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View Full Version : Is my old fat monitor (CRT) bad for me?



hanzj
July 25th, 2009, 07:48 PM
My friend says that the older monitors (CRT) give off radiation and is bad for people. So he bought an LCD flat monitor.

Is that true?

Paddy Landau
July 25th, 2009, 07:51 PM
Once upon a time, there was a lot of hype about this.

To the best of my knowledge, this was not scientifically shown.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Hundreds of millions of people used those monitors for many years without any evidence of harm.

pbpersson
July 25th, 2009, 07:51 PM
Later monitors were modified to reduce the radiation hazard.

From the sides or from the back the radiation is worse.

In a office situation where someone is sitting behind two or three monitors that were on another desk, that is the worst.

A CRT gives off radiation and also lots of magnetism. You can put a floppy on top of a monitor and scramble the contents of your floppy that way.

Whiffle
July 25th, 2009, 07:54 PM
LCD's emit radiation too. So does your stove. And your car. And you. One of my pet peeves is the whole "ZOMG radiation!" thing, when people don't refer to what type of radiation.

But really, I don't see any reason to worry. If anything they hurt your eyes because they're not as clear as an LCD.

lukjad
July 25th, 2009, 07:54 PM
From Wikipedia: "However, studies that examined this possibility showed no signs that CRT radiation had any effect on health."

As for me, I find they are actually easier to read off of, but some people disagree.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathode_ray_tube#Health_concerns

jerome1232
July 25th, 2009, 07:56 PM
Well by definition light is a form of radiation, so yes they throw off quite a bit of radiation, as far as I know CRT's don't give off enough harmful radiation to be significant. Wikipedia seems to agree.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathode_ray_tube#Health_concerns

Bigtime_Scrub
July 25th, 2009, 08:00 PM
100% F.U.D. I used them for years back in the day when the internet meant dial up. I don't have radiation poisoning and I am NOT sterile. so yah...FUD.

murphykieran
July 25th, 2009, 08:00 PM
I remember reading an article a while back which said that research had shown that CRTs could have temporary effects like tired and sore eyes and headaches from prolonged used, but that no long term health effects were shown.

I know I would get tired irritated eyes after a long session in front of my old CRT, but not anymore with an LCD.

murphykieran
July 25th, 2009, 08:01 PM
100% F.U.D. I used them for years back in the day when the internet meant dial up. I don't have radiation poisoning and I am NOT sterile. so yah...FUD.That's like someone saying that they smoked 20 cigarettes a day for 30 years and never got cancer, therefore smoking doesn't cause cancer. It doesn't have to harm everyone or even a majority to be a health risk.

pbpersson
July 25th, 2009, 08:03 PM
Well by definition light is a form of radiation, so yes they throw off quite a bit of radiation, as far as I know CRT's don't give off enough harmful radiation to be significant. Wikipedia seems to agree.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathode_ray_tube#Health_concerns

That last article has a very good explanation of all the various types of radiation one is bombarded with when you have your nose just inches from a CRT. The amount of exposure to harmful radiation is also governed by how much time you spend in front of the CRT. If you did that for 12 hours a day for decades I am certain the damage is cumulative.

However, I live in a large polluted city and I am breathing the air. That would most likely kill me faster than sitting in front of a CRT. ;)

hanzj
July 25th, 2009, 08:05 PM
Hi,


In http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=7677581&postcount=8, murphy says that one effect of using a CRT monitor is tired and sore eyes.
When I spend time in front of a CRT monitor at home, it seems that my eyes feel tired after a while, too. But I'm not sure if the fatigue and soreness is to be attributed to the CRT monitor or something else (e.g. not blinking as often as when not using the computer).

I would like to know, does using a CRT monitor give the computer user tired and sore eyes? Would using an LCD monitor relieve a computer user of this problem? Or would using an LCD monitor bring no difference?


