Best 19" Monitor under $600

[Lore]

biggieN:

Yes, most definitely it could be a graphics card problem - however, if you are able to set it, that means the drivers are allowing it, right? Maybe you should update your drivers. Usually the incoherent display has to do with the monitor not being able to handle the high refresh that the video card is sending.

 

[Captain Ginyu]

Lxi: The ctx is better because it has at least as good image quality or better, it has bnc and its cheaper! Lore has proved the problems with sony monitors. Sony makes alot of good products including their monitors but just because it says Sony it dosent mean its the best.

 

[LXi]

OK I guess Sony should go brankrupt or at least label themselves "Sony is suck" or something. Sure, CTX and KDS will take over the world by then.

 

[Rudee]

LXi

May I ask why you put the 900IF over the 900NF?

I'm just curious..

 

[Hard_Boiled]

I'd also like to know why you rated the 900IFT over the 900NF. I'd also like to point out that I love my 900IFT, one of the best shadow mask monitors out right now, but under different circumstances I would have opted for the 900NF. Impressive specs, I've heard countless people talk about its great picture, and I wanted to try an aperture grill monitor.

All around I think Samsung's are great monitors. Top notch quality and a great warranty, good prices.

 

[Captain Ginyu]

Lxi: See you believe everything with the sony name is the best. You just proved it to everyone right there. People at this forum have proven that non sony and non mitsu monitors can be better than their tube creator. You dont always get what you pay for. Think of bose they make good stuff BUT its very overpriced and better stuff can be had for less. I'm still waiting for andrey's response to my question.

 

[MisterPotatoHead]

I'm with Hard Boiled.. Why is the 900IFT better than the 900NF?
...opinion-wise, of course

 

[MisterPotatoHead]

On a side note, has anyone seen the NEC MultiSync FP950? Someone has it at my office and it looks very clear at 1600x1200. Very vibrant colors. It does 1920 x 1440 @ 73 Hz max. Anybody have any qualms abouut MultiSync FPs? It goes for 514 on Onvia, before coups. I didn't have time to give it a good inspection, but passing by it is quite a site.

 

[Howard]

I thought that the NF series was the top-of-the-line for Samsung's monitors?

 

[LXi]

The reason why I rated the 900IFT is because it's currently the best invar shadow mask monitor in the market. It may not have the highest resolution and refresh rate, but it's the best looking invar shadow mask monitor there is. The dot pitch is the smallest ever on a 19", 0.20 vs 0.25 of the 900NF, plus it's a flat monitor, which is very rare considering there are only a few monitors in the market that uses shadow mask but a flat screen.

Edit I know the 900NF is their top of the line, but as you may've probably discovered, I dont like 3rd party xTron makers. I rather pay Samsung to get the Samsung tube created and produced by Samsung themselves. The other reason is that not everyone likes Aperture Grille, some people just hate seeing those lines, so the 900IFT comes in play very handily for those kind of people.

Captain Ginyu: Where is the prove? I never saw any prove about 3rd party xTron makers being better than the original. No matter how good they are, they will never surpass the creators. They're lower priced because they're smaller brands, possibly made with cheaper parts and stuff, less manufacturing costs and laboring costs... etc. Just because they're cheaper doesnt mean that they're necessarily better than the original.

<<You dont always get what you pay for.>>

Yea thats funny, true, you dont always get it, but most of the time you do. It sounds totally ridiculous the likes of KDS, CTX, Samsung and ViewSonic should be chosen because they're cheap. Think about it, if it wasnt Sony and Mitsubishi supplying them the tubes, where would they be? Get over it, the best these 3rd party manufacturers can do is to match the original, never surpassing them.

If what you said is true, then Sony and Mitsubishi should be out of business for a long time now. Do you really think they would be so stupid to let some 3rd party beat their ass up with their own tube? Absolutely not.

 

[The Wildcard]

LXI AND ALL:

Wow, everytime i see a post about 19&quot; monitors, including my owns, LXI always gets flamed. I think it's unfair and if you need some backup LXI, i am here.

Okay, first off, I own a G400. I was debating and considering purcahsing any one of all the monitors mentioned here, including the Viewsonic PF795.

Now, what I think LXI is trying to say is that, there has to be a reason why KDS, Samsung, CTX and others are so much cheaper than Sony and Mitsubishi and Viewsonic. ( Viewsonic is a little pricey too folks... ) So of course ONE of the obvious conclusion, which LXI has come to, is that KDS, Samsung and CTX all use tubes that are of lesser quality. NOT in terms of visual quality BUT in terms of &quot;long lasting product&quot; quality. So we are talking about how long these products can run. How long till the cheaper models start breaking down..

BUT, another obvious conclusion could just be that since it was Sony and Mitsibishi who have gone to great lengths in designing and refining their tube desings, they have to some how make up that cost. PLUS the fact that we all know the &quot;prestige&quot;
(notice the quotes... ) that Sony products are supposed to carry.

So some might say that it's not KDS, SAMSUNG OR CTX being TOO CHEAP, BUT it's SONY AND MITSUIBSHI, BEING TOO EXPENSIVE....

