Vertical lines and purple artifacts when the camera is aimed at bright subjects

Lines, like a drawing or vertical lines? If the lines are only on the LCD, it is possible that there is a too bright subject on the display (to much brightness). See also page 53 of the user manual.
If that is not the cause, try to RESET the camera. See user manual page 42.

Some cameras do that. Most of the time, the streaks don't appear on the picture.

DONT POINT IT AT LIGHTS :)

Possibly a form of flare caused by including the light source in the image.

There is no hope for the display..Plan on spending about 50 - 70 dollars for a new TFT display.

reset the camera using the menus

If this camera is 4-5 years old or more, you need to replace its Capacitors, may be all Elecrolytic Capacitors.

This is normal. It may be distracting, but what it is is light. If you notice, it happens when there are bright spots, lights, reflections. These distortions will show up in video so try to avoid aiming at bright things while in video mode. Another type of flicker will happen mostly in florescent light.

Before CCD image sensors, video camera used tubes and aiming them at the sun or bright objects would burn the tubes permanently so cameras have come a long way, but by the nature of cameras being devices that record light, it is hard to eliminate that effect altogether (similar to red eye...just can't be a perfect science due to human nature of having blood vessels in the back of their eyes that when bright light is shined into them, their pupils open and the red color is reflected and shows up as red eye...this is best fixed in a photo editing program. It is hard to totally prevent, but changing angles and not shooting directly head on at subject helps). But I digress...

If it is really distracting for you, here is the one thing I found helpful; recompose the shot slightly by moving yourself, the camera, the angle (doesn't have to be dramatically different, but try to have the sun or light source behind the camera). As you move around, continue to push the shutter halfway down (each time not continuously) to bring subject into focus (getting your green box or boxes that indicate proper focus). Sometimes the lines will disappear if you change your shot even very slightly.

Hope this Helps!

If A vertical strip appears on the screen when recording a dark background or the subject is blooming or silhouetting, you need to adjust the BLC. * The contrast between the subject and the background is too great for the camcorder to operate normally. * Make the background brighter to reduce the contrast or use the BLC function while you are recording in a brighter environment. BLC (Back light Compensation) * BLC works in CAMERA/M.REC mode.B * Back lighting exists when the subject is darker than the background: 1. The subject is in front of a window. 2. The person to be recorded is wearing white or shiny clothes and is placed against a bright background; the person?s face is too dark to distinguish his/her features. 3. The subject is outdoors and the background is overcast. 4. The light sources are too bright. 5. The subject is against a snowy background. 1. Set the power switch to CAMERA mode. 2. Press the BLC button. Normal - BLC - Normal BLC enhances the subject. Notes: * When NITE PIX to set to ON, the BLC function does not work. * The BLC function will not operate in EASY mode.

Recording a movie of a subject that is brightly lit by the sun or some other very bright light source can cause vertical lines or bars to appear in the image during playback. This is due to a CCD phenomenon called "smearing." Note that lines or bars appear in movie images only, but not in snapshots. Smearing does not indicate malfunction of the camera.