Advice on display needed

  • Thread starter Thread starter galkas
  • Start date Start date
G

galkas

Hello

I'd like to buy an LCD computer display. I spend hours looking into
computer screen, that is why my main concern is to have the least
harmful screen. What display should I buy? Any advice will be greatly
appreciated. Thank you.

galkas
 
Hi!
Monitors are not harmful anymore. Some earlier CRT models were, but LCD
ones simply aren't.

I am fairly paranoid about this kind of stuff, so you can definitely
take my word for it. I won't even have a wireless network at home
because I don't completely trust that it is harmless! (and I am still
suspicious towards bluetooth, although I use it.)

If monitors truly were dangerous, just imagine what would happen to all
us geeky people who work in front of a monitor, and then frequently go
home and spend some more time in front of a monitor. Then to top it up,
watch some TV...
There are some much greater risks with the food that we eat, the way
that people use their mobile phones etc, etc.

However if you still feel worried despite of all that I just said
(sometimes we have irrational fears - I certainly have some.. ) then do
a Google search for "Radiation Free Monitors" and compare the results
that you get.

The first hit was this:
http://www.blockemf.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=4842
It is a 15" LCD monitor for USD550. I don't know about US monitor
prices, but that seems at least $100 more than a more normal price.

Regards
Jo
 
galkas said:
Hello

I'd like to buy an LCD computer display. I spend hours looking into
computer screen, that is why my main concern is to have the least
harmful screen. What display should I buy? Any advice will be greatly
appreciated. Thank you.

galkas
Click to expand...

OK, you should be thinking ergonomically. That's pretty easy, if your goal
is to buy LCD.

First, look for an LCD that does NOT have a height adjustment feature. If
you insist on buying an LCD with an adjustable height stand, make sure it is
locked into it's LOWEST setting, and that it stays there. The very top of
the viewable portion of the screen (any screen, not just LCD) should be
lower than eye level as you are sitting in a comfortable position at your
computer desk. Or to put it simply, you should be looking slightly downward
to see anything in the middle of the monitor. The reason is that human eyes
focus much easier on things when we are looking "down" at them. It is
harder to focus on something if it is directly in front of us (at the same
height level as our eyes).

The second thing you need to look at is your VIDEO CARD. You need to look
at the video card to make sure that one of it's pre-programmed resolutions
exactly matches the NATIVE resolution of your LCD. An LCD monitor is very
safe to stare at for hours on end, if properly adjusted. But part of that
adjustment means that you must set your video card to the NATIVE resolution
of the LCD screen. For example, most 19" LCD monitors have a native
resolution of 1280 X 1024. So you'd have to set your video card to output
1280 X 1024, to match it.

After you buy your LCD screen, check for dead pixels. The easiest way to do
that is to run a utility called nokia monitor test. (freeware, search
google to download it) Make the background several colors (red, green,
blue, white, black), and spend some time examining the ENTIRE screen at each
background color. Don't be surprised to find a few dead (black) or stuck
(whatever color) pixels. But if you have too many of them, or if you have
bright ones near the center of the screen, you need to exchange your LCD
panel for a new one. Many people claim that their LCD panel is perfect, but
that's really rare. Without running a proper test program, it is tough to
see stuck pixels, so it's more likely that people who claim to have a
perfect LCD panel simply haven't noticed that they have a few stuck pixels,
as they don't know how to spot them.

When you've settled on your LCD monitor, and you've found a keeper (not too
many dead/stuck pixels), then it's time to adjust color temperature,
brightness and contrast. Color temperature should be set at 6500 (if your
monitor allows this), but is often set MUCH higher from the factory (such as
9300 or something outrageous like that). Without exception, ALL LCD
monitors leave the factory with brightness and contrast set way too high.
This will damage your eyesight and shorten the lifespan of your monitor if
you leave these settings at factory default. Contrast should typically be
set no higher than midrange (or 50, if your contrast setting goes from 0 to
100). You will likely find this setting MAXED from the factory. Brightness
is just as important, and harder to set. Brightness is black level, or how
"black" the color black appears. If set too high (like they ALL are when
they leave the factory), black will appear gray. You can use Nokia monitor
test to adjust this, also. On various test patterns, the darkest black
panel displayed (1% or 3%, depending on what pattern is displayed) should be
JUST a bit brighter than the true black background. So on the
brightness/contrast panel for example, you should JUST be able to see where
the 1% box ends and the (true black background) begins.

Only other things I'd suggest is buy no smaller than 19", do not buy
widescreen format (less viewable area) and try to get a monitor with DVI
input, even if you have to upgrade your video card to match. -Dave
 
galkas said:
Hello

I'd like to buy an LCD computer display. I spend hours looking into
computer screen, that is why my main concern is to have the least
harmful screen. What display should I buy? Any advice will be greatly
appreciated. Thank you.

galkas
Click to expand...
The best thing to do is to go and look at them yourself. I like Hitachi, but
it really is a matter of personal choice.

