Can a flatscreen LCD monitor with a low refresh rate cause blindness?
My brother has been convinced (by a computer salesperson, surprise surprise) that his flatscreen LCD computer monitor is going to cause him to go blind because its a couple of years old and has a slower refresh rate. My husband and I think thats bunk and that the salesperson is trying to pull one over on him. Anyone know for sure?
May 24th, 2010 at 10:56 am
[...] Hi Tech answers » Can a flatscreen LCD monitor with a low refresh rate cause blindness? [...]
May 24th, 2010 at 11:26 am
LMAO. Yes, that’s totally not true. The absolute worst thing that could possibly happen is eye-fatigue, which is just your eyes getting tired. It’s the same kind of myth about how sitting too close to the TV can cause you to go blind. Totally 100% not true.
May 24th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
I would report that salesperson … he’s trying to use scare tactics to make a sale … the one thing that was noticeable about early LCD monitors with slow refresh rates was that they tended to “flicker” a little under florescent lighting which in some cases caused headaches … but if this isn’t a problem with your brothers … use the old adage … if it aint broke don’t fix it
May 24th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Fantastic – not only is this a outright lie but LCD out of all the technologies out right now is the least likely to cause strain or damage to your eyes.
First off LCD screens do not have refresh rates (one of the reasons they do not damage your eyes) instead they output a continuous image (not an on and off like an old style tv or projector).
Secondly LCD screens typically last 5+ years so there would be allot of blind people right now if that were the case.
When buying an LCD you should look out for the Response times listed, the shorter the time IE 10ms is better than 20ms the smoother things will be on the screen. This only really applies to things like action films or sports where things move quickly across the screen. Most, even the cheapest screens have a decent output these days.
Go and poke pencils in the salesman’s eyes, so he knows whats its like to go blind.