LCD vs Flat monitors

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Mehyar

Junior Contributor
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Jun 9, 2003
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Lebanon
Hello guys,

I thought i take some advice.....

I am planning to buy a monitor for my PC and I need the display to be damn good.
What should i get an LCD monitor or a normal Flat (LG flatron), I am going towards the LCD but there are some poeple telling me that LCD monitors have a poorer display for colors ...

What shoud i do??

Thx
 
If you do graphical work or play a lot of games, stick with CRT. If not then an LCD will be fine.

Go down to your local computer store and look at the difference between CRT and LCD monitors and decide from there.
 
I love my 15'' flat panel (LCD), and wouldn't give it up for the world.

I don't play games though, and I'm not much of an artist so it does everything I want/need it to do.
 
Orbity, do you mean that 3D accelerated games just won't run on
that monitor, or do you mean that they run but they're unplayble
because it's too blurred?
 
Games aren't good on LCD monitors for the following reasons:

- You cannot change the resolution (well you can, but if you do it messes up the way your screen looks), and are generally forced to use a significantly high resolution such as 1200x1600. If your system is not capable of running the game at that resolution at a decent speed, you're screwed.

- Like in art, the color can effect your games. They do not have as wide of a color range as CRT monitors, which effects dark areas significantly. So if you're playing a game where you travel in a dark tunnel, it'll be very hard to see regardless of how bright the colors are, because the monitor will display the dark colors as black regardless. This isn't really a big issue (and becoming a non-issue as LCD monitors support wider color ranges), but in rare instances it can cause some frustration.
 
At least here in my country, the money you spend to buy a 15" LCD would buy a normal 19" Flat. Wich, in my opnion, is much better.
 
Bucky said:
Orbity, do you mean that 3D accelerated games just won't run on
that monitor, or do you mean that they run but they're unplayble
because it's too blurred?
Click to expand...
The only game I ever played on it was Unreal, and since I have a fast video card that supports my 1024x768 resolution while playing a 3d game (old one at that) it looked fine to me.

Then again, I don't really have anything to compare it to since I don't play any games, except the occasional round of golf with Links LS 99.

I love the monitor, normal computer work just seems more crisp with the LCD, to me anyway.
 
I've used a Sony Trinitron 21" flat screen for years. I recently upgraded to an 18" LCD and then a 20" LCD (had to give the 18" away). I've gotta say I still like the Sony the best. Wyrd pointed out the problem with games - the LCD is fixed-pixel and the dark areas aren't quite as good. Also, it's locked at a slower refresh rate which took some getting used to. I will say that Text on the LCD seems a lot sharper, which helps with coding. But that flicker (which isn't really a flicker, but seems that way - hard to describe) can be a downside as well.

As it is, the 18" LCD from Dell was about $100 cheaper than the 21" flat Sony (which is an AWESOME monitor). The 20" was about $450-$500 more but you actually get more viewable space (but just a bit). A friend of mine is trying to get two 18" LCDs (he's got an 18" LCD and old 15" rounded monitor for now) - I'm crossing my fingers that he won't get them, I'd be too jealous :)

Of course, there's also desk space to consider. That LCD is VERY nice for leaving some extra room in front, if you don't have/like keyboard trays. I like being able to move the keyboard forward and have enough room to eat... I mean put a notebook for writing down important work "stuff". :)

-ner

PS Because an LCD is pixel-locked, make sure you like the resolution it should be running at. The 15" is 1024x768 (I think), 18" is 1280x1024, and the 20" is 1600x1280 (I think). You can't go ANY higher, but you can go lower, As mentioned, going lower will cause the monitor to do some doubling of some pixels, enough to make certain things just a tad bit "off", usually fonts or other things that have straight lines.
 
If you get an LCD (I recommend you do) get one with a response time of 16ms. This is the time it takes for a pixel to change from white to black, and getting one with this specification means you won't have a problem with fast paced games sometimes appearing blury.

I have a 19" CRT and a 17" LCD, both running at 1280x1024. I would take the LCD any time.
 
Thx guys , i appreciate the help..

I think i will go with the CRT flat for playing games and enjoying better graphics....
 
very fragile

I would say go lcd. But remember its also fragile alot of greasy fingers etc. And thats all she wrote! with a crt i dont have to worry as much, but then again I have an lcd now and im happy with it. If you have an crt monitor now, you could if you want save that monitor just for games if you think the lcd is too slow etc.. and use the lcd for all other things. *reading an online newspaper is a joy with an lcd screen* Peace.
 
I would go for a 19inch Sony Trinitron monitor, i've got a 17in one way and the picture quality is simply amazing, much better than the 17in lcd i use at work. The only thing is 17in seems a bit small now - when i got it, it was huge :) Go for the 19in.
 
By the way , on the subject, there is a windows option in xp i know that clears up text especially on lcd monitors i just forgot what it was and how to turn it on, anybody know of it?
 
In XP:
Display Properties > Appearence > Effects > "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts" > Dropdown > Clear Type
 
OK guys so i was checking this Flat Dell Monitor, it is actually used and not brand new (refurbished) and i noticed 2 very very thin lines that cut the screen to 3 equal parts, i mean the lines are very thin that if i wasnot the one paying for the monitor i would not notice.. Anyways i was scared but the vendor told me that all trintron technology is like that, I mean i didnot buy his words so i thought i ask you guys...

I mean the resolution and colors are so great except for these two thin lines, is this normal???
 
Yes, all Trinitron (Sony) monitors have the two lines. They're definitely there and it depends on who's viewing as to whether or not they're visible. About 5 years ago when I got my first Trinitron I called Dell tech support and they were clueless (at the time) and suggested I try changing my background colors to light gray to minimize the line's appearance (!).

I then used Trinitrons for the next 4.5 years and eventually got used to it. So much to the point that I don't think over the last few years I thought much about it though that first year it annoyed me to no end.

I have friends, however, that say they can't even see the line unless someone points it out. I think they're blind.

Suffice it to say, it's there on new and used monitors and by itself is nothing to worry about.

Now screen burn-in on the other hand... watch out. :)

-ner
 
Well Nerseus I was surfing the internet after i posted this thread and as you said it seems that all these Trinitron monitors have these two lines so I am relieved now, I am sure it is not a screen burn, as the two lines were barely visible, how ever you said they bothered you much which makes me step back a little do they have a big effect on the graphics and games, i mean you have this screen for a long time now, while i looked at it for a minute. Will i feel my screen is cut in thirds while i am playing games and working on graphics, if the effect is minor i can handle that, if not i have to think twice by the way it is priced by 140 $ is this a good price for a used dell monitor 17" ?? I dont know the prices outside Lebanon but here it seems cool...
 
Yes sir....Nerseus is right...i've got mine 20" refurbished Sony CRT for about $150 (bout half year ago) so i guess yours is quite a good buy. Bout the 2 lines it didn't bother me at all(games ,movies..etc)
 
When i first got mine, i also hated the lines, but i could only really see them on a white background. But now i cant see them at all. As for games, they usually have multicoloured backgrounds, so you wouldnt spot them.
 
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