LCD monitors

[robot180]

I am thinking of getting an LCD monitor for my computer. I was wondering if anyone has any tips for buying LCD monitors, like what type to get, where, etc. Also, I found some good prices on some 15 inch ones with max resolution of 1024 by 768, but I normally use the next higher resolution (1152 by something) and I have a 19 inch monitor. Would 15 inch be too small? Also, is it even worth getting an LCD monitor right now?

I know it depends on what you do so I use my computer non-stop. I very rarely do gaming and if I do, I don't need the best picture. I do a lot of programming and web design and like the look of laptop monitors. I don't want a monitor that is too small, but don't want to spend a lot of money on it.

Thanks for comments.

[KenWittlief]

17" monitors are very affordable right now.

They take much less power than a CRT, and save a lot of space on your desk or table

and if you need to carry your PC somewhere the only thing better would be a laptop

[Wetzel]

I have a 19" LCD and a 17" CRT.
If you are used to a 19", you will kick yourself if you get a 15".

Wetzel

[JohnBoucher]

How many of you are using two monitors? From what I'm reading, it's the way to go.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Jon,
You won't be happy going to a smaller screen even if it is an LCD. We are using NEC's here at work for systems screens (audio consoles, transmitter remote, etc.) The NEC's are a little more expensive but we keep everything on 24/7 and they have yet to fail us.

[Jason Rudolph]

How many of you are using two monitors? From what I'm reading, it's the way to go.

definitely the way to go. My current setup is a 23" lcd with either a 17" or 20" lcd next to it, depending on what I am working on.

I would suggest the samsung 712N, its a very good all-around monitor, and cdw has it for 289, you might be able to shop around more for it, but I really like the quality of this monitor for the price.

[ahecht]

Going from a 19" monitor to a 15" LCD will be a bit of a downgrade. In general, with an LCD, you get an extra inch or so (since a CRT's size is the tube size, which is larger than the screen), but 15" is still pretty small. You will also be disappointed by the resolution. I have a 15", but I use it as a second monitor only.

I'm a big fan of the 1280x1024 19" monitors that have a rotating stand. This allows you to view web pages and documents in portrait mode, even those programs and pages designed for 1024x768 monitors. I personally have a Dell 1905FP which I love (if you find coupons, you can get them for as low as $300).

Just be aware that you get what you pay for, and that $150 17" lcd you get from the bargain store may end up being very blurry and washed out. You screen is your primary method of interfacing with your computer, so it makes sense to spend a little more on it.

[Elgin Clock]

As far as purchasing one when the time comes, try doing that around the holidays.

There are some awesome electronics deals between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Keep and eye to the weekly store flyers that come in the Sunday paper, and you'll find some good deals.

[Stu Bloom]

If you haven't already figured this out, the designated size of an LCD screen is equal to the diagonal measurement of the viewing area BUT with a CRT monitor a portion of the picture tube is covered by the bezel/trim so you are losing nearly 2 inches. Thus a 15" LCD is approximately equivalent to a 17" CRT, a 17" LCD is approximately equivalent (viewing area) to a 19" CRT ... etc ...

Also (and unfortunately I think this sale ended this past Saturday) Best Buy had a Westinghouse 17" wide screen LCD monitor (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7196394&type=product&productCategoryId=cat01013&id=1112808997046) on sale for $199 - they were sold out so I got a raincheck ($229 on web, currently back-ordered) ...

OOPS ... I STARTED MY REPLY BEFORE SEEING ZAN'S ANSWER ...

[KenWittlief]

if your going to buy an LCD monitor, goto comp usa or best buy, and look at them before you put your money down

some have excellent color and contrast, and a wide viewing angle

and some: NOT!

you can always buy the same model somewhere else if you get a better price, but beware of buying an unknown LCD monitor without checking the image quality. There is a lot of variation between manufacturers.

[CJO]

I have considered buying a 21" bigger monitor for some time, but instead have stuck to 2x 19" LCD. 17" and 19" LCD's are very good, and you can dual monitor wiht them for less than it would cost to buy most 21+ monitors.

If you want to spend a few bucks, the SGI 1600SW are gorgeous 17" monitors, with native 1600x1200 resolution, but they are expensive, and can only be purchased on e-bay or similar (but, WOW on picture quality).

If I have money to spend, I get viewsonic or NEC stuff, it has always worked well for me. Dells are also good.

At the cheaper end, Princeton and Rosewill work, but tend to have higher latency/fewer features.

Finally, I love Newegg.com.

[robot180]

Ok. I think I have a better idea now. Thanks for the tips. The problem is that I think my parents might buy one for me for my birthday, depending on if they can find a good deal. I don't know if I will get to pick it out. A lot of people suggested Viewsonic. Also, tigerdirect.com seems popular for good prices. I agree that it would seem better to see them in a store and see the picture quality.