Ed
 
| The first hit was this:
| http://www.blockemf.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=4842
| It is a 15" LCD monitor for USD550. I don't know about US monitor
| prices, but that seems at least $100 more than a more normal price.

With good quality 20" and 20.1" 4:3 LCD monitors readily available in the US for
less than $500, $550 is an astronomical price for a 15" model. They are usually
no more than $200, often around $150.

I sense "gimmick" with this high-priced Block EMF model.

Larc



§§§ - Change planet to earth to reply by email - §§§
 
Oops, judging from this poster's email addres, he is in Russia!
I suppose prices and availability are different there from what most of
us on the list are used to(?)
From the stories in media it seems very easy to get ripped off there as
well.

So if I was in his shoes I'd get a brand name monitor like Samsung or
Sony from a reputable offline shop with an acceptable return policy (in
case there turn out to be dead pixels). Or perhaps things aren't as bad
as media reports.

Well good luck with your purchase!
Honestly, unless you are actually Abramovich or ;-) $$$ Alekperov in
disguise, don't waste money on a special low radiation monitor, you
really don't need it!!
Jo
 
Larc said:
| The first hit was this:
| http://www.blockemf.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=4842
| It is a 15" LCD monitor for USD550. I don't know about US monitor
| prices, but that seems at least $100 more than a more normal price.

With good quality 20" and 20.1" 4:3 LCD monitors readily available in the US for
less than $500, $550 is an astronomical price for a 15" model. They are usually
no more than $200, often around $150.

I sense "gimmick" with this high-priced Block EMF model.

Larc



§§§ - Change planet to earth to reply by email - §§§
Click to expand...

I sense pure horseshit. It's LCD but it can hurt you, if you eat the
goddam thing. The materials used in the manufacture of LCDs is
poisonous. However, electromagnetic radiation?? Doesn't even enter the
equation.

The price is about right for the time frame in which the Webpage was
generated. 2003 if you look at the bottom of the page.
 
OK, you should be thinking ergonomically. That's pretty easy, if your goal
is to buy LCD.
Click to expand...
First, look for an LCD that does NOT have a height adjustment feature. If
you insist on buying an LCD with an adjustable height stand, make sure it is
locked into it's LOWEST setting, and that it stays there. The very top of
the viewable portion of the screen (any screen, not just LCD) should be
lower than eye level as you are sitting in a comfortable position at your
computer desk. Or to put it simply, you should be looking slightly downward
to see anything in the middle of the monitor. The reason is that human eyes
focus much easier on things when we are looking "down" at them. It is
harder to focus on something if it is directly in front of us (at the same
height level as our eyes).

The second thing you need to look at is your VIDEO CARD. You need to look
at the video card to make sure that one of it's pre-programmed resolutions
exactly matches the NATIVE resolution of your LCD. An LCD monitor is very
safe to stare at for hours on end, if properly adjusted. But part of that
adjustment means that you must set your video card to the NATIVE resolution
of the LCD screen. For example, most 19" LCD monitors have a native
resolution of 1280 X 1024. So you'd have to set your video card to output
1280 X 1024, to match it.

After you buy your LCD screen, check for dead pixels. The easiest way to do
that is to run a utility called nokia monitor test. (freeware, search
google to download it) Make the background several colors (red, green,
blue, white, black), and spend some time examining the ENTIRE screen at each
background color. Don't be surprised to find a few dead (black) or stuck
(whatever color) pixels. But if you have too many of them, or if you have
bright ones near the center of the screen, you need to exchange your LCD
panel for a new one. Many people claim that their LCD panel is perfect, but
that's really rare. Without running a proper test program, it is tough to
see stuck pixels, so it's more likely that people who claim to have a
perfect LCD panel simply haven't noticed that they have a few stuck pixels,
as they don't know how to spot them.

When you've settled on your LCD monitor, and you've found a keeper (not too
many dead/stuck pixels), then it's time to adjust color temperature,
brightness and contrast. Color temperature should be set at 6500 (if your
monitor allows this), but is often set MUCH higher from the factory (such as
9300 or something outrageous like that). Without exception, ALL LCD
monitors leave the factory with brightness and contrast set way too high.
This will damage your eyesight and shorten the lifespan of your monitor if
you leave these settings at factory default. Contrast should typically be
set no higher than midrange (or 50, if your contrast setting goes from 0 to
100). You will likely find this setting MAXED from the factory. Brightness
is just as important, and harder to set. Brightness is black level, or how
"black" the color black appears. If set too high (like they ALL are when
they leave the factory), black will appear gray. You can use Nokia monitor
test to adjust this, also. On various test patterns, the darkest black
panel displayed (1% or 3%, depending on what pattern is displayed) should be
JUST a bit brighter than the true black background. So on the
brightness/contrast panel for example, you should JUST be able to see where
the 1% box ends and the (true black background) begins.

Only other things I'd suggest is buy no smaller than 19", do not buy
widescreen format (less viewable area) and try to get a monitor with DVI
input, even if you have to upgrade your video card to match. -Dave
Click to expand...

Thanks for the useful info.

Geo
 
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