Is it possible to control LCD components in software?

Question

Is it possible, say, using a programming language like C or C++, to write a program that directly interacts with the power inverter or controller in a modern LCD monitor?

I'm told that it used to be possible to forcefully overclock the oscillator in a CRT to make it catch on fire. I'm curious as to whether the same principle can be applied to a modern monitor.

Answer 1

Being able to inflict real damage on a modern external monitor is highly unlikely. Connections like VGA, DVI and HDMI don't provide sufficiently direct access to the screen's hardware.

The hardware design of a consumer product can be considered flawed if it allows a killer poke, i.e. destruction of a hardware component by issuing software instructions.

In modern PC hardware, laptops have a tightly integrated display. It may be possible to write a program that has harmful effects on a laptop's backlight, e.g. by flicking it on and off rapidly by calling the ACPI interface.

From http://ibm-acpi.sourceforge.net/README:

Whatever you do, do NOT ever call thinkpad-acpi backlight-level change interface and the ACPI-based backlight level change interface (available on newer BIOSes, and driven by the Linux ACPI video driver) at the same time. The two will interact in bad ways, do funny things, and maybe reduce the life of the backlight lamps by needlessly kicking its level up and down at every change.

Answer 2

Since inputs are digital or at least inputs with D/A converters it is unlikely. That might work with really old VGA monitors without any digital logic. VGA in general does not even have clock, just hsync and vsync which tells timing for returning electron beam and was direct controller for controlling beam. Most modern CRT monitors had automatic detection of improper inputs, so no it is impossible to kill LCD this way.

http://www.epanorama.net/documents/pc/vga_timing.html