aperture grill or shadow mask for gaming?

[staereo]

Im looking at monitors and come to another question, which is better, aperture grill or shadow mask?

it seems aperture grill has better refresh rates and higher resolution possible, but the dot pitch seems to be worse or different or something.

I just want to know what will be best for gaming. for quality of the image, etc..

Thanks,
Bruce

 

[WobbleWobble]

Aperature grill will provide a brighter more vibrant image. Shadow mask will provide sharper text.

 

[VIAN]

Aperture Grille has more flexibility in terms of resolution. Shadow Masks have a resolution where they look best at and/or is a maximum resolution just as an LCD has. Aperture Grille doesn't have this and also provides a bright image and better contrast.

Aperture Grille better for gaming.

 

[BenSkywalker]

If you want high end, you have no choice but to go AG.

I was a staunch supporter of shadow mask for many years, the lines that are there from holding up the grill always bothered me too much and liked the crisper text of shadow mask tubes. I just ended up buying a new monitor a few weeks ago and I wanted to pick up the best CRT I could- there wasn't a viable option in shadow mask flavor.

Now that I've had it for a few weeks I can say that the lines till bother me, but I'm getting more used to it. The clarity of the text isn't an issue, and the IQ for gaming is absolutely stunning. For image based uses the monitor I picked up blows away any shadow mask I've ever seen, it is also far more expensive then any shadow mask monitor I've seen for sale in a long time, but worth it IMO.

 

[Robor]

Another vote for a high end Aperture Grill CRT. Get the best one you can afford because you will probably be using it for a while.

 

[anim8r]

Aperture grille all the way if IQ is your top concern. As for the wires, I've found that noticing them is something you'll do less and less over time until it gets to the point where you'll have to be reminded that they're even there.

 

[Conky]

Definitely aperture grill. The lines are a non-issue.

 

[BFG10K]

AG CRTs are usually sharper and have better colours.

Shadow Masks have a resolution where they look best at and/or is a maximum resolution just as an LCD has

That isn't true at all. SDs have variable pixel size just like AGs do so the resolution makes no difference.

 

[VIAN]

Link

The vertical resolution on a monitor with aperture grille technology is not dependent upon, nor affected by, the vertical spacing of pinholes.

 

[BFG10K]

You've misinterpreted what you quoted.

An AG has a resolution limit just like SD does and all resolutions equal to or less than it are available to the user without artifacting.

It's not like an LCD that might have a native res of 1280 x 1024, has other resolutions available, but can't really use them without suffering scaling issues.

 

[VIAN]

I was kind of confused by this statement when I first read it. It doesn't talk about the effect, but, it's something that the AG has over the SM. What do you think they mean then? I wonder why they don't you the slot mask for a PC monitor? Any ideas?

 

[BFG10K]

I suspect it simply dictates the maximum resolution of a SD when it's manufactured while the maximum AG resolution is probably dictated by something else.

In any case it doesn't really make a difference since the factory determines what maximum resolution they need for any given CRT model and they'll change whatever they need to in order to accomplish this.

 

[VIAN]

I suspect it simply dictates the maximum resolution of a SD when it's manufactured while the maximum AG resolution is probably dictated by something else.

This means that the AG is more flexible than the SM.

Anyway the question to the topic. Aperture Grille all the way.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: BFG10K
AG CRTs are usually sharper and have better colours.

That isn't true at all. It's the other way around.. Shadowmasks are usually sharper and have better colors.. well truer colors. That is why graphic design series monitors are usually shadowmasks.. such as Viewsonic's graphics line. AR has A LOT better contrast.. very dark blacks, and very bright whites. Colors are very vibrant. Though after my own experience with two high end aperture grills, the Dell P1110 and IBM P275, I'd have to say Aperture grill has a VERY big problem that many people don't talk about. Their convergence(focus of the colors) sucks. It's impossible to get perfect convergence.

For gaming, I'd get an aperture grill. For 2D spreadsheets and graphics design, I'd go for shadowmask.

 

[BenSkywalker]

That is why graphic design series monitors are usually shadowmasks.. such as Viewsonic's graphics line.

The G/Graphics series? They are low end monitors, built to be cheap more then anything(not that they are bad per se, they have been durable from all of the ones I have seen, and priced very nicely). Their P/Pro series monitors are much better, but still not really directly comparable to a high end CRT.

Though after my own experience with two high end aperture grills, the Dell P1110 and IBM P275, I'd have to say Aperture grill has a VERY big problem that many people don't talk about. Their convergence(focus of the colors) sucks. It's impossible to get perfect convergence.

Across the screen(getting even convergence)? That's a FDTrinitron problem, not an AG problem. Unfortunately most AG displays use Trinitron tubes, check out some Diamondtron displays sometime and I think you'll find it quite different. Off the top of my head the ViewSonic P series, NEC and Mitsubishi high end offerings all use Diamondtron AGs(ViewSonic using lesser quality, still better then the Trinitron IMO), the rest use Trinitron.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: WobbleWobble
Aperature grill will provide a brighter more vibrant image. Shadow mask will provide sharper text.

????
I find that aperature grille monitors look better for games, and they also produce very clear text. I had been using AG monitors (two Nokia's I own) for awhile - going back to shadow masks when I need to makes me feel like I need my glasses checked, because the text looks so fuzzy by comparison.

 

[sandorski]

AG owns.

 

[Bucksnort]

1 word, Trinitron!

 

[BFG10K]

This means that the AG is more flexible than the SM.

Not necessarily. It just means that one of the limitations on resolution imposed on SMs doesn't exist on AGs. But it's highly likely that AGs have something else that dictates resolution limits.

In any case it's a moot point since neither SM nor AG technology is directly comparable to LCDs in such a fashion.

That isn't true at all. It's the other way around.. Shadowmasks are usually sharper and have better colors.. well truer colors.

That goes everything I've ever heard or experienced about AGs vs SMs.

That is why graphic design series monitors are usually shadowmasks..

Again I can't even remember the last time I heard a graphic designer not using an AG CRT.