Wallstreet with a Negative Display

[mcdermd]

So I picked up this Wallstreet parts bucket for a couple of dollars. It's obviously been dropped at one point while closed and hit on the corner of the display and optical drive sled. So far as I can tell, it seems to be cosmetic. I took it apart and all boards and ribbons appeared to be intact. In fact, most everything seems to work fine. So, the drop may be a red herring.

The problem is that the LCD screen shows a negative color image. Hooking up an external monitor shows the proper colors. The brightness control works and adjusts the LCD brightness.

So, I'm wondering if it's just a damaged LCD or ... ?

 

[theos911]

Is this replicated when changing to a different color depth?

 

[mcdermd]

Yes, it seems to be across all color depths, continues through a PRAM reset, and is this way from a cold boot.

 

[mcdermd]

If I swap display assemblies, it works. So I've got a little more to chew on now.

 

[beachycove]

Um, some old parts are made of unobtanium, but this one's made of anti-matter? :lol:

 

[Byrd]

Looks like one of the actual layers of the LCD sandwich has shifted slightly in the drop - noting when you take apart an LCD watch if you don't line up the polarising film, you will get an all black or inverted display.

Since you've little to lose, it could be repaired by stripping down the LCD panel, but obviously dismantling this can cause other issues, and dust.

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/lcd2.htm

The poor man's fix would be to run the Gamma utility (I think Adobe created it, it is a small control panel), and invert the colours system-wide It might actually do the trick!

JB

 

[jruschme]

What size screen? I *think* I have a spare 14"" bare LCD around here somewhere that you could have for shipping and consideration.

JR

 

[mcdermd]

Thanks for the offer. It is the 14" but it was bought as parts (and has hole in every case part!) so I wouldn't worry too much about it at this point.

but this one's made of anti-matter? :lol:

I know, right? I'd never seen a display do that before outside of the old OS X ctrl+option+command+8 trick.

 

[jruschme]

Thanks for the offer. It is the 14" but it was bought as parts (and has hole in every case part!) so I wouldn't worry too much about it at this point.

I found it and it would still do you more good than me, so if you want it, PM me you address and you can have it for shipping.

JR