Monitor question

[April]

I'm researching a new monitor purchase. Not sure if I want to replace my current monitor, a CRT, or go the LCD/TFT route. I've come up with a couple good choices no matter which way I go, although I am leaning a bit towards the LCD choice. Mainly due to the screen on the laptop. It's fabulous.

What do you all use? CRT? LCD? Any pros or cons either way? Suggestions, hints? Wanna tell me to shut the fuck up? Heh.

 

[Phoenyx]

If its for a desktop pc dont go LCD yet.

While they are crisp looking if you watch an action movie or play lots of quick moving games you will get lots of pixel bleed. also known as ghosting..

 

[Killswitch]

I have a 21 " sony CRT.....and I will have it till the day I die.

 

[Guest]

17" Flat Panel (Dell).

I'll never go back to a CRT.

 

[Guru]

 

[HeavyStick]

Phoenyx is close.

The "refresh" rate is rapidly increasing on a daily basis.

If you're not a gamer who plays very fast action games, an LCD should do you just fine. I'd wait a while let the prices continue to drop.

 

[April]

I need a replacement ASAP. The screen warpage is driving me crazy.

Pixel refresh rate is an important number to know, I've found out. For LCD's, that is. I just looked at a couple that I had to "throw back" because their numbers weren't good enough. I've had no problems whatsoever with the laptop screen as far as ghosting. We play a variety of games.

I'm still looking. More opinions please.

 

[Phoenyx]

Laptop LCD's are slightly different than desktop LCD's

 

[April]

Okay, but can you be more informative?

 

[HeavyStick]

Okay, but can you be more informative?

I suggest going to a computer show or expo. They'll have screen on display doing all sorts of graphics. screen savers are not a good test.

 

[Guest]

 

[The Heretic]

Two recent threads you may wish to view:

http://www.literotica.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=142793

http://www.literotica.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=144132

 

[April]

Thanks for the links.

 

[Carp]

Another thing to considr is that, as I understand it, the LCDs have a projected lifespan of around 5 years (it may be slightly longer) while you can expect your CRT to still be usable 25 years form now if all goes well.

(Plasma screens are even worse)

 

[Guest]

I got a CTX 1765.

Is this important?

 

[April]

Another thing to considr is that, as I understand it, the LCDs have a projected lifespan of around 5 years (it may be slightly longer) while you can expect your CRT to still be usable 25 years form now if all goes well.

(Plasma screens are even worse)

Honestly? In five years I expect to be buying a new monitor anyway. This one I have now is only about two years old, and it's crapping out on me already. Shoulda done the research first, but I needed one immediately 'cause the previous one was dying. I don't seem to have much luck with monitors these days.

 

[Carp]

Honestly? In five years I expect to be buying a new monitor anyway. This one I have now is only about two years old, and it's crapping out on me already. Shoulda done the research first, but I needed one immediately 'cause the previous one was dying. I don't seem to have much luck with monitors these days.

In my office right now, I have monitors that range from almost new to over ten years old and going strong. If you expect to buy a new monitor regularly, then don't worry about it. Personally, unless I'm buying a laptop, I don't expect to replace a monitor unless I'm going with a larger size.

 

[The Heretic]

Another thing to considr is that, as I understand it, the LCDs have a projected lifespan of around 5 years (it may be slightly longer) while you can expect your CRT to still be usable 25 years form now if all goes well.

(Plasma screens are even worse)

That has not been my experience. I have yet to have an LCD monitor fail on me, but have had plenty of CRTs go belly up. I have one LCD on my laptop that is easily 5 years old - I have another monochrome LCD on an old 386 laptop that still works fine.

http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_monfaq.html

"13.25) Lifespans of Monitors

(From: Bob Myers (myers@fc.hp.com)).

Most manufacturers will quote an MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) of
somewhere in the 30,000 to 60,000 hour range, EXCLUSIVE OF the CRT. The typical CRT, without an extended-life cathode, is usually good for 10,000 to 15,000 hours before it reaches half of its initial brightness.
Note that, if you leave your monitor on all the time, a year is just about
8,000 hours."

Other sources indicate a lifespan of about 5 years for a CRT. I think that in five years we won't be using CRTs anyway.

 

[Guru]

 

[April]

The prices I've seen for LCD's are surprisingly low. The one I favor is listed anywhere from $287 to 499. I think I can get it, including shipping, well below $350.

 

[Guru]

The prices I've seen for LCD's are surprisingly low. The one I favor is listed anywhere from $287 to 499. I think I can get it, including shipping, well below $350.

It's the cheap ones we get back broken after a year. The backlight flickers, or fails. You might be better off getting one with a longer warranty, or just a higher quality display.

Of course, we may see huge flat panels next year for ridiculously low prices, so... Who knows what the right choice would be?

 

[Carp]

That has not been my experience. I have yet to have an LCD monitor fail on me, but have had plenty of CRTs go belly up. I have one LCD on my laptop that is easily 5 years old - I have another monochrome LCD on an old 386 laptop that still works fine.

http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_monfaq.html

"13.25) Lifespans of Monitors

(From: Bob Myers (myers@fc.hp.com)).

Most manufacturers will quote an MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) of
somewhere in the 30,000 to 60,000 hour range, EXCLUSIVE OF the CRT. The typical CRT, without an extended-life cathode, is usually good for 10,000 to 15,000 hours before it reaches half of its initial brightness.
Note that, if you leave your monitor on all the time, a year is just about
8,000 hours."

Other sources indicate a lifespan of about 5 years for a CRT. I think that in five years we won't be using CRTs anyway.

Just goes to show- YMMV. I agree that in 5 years, CRTs will be out within 5 years. they are power hungry dinos

The LCD on my lst laptop failed 2 times in 3 years.

 

[The Heretic]

I think the main differences were covered in the other threads:

1) Cost. LCDs will be two to three times what a CRT costs - depending on the specs. Still, LCDs are becoming quite affordable - especially in the smaller sizes.

2) Performance - if you are a game player or watch video on the monitor, then the tendency of LCDs to "smear" video may be a problem. The higher performance LCDs are better about this, but they cost more and you have to know what to look for.

3) Resolution and Size. You can still get get more resolution and size in a CRT. Viewsonic has a 20" LCD flatpanel (comparable in size to a 21" CRT) that does 1600x1200. This is about as good as what most 21" CRTs will do, but there are some that give you significantly more resolution than that; the CRT I was looking at did 2048 x 1536 - which is significantly more than the LCD. But that is at the high end.

 

[April]

My God, people, I'm not looking for a TV replacement! LOL Just a 15" LCD or a 17" CRT, since the screen size is almost identical. The LCD I'm looking at has a 3 year warranty, and the backlight is included for the entire 3 years, I believe. But I'll check that again.

The pixel refresh rate is key to ghosting and what you call video smear Heretic. I've tossed several off my list for not being good enough in that area.

I've seen some very expensive monitors, and some very inexpensive ones. Some of the cheaper ones have better specs than the more expensive ones.

Cnet is a wonderful source for learning new things.