Thank you.

hanzj
July 25th, 2009, 08:08 PM
Murphy,
thanks for bringing up the "tiredness/fatigue/soreness" of eyes issue. As a response, I've posted a new thread inquiring about this issue at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1222939. If anyone is interested and knowledgeable, please chime in there, too!
Thanks.

llamabr
July 25th, 2009, 08:14 PM
Murphy,
thanks for bringing up the "tiredness/fatigue/soreness" of eyes issue. As a response, I've posted a new thread inquiring about this issue at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1222939. If anyone is interested and knowledgeable, please chime in there, too!
Thanks.

Probably would be better not to start a new thread to continue the conversation.

In answer to your question, there's no evidence of harm. Most things emit radiation. Table salt emits radiation. Get a geiger counter and get ready to be impressed.

hanzj
July 25th, 2009, 08:15 PM
llamabr,
too late. 8-(

Paddy Landau
July 25th, 2009, 08:18 PM
Sit with a painting a foot in front of you for several hours without taking a break.

Yeah, sure you'll get tired eyes, but I don't think that it's because it's a CRT. It's because you're not exercising your eyes the way they're supposed to be.

NiacinFlush
July 25th, 2009, 09:15 PM
Well it could be a variety of things.

The painting comparison is a bad one, because for one, the painting is not flashing a high rate of times per second, and the medium is completely different.

I've read of people getting headaches with CRTs, among other symptoms opposed to LCD screens. Also, from my own anecdotal experience, my 2004 ViewSonic CRT (which now only half displays black all the time) is much blurrier than LCD screens, and is a nuisance when I have to read a lot of text.

That could increase the need to focus the eyes, causing fatigue.
As far as your question goes, it really depends.

VCoolio
July 25th, 2009, 09:26 PM
Take a look at xflux/ (http://www.stereopsis.com/flux/); little app that adjusts screen settings to the time of the day. Install, run with your latitude (or is it longitude? can never keep 'em apart) and enjoy.

SunnyRabbiera
July 25th, 2009, 09:41 PM
Well its true LCD can be better for the eyes then a CRT it depends on the CRT model you have.
Most newer ones made after 1998 are supposed to be anti glare, in 2004 when I got this monitor anti glare was standard.
But anti glare did come a little late, as soon after LCD became a standard as it became more affordable.

Spiritof76
July 25th, 2009, 09:44 PM
For the first 30 years of my life I had excellent vision and memory. I was thin and lean, and very strong, I could run for miles Stay up all night with a lady. In 1981 I got my first computer with a monitor.
Its a slow process, and doesn't happen all at once. Today I drag a bit If I go all night with my lady, I can barely run around the block and I need glasses to see or to see far. Shucks I've even lost most of my hair!!

I don't think the monitor does much in a wek or two, buit over a few decades I think it has a definate effect.

lisati
July 25th, 2009, 09:54 PM
For the first 30 years of my life I had excellent vision and memory. I was thin and lean, and very strong, I could run for miles Stay up all night with a lady. In 1981 I got my first computer with a monitor.
Its a slow process, and doesn't happen all at once. Today I drag a bit If I go all night with my lady, I can barely run around the block and I need glasses to see or to see far. Shucks I've even lost most of my hair!!

I don't think the monitor does much in a wek or two, buit over a few decades I think it has a definate effect.

But then again, how much of it is because you're getting older or because of some other underlying health issue? I sometimes have trouble keeping up with Mrs Lisati, and I sometimes have trouble focusing when I'm trying to read what's on the screen - I generally put it down to not being a "prime specimen" health-wise. Being a smoker probably doesn't help either.

Mornedhel
July 25th, 2009, 11:53 PM
Just take a look at the window once every while to let your eyes focus on something that's a bit further than your nose, and you should be fine.

Is it also a good idea to use dark themes, white-on-black terminals, or the inverse video option from Compiz. I spend my days reading PDFs (research papers) and using a terminal, and it really makes a difference.

