Standard or Widescreen monitor?

[Bazzer Smith]

I will be buying a new monitor but which type should I buy?
I will admit I am not widescreens biggest 'fan', however what I
like is pretty immaterial as I can't control the format in which
other people produce 'media'.
I currently have a bog standard 14" CRT monitor but I think I will
be going flatscreen (LCD etc) because I want a good sized monitor
and CRT takes up too much room really.
Even now some sites seem to be standard and other widescreen so
whatever I get it wil be 'wrong'. (Thanks to the 'inventor' of widescreen).

Do any of you have a WS monitor?

Do you like them?

I kind of see a big problem with them because obviously they are too sort in
height.
For example, many PDF documents are A4 page size, this is a problem in say
Adobe Acrobat because even on a standard monitor you can only see about half
the page, it will be much worse on a WS. I feel like turning my monitor
through
90 degrees, can you do this with some monitors?

Also there is all the toolbars etc (google norton etc...) which reduce the
vertical
height of the screen anyway, making my standard monitor, widescreen in a
way,
on a true widescreen monitor doesn't this look kind of ridulous? The
'useable'
screen area must be 5.75 by 10.75 which is a ratio of 1.86:1
on a WS monitor the situation will be even worse, I am thinking it is going
to
be close to 2.5:1 or even 3:1.

Can anyone with a WS monitor tell me the ratio of the free screen area, its
a bit
har d for me to work out. I am working on the basis you have 3 (tool)bars
at the top and the start button bar at the bottom. There is also a
'mini-bar'
above both these bars, in a normal set up.


Another point is 'native resolution', or whatever, will this affect things?

I am probably thinking a big standard shape monitor would be best?
I incidently I have a Freecom DTTV stick so I sometime watch TV
on my PC, but the monitor shape is not really a problem as you watch in
a nicely framed box, you don't get black ugly bars wasteing space as you
do on a proper TV.

 

[Rod Speed]

I will be buying a new monitor but which type should I buy?

I will admit I am not widescreens biggest 'fan', however what I like is pretty
immaterial as I can't control the format in which other people produce 'media'.

Yep, most obviously with movies etc.

I currently have a bog standard 14" CRT monitor but I think I will be going flatscreen
(LCD etc) because I want a good sized monitor and CRT takes up too much room really.

Yeah, a couple of 19" CRTs takes up quite a bit of space.

Even now some sites seem to be standard and other widescreen so whatever I get it wil be
'wrong'. (Thanks to the 'inventor' of widescreen).

Thats life.

Do any of you have a WS monitor?

Yes, on the laptop.

Do you like them?

Yes, but that is because the main reason I got it was to be
able to play captured digital TV on it when bottling the beer.
It takes about a hour to bottle a batch and its too boring.

It is a significant downside with my Access databases, quite a
few of them, including the beer database have been optimised
to get as much info as possible on the screen and that obviously
needs to be done for the conventional format monitors, so you
end up with unused space on the widescreen monitors.

I kind of see a big problem with them because obviously they are too sort in height.

For example, many PDF documents are A4 page size, this is a problem
in say Adobe Acrobat because even on a standard monitor you can only
see about half the page, it will be much worse on a WS.

In practice its not really much of a problem. I was reading
Clinton's memoirs on the laptop the other morning because
the power had failed and that was the only thing still going.
You have to page in the original pages anyway, so another
page or two per original page is really neither here nor there.
And any decently designed pdf doesnt use A4 pages anyway.

I feel like turning my monitor through 90 degrees, can you do this with some monitors?

Dunno, havent noticed that for many years now.

Also there is all the toolbars etc (google norton etc...) which reduce the vertical
height of the screen anyway, making my standard monitor, widescreen in a way, on a true
widescreen monitor doesn't this look kind of ridulous?

In theory you'd think it would, but in practice its
not a problem, essentially because so few web
pages even attempt to fit on the monitor vertically.

The 'useable' screen area must be 5.75 by 10.75 which is a ratio of 1.86:1 on a WS
monitor the situation will be even worse, I am thinking it is going to be close to 2.5:1
or even 3:1.

I doubt its as much as that.

Can anyone with a WS monitor tell me the ratio of the free screen
area, its a bit har d for me to work out. I am working on the basis you have 3
(tool)bars at the top and the start button bar at the bottom. There is also a 'mini-bar'
above both these bars, in a normal set up.

I cant see that it matters much given that so few web
pages even attempt to fit on the screen vertically.

Another point is 'native resolution', or whatever, will this affect things?
Nope.

I am probably thinking a big standard shape monitor would be best?

Really depends on whether you plan to watch much
in the way of widescreen movies etc on the monitor.

I incidently I have a Freecom DTTV stick so I sometime watch TV on my PC, but the
monitor shape is not really a problem as you watch in a nicely framed box, you don't get
black ugly bars wasteing space as you do on a proper TV.

You do get ugly black bars at the top and bottom when you
watch widescreen format movies and TV on a conventional monitor.

