Is frequent shutting off and switching on of a crt good, harmless or really bad?

[zer0nix]

-for it's health and does it save power or does it actually use more (such as in the case of fluorescent bulbs)?

i currently have xp set to shut off the monitor after 1 minute of inactivity and find myself usually 'switching it back on' mere seconds after it has switched off ("ooh, let me see if that download has finished..."). this happens so frequently that i am beginning to wonder if it's actually good for my monitor's health. i have windows set up this way to save electricity -i keep the pc on 24/7- so i also find myself wondering if this activity is actually fulfulling that goal, or if it is actually costing me more to fire up the monitor again and again. anyone?

[Big Mike]

1 minute is a bit short, if you're fully shutting it down to where it degauses again when it kicks on its bad, if its not degausing all the time (the loud BOIIIING when you first turn it on) its probably not a huge issue, but its probably also not saving you much. I'd switch it to say 5 minutes.

[zer0nix]

thanks for your help! i've switched it to 5 minutes as per your advice.

the monitor doesn't exactly go 'boiing' but it does create a bit of fizzing and it takes a few seconds for the image to appear; i don't know if that's the same thing but 5 minutes seems like a more reasonable amount of time regardless. thanks again for your help!