CatKiller
July 26th, 2009, 01:14 AM
For the first 30 years of my life I had excellent vision and memory. I was thin and lean, and very strong, I could run for miles Stay up all night with a lady. In 1981 I got my first computer with a monitor.
Its a slow process, and doesn't happen all at once. Today I drag a bit If I go all night with my lady, I can barely run around the block and I need glasses to see or to see far. Shucks I've even lost most of my hair!!

You're mistaken. That's not CRTs, that's sound. Every sound that bombards you ages you a tiny bit. It's the wobbles of your cells from the variations in air pressure that does it. You must be surrounded by absolute silence at all times. Then you'll live forever. As young and fit as you were in 1980.

It's all absolutely true. :P

theozzlives
July 26th, 2009, 01:25 AM
I remember reading an article a while back which said that research had shown that CRTs could have temporary effects like tired and sore eyes and headaches from prolonged used, but that no long term health effects were shown.

I know I would get tired irritated eyes after a long session in front of my old CRT, but not anymore with an LCD.

That's true with any monitor, they can cause dry eye also. You blink less staring at a monitor. My eye doc said that.

Arup
July 26th, 2009, 01:30 AM
Nonsense, if thats the case, I should be blind by now, I only use CRTs, I have a SONY Trinitron 21" and a NEC 19", I just can't get myself to get used to the LCD colors and therefore at the cost of bit more heat and power consumption, I use the CRTs, in fact the SONY CRT is an absolute gem and I still see many graphics and DTP houses using it instead of LCD.

ahndoruuu
July 26th, 2009, 01:32 AM
Yeah I think this is true!

I've been spending a lot of time on the computer recently and I've really noticed an unexplainable tiredness/soreness to my eyes, it really bothers me and gives me a headache -___-

Up until now I had no idea why that was but its possibly this damn monitor. (I have an old Dell CRT monitor from like 2002) >.>

I didn't think I needed a new monitor but hell I'm getting me an LCD now.

Chilli Bob
July 26th, 2009, 01:33 AM
I seem to be the opposite of most people, I use LCD at work and CRT at home. I find the CRT to be much clearer to read, and less tiring on the eyes. Unfortunately the CRT isn't widescreen, which is the only real benefit of LCD to me. The eye tiredness is probably more a product of the environment. At home I don't use the airconditioner. nor am I under bright bar flurescent lights.

EDIT: Another thing I just thought of. When I log into the server remotely at work, the font are not anti-aliased. If I had to work on that for more than a few minutes at a time, my eyes would burst.

ketedford
July 26th, 2009, 01:37 AM
About 7-10 years ago I was getting horrible headaches staring at a CRT all day. Finally, I tried an anti-glare screen over it and almost immediately, my headaches were gone.

jerome1232
July 26th, 2009, 01:39 AM
I've had a person tell me wireless routers were bad for humans. This particular person was talking on a 2.4 Ghz cordless phone when telling me this (G routers use that same frequency, same tech behind the devices.)

I thought it was funny.

Just be sure to dawn a tin foil hat at all times

running_rabbit07
July 26th, 2009, 01:51 AM
I've had a person tell me wireless routers were bad for humans. This particular person was talking on a 2.4 Ghz cordless phone when telling me this (G routers use that same frequency, same tech behind the devices.)

I thought it was funny.

Just be sure to dawn a tin foil hat when around crt's.

Yeah, I guess if the low wattage radio transmitters are a problem then our soldiers in command vehicles with multiple communication systems are screwed.

The biggest hazard with old TVs and monitors was lightning broadcast via entry through the big antennas. I had an old lady neighbor die from this during a thunderstorm about 15 years ago. The lightning came right out of the screen and got her.

theozzlives
July 26th, 2009, 01:52 AM
When I was a kid, my mom used to get on to me if I sat to close to a color TV.

When I got my first computer, I spent hours in front of a CRT, to get nothing but dry eye and a lot of knowledge.

Laptops cause impotence, cell phones cause brain tumors, and I guess routers are bad for you.... geeze!

ahndoruuu
July 26th, 2009, 01:52 AM
The lightning came right out of the screen and got her.


