[tortech] LCD buying advice requested

[Mario J. Reis]

I've been using two 19" NEC LCD panels (MultiSync LCD 1970NX) for about a
year now and the only real complaints are the max resolution (1280x1024.)
cap and images are a bit grainy. Doing artwork manipulation can be tearful.

Each panel has two USB ports on its side and the panels can be wall mounted
if you wish (pretty cool actually...) which would free up your entire desk
area. The purchased price was under $400 last year from
http://www.jnetronic.com.

One monitor is running on a DVI port and the other on a regular CRT port. I
find the colour better on the CRT port. Text is more crisp and clear.

All cables going to or coming from the panels are neatly hidden in the
panel's stand/base. The panel base is telescopic and tilt-able to various
degrees... Really cool if you like to work standing up...

Watching movies and playing games is acceptable (hmmm), but not as good as
regular CRT monitors.

If I could reconfigure my work area all over again, I would buy two monitors
and a wider/deeper desk. I miss my monitors :-(


Hope this helps.
-marior

-----Original Message-----
From: tortech-***@lists.samurai.com
[mailto:tortech-***@lists.samurai.com] On Behalf Of Dan Zlotnikov
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 7:03 AM
To: ***@samurai.com
Subject: [tortech] LCD buying advice requested

Ahoy!

I've finally grown completely fed up with lugging my ancient 15" CRT,
and am looking to buy an LCD. The two primary uses I envision for it are
gaming/movies and lots and lots of text work. With that said, I am
attempting to keep the price in a reasonable range. (read: below USD400)
Size restrictions: 17"-19"

I've been ogling the ViewSonic VX924, for its 4ms grey-to-grey response
time, but reviews seem to suggest its text display isn't what I'd get
with others -- dot pitch of 0.294.

On the 17" front, I'm considering the ViewSonic VX724 and the Dell
Ultrasharp 1704FPT. Both give me 0.264 pitch, with the VX724 giving 4ms
grey-to-grey vs. 1704's 12ms white-to-black.

I've also been strongly warned off from LG monitors by a friend who
sells them for a living. If you care to offer an opposing view, please
do.

I'd appreciate both suggestions for models to consider and places to
look at buying one of these pretties. In terms of price, TigerDirect has
been the leader in Canada, and NewEgg in the US (stores shipping to US
addresses only are also acceptable). However, I'm very leery of NewEgg's
min. 8 dead pixel return policy.

Thanks in advance!

Dan
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[Chris Slothouber]

Hi Dan,

I did a bit of shopping around a few months ago for the best display
with DVI and image quality vs. response time vs. price and settled on
the Acer AL1715 silver. Pixel pitch of 0.264, contrast ratio of 500:1
and response time of 12ms, I've had a good experience so far with this
display.

My typical use is development, light graphics work, word processing, and
some games. This Acer display has performed more than adequately in all
these activities.

http://www.newegg.com/OldVersion/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=24-009-053&depa=0

$239.99 at Newegg.

I bought it through a local distributor for ~$400 in March.

Best of luck in your search.

- Chris Slothouber



Dan Zlotnikov wrote:
| Ahoy!
|
| I've finally grown completely fed up with lugging my ancient 15" CRT,
| and am looking to buy an LCD. The two primary uses I envision for it are
| gaming/movies and lots and lots of text work. With that said, I am
| attempting to keep the price in a reasonable range. (read: below USD400)
| Size restrictions: 17"-19"
|
| I've been ogling the ViewSonic VX924, for its 4ms grey-to-grey response
| time, but reviews seem to suggest its text display isn't what I'd get
| with others -- dot pitch of 0.294.
|
| On the 17" front, I'm considering the ViewSonic VX724 and the Dell
| Ultrasharp 1704FPT. Both give me 0.264 pitch, with the VX724 giving 4ms
| grey-to-grey vs. 1704's 12ms white-to-black.
|
| I've also been strongly warned off from LG monitors by a friend who
| sells them for a living. If you care to offer an opposing view, please
| do.
|
| I'd appreciate both suggestions for models to consider and places to
| look at buying one of these pretties. In terms of price, TigerDirect has
| been the leader in Canada, and NewEgg in the US (stores shipping to US
| addresses only are also acceptable). However, I'm very leery of NewEgg's
| min. 8 dead pixel return policy.
|
| Thanks in advance!
|
| Dan
| _______________________________________________
| tortech mailing list
| http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/tortech

[Stephen van Egmond]

I know you said 19" at most. But Dell's 20 inch widescreen (great
for movies, great for work) uses the same screen as Apple's 20"
cinema, only it has analog inputs. I saw it for $450US on Dell's
"outlet" store, and you can probably cobble together various discount
coupons to get the same price new.

[Anthony de Boer]

Mario J. Reis wrote:
| I've been using two 19" NEC LCD panels (MultiSync LCD 1970NX) for about a
| year now and the only real complaints are the max resolution (1280x1024.)
| cap and images are a bit grainy. Doing artwork manipulation can be tearful.

1280x1024 seems to be the standard in both the 17" and 19" sizes, while
15" LCDs are 1024x768. This, IMHO, makes 17" the sweet spot at present
(or a cheap 15" on a server). 19" seems to make sense only if you have
to sit further back for some reason (farsightedness?) and can put up with
the chunkier pixels. It'd come into its own if they came with more
pixels instead of bigger ones.

LCD's big wins seem to be low power consumption, small footprint, and
cool-factor. They're good on a machine whose screen is on 24/7, if you
want to be able to work during a UPS run, on a cluttered desk, or if you
have to impress impressionable people. That last reason might, I
suppose, justify a 19" :-).

CRTs win on the low end, for being dirt cheap, nowadays sometimes even
free-to-a-good-home, and at the high end for really stunning image
quality if you're doing that sort of work.