LCD Flat Screens: What to look for? Advice Needed.

  • Thread starter Thread starter David Mills
  • Start date Start date
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David Mills

I am looking at buying a flat screen for my computer. What should I
stay away from / What should I go for?

I've notice that there are some stats such as:
-Viewable Size
-Resolution
-Constrast Ratio
-Rerfresh Rate

One of the reasons I am looking at getting one is because I think it
will help my eyes which get really, really tired when looking at
standard monitors.

Any input or help would be great.
Thanks for your time.
 
David said:
I am looking at buying a flat screen for my computer. What should I
stay away from / What should I go for?
Click to expand...


Try looking at:

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/

and follow the 'LABS' link - they recently reviewed 17 and 18 inch
TFTs. If you can get hold of the paper magazine, so much the better -
but the online reviews should give you some ideas.......

Regards
Peter
 
I am looking at buying a flat screen for my computer. What should I
stay away from / What should I go for?

I've notice that there are some stats such as:
-Viewable Size
Click to expand...

This is the physical size of the display. It will be in units of
diagonal inches. Note that some LCD monitors are wide-screen aspect
ratios. A 17" widescreen display may be the same height as a 1.33:1
aspect 15" display.
-Resolution
Click to expand...

The number of pixels supported in each dimension. LCD displays only
look good when running at one resolution, sometimes known as the
"native" resolution.

If you run an LCD monitor at a resolution other than the native
resolution, the picture will look fuzzy or distorted. There isn't
anything you can do about this - it's the nature of the hardware.

If you want to run at more than one resolution, use a CRT display and
forget LCDs.
-Constrast Ratio
Click to expand...

The diffeence in brightness between the darkest pixels and the
brightest pixels. In general, higher is better. But this is
subjective. I recommend you shop at a store that will let you try
out various displays. What you find pleasing may not be somthing a
spec sheet can reveal.
-Rerfresh Rate
Click to expand...

For an LCD, this shouldn't matter much.

-- David
 
David Mills said:
I am looking at buying a flat screen for my computer. What should I
stay away from / What should I go for?

I've notice that there are some stats such as:
-Viewable Size
-Resolution
-Constrast Ratio
-Rerfresh Rate
Click to expand...

You may want to add Response Time to that list if you like to play action
games. Look for 16ms or less Total Response Time to avoid blurring when (if)
you play.

Martin
 
You may want to add Response Time to that list if you like to play action
games. Look for 16ms or less Total Response Time to avoid blurring when (if)
you play.

Martin
Click to expand...
I've bought a couple now, and you have to be very wary of salesman talk. I
wouldn't buy one without first seeing it in action, and I immediately close
the full screen pretty picture the salseman put on as it is carefully chosen
to have soft edges.

The best test I've found so far is to load a simple text file and watch the
screen as you scroll vertically. Can't describe except as the cheaper ones
quickly get blurred - summat you've got to do to many displays to appreciate
the differences.
 
I've bought a couple now, and you have to be very wary of salesman talk. I
wouldn't buy one without first seeing it in action, and I immediately close
the full screen pretty picture the salseman put on as it is carefully chosen
to have soft edges.

The best test I've found so far is to load a simple text file and watch the
screen as you scroll vertically. Can't describe except as the cheaper ones
quickly get blurred - summat you've got to do to many displays to appreciate
the differences.
Click to expand...

If you have a very accomodating saleperson you might even ask to see
the speific item you're purchasing, to check for dead pixels... not
that there won't be any, but some are more distracting than others.


Dave
 
..... said:
The number of pixels supported in each dimension. LCD displays only
look good when running at one resolution, sometimes known as the
"native" resolution.

If you run an LCD monitor at a resolution other than the native
resolution, the picture will look fuzzy or distorted. There isn't
anything you can do about this - it's the nature of the hardware.

If you want to run at more than one resolution, use a CRT display and
forget LCDs.


The diffeence in brightness between the darkest pixels and the
brightest pixels. In general, higher is better. But this is
subjective. I recommend you shop at a store that will let you try
out various displays. What you find pleasing may not be somthing a
spec sheet can reveal.


For an LCD, this shouldn't matter much.
Click to expand...

These flat boys really look interesting and I would like to consider one. I
primarily use my rig to manipulate photos, etc., and am wondering if there
are any LCD type displays out there acceptable for photo processing; i.e.,
any more difficult to calibrate the thing so your print will come out the
way it looks on the monitor?

Jim
 
Fri, 31 Oct 2003 07:08:21 GMT, (e-mail address removed) suggested:
: : ....<cut>....
:>> -Resolution
:>
:> The number of pixels supported in each dimension. LCD displays only
:> look good when running at one resolution, sometimes known as the
:> "native" resolution.
:>
:> If you run an LCD monitor at a resolution other than the native
:> resolution, the picture will look fuzzy or distorted. There isn't
:> anything you can do about this - it's the nature of the hardware.
:>
:> If you want to run at more than one resolution, use a CRT display and
:> forget LCDs.
:>
:> > -Constrast Ratio
:>
:> The diffeence in brightness between the darkest pixels and the
:> brightest pixels. In general, higher is better. But this is
:> subjective. I recommend you shop at a store that will let you try
:> out various displays. What you find pleasing may not be somthing a
:> spec sheet can reveal.
:>
:> > -Rerfresh Rate
:>
:> For an LCD, this shouldn't matter much.
:
: These flat boys really look interesting and I would like to consider one. I
: primarily use my rig to manipulate photos, etc., and am wondering if there
: are any LCD type displays out there acceptable for photo processing; i.e.,
: any more difficult to calibrate the thing so your print will come out the
: way it looks on the monitor?

The problem with color accuracy on LCDs is that the colors you see will
change with viewing angle.
 
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