I have a 17" flat panel monitor and there semes to be something wrong with it. When I turn it on it looks just fine but after about a sec the light that lights up the screen will turn off. If I shine a light on the monitor I can see a picture but the backlight that lights up the monitor is off. Any one know whats wrong or knows how to fix it it will be greatly appreciated if you share this information. Thank you!

What you are experiencing is one of the main drawbacks of flat-panel monitors. LCD backlights are basically miniature fluorescent tubes, driven by electronics. A high-frequency inverter is used to provide the voltage and current-limiting required, like a ballast in an overhead fixture. The drawback is that the power transistors and/or integrated circuits used for this application can become thermally intermittent and shut down after a period of operation, or the whole board can fail.

If the unit is still under warranty, you are golden. If not, it can get expensive. I don't know of a regular source for inverter boards, though I would do a Google search. When I tried the search LCD replacement inverter, I did get some hits--pricing ranged from about $10 to as high as $50.

Brand-name parts may (or may not) be easier to find. This is one case, too, where using the FCC ID number may help to track down the original manufaturer (OEM) and a parts source.

thanks tallcool1!

If anyone knows where I can get a cheap replacement one of these please let me know. I'm trying to see if I can warrenty the item now