made specifically out of "UV resistant" plastic?

I don't know. This is what I'm asking

Yeah.

So it sounds like an LCD would be OK in the sunlight?

Somebody help this guy out here, please.

 

[offtone]

I'd say no, because plastics tend discolour after prolonged exposure to the sun, and so it's likely that the plastic screen would also suffer.

Just towel it for now. Maybe someone with an old LCD will experiment? Heh.

As for the outside thing, you could probably build a box around it, no? Like a visor? Then you could actually watch it in the daytime, too (without the sun washing out its colours).

Edit: I just googled it and so far I've read two posts saying that UV rays will (slowly) deteriorate chemicals in the LCD and its array of pixels. Side-effects are colour tinging and lowered contrast.

 

[mathesar]

Not sure how much this applies here but I left my cellphone in my car for 45+ minutes on a hot day (90F outside so it was much hotter in the car) ,it was in direct sunlight the entire time and despite it being closed (flip top) the LCD screen was damaged from the heat.. it still works but the screen is washed out ( low contrast ).

 

[jebo_4jc]

That does help actually. I'm considering a small-ish LCD with some sort of flip-down visor that covers the whole thing to keep the sun off it unless I'm looking at it. It will only be used periodically to control music selections from my deck, and I suppose now that I think about it it would be nice to catch a baseball game sometimes.

The heat concerns me.

I will have to give this more thought.....

 

[Shark-MegaByte]

You may be able to find a removable home-theater screen/control module intended for outdoor use, which just leaves a socket with a weather-proof cover when you unplug it. Just don't forget to take it in when you're finished using it...

 

[Saeid]

i dont think its the light that will effect it...

Its the heat that will mess up the LCD....
chances are that it will heat up the monitor, and if it heats up the actual screen... for TOO long..... probably over time, your colors will be messed up...

kinda what those tuners with LCD screens on cars look like after they have been left in the sun for a few days.


Then again u could apply sun screen to the monitor