 

[Owain]

I kind of see a big problem with them because obviously they are too sort in
height.
For example, many PDF documents are A4 page size, this is a problem in say
Adobe Acrobat because even on a standard monitor you can only see about half
the page, it will be much worse on a WS. I feel like turning my monitor
through 90 degrees, can you do this with some monitors?

Yes.

However if you get a big enough monitor then widescreen or landscape is
nice for viewing a 2 x A4 spread.

Also there is all the toolbars etc (google norton etc...) which reduce the
vertical height of the screen anyway,

Can't you move at least some of them to the side?

Another point is 'native resolution', or whatever, will this affect things?

Yes. Always best to run at native resolution for the LCD as otherwise
can get a bit fuzzy although newer LCDs seem a lot better than they used
to be at adjusting. First check the possibilities of your current video card

I am probably thinking a big standard shape monitor would be best?

Probably, as (a) you don't seem to like widescreen much, and (b) they
usually cost a bit more. Remember to get the same *height* you need to
buy a bigger diagonal screen size with widescreen compared to ordinary
screen.

Owain

 

[Bazzer Smith]

I doubt its as much as that.

Well considering my 1.33:1 went to 1.86:1 thats + 0.53 so on a
16:9 (1.77:1) that's 2.3:1, and I believeit would be worse than that
because you have less height to lose in the first place.
I will do the 'proper maths' later when I have more time and less beer :O)

 

[Bazzer Smith]

I cant see that it matters much given that so few web
pages even attempt to fit on the screen vertically.

It is when reading text you have to scroll horizontal ever line, vertically
it
is only every 20 lines or so.

 

[Bazzer Smith]

I incidently I have a Freecom DTTV stick so I sometime watch TV on my PC,

You do get ugly black bars at the top and bottom when you
watch widescreen format movies and TV on a conventional monitor.

Well you do sometimes if they are actually transmitted with black bars,
but if it is a standard 4:3 or 16:9 the 'Stick' I have puts it in the
correct
shaped box for you.


Actually I am thinking I would be better off ditching the TV altogether,
and having a PC with two (or three?) monitors, if thats possible?

 

[Rod Speed]

It is when reading text you have to scroll horizontal ever line,
vertically it is only every 20 lines or so.

OK, but the better browsers fix that horiz scrolling problem.

 

[Rod Speed]

Well you do sometimes if they are actually transmitted with black
bars, but if it is a standard 4:3 or 16:9 the 'Stick' I have puts it
in the correct
shaped box for you.


Actually I am thinking I would be better off ditching the TV
altogether, and having a PC with two (or three?) monitors, if thats
possible?

Yes, its certainly possible.

I still have a massive great widescreen TV on both of the main PCs tho.

 

[Agamemnon]

I will be buying a new monitor but which type should I buy?
I will admit I am not widescreens biggest 'fan', however what I
like is pretty immaterial as I can't control the format in which
other people produce 'media'.
I currently have a bog standard 14" CRT monitor but I think I will
be going flatscreen (LCD etc) because I want a good sized monitor
and CRT takes up too much room really.
Even now some sites seem to be standard and other widescreen so
whatever I get it wil be 'wrong'. (Thanks to the 'inventor' of
widescreen).

Do any of you have a WS monitor?

Do you like them?

I kind of see a big problem with them because obviously they are too sort
in height.
For example, many PDF documents are A4 page size, this is a problem in say
Adobe Acrobat because even on a standard monitor you can only see about
half
the page, it will be much worse on a WS. I feel like turning my monitor
through
90 degrees, can you do this with some monitors?

Also there is all the toolbars etc (google norton etc...) which reduce the
vertical
height of the screen anyway, making my standard monitor, widescreen in a
way,
on a true widescreen monitor doesn't this look kind of ridulous? The
'useable'
screen area must be 5.75 by 10.75 which is a ratio of 1.86:1
on a WS monitor the situation will be even worse, I am thinking it is
going to
be close to 2.5:1 or even 3:1.

Can anyone with a WS monitor tell me the ratio of the free screen area,
its a bit
har d for me to work out. I am working on the basis you have 3 (tool)bars
at the top and the start button bar at the bottom. There is also a
'mini-bar'
above both these bars, in a normal set up.


Another point is 'native resolution', or whatever, will this affect
things?

I am probably thinking a big standard shape monitor would be best?
I incidently I have a Freecom DTTV stick so I sometime watch TV
on my PC, but the monitor shape is not really a problem as you watch in
a nicely framed box, you don't get black ugly bars wasteing space as you
do on a proper TV.

Get a 19 inch or larger CRT that can display up to 1920x1440 resolution or
over. Then you will be able to watch HD movies at 1920x1080 and tile 4
wordprocessor or internet explorer windows on the screen at the same time
and have no problems with loss of usable area. (LCD's only go up to
1600x1200 which is not big enough.)

The problem with widescreen monitors is that they are not wide enough. If
they'd been in Panavision you'd be able to tile 2 wordprocessor windows side
by side without loss or usable area, and if they were in Cinemascope you'd
get 2 wordprocessor windows side by side without loss or usable area. What's
more 16:9 is a horrid ratio to watch TV on because the screen ratio feels
completely wrong. It's too wide for the golden ratio and its too narrow for
Panavision so films cropped to fit into it look odd. If you are using it to
play DVD's on then you are going to get black bars at the top and bottom of
the screen irrespective of the screen ratio since Panavision and Cinemascope
are shown at full ratio like they should be and its about time that they
were shown that way on TV too.