In the end, everytime somebody recommends a monitor or when somebody boasts a monitor, I never disagree with them BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT EYES.

And i think it's important to admit and consider that.

So my final advice: Try to see all of these monitors yourself. If you can't, well then read everyone's opnion, look into your pocket book, and just force yourself to pick one. Don't look back and don't regret it. Cuz the fact of the matter is, ALL OF THESE MONITORS ARE VERY GOOD.

On a side note, i really hate it when people judge a whole brand of monitors based one one or two isoloated incidents of defectivness. I mean just because your friend's monitor goes blurry, or if your monitor breaks down, doesn't mean the entire brand SUCKS. Every company has defects. That goes from the cheapest to the most expensive.

And don't take online revies of monitors so literally. Everybody's got different eyes. Somepeople notice those 2 horizontal lines on AG tubes like the light of day and some people don't see it at all. Plus several people agree with my comment on how lines at the upper left hand corner of the sony g400 curves up. But some people don't see it at all. So do all of us who see the curvyness all have defective monitors? Hahaha, NO.

On more thing. I don't want to hear any more of BS on how Sony sucks. =) (extreme biased opnion....)

 

[Captain Ginyu]

If sony and mitsu wasent supplying other companies tubes they would make their own or get them for other companies. Panasonic, hitachi, and samsung make their own tubes and supply them to other companies. The 900nf is better than the 900u. Please show me some where that says otherwise. You own a sony monitor dont you? Also why do you comment on 3rd party trinitron like the kds that you've never even seen? Lore can because he's seen both a sony and a kds and he could afford the sony but it had problems.

 

[LXi]

The_Wildcard: Thank you for your support, I greatly appreciated, you're one of the few that truly understood me. And the thing about ViewSonic, yea I said one of my friend's ViewSonic went bad, doesnt seem to be an isolated incident, I've been to stores a lot and those old ViewSonics they put on the shelves also seem to have similar problems. Plus their shadow mask lines looks flat out sucks, I dont know if its just me, but friends of mine who owned ViewSonics agreed. And again, I appreciate your understanding, as well as you view of everyone's eyes tend to look at things differently.

Captain Ginyu: Yep, I own a Sony, a 17&quot; sucker that uses the old cylindrical Trinitron(non-FD). What makes you think that I havent seen KDS? They're widely available on retail channels and I spend a lot of time looking at time when I go to a store. It looks great, never said it sucks, but it doesnt necessarily look better than Sony, nor is it better than Sony in anyway. The 900NF, true, the specs are more impressive than 900u's, but like I said, games dont play on paper, the best I can put it is &quot;900NF looks just as good as 900u&quot;, not &quot;Samsung kills Mitsubishi&quot;. Now, just one more thing, I own and have seen quite a few monitors, I have the 17&quot; in front of me, the 19&quot; Hitachi 751 on my other machine, a 15&quot; ViewSonic that looks like crap(yea its old), a 15&quot; Compaq that came with my first machine. I've helped my friends and relatives building their computers, so I get a chance to see a wide variety of monitors, I bought Samsung for my cousin, Hitachi for my mom, and quite a few Sonys and Mistubishis as well. What Im suggesting is that I recommend monitors base on my experience, and my personal opinion. I never forced anyone to follow my recommendations.

 

[The Wildcard]

LXI: No problem. And i also apprecite the fact how you stated in your previous message &quot; maybe it's just me. &quot; Alot of people won't admit that. They just think that their eyes should be the standard used around the world.

On the other hand, i was duped by your post about how Nvida bought Aureal....dammmm you....LOL, j/k.


Captain Ginyu:

I didn't want to play this card since i just said

&quot;On a side note, i really hate it when people judge a whole brand of monitors based one one or two isoloated incidents of defectivness. I mean just because your friend's monitor goes blurry, or if your monitor breaks down, doesn't mean the entire brand SUCKS. Every company has defects. That goes from the cheapest to the most expensive. &quot;

But, my friend bought a KDS AV-195 last fall and it totally went out on him after a couple months of useage. IT ran EXTREMELY hot and then it just went all blurry and fuzzy on him to the point where you couldn't read anything. it was just sudden. it wasn't gradual and no warning signs. he just turned on the monitor one day and everything was blurry.

But you know what, like i said, i don't judge KDS on this incident. But just to answer your question and to back up LXI, yes i have seen the KDS AV line. I have also seen the KDS VS-195 E on my other friend's computer and finally, yes, i have seen the KDS VS-195 SN on my third friend's computer. So lets just say that i am not inexpierenced when it comes to seeing a variety of monitors.

 

[Rudee]

&quot;The dot pitch (900IFT) is the smallest ever on a 19&quot;, 0.20 vs 0.25 of the 900NF.&quot;

Not really. The 900IFT is 0.20 on a horizontal scale. The 900NF is 0.25 on a diagonal scale.

20.0 horizontal pitch is roughly 0.25 diagonal, thus both monitors are equal.

Many manufacturs are guilt of posting pitch in horiz scale, thus people become easily mislead.

