No idea how to pick LCDS

[rontruong]

Hey guys,
Just got my shuttle and everythings bought except a monitor... I didn't want to use my old vga dell lcd any more..

So... I have no idea how to pick one, but im just looking for a 17 inch around 200-300 dollar range...

I have some assumption that lower times are better and better contrast ratios are better... i dont know anything else..

Also I think i heard samsung and viewsonics are the best brand?

thanks for the help

 

[Albert Silver]

Hey guys,
Just got my shuttle and everythings bought except a monitor... I didn't want to use my old vga dell lcd any more..

So... I have no idea how to pick one, but im just looking for a 17 inch around 200-300 dollar range...

I have some assumption that lower times are better and better contrast ratios are better... i dont know anything else..

Also I think i heard samsung and viewsonics are the best brand?

thanks for the help

You're bound to get a lot of advice here, I know I have. I bought my first LCD 3 months ago, and also had the same questions. Here is what I found were determining factors:

Speed: If you plan on watching movies or especially plan to play some games, then you'll want it to have a good response time. Try to get something that is 8 ms or lower as a rule.

Image quality: This comes down to three factors mostly:

1) Contrast ratio: The higher the contrast ratio, the better you will be able to see the darker shades of grey/black etc. In other words, in a game or movie in a dark environment, you will better see the different shades, otherwise it may become an almost uniform black/dark grey.

2) Color rendition: It varies a lot, and many monitors are capable of excellent color rendition but are poorly configured. You'll undoubtedly have to reconfigure manually. Also, you'll note that some say they display 16.2 million colors and others 16.7. There is a big difference, and the ones that display 16.2 tend to be the fastest models, excellent for games, but have permanent color rendering issues as they don't really display that many colors.

3) DVI: To get the best image, the video card must have a DVI connection (digital), as must the monitor. You may need to get a cable, depending on the monitor (some don't come with one), but online this is a $10-$15 affair at most.

Note that most LCDs are set to maximum brightness, to both impress you with the screen's brightness, and to blind you so that you cannot see other defects. Joking aside, you'll need to reconfigure this no doubt.


Viewing angles: Depending on the LCD technology used, there are several, monitors vary in how well you can see them from the side or from above and below. In other words, if I start moving to the side, how much will the image worsen or become unviewable? Reviews or seeing them yourself is the only way to know.


Ergonomics: LCD monitors can come with very flexible stands that allow one to easily slide it up or down, tilt up or down, and just turn to the sides with little effort. Some come with very basic stands that allow few if any such choices. I was dubious on the importance of this when I made my choice, having never used this with my old CRT, though my choice supposedly had a top notch stand. Now I can really appreciate it, and say it DOES make a big difference.

Gaming/movie viewing: Oddly enough, even with a very fast monitor, capable of playing games with no problems, when it comes to seeing movies, they usually flunk the test in terms of quality. The biggest problem being huge pixelating with somewhat uniform color backgrounds such as desert scenes, ocean scenes, a big blue sky, etc.

My personal investigations led me to choose the ViewSonic VP930b (a 19-inch screen, so obviously more expensive) which did well in all departments, and is a very versatile screen. After 3 months with it, I can say I have been extremely pleased and have only good things to say about it.

Note that for about $100 more you could be looking at a top notch 19-inch screen instead. The resolution offered is the same, but the overall computing experience is another level, and I'd highly recommend the extra investment. Think of it this way (unless your budget categorically says 'no'): if you spend a good amount of time in front of the screen, isn't it worth $100 to significantly improve your comfort and enjoyment level? Consider the number of hours. It's no different than having a very comfortable chair you know you will be sitting on for hours on end. Anyhow, that's how I viewed it.

Albert

 

[NoZoL]

It's no different than having a very comfortable chair you know you will be sitting on for hours on end.

And who doesn't enjoy good sit. :-D

Seriously though, good advice, I'd just warn you to look into monitors VERY thoroughly, as there seems to be quite a few out there with inflated specs that the actual unit can't meet. Go check Newegg's selection, and see what the most popular 17" and 19" monitors are. Read the reviews. If you see a unit that is a 4 or 5 out of 5 star average with hundreds of buyers, there is probably a reason.

 

[rontruong]

Hm.. thanks for the advice.. I think i'm looking for a high end 17 inch because the high end 19s are so expensive... is the VP730b the top of the line 17 inchers?

and i've looked around and im wondering wahts the better monitor

viewsonic vp730b
samsung 740t - it has 25 ms but it has 1500:1 contrast ratio?

does that beat a the viewsonic 500:1 contrast but 8 ms?

samsung 713bm

 

[Albert Silver]

Hm.. thanks for the advice.. I think i'm looking for a high end 17 inch because the high end 19s are so expensive... is the VP730b the top of the line 17 inchers?

and i've looked around and im wondering wahts the better monitor

viewsonic vp730b
samsung 740t - it has 25 ms but it has 1500:1 contrast ratio?

does that beat a the viewsonic 500:1 contrast but 8 ms?

samsung 713bm

The speed is far more important in the above data, than the contrast ratio. All the same, you might reconsider the part about expense. I was really shocked to find that my ViewSonic went UP in price, since it came out (it was ~$415 when I got it in November, and it is $450 now), however I saw a BenQ FP91G+, with very decent specs at
NewEgg for $299 with a $60 mail-in rebate. Since one person in the reviews complained that BenQ claimed to not have received the rebate coupon, I'd just be sure to send it via registered mail. Other than that the average was 5 stars in 5 from a total of 262 reviews. Pretty darn good for $240 I'd say. Note that I just saw the rebate expires on the 14th, so if it attracts you, jump on it.

Albert