I have a Samsung 930B 19" LCD monitor, and an NVidia GeForce 8600 GT video card.

My monitor is about two years old. It seems to "glow" when it's in hibernate. In other words, the screen is black, but a bright gray-black. Does anyone know if this can be fixed through monitor settings, or it it through video card settings?

Thanks!

shouldnt happen with a LCD, but it happens all the time with CRT through phosphorescence.

when you stare at something bright the image is temporarily burned into your retina, this is probably causing you to see a glow. you can see this effect better on a dark day when someone with a flash camera takes a photo of you, you will continue to see a blue light.

thats why its recomended to use a computer in a brightly lit room, to reduce this effect.

Is there a chance that the monitor is still on and is simply receiving a blank/black image from the PC because of its power management settings. I'm having trouble putting to words what I'm trying to say, but I've walked up on an idle PC that had a perfectly blank screen, but the green light was still lit on the LCD so I knew it was on... that screen had a glow similar to what the OP is describing.

I think Rodney is right. "Looks" like the monitor is not being powered off when the machine is put into hibernation, its just receiving a "blank"/black image. Check to make sure you have the PM settings set to turn off the display.

Does the light on the screen change color or blink? If not its most likely not going to sleep(the screen not the computer). LCD's can not make black so thats what you would see if it was in getting a black. Check the bios and see if there is any power options for that.

Thanks for the information, guys! This is very useful. Following your input, I conducted an experiment - in late afternoon, but I darkened the room as much as possible. (NOTE: Monitor settings are at default.) Here goes.

1) When the PC is off and the monitor is on, the screen is black and the power light blinks.
2) When the PC is turned on, the screen is gray as the ASCII post information rolls on by.
3) The monitor blacks briefly, then back into gray until the Windows XP Welcome screen appears.
4) When the XP screen saver is set to Blank, the screen is gray.
5) In the Screen Saver --> Power Options, when "Turn off monitor" is enabled, the screen blacks briefly, then turns gray as the monitor's info window toggles "Analog/Digital" intermittently. Then the screen goes black and the power light begins to blink.

My NVidia Control Panel settings are as follows:

Adjust Desktop Color Settings:
Brightness: 47%
Digital vibrance: 0%
Contrast: 50%
Image sharpening: None
Gamma: 3%

Adjust Video Color Settings:
Brightness/Contrast/Hue/Sharpness: All 50%
Gamma: N/A

Is this normal operation, then, when the screen appears to be gray? Or are my brightness/gamma settings way off?

Thanks again...

Everything is normal, If you do not want the screen to go blank, just set the screen saver to none and decrease the time before "Turn off monitor".

The "Blank" screen saver is more of a leftover from the days of crt(Tube) screens having to warm up before displaying image. By not actually shutting the screen off it wakes up instantly. With an LCD the wake up time is not long enough to use that option. You also save power with the power save mode(thats the blinking light)

Your post edited

1) When the PC is off and the monitor is on, the screen is black and the power light blinks. The screen is sleeping(power save mode)
2) When the PC is turned on, the screen is gray as the ASCII post information rolls on by. An LCD has a hard time with black since the screen can not turn off the back light in sections. Some new LED LCD's(with a grid of led's for lite) can shut off sections to give blacker blacks. Also you can use a dark filter to make black, but it cost more power since your back light has to be strong enough to compensate for this darkening effect.
3) The monitor blacks briefly, then back into gray until the Windows XP Welcome screen appears. Black when the card initializes, Grey once its loaded.
4) When the XP screen saver is set to Blank, the screen is gray. The screen can not do black
5) In the Screen Saver --> Power Options, when "Turn off monitor" is enabled, the screen blacks briefly, then turns gray as the monitor's info window toggles "Analog/Digital" intermittently. Then the screen goes black and the power light begins to blink. Its sleeping. The digital/analog flash may be the screen looking to see if something is on the other port, i have the auto option off on mine.

My NVidia Control Panel settings are as follows: Your preference, should have no effect on this.

Adjust Desktop Color Settings:
Brightness: 47%
Digital vibrance: 0%
Contrast: 50%
Image sharpening: None
Gamma: 3%

Adjust Video Color Settings:
Brightness/Contrast/Hue/Sharpness: All 50%
Gamma: N/A