0.0

what?

murphykieran
July 26th, 2009, 02:00 AM
Nonsense, if thats the case, I should be blind by now, I only use CRTs, I have a SONY Trinitron 21" and a NEC 19"And the idea that drinking a bottle of whiskey a day can damage your liver is nonsense because I know people who have been drinking heavily for years and haven't got liver failure or cirrhosis yet, therefore heavy drinking doesn't cause liver damage. :confused:

SunnyRabbiera
July 26th, 2009, 02:25 AM
About 7-10 years ago I was getting horrible headaches staring at a CRT all day. Finally, I tried an anti-glare screen over it and almost immediately, my headaches were gone.

Yeh the Monitors of about 10 years ago were horrible with glare, though some in 98 did have anti glare.

overdrank
July 26th, 2009, 02:44 AM
Moved to The Community Cafe

Redache
July 26th, 2009, 02:51 AM
I guess it depends on the individual. Personally I far prefer LCD monitors to CRT Monitors as I can read the font better (I perceive it as smoother on an LCD). It's to the point that using a CRT for longer than a few minutes nearly kills my eyes.

QIII
July 26th, 2009, 02:51 AM
I hate to throw a wrench in the works, but has anybody considered whether the OP was talking about ionizing radiation or electromagnetic radiation?

foxmulder881
July 26th, 2009, 02:52 AM
It's funny, I only had this discussion just yesterday with a mate of mine. My workplace use CRTs but at home I use an LCD. I can sit at home on the PC for hours at a time and not have any problems with sore eyes and such. But when I'm at work doing hi-res image editing on CRTs, I get quite a lot of eye strain. I have to have regular breaks away from the screen.

In a nutshell, yes, CRTs have a huge effect on the eyes in comparison to LCDs.

overdrank
July 26th, 2009, 02:54 AM
Threads merged :)

stwschool
July 26th, 2009, 04:02 AM
LCD monitors are better for your eyes in my experience. Also they use less power so you might enjoy the saving on your electric bill too. They're basically better. They're cheap enough so get one!

hanzj
July 27th, 2009, 07:14 PM
overdrank:

I'm the OP.
1. which (2?) threads have been merged?
2. I put this thoughtfully into the beginner's forum, because the beginner's forum is described as "The perfect starting place to find out more about computers"... 8-)

hanzj
July 27th, 2009, 07:14 PM
LCD monitors are still not cheap enough for me. If, however, they're cheap enough for you, then you are more than welcome to buy one for the OP (ahem, ahem). 8-)

hellmet
July 27th, 2009, 08:04 PM
Hi,


In http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=7677581&postcount=8, murphy says that one effect of using a CRT monitor is tired and sore eyes.
When I spend time in front of a CRT monitor at home, it seems that my eyes feel tired after a while, too. But I'm not sure if the fatigue and soreness is to be attributed to the CRT monitor or something else (e.g. not blinking as often as when not using the computer).

I would like to know, does using a CRT monitor give the computer user tired and sore eyes? Would using an LCD monitor relieve a computer user of this problem? Or would using an LCD monitor bring no difference?


Thank you.
Until two years ago, I never used anything but a CRT monitor - for a whole 8 years after getting my first puter. Then, I came to the US and got myself a laptop. Now when I sit in front of my good ol' (not so old) CRT monitor my eyes feel irritated and I can't stand (or rather sit) being at the CRT for more than a few minutes. Its maybe got to do with the cathode rays drawing the picture n number of times a second.

AmyRose
August 27th, 2009, 10:36 AM
Eh, I just think LCDs are more readable. Too bad it's getting harder to find a non-widescreen LCD anymore.

3rdalbum
August 27th, 2009, 01:51 PM
When I worked at an electrical store, the absolute worst customer was the one who said "I don't want a plasma, they give off too much radiation".

Another thing I hate is when companies advertise a product as being "free of chemicals". EVERYTHING is a chemical!

