Monitor deliberations...

Well, time to stop doing editing on my laptop. Don't laugh...it was hard enough to get my wife past almost $4000 in camera equipment!!!

I am perfectly comfortable running through the specs on a box, however, picking out a CDT has got me a bit perplexed.

I looked at smarshooter.com, but GEEZE, upto $5K for a monitor and most of the recommendations hitting in the above $1,500 range.

There has got to be decent, off the rack of monitors out there. I am not in the $1,500 ball park, but am realistic that a nice one isn't going to be below $200 either. Kind-of thinking in the $400 range.

I do plan on getting something like a Pantone Heuy also.

Any advice/experience would be GREATLY appreciated helpful!

Thanks!

Search for a used CRT. I bought a used laCie 22" a while back for about 200 euros incl. delivery...

All the electronics people in my area suggested that ViewSonic was the best for monitors (although they could be wrong). So I ended up buying a 19" LCD for around $400-$500 CDN. (Same price as I got my other dual monitor, the 17" Philips LCD with two dead pixels [Urk], about 6 months prior.) My other computer has a 17" Viewsonic LCD, and both Viewsonics are great. Nooo idea if that helps, heh.

I highly reccomend the Dell 2407fpw 24" widescreen monitor
great color and accuracy, build in memory card reader, 4 usb ports, great all around monitor foraround $650. Theres a 20" version the 1007 available for under $400. they're pretty much the same screen as the Apple cinemas for a bit less in price.

Thanks for the input.

So, what specifics should I look for in a monitor? I hear things like refresh rate, dot pitch (which I thought only pertained to CRT's), contrast ratio, etc. I also heard someone say something about some type of specific inputs.

Thanks!