[KTorak]

Kudos to Dell on their LCDs. I was just in my schools Comp Lab and they just got brand new Dells with 17inch (seems about that size) LCDs with Speakers. I havent used the speakers, but the monitors were excellent.

[robot180]

I wouldn't use the speakers because I have a subwhoofer with its own speakers.

After some more research, I found one problem that was mentioned about some LCD monitors in some customer reviews. A few people complained of "burn out". For example, one guy said that he left his computer on for about a half hour with a web browser open. When he came back and closed the window the webpage could still be seen slightly because it was on the screen so long. He says he sees this "ghost effect" after moving an icon on the desktop and after turning his computer on, he can see what he was last working on.

Has anyone noticed this with your LCD monitor and if so, how bad is it?

[KenWittlief]

Has anyone noticed this with your LCD monitor and if so, how bad is it?

Its called 'image stick' - all LCDs will do this if you leave a static image on the screen for 20 minutes or so

thats one of the reasons Windows comes with a 'screen saver' funtion.

after you use the LCD for several minutes the stuck image will be gone.

BTW - check out the black-friday-sales link in the 'help me find this' thead. Lots of LCD monitors will be cheap this friday if you dont mind the insane crowds in the stores.

[KenWittlief]

The only thing with LCDs is that you have to run anything higher than windows 98, which for 99% of us that isn't a problem. If you run windows 98 or less on a lcd then it will ghost very badly, however this isn't a problem if you use a CRT.


I am pretty sure this won't be an issue, but just my $0.02.

how can this be? the monitor only sees whats coming out the VGA cable - it has no way of knowing what operating system your PC is running.

?!?!

[JVN]

I personally have a Dell 1905FP which I love (if you find coupons, you can get them for as low as $300).

The Dell FP1905 is a GREAT Screen.
Those are the ones we use primarily for our products at RackSolutions.
http://www.racksolutions.com/rackmount-monitor.shtml

They are also a Navy standard, and as such, they've had us design a lot of ruggadized mounting for that particular screen.
http://www.racksolutions.com/rugged/rugged-dual-flat-panel-monitor-19.shtml
http://www.racksolutions.com/rugged/rugged-flat-panel-monitor-19.shtml

I've also got 2 of them on my desk at work.

JV

[Al Skierkiewicz]

After some more research, I found one problem that was mentioned about some LCD monitors in some customer reviews. A few people complained of "burn out".

Jon,
The correct term is "burn in" and is a holdover from regular CRT type screens. With those devices, the constant bombardment of the screen with electrons caused heating of the phosphor and discoloration. In CRT's this is semi permanent condition that can be repaired with a full white screen for several hours. It doesn't make it better, it simply makes the whole screen the same discoloration. On LCD's the same kind of heating takes place and as liquid crystals are temp sensitive they exhibit a memory effect. After the screen has sufficient time to cool all the crystals down to the same temp, the effect dissipates. A screen sitting on the same high contrast video for days and weeks on end will pick up permanent "burn in".
Plasmas are the worst of the bunch, in that bright spots tend to cause more depositation of cathode material on the faceplate. Think of it as smoke adhering to the inside of the glass faceplate. The only fix is to remove the face and clean the glass. Since this is still impossible, plasmas for all their other benefits are not the display of choice. As the "smoke" gathers on the glass, resolution and apparant focus degrades.

[Mike AA]

...

Plasmas are the worst of the bunch, in that bright spots tend to cause more depositation of cathode material on the faceplate. Think of it as smoke adhering to the inside of the glass faceplate. The only fix is to remove the face and clean the glass. Since this is still impossible, plasmas for all their other benefits are not the display of choice. As the "smoke" gathers on the glass, resolution and apparant focus degrades.

Hmm, scratch that idea off my list of items to buy soon. I'll get a large LCD or CRT

-Mike

[robot180]

In case anyone was wondering, my LCD monitor is still working out perfectly. I did not have a single problem with burn in or anything else. There is only one issue now. I just got a new laptop that is wide screen. I have been using it for about three days straight. Just now I turned on my desktop with the LCD monitor and while this monitor has better color than the laptop it is hard to get used to this normal aspect ratio. The wide screen was very easy to get used to. I have determined that wide screen is more natural than the normal aspect ratio, at least for me. It seems awkwardly tall and skinny. I would strongly recommend getting a wide screen if anyone is planning to get a new laptop or something.

[Travis Hoffman]

I've got a 19" Hyundai Imagequest L90D+ (yes, Hyundai) LCD on my computer desk at home and a 32" Hyundai LCD HDTV hanging on my wall just to my right. Both are amazing, and received many good reviews on newegg.com. I especially like the 19", which now sells for $240! Can't beat that. Plus, it has a DVI connection, includes a DVI cable, and has a rotating screen for webpage viewing.