But to be serious, people in the 1900s thought that electricity in the home was a bad idea because they'd get electricuted and die. Then CRT monitors were going to give us all cancer, then electricity was AGAIN going to kill us because of overhead power lines, then mobile phones were shooting radiation into our heads.

red_Marvin
August 27th, 2009, 01:54 PM
I hate to throw a wrench in the works, but has anybody considered whether the OP was talking about ionizing radiation or electromagnetic radiation?

Light as well as gamma rays (which are ionising) are all electromagnetic waves of different frequency. Sorry about being a smartass, but it bugs me that "electromagnetic radiation" is used for what is percieved as potentially dangerous, just because it contains the word radiation. (Same thing with "chemicals" - guess what H2O is...)

I have no problems with crt screens, as long as the refresh rate is set high enough, at least 85Hz, otherwise I can see the flicker.

jerome1232
August 27th, 2009, 02:05 PM
When I worked at an electrical store, the absolute worst customer was the one who said "I don't want a plasma, they give off too much radiation".

Another thing I hate is when companies advertise a product as being "free of chemicals". EVERYTHING is a chemical!

But to be serious, people in the 1900s thought that electricity in the home was a bad idea because they'd get electricuted and die. Then CRT monitors were going to give us all cancer, then electricity was AGAIN going to kill us because of overhead power lines, then mobile phones were shooting radiation into our heads.

Lol, I hate things that say 100% natural.

A) Why does that make it good, I can think of plenty of illegal drugs that are herbal in nature. There are natural plants that will kill you if you eat them, there are natural substances that will kill you if you touch them

B) Doesn't everything kind of have to come from "nature" anyways. Plastic is petroleum product which is pumped from the ground, 100% natural right?

I'm pretty sure the sun baths you in much more harmful radiation than any CRT will. I'm pretty sure a sun lamp does too for that matter.

pwnst*r
August 27th, 2009, 03:06 PM
it's funny that someone said LCD's are clearer.

koshatnik
August 27th, 2009, 03:08 PM
My friend says that the older monitors (CRT) give off radiation and is bad for people. So he bought an LCD flat monitor.

Is that true?

Are you sure you havent been looking at a microwave?

Firestem4
August 27th, 2009, 03:34 PM
As a previous poster mentioned Light is a form of radiation. (heat and energy are too.) The definition of the root word radiate is "to send out rays or waves [of energy].

Most of the discomfort people have from prologned exposure to a monitor can most nearly be attributed to their enviroment. For example seating posture, lighting conditions, duration of your computer session.

People become so focused on computers they will sit there for hours. Our eyes become weak from use since we are not using them (We sit in front of the monitors for hours of a time looking at an object the same distance away from us all the time). Our bodies were not meant to do this and it takes its toll. Theres a reason health professionals recommend you take 15 minute breaks every hour you're on the computer.

sydbat
August 27th, 2009, 03:46 PM
<snip>

Most of the discomfort people have from prologned exposure to a monitor can most nearly be attributed to their enviroment. For example seating posture, lighting conditions, duration of your computer session.

People become so focused on computers they will sit there for hours. Our eyes become weak from use since we are not using them (We sit in front of the monitors for hours of a time looking at an object the same distance away from us all the time). Our bodies were not meant to do this and it takes its toll. Theres a reason health professionals recommend you take 15 minute breaks every hour you're on the computer.^^This^^

Also, there is a psychological aspect too. People will tend to believe that one thing is better for them than another, while each could be potentially harmful or benign.

LowSky
August 27th, 2009, 03:48 PM
CRT are not bad for you, sitting all day infront of a computer is bad for you. Go get some exercise.

hessiess
August 27th, 2009, 04:42 PM
CRT monitors give a more accurate colour representation and a much higher contrast ratio. Until some other technology can match there accuracy, they arn't going anywhere where an accurate colour rep is needed, eaven if they are bad for you. OLED (Organic LED) displays offer a simmaler contrast ratio to CRT, but they havent made much impact on the market share yet.