Monitor backlighting

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WubbleU

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#55243 26-Dec-2009 17:48

My computer's monitor is shadowed by my computer desk, which makes behind my monitor quite dark at night. I'm wanting to get a light to go behind my monitor to provide a nice glow, and to lessen the contrast between the brightness of the screen and the blackness of the shadow.
Has anyone here done this and can recommend a light that would be good for this? I don't mind doing a bit of DIY either, but I'm not sure what type of light is good for backlighting monitors.

dontpanic42

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#285306 26-Dec-2009 20:58

Try one of these:
http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4b35c0c0023937b82740c0a87f3b06ca/Product/View/Z4271

and then get a multi voltage adaptor to control brightness:
http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4b35c0c0023937b82740c0a87f3b06ca/Product/View/M9648

Note: The DSE website seems to be loading very slowly recently.

WubbleU

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Wannabe Geek

#285308 26-Dec-2009 21:04

Are LEDs good for backlighting? Isn't the light they emit a bit harsh? I've never tried blue LEDs though, they may be different.

dontpanic42

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#285309 26-Dec-2009 21:16

WubbleU: Are LEDs good for backlighting? Isn't the light they emit a bit harsh? I've never tried blue LEDs though, they may be different.

You're probably right. However I have a couple of them behind my main TV and they work great.

You could always buy this:
http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4b35c0c0023937b82740c0a87f3b06ca/Product/View/MP0430
and just stuff the whole lot behind the monitor....

WubbleU

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Wannabe Geek

#285311 26-Dec-2009 21:23

Hahaha, I don't want that many lights! I don't like bundles of things on my desk, even if I can't see them!

paradoxsm

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#285334 26-Dec-2009 23:08

I'd done this before (And thought I was mad but it's obviously a good idea as Philips did a similar effect with some LCD tv's) and used a specific compact fluro light.

I got one of the Ecobulb "50w halogen replacements" as I was able to pull the reflector unit off and use the guts and simply wire the cord into it instead of having the extra bulk of a socket. The whole thing cost me $10 and provides adequate but not dazzling light.

I've moved house since and no longer have it setup but it's packed away ready to be re-installed into my new house when the proper desk arrives.

You could certainly use LEDS but they would be a lot more expensive and directional unless you get flat ones.

WubbleU

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Wannabe Geek

#285399 27-Dec-2009 11:50

So halogen bulbs are good for that sort of thing? What cord did you wire onto it? I don't want to connect the light to the light switch, the house's electrics are dodgy enough without my help!

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richms

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#285732 28-Dec-2009 22:39

halogens are too yellow to be a good backlight. ideally you want a 6500k fluro or led that is about that. Since that is what is white on a monitor thats setup properly.

Richard rich.ms

paradoxsm

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#285745 29-Dec-2009 00:26

this is not a halogen but a "compact fluorescent energy saving bulb" replacment device.

Ironically, i picked up 5 of these for $10 today instead of the usual price of $10 odd each.

Its the ecobulb 15w "down light" but i pulled it apart to use for this very application

Unscrew the bulb by grabbing the end and carefully twisting it left, the bulb module will then pull out. After that just yank the reflector and it will come off easily at which time you can re-install the bulb part and wire it up.

richms

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#285750 29-Dec-2009 00:55

eco bulb only do 3000k crusty orange lamps because apparently that is what the market demands. If you dont want to induce a percieved colourshift you want the colour to be the same white as your monitor. Of cource that assumes the wall is white/neutral gray. If its the common "NZ bland developer pallete" specilty of beige, off white, cream or some other yellowed colour then it will not matter what you light it with, it will still make the screen look too blue.

They are also one of the worst lamps I have used - only the red sheds own brand were worse, they were about as bad as the philips tornados for warmup times.

Go find an osram 865 or 965 tube and a fluro fitting and that will get you a nice stable true white that will last for the life of the tube. Cheap energy savers go purple or pink as they age.

Richard rich.ms

paradoxsm

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#285793 29-Dec-2009 10:06

agreed in many respects but it was dirt cheap and the whole lamp assembly is utterly tiny, something else to not about them is that they are also cold-cathode lamps as well, no filament pre-heating. My walls are a bluey color so these 3600k things looks very "white".. The lamps i have at home are special 50w "mercury vapour replacements" tri-phosphor compact fluro lamps but I have never seen them again since finding these gems in Australia, bright and fantastic color rendering.

richms

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#285831 29-Dec-2009 14:13

There are some overpriced daylight ones around sold with magical claims of solving health problems by emulating daylight.

I just used a standard T8 fluro fitting when I was doing backlighting. Dont bother now that I am not sittign at it for hours staring at various design software etc.

Richard rich.ms

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WubbleU

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Wannabe Geek

#285843 29-Dec-2009 15:29

So you all recommend some sort of fluorescent bulb? My wall is a beige/brown/green mix.

paradoxsm, your idea sounds good, I want it to be only small. What voltage do those lights require?

richms

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#285845 29-Dec-2009 15:39

Yes, there is no way that an incandesent can get up to being white without correcting it with a very blue coating, and they wear off and it changes over its life.

LED may be worth looking at, there are some strips you could stick to the back of the monitor but I have yet to find the strips with matched LEDs for colour.

LEDs are still very variable with what they output which is why they bin them into similar ones for colour and efficiancy, what you get in the cheap stuff is normally the ones noone else wanted.

Richard rich.ms

paradoxsm

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#285910 29-Dec-2009 19:52

standard 240v, cheap simple and easy

I just sanded the bottom down of the lamp and sanded the monitor base as well and glued it to the monitor base (my monitor has quite a thick base) and drilled two holes in the monitor base and put a cable tie in for some cable relief.

Also consider 12volt led strip bars, you would be able to screw these directly into the back of the monitor and would be a more clean setup. You would also need a 12volt plug pack though.

richms

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#285922 29-Dec-2009 20:45

or power them from the computer. But I have found that the 12v fluros are non standard tubes - you can get them in cool white easy enough, but no 865 or 965 - I think they ship with ones that are a 740 or so, so bloody aweful colour rendering like the cheap CFL's

Richard rich.ms