 

[Bazzer Smith]

OK, but the better browsers fix that horiz scrolling problem.

Such as which browsers?
Do they do the scrolling for you by mindreading or reformat the screen?

 

[Bazzer Smith]

Yes, its certainly possible.

That would be handy, do I need some sort of card?
Would come in handy for playing multi-table poker.
I will probably end up with something like a recording studio!!

 

[Bazzer Smith]

Get a 19 inch or larger CRT that can display up to 1920x1440 resolution or
over. Then you will be able to watch HD movies at 1920x1080 and tile 4
wordprocessor or internet explorer windows on the screen at the same time
and have no problems with loss of usable area. (LCD's only go up to
1600x1200 which is not big enough.)

Well thats an idea I like the sound of, but the room I will be using it in
aint that big and
a 19 inch CRT is fairly large.

The problem with widescreen monitors is that they are not wide enough. If
they'd been in Panavision you'd be able to tile 2 wordprocessor windows
side by side without loss or usable area, and if they were in Cinemascope
you'd get 2 wordprocessor windows side by side without loss or usable
area.

True, but you could equally have the two screens stacked vertically which
would
suit me because I have more vertial free space than horizontal.

What's more 16:9 is a horrid ratio to watch TV on because the screen ratio
feels completely wrong. It's too wide for the golden ratio and its too
narrow for Panavision so films cropped to fit into it look odd. If you are
using it to play DVD's on then you are going to get black bars at the top
and bottom of the screen irrespective of the screen ratio since Panavision
and Cinemascope are shown at full ratio like they should be and its about
time that they were shown that way on TV too.

Yea its neither one thing nor the other.
Personally I think they should have stuck to making films in 4:3 then we
would
not have this format conflict nonesense.

 

[BuckRabbit]

<snip>

Actually yes you can, with nvida software you have the option of rotating the screen in increments of 90 degrees (90, 180, 270) so
you can hoist your monitor on it's side and view the whole page if that's what you desire. Even on a standard CRT monitor you can
see the whole page if you sit it up sideways with the screen rotated.

Hope this was of some assistance
Buck

 

[BuckRabbit]

<snip>

Actually yes you can, with nvida software you have the option of rotating the screen in increments of 90 degrees (90, 180, 270) so
you can hoist your monitor on it's side and view the whole page if that's what you desire. Even on a standard CRT monitor you can
see the whole page if you sit it up sideways with the screen rotated.

Hope this was of some assistance
Buck

And I'm not just talking out of a hole in my ass here, I know because I've done it on this very system.

 

[Rod Speed]

Such as which browsers?
Do they do the scrolling for you by mindreading or reformat the screen?

If you tell them to make it fit horizontally, they do that
using the font size, just like Acrobat Reader does.

 

[Rod Speed]

That would be handy, do I need some sort of card?

Yeah, I do it with dual head cards.

Would come in handy for playing multi-table poker.
I will probably end up with something like a recording studio!!

Yeah, I do, I have a separate monitor on each PC and use
synergy to switch the mouse and keyboard auto between
them just by mousing off one screen onto the others.

 

[charles]

I will be buying a new monitor but which type should I buy?

[Snip]

I feel like turning my monitor through 90 degrees, can you do this with
some monitors?

Yes, my 20" Dell does this.

 

[Dave Farrance]

I kind of see a big problem with them because obviously they are too sort in
height.
For example, many PDF documents are A4 page size, this is a problem in say
Adobe Acrobat because even on a standard monitor you can only see about half
the page, it will be much worse on a WS. I feel like turning my monitor
through
90 degrees, can you do this with some monitors?

That's a function of some video cards, but not natively in any monitor I
think. It seems to me that a 16:9 monitor on it's side would be too
narrow, but a 4:3 on its side should be OK.

When I bought a laptop not so long ago, I selected one of the dwindling
number with 4:3 screens - because of common document formats and because
it's better for coding and word-processing. Unless you are going to be
using it *mostly* for video, then I'd suggest that you do go for 4:3.

 

[housetrained]

Do yourself a favour. Buy a 19" flat LCD 4.3. You will wonder how you
managed with that old 17" for so long!

 

[seaside01]

That's a function of some video cards, but not natively in any monitor I
think. It seems to me that a 16:9 monitor on it's side would be too
narrow, but a 4:3 on its side should be OK.

When I bought a laptop not so long ago, I selected one of the dwindling
number with 4:3 screens - because of common document formats and because
it's better for coding and word-processing. Unless you are going to be
using it *mostly* for video, then I'd suggest that you do go for 4:3.

Why are so many laptops in Currys/Dixons/Comet etc widescreen? The
dork in Comet told me internet pages are designed for widescreen...

Yes, films fit it better but for everything else it's just the loss of
height, which you need for web pages and documents.