32" LCD + Battlefield 2 = *drool* Plus, I can watch the Indians in HD on the 32" whilst I peruse CD on the 19". Lots of flexibility.

If you aren't fixated on buying brand name (although they have those too), you can find some great deals on newegg.com. Just be sure to purchase the items that have lots of positive reviews.

[Stephen Kowski]

The Dell FP1905 is a GREAT Screen.
Those are the ones we use primarily for our products at RackSolutions.
http://www.racksolutions.com/rackmount-monitor.shtml


I've got to echo the sentiments for Dell monitors, I have been using a Dell 2001FP for about 2-3 years and I have yet to have a single issue along with a picture (btw i leave my monitor on all the time and have yet to experience burn in)

You can normally find dirt cheap Dell monitors on eBay (it is where I bought my dad's birthday present (2001FP) a year or so ago (he also loves the monitor and has yet to have a single issue).

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&satitle=Dell+2001FP

[fimmel]

hi ive got 3 regular crt monitors (2x17" and 1X15") eventually im gonna get 3 17" lcd or if i can find a good deal 2 17" and a 20 or 23 inch for the middle one.

[Cody Carey]

I have about a 25" CRT right next to a 17" one, and although the 25" weighs about 100 lbs and the 16" weighs 50LBS, I'm not complaining... because I got both of them for free.


I've had to work at a friends house, and he has a 15" lcd... It was squares-ville switching to a smaller monitor, even for a day, so if you do You'll never forgive yourself if you do.

[Richard Wallace]

Dell 1907FP (http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&kc=&oc=1907FP) works well for me.

[David55]

I use 2 17" LCD monitors, one Sony and one Samsung. I find it very convenient for video editing and web browsing. Hopefully next year I will also get some CAD usage out of it (better start learning).

I really don't understand how people can dual monitor with 2 different monitor sizes. I would go crazy using a 17" and a 19" right next to each other.

Here is my setup: http://img320.imageshack.us/img320/9549/hpim237514fm.th.jpg (http://img320.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hpim237514fm.jpg)

(I know my desktop looks empty, but wait until you press start. That's the real reason I have 2 monitors :ahh: )

[Ryan Dognaux]

As others have said, 17" LCD Monitors are incredibly inexpensive right now. They're the way to go if you're looking to save money, as for every couple inches you go up you'll probably increase the price in about a hundred dollars or more.

I'm using a Polyview 17" LCD screen and it has worked great for gaming and everyday use since I purchased it (about a year ago).

[artdutra04]

I have determined that wide screen is more natural than the normal aspect ratio, at least for me. It seems awkwardly tall and skinny. I would strongly recommend getting a wide screen if anyone is planning to get a new laptop or something.Widescreen monitors (16:9) are closer to the golden ratio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio) than regular (4:3) monitors.

4:3 monitor:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Aspect_ratio_4_3_example.jpg/320px-Aspect_ratio_4_3_example.jpg

16:9 monitor:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Aspect_ratio_16_9_example.jpg/427px-Aspect_ratio_16_9_example.jpg

Golden Ratio (1.618:1):

http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/~pbourke/other/phi/phi9.gif

[Mazin]

I don't have enough desk space to go dual. Darn. I've got more than plenty gfx cards (2 single + 1 dual monitor gfx card).

Burn in on plasmas is mostly relegated to older models; newer ones hardly suffer from the problem (unless you decide to display the same immobile text for days on end).

For LCDs, my biggest gripe in my field of computer graphics is that some have poor light gray performance. On mine, light grays are indistinguishable from whites unless a drastically change the gamma.

Most people don't need super low pixel response time. I definitely would get something with a res of 1280 x 1024. 1024 x 768 is like, so 1990s.

[ahecht]

Dell 1907FP (http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&kc=&oc=1907FP) works well for me.

I'm still upset that Dell replaced the 1905 with the 1907. While the 1907 has a much faster response time, it only has 6-bit color depth (instead of 8-bit on the 1905) and a smaller viewing angle.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Burn in on plasmas is mostly relegated to older models; newer ones hardly suffer from the problem (unless you decide to display the same immobile text for days on end).

Mazin,
That is what sales people want you you to think, unfortunately it is not true. The only way to prevent degradation on a plasma it to keep it turned off. Another problem that is cropping up is the the failure of conductors passing through the envelope from the outside. This results in columns of dead pixels. Manufacturers are trying to correct the problem with new units but some admit it may be a while before a good fix is found. Another issue that has not been discussed here (but is huge in ham radio circles) is the amount of RF noise emitting from the display. A radio anywhere near the display will be unusable. One ham reported not being able to enjoy his hobby with the radio out in the garage behind the house.