Old LCD handheld screen fade question

[Skykid]

Bit of a random one. I've got an old Casio Western Bar LCD handheld, and it's in good cosmetic condition, but the screen graphics are basically invisible when viewed directly. You have to tilt it to almost a 90 degree angle away from you to see the details, which is a bit awkward.

Anyone know why this happens and if there's any way to fix it? (It's got fresh batteries btw, tried that first.)

[BuckoA51]

Sounds very similar to the Sega Gamegear problem, which is caused by bad capacitors.

[Skykid]

Sounds very similar to the Sega Gamegear problem, which is caused by bad capacitors.

Right, so you think it might be worth opening up to see what the caps look like? What's the GG problem, do you have a link to some info so I can do a comparison?

Thanks for the help.

[BuckoA51]

Maybe, but I'm not really an electrician, here's the info on the Game Gear, as usual I paid someone to do mine

http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/ ... epair.html

[Ed Oscuro]

Here is a Retro Roundtable topic from 2010 with some ideas.

this presentation suggests some causes of failure but I don't believe it addresses b&w, non-lit LCD types.

The Game Gear had, at least some years back, the possibility of replacing the screen with a screen of the same size from a car entertainment system. The resolution was a bit different though, although games still seemed to work pretty good with it. Probably the best choice for GG longevity is a TV mod and caps replacement, of course. I also wonder if the Game Gear all-in-one reissue systems (not the newer Majesco GG rerelease) can be used as a starting point for upgrading a classic GG, especially the screen.

[Skykid]

Yeah I saw that GG screen replacement, the same they did for the Nomad. Definitely an improvement.

Unfortunately I'm not sure the display issues are the same here. Most people say they getting a clearer image viewing the GG at an angle, but this little LCD is invisible viewed directly. I'm not sure how similar the general screen components are either. I think I need to find someone who's really into old LCD handhelds as I'm sure the screen fading issue crops up fairly often with this old hardware.

[Ed Oscuro]

Right, I recall hearing from others on that site that the original Game Boy screen can fade out after a while. I recall hearing that heating up the screen might be a temporary fix...I obviously wouldn't try this. Some folks claim that long time heating of LCDs might be a cause of blame, but the crystals move more sluggishly in cold weather, not warm weather, so it's unclear that could be the case. However, this product suggests that you test LCD aging (albeit active-matrix color LCDs) by increasing the temperature, so there may be something to it. Is it safe to guess this machine hasn't been subject to wildly varying temperatures over the years?

It might also be useful to note that LCDs require the use of polarizers (usually a film) to filter out light other than that being blocked by the liquid crystals. So it may be the case that this film is what's actually aging.

The type of LCD we're dealing with, here, is the "monochrome passive-matrix LCD."

Frustrating topic...I know there should be some information out there but all I'm finding are home theater and digital and b&w photography links (which I already know the content of so I can write them off being useful).

[Skykid]

Right, I recall hearing from others on that site that the original Game Boy screen can fade out after a while. I recall hearing that heating up the screen might be a temporary fix...I obviously wouldn't try this. Some folks claim that long time heating of LCDs might be a cause of blame, but the crystals move more sluggishly in cold weather, not warm weather, so it's unclear that could be the case. However, this product suggests that you test LCD aging (albeit active-matrix color LCDs) by increasing the temperature, so there may be something to it. Is it safe to guess this machine hasn't been subject to wildly varying temperatures over the years?

It might also be useful to note that LCDs require the use of polarizers (usually a film) to filter out light other than that being blocked by the liquid crystals. So it may be the case that this film is what's actually aging.

The type of LCD we're dealing with, here, is the "monochrome passive-matrix LCD."

Frustrating topic...I know there should be some information out there but all I'm finding are home theater and digital and b&w photography links (which I already know the content of so I can write them off being useful).

Well I appreciate the endeavour. I'm not sure how I'd go about heating up the screen (not holding it over an open flame I'm guessing.)

I have no idea of its storage history, my old man found it in a market the other month for 0.25p and asked me if it was worth anything, and it turned out it was (more than I would have guessed.)
It scrubbed up nicely and works, but the screen is a mystery. I was thinking along the lines of some replaceable film similar to what you mentioned, that lay beneath the plastic of the display.

I'm sure there must be a hundred game & watch freaks who have tackled similar problems, but google isn't helping much.

On similar matters, my Pac Land LCD has a tiny bit of fade iirc, but nothing quite like this.

[Pic10F206]

Hi,

I'm a Nintendo Game&Watch collector, but also own other brand games.

The issue you described is very common and very easy to fix. These LCD based games need a polarizer filter placed over the LCD glass in order to see the sprites. That polarizer suffer from damage when exposed to direct sunlight or high temperatures, humidity,... With time, their hability to filter light in one axis decreases and you need to replace it. There is nothing else you can do but replacing it.

You can buy linear polarized filter online (must be linear polarizer for lcd). I found a store with filters for 4 usd, but haven't bought any yet. But it's better to find a similar handheld on ebay (maybe a wrecked one to spend less) and use that one to obtain spare for your game.

When placing the new polarizer you must find the correct side, if you rotate it you will see black background and white sprites

Best luck, if you need help dont hesitate to ask.

[Ed Oscuro]

That makes perfect sense, thanks for the information and welcome!

[Pic10F206]

In addition to my previous message, I tried to find some video showing the piece that you need to replace. This guy shows the polarizer, it's the plastic sheet that he grabs at the beggining of the video. In almost every handheld game, the polarizer is placed on top. However there are other plastic sheets inside, so you shoud anotate their position and orientation as you proceed with the fix.

http://youtu.be/UguYzSOM8xY

welcome!

Thanks Ed Oscuro