Monitors

[Big Mike]

I bought a new desktop last month, we took the display model and the monitor was not new (refurbished). The body is not in great condition and the screen has a spec right in the middle. Anyway, they said we could trade it in when they got more in stock. (it's a 19" LCD b.t.w.)

I'm going to trade it in on Monday...and today the guy said I might be able to upgrade the quality for a little extra scratch.

So, what should I know about monitor quality? Resolution? Refresh rate? I'm not too up-to-speed on this topic. Can anyone enlighten me?

 

[woodsac]

Try and get something with a fast response time. The numbers are listed as **ms. Common seems to be around 16ms, but try and get something low like 8ms. Also try and get a higher contrast ratio, 500:1 or higher.

I don't have the best monitor in the world, but it's still very good. Image quality is excellent and the view angle is decent too. Here are the specs:

Brand HYUNDAI
Model L90D+
Cabinet Color Silver
Display Panel A-Si TFT Active Matrix
Screen Size 19"
Display Type SXGA
Maximum Resolution 1280x1024
Recommended Resolution 1280x1024
Viewing Angle 150°(H) / 135°(V)
Pixel Pitch 0.294mm
Display Colours 16.7 Million
Brightness 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio 700:1
Response Time 8ms
Horizontal Fresh Rate 31kHz ~ 80 kHz
Vertical Fresh Rate 56 ~ 75 Hz
Connectivity Input Video Compatibility R.G.B Analog, Digital Signal
D-Sub 1
DVI 1
Power Power Supply 100 - 240 V AC
Power Consumption 45W(Max)
Convenience User Controls Analog: Brightness,Contrast, H/V-Position, Clock phase, Color Control, Language, Miscellaneous, Auto color Auto Adjustment, Audio
Digital: Brightness,Contrast, Language, Miscellaneous, AUDIO, INPUT SELECT
Regulatory Approvals cULus, TUV-GS, SEMKO, FCC Class B, CE,EN55022-B, VCCI
Built in Speakers Built-in 2x 2w speakers
Dimensions Dimensions (W×H×D) 16.3" x 17.1 x 7.9"
Weight 12.3 lbs

 

[Chase]

Response time (under 12ms...lower the better)
Contrast Ration (higher the better)
Brightness (brighter the better)

Those three things are the best to look for....the better combination, the more you'll end up liking your monitor

 

[thebeginning]

I've heard that CRTs have more accurate color rendition, actually. If you dont need it, those 19+ in LCDs sure make for a nice viewing screen.

echo what chase said (duh ). Try to find the best median.

 

[jstuedle]

I've heard that CRTs have more accurate color rendition, actually.

That used to be true. In the last year or two LCD's have come a long way. The new higher contrast ratio and brighter LCD's are great! Color is very accurate, and they can be calibrated with the best CRT monitors. Add to that, their color is much more stable than CRT's, no warm-up time, and less heat output and lower power consumption. A lot easier on the eyes also.

 

[thebeginning]

hmmm. maybe i should start using our 19in LCD more for my editing...i'll have to figure out it's specs first though

 

[Big Mike]

Thanks for the tips.

 

[clarinetJWD]

It'll have a resolution of 1280x1024, probably, so that's a non-factor. For photo editing, look for high brightness (260cd or brighter), low pixel-pitch (.27 or lower) and high contrast (500:1 minimum). For moving graphics, the draw time becomes important. My monitor has awesome contrast (1000:1) as well as decent other specs, but I do get some ghosting in games because the draw time is too slow. LCDs can be really good, or really, really bad, and if yours is no good, then it's definitely worth the money to upgrade.
Personally, I like the Samsung ones, and the Dell Ultrasharp ones are great. (Normal Dell models are awful...)

 

[Polygon]

Be careful with "fast" TFTs. Most of them have a so-called TN-panel built in them. This results in a very instable image brightness along the vertical axis. I used such a monitor (Hyundai L90D+) for a few hours and when looking at it from the optimal position the upper parts were significantly brigther and the lower parts darker than they should be. For me it was a reason not to get that monitor as it was also disturbing when not "looking for it" (I may be very sensitive to that effect, I know some people who are happy with this monitor but none of them does graphics of photography). This effect is because of how TN-panels are built and will be equally strong at least in the same series of monitors. There might be improvements in that technology over time, though I've not seen them yet.
Better choises might be TFTs with PVA or MVA panels. I currently have a Viewsonic VP191 and am very pleased with it (though it tends to render images too good so they look less colorful on other monitors and I'm not up to buy calibration equipment yet). But this field is all about a person's personal preferences and needs.