At home we have a desktop with a flatscreen monitor, the monitor has stopped working completely out of the blue. I'm not really wanting to buy a new screen a week before Christmas and wondered if it might be the cable.
The cable is a bit odd it has a plug on one end for the wall then in the middle is a sqaure black box (green light is on) then a small 'jackplug' type fitting where it enters the monitor. There is no sign of life at the monitor end at all
No idea what they are called but has anyone any experience of such cables failing etc are they expensive to buy to try before I splash out on a new screen?

Some flat Screen monitors used an in line power suuply (from memory NEC).
If the green light is on I guess that the power supply is working.

If the monitor is old could it be the backlight which has only a finite life?
Not sure how you tell though.

Can you get a volt meter over the terminals of the plug to see if it's giving out the right voltage?

Are there normally any other signs of life on the screen chassis (e.g. green light for signal, amber for standby?)

PS the "Black box" in the cable will most likely be the power supply that steps the power down to a suitable DC voltage. If it turns out to be this that is faulty, Maplin may have a suitable replacement unit (or fleabay for OEM)

Usually there is a green power light on the monitor, its not on, thats what led me to think power cable

You can easily check the in-line PSU with a voltmeter - at least you will know either way

Deffo worth a prod with a meter to make sure you are actually getting power out of the power supply. The light could be on the input side rathr than confirming output. Or try another PSU if you can beg/borrow/steal one. Then don't return it

[Edited on 20/12/10 by cliftyhanger]