Might get an LCD monitor. Recommendations?
I'm thinking of getting my first LCD monitor. Supposedly they're a lot easier on the eyes than a CRT with its electron gun, and I've seen some LCD's with really good color on them.
Here's my requirements:
A manufacturer that has a good reputation for NOT having dead pixels! Because even one bad pixel will drive me crazy.
Looking for an 18, 19, or 20 inch monitor.
Decent numbers for pixel pitch, response times, and contrast ratios. And a good viewing angle.
I'm not a hard core gamer, but I play DVD movies and watch lots of other video on my computer. I have been looking at World of Warcraft on a free trial, and may decide to get it.
I've seen lots of monitors on tigerdirect.com that are at or around the $200 mark, so a price of around $200 would be okay.
Widescreen or regular size? I don't know. I'm used to CRT monitors, so I'd say stick with a regular type of screen size, not widescreen.
Suggestions?
Here's my requirements:
A manufacturer that has a good reputation for NOT having dead pixels! Because even one bad pixel will drive me crazy.
Looking for an 18, 19, or 20 inch monitor.
Decent numbers for pixel pitch, response times, and contrast ratios. And a good viewing angle.
I'm not a hard core gamer, but I play DVD movies and watch lots of other video on my computer. I have been looking at World of Warcraft on a free trial, and may decide to get it.
I've seen lots of monitors on tigerdirect.com that are at or around the $200 mark, so a price of around $200 would be okay.
Widescreen or regular size? I don't know. I'm used to CRT monitors, so I'd say stick with a regular type of screen size, not widescreen.
Suggestions?
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Comments
I've seen LCDs in electronics stores, like Comp USA and Circuit City, and very few were $300 and higher.
I'd like some recommendations in different price ranges if possible.
Keep your eye out for this monitor. It's a STEAL. It's a WONDERFUL display.
As for LCDs in stores, clueless people who aren't really looking to spend a lot of money go to those stores. I work there, I deal with these customers every day. They want the $400 desktop with no accessories and no warranty, because they don't care about quality. So we sell to those customers. The LCDs in stores are just plain mediocre, as that's what people want to pay for.
Do any LCD monitor makers have an excessively good or bad reputation? Like consider manufacturer X first, and avoid manufacturer Y at all costs?
After much research I ended up buying a Samsung SyncMaster 730B about 3 years ago. The only regret that I have about the purchase is that I didn't spring for the 19'' model - I'm enjoying it very much.
seriously, I love my Dell 2005FPW, and highly recommend the new 2007WFP. That new Dell Thrax linked to, the E207WFP looks very nice/priced also...although I use my USB hub and composite frequently.
damn you! you stole my reply
i picked on of these up a few months ago, its awesome. i give it 2 thumbs up.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824116381
(Don't get me wrong. It may seem some times like I'm a CompUSA booster. I'm really not, but for retail tech purchases up here, I don't have a lot of choice. Sure I can shop online just like anyone, but unless I buy several items at once, the shipping charges are murder. No such thing as free or reduced shipping to Alaska. We've got a BestBuy also, but I despise that madhouse, and their specials don't happen on computer parts nearly as often as at CompUSA. We've got a few mom & pop computer stores too, but the selection will make you cry and the prices are only for someone who knows no better.)
This afternoon / evening I spent about 3-1/2 hours in Circuit City, Comp USA, and Best Buy, all within a mile of each other. I looked at several widescreen models that were hooked up to the internet, viewing different web pages at different resolutions. I just couldn't get into the widescreens. They were too different, and my own site ( www.loudmouthtim.com ) was pretty distorted on a widescreen.
The 4:3 regular format LCDs were better but still different.
I had a pretty good argument going with myself over screen size vs. cost. The 204B and 930-something 19 inch 4:3 screen were my 2 choices. The 930-whatever was quite a bit cheaper, but was also out of stock at Comp USA and Circuit City, and by the time I got to Best Buy, I had talked myself into grabbing the last 204B they had.
I'll have to set it up and see how it does now. For $375, this thing better sing and dance!!!
1600x1200 Res
800:1 Contrast
5ms Response
if u can give me some reviews that would be coo
Yes, LCD monitors are much easier on the eyes. You start using one, you will never even think of using a CRT again.
Is there a way to use 1600 by 1200 resolution but have the icons and text and everything stay the same size it would be at 800 by 600?
I played a little bit of World of Warcraft late last night, and with the resolution adjusted to anything higher than 1024 by 768 (in the WoW control console) the 9200 SE video card couldn't handle it, and things started getting choppy and jerky. So the next upgrade is a better video card!
Right now I have the brightness on this monitor at 50 and the contrast at 75, and I need to fine tune it a bit to get it set up fully.
So far, so good.
I think I'm swimming upstream on this though. What is the advantage to the wide format when most content is sized for 4:3?
Windows can display natively at widescreen.
So can programs.
So can games.
So can DOS.
That stretched-out-widescreen crap is archaic and dead. As are black bars down the side.
A square is a square.
The thing to remember is that when widescreen is done correctly, it's expanding your field of view, not just stretching a square box. Take widescreen movies, for example, a widescreen movie shows you more of what's going on left and right of center; it's not just a square picture stretched left and right.
OK.
That I get...that's why my comment about most content being 4:3. If you bring up a web site that is either sized for 800 or 1024...there isn't really an advantage to a wide screen then is there? Or is the advantage in the way you start using the extra screen real estate by cascading other windows?
The internet hasn't caught up, but everything else has.
Widescreengamingforum.com is an excellent place to read non-biased reviews of widescreen monitors, as well as calibration tests, definitions of LCD technical jargon (TFT LCD, etc) and solutions for games, which don't already accept widescreen resolutions natively.
Everyone there is really knowledgeable about LCD technology in general, so the forums are handy too.
I found a review on my video card recently, and even when compared to other cheap $50 video cards, it finished dead last.
I was thinking of getting a 9600 Pro or Xt or 9800 Pro or XT, but surely there are better more modern choices out there, right?
My Abit NF7 motherboard has an AGP video card slot and it can handle 4X and 8X cards.
Don't want to spend more than $100 on a video card.
ViewSonic VX922 Black/Silver 19" 2ms LCD Monitor - Retail