Throw it out! U could definatly by a used crt and probably a NEW crt for what it would cost to have ur existing one repaired! Hell, bestbuy sells 17"crt for like $70, or just spent $150-$200 on a new 20" lcd! Look in ur paper, u can get a used 15" for $20!Jhartman78

:Sigh: I guess I'll have to; I really liked my existing monitor, and didn't want to add to the growing heaps of CRT trash.

I recently moved my CRT monitor from my office to my basement. When I got it down there and plugged everything in, it displayed everything for a second before the screen blanked. Now:

1 - I turn it on

2 - The green "on" indicator light activates

3 - If I switch it off, compressed lines of what should be on the screen appear briefly at the top of the screen.

Is my monitor fixable?

Thanks,

Boz

it's an ok idea, it should be possible to set it on an automated system to give users the emblem just for their birthday too...and of course it wouldn't have to show the users age or anything like that, it could just be a generic happy birthday type of emblem... ...on the other hand though, what's the point? it doesn't seem like it would serve any purpose aside from possibly taking away the users privacy as for the month and day of their birth...which isn't really a good thing...although alot of ppl probably wouldn't be that bothered...robbristow

What's the point of any of the emblems? Cake or pie? Lookie, I attended an online broadcast of a Sony conference! My opinion is different than yours. None of the emblems matter: they're just gravy.

I just think a birthday emblem would be a unique emblem that would add flavor to the site.

i always do the default, or proper character name. it sorta takes you out of the whole experience if someone in the game says HEY JASON or whatever, when you know the actual character to be named Link, or what have you... plus you dont want to come back to a save file years later and find some gamer handle you dont even use anymore that you cant changekappareign

Wow, some actual rationale behind your naming, with some forethought to boot!

Ok, I`m building my first computer and I just want to get only quality brands....So Asus is good....and EVGA is good....I think I got everything I want...I`ll be ordering next friday when I get my paycheck...I cant freakin wait to put all this stuff together.jfkunrendered

There are no shortage of quality brands for domestic U.S. computer parts, but you should does some serious research before buying components for your first build. I just completed my first build, blogging and video blogging the entire process here on Gamespot (Part 1, here). All the links to research and shopping locations I used are there.

As for quality manufacturers, all the aforementioned are great. I would recommend a EVGA motherboard if you're thinking about an AMD build; EVGA was one of the first board manufacturers, has the most mature product, and a lifetime warranty. Their customer service is excellent. I used a Gigabyte board for my Intel build, based on solid reviews and recommendations from several reputable sites.

Good luck in any event.

Boz

And definitely not Acer...unless you have no money.jfkunrendered

I actually found Acer to be a reasonable value for the cash-strapped; their customer support was pretty good. There is a lot of preloaded junk, but the hardware is typically fine for non-gamers.