Monitor problems

[Wayne02]

My 6 year old sony trinitron 19" crt bit the dust yesterday and I ran out and got a 19" lcd to replace it. Apparently I didn't know how good I had it. Is it my imagination or is the lcd much inferior then the crt with regards to image quality? My crt was crisp, clear, and sharp with text.

Just got a new monitor hooked up from Costco. 19" lcd job, $500 out the door. Much to my surprise, this new monitor is not as good as the old one. 1998 technology is not as good a 04 technology? What's up with that? Are we going backward here?

Text is not as crisp as on the trinitron crt. Pictures are not as sharp. The screen blurs every-time you scroll up or down. Sometimes when I'm really hauling with my typing I can even get it to blur. This blur/scrolling thing is really irritating when reading a long document. The screen brightness does not seem uniform across the surface. The screen seems much more sensitive to how the ambient light hits it, and what angle you are viewing it at.

The ONLY thing better about this new monitor is that the foot print is smaller. That's nice and all, but certainly not a priority compared to clarity and sharpness of the screen. Very disappointing indeed.

Why is this 2004 technology, $500 monitor, of less quality then my old 1998 unit?

Here are the specs on the unit:

"The Princeton VL1916 19-inch LCD flat panel display is the perfect space-saving solution for your home or business PC. With SXGA 1280 x 1024 optimum resolution, the VL1916 offers excellent viewing angles and features anti-glare and hard (3H) coating for long-lasting performance.

Display:
Princton
19" LCD Flat Panel Display
Maximum Resolution: 1280 x 1024 SXGA
Color Support: 24-bit, 16.7M colors
Contrast Ratio: 700:1
Brightness: 250 cd/m2
Dot Pitch: 0.294mm pixel pitch
Viewing Angle: 170° (H/V)
Features:
Antiglare with hard-coating 3H
Includes: monitor, power cable, video cable and instructions
Speakers: Built in stereo speakers
Input Connection:

Analog: VGA (D-Sub)
Digital: DVI (DVI-D)

User Controls:

4 button control for OSD
Stand-by power switch
Power LED PreVu OSD: Brightness, Contrast, Black Level, Clock, Phase, H/V Position, Auto Setup, All Reset, OSD Position, Power Saving, Language, Color

General:

Color: Black and Silver
Dimensions: 17.21"W x 18.51"H x 7.68"D (including base)
Weight: 13 lbs.
Warranty: 1 Year Parts & Labor"

I don't understand why the market accepts this type of backward progress. Are people really more concerned with form factor (flat panel, thin case) then the actual quality of the image?

Wayne

[FlipsidE]

As a general rule, CRT's are better than LCD's. Most would suggest only getting an LCD if you are short on space. If not, stick with a CRT.

LCD's still can't show a true black. And, they can have ghosting issues (which you wouldn't see unless you had stuff moving quickly on your screen...first person shooter games would be a good example).

If you can take it back, I would suggest it. Pick up another great CRT. If you are willing to spend $600 (including shipping), I can point you towards a NICE 22" CRT. Here it is actually... http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=24-002-040&DEPA=0.

Otherwise, there are some EXCELLENT 19" CRT's out there these days that aren't expensive. Both Viewsonic and NEC make great ones. NEC seems to be the best out there right now, so I would recommend this one for around $300 (including shipping)... http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=24-002-037&DEPA=0

Now, don't get me wrong, there are some EXCELLENT LCD's out there. Not sure they would be preferrable for photo editing (not being able to show true black), but they are great for gaming. Usually a good 17" LCD will run you anywhere from $500 to $700 depending on the quality, type, and brand name. I would *think* you'd be lookin at spending over $700 for a high quality 19" LCD.

FlipsidE

[Wayne02]

Thanks FlipsidE,

Taking it back is not a problem with Costco. I've tried to use this thing for several hours today and it's just not happening. Ghosting is exactly what happens when I scroll, the text blurs and "catches up" to be in focus. It's driving me nuts just from doing some web surfing, word processing, and spreadsheets. Haven't even tried loading a picture yet.

That 22 incher looks good. Might as well go big.

I notice there are several outfits selling refurbs. Any experience with them?

http://www.displaysonic.com/subcatmfgprod.asp?0=239&1=244&2=-1
About $200-$250 delivered. One year warranty

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41807&item=5132912 103&rd=1

How about this one, Is this the same NEC that's at newegg?:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41807&item=5132229 349&rd=1

Wayne

[FlipsidE]

Not sure about refurb/used sites. I've heard good things about refurb electronics and bad things about them too. I think it's kind of a 50/50 chance there. As far as that last ebay auction...it has exactly the same model number as the one on newegg.com. Great price. But, for that low I'd be a bit tentative. Seems almost too good to be true. But, if you are willing to take the chance, it's a great price!

FlipsidE

[Jesper]

Let me guess: You are using the VGA (analog) connector and not the DVI (digital) connector?

Try using the DVI connector. If your video card doesn't have a DVI output, you'll need a new video card. I bet that the image will be much sharpen when you use DVI.

[PacAce]

Let me guess: You are using the VGA (analog) connector and not the DVI (digital) connector?

Try using the DVI connector. If your video card doesn't have a DVI output, you'll need a new video card. I bet that the image will be much sharpen when you use DVI.

AMEN to that! :)

[2new]

Can anyone recommend a specific LCD for photo editing? I am in a similar situation where my 22" CRT has been dying a slow death. For space reasons I would love to replace it with a flat panel LCD display.

Thanks,
Michael

[flowe]

2 years ago, I bought a Iiyama 18in. 1280x1024 LCD with a NEC IPS panel and I'm still *very* happy with it. I spent a small fortune on it - considerably more than the Canon G3 camera cost at that time. I wouldn't have dreamed of spending that much money unless based on a conclusive test and recommendation in a respected computer magazine (German C't magazine). I would never go straigt into any retail shop and ask *them* what they would like so sell to me today - I did the research, then ordered the Iiyama and had to wait nearly 2 months for delivery.

For research, you might start at http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-7610_7-5084364-2.html?tag=bnav. Cnet to some extent favours crt for *professional* image editing, but to me, the lcd's advantages prevailed. One of them is their absolute absence of radiation - for more than two decades I've been sitting in front of crt's, and that's enough for me. Others: footprint, energy consumption, long term stability. Regarding "black" - this depends on the ambient lighting too, with crt and lcd - remember the TV screen. You definitely need an appropriate DVI graphics adapter - as Jesper mentioned. And I wouldn't buy any monitor with loudspeakers - keeping things apart is always a good strategy. But an integrated powered USB hub is very useful.

[2new]

Flowe - Thanks for the input! I checked out Cnet, Zdnet, and a few others and the EIZO LCDs appear to be what I am looking for, however the price is really high (as expected). What I did not expect was just how HIGH$$$. Ouch

I may be building some shelves in an effort to create additional desktop realestate and going with a CRT for fiscal reasons alone unless I can find a comperable LCD for less money.

Thanks Again,
Michael