 

[Captain Ginyu]

It is impossible for kds, ctx, and samsung to get lower grade tubes when they arent even in monitors for viewing. Companies cant check a tube for quality without it being a built monitor. So what you said is bullcrap. Sony's and mitsu's arent known to last any more or less than any other monitor brand. The thunderbird is cheaper than the coppermine so does it not last as long or is it not as fast? Nope its better. You guys are just defending that you've spent more than most people for your trinitrons/ dimondtrons thinking you're getting a better product.

 

[Captain Ginyu]

Also if sony and mitsu were selling tubes that didnt last as long companies wouldent buy them. The companies would lose too much money when the tubes died and they would have to replace them.

 

[LXi]

Rudee: I dont think there is such a thing as diagonal on an Aperture Grille tube, it is to my understanding that the aperture grille is just vertical and horizontal lines going down and across, so where is the diagonal scale? Even if I'm wrong, the Samsung's 0.20 horizontal scale is still the smallest I've ever seen on an Invar Shadow Mask monitor.


Captain Ginyu: How do you think Intel and AMD test out their CPU's quality without actually running it in a machine? Of course there is a way Sony and Mitsubishi can test out their monitor, they can't build the monitor without even knowing if it passed their quality check or if it's even a failed tube.

<<Sony's and mitsu's arent known to last any more or less than any other monitor brand.>>

Explain this. What is your source? Your proof? Have you taken massive surveys on xTron monitor owners and actually come up with that result? Or are you just bullcrapping like the way you accused us?

<<You guys are just defending that you've spent more than most people for your trinitrons/ dimondtrons thinking you're getting a better product.>>

Oh no, I dont give a sh*t about how much I spent, this crappy 17&quot; of mine worth nothing. Why should I be defening it without a basis? Hey, if I know there is a better monitor out there, I'd be the first guy to recommend it. To add it up, I've guided more than 10 people to buy the 900NF in the past month, 2 of them today. While not even a single one for Mitsubishi, thats 12 vs 0. I am truely impressed by 900NF, and its very cheap, but in my opinion I would still pick Mitsubishi over it if my budget allows. Like I said before, the best a 3rd party xTron can do is match the creator, in many instances the 3rd party manufacturers did do a good job on that.

 

[Captain Ginyu]

Intel and amd can test chips because they dont need to viewed by a human eye. Thats why people get DOA monitors. I'm just saying why would a sony and mitsu last longer than other brands? KDS and Samsung seem very sure on their product quality because of the warrenty they offer. How many good stories are there about getting sony monitors for repair? People on this forum have been saying that the unit looks worse when it comes back then it did before and you have to wait a while to get your monitor back.

 

[damocles]

I dont know much about Sony Monitors, i have a 19&quot; at work and it isnt that flash. But its old and i wasnt its first owner so that doesnt really count.
However my company does large business with Sony Entertainment and Sony Electronics. As a company i have found Sony to provide some of the worst service i have ever seen.
This has included refusing to accept Playstation cds for return (under an agreement). They claimed the cds were damaged, but when we received them back they had an opposition companies label and they still wouldnt take em back.
Refusing to acknowedge a fault in some of their TV batches, even though we had a 13% return on them, in 6 months. Ie we had to sell customers a prodcut we knew was substandard.
Slow and ineffective repairs of Tv, including getting Tvs back as 'repaired' and yet with major faults unresolved.
I could go on for ages, but what i am saying is you dont 'always get what you pay for', if you truly believe that then you are destined to go through life as a sucker.
I wouldnt buy a Sony monitor because of my observations of their product servicing. Their low warranties may hint at this. Then again many many people obviously love their Sony moonitors
On the other hand i have a Viewsonic monitor at home ( a mere 17&quot. I like it and friends have commented on the clear picture. I also like the longer warranty.
Anyway my advice is...
Dont listen to anyone here, unless its to maybe narrow down 10 or so monitors. Look around your town if it is big enough and see the monitors you are interested in. Do it twice even (being wary that the video cards may be different). See if you fall in love with a monitor. If you do, check its features and warranty and if you like them, buy it.
Then come back and tell us what you bought
Whatever you buy, YOU will be the one staring at it for hundreds of hours and only you know what your eyes like. You might save some money or you may decide you need to spend a little more. With monitors a bit of 'pavement pounding' is the only way to shop.
my 2cents

 

[The Wildcard]

Captain Ginyu: Now i didn't say that KDS, CTX AND SAMSUNG monitors DEFINIATELY use lesser quality tubes. I suggested that there are 2 POSSIBLE CONCLUSIONS.

LXI came to ONE OF THE OBVIOUS conclusions that they do use lesser quality tubes but you can't blame him for saying that cuz it's a REASONABLE conclusion. Why else are they so cheap then?

BUT if you read my post carefully, YOU'LL SEE I OFFERED ANOTHER CONCLUSION. And that is...THAT MAYBE IT'S SONY AND MITSUBISHI BEING TOO EXPENSIVE!

FINALLY, to answer YOUR question about sony support, I have two stories.

First off, I have a friend who purchased the SONY 15&quot; SF1 monitor about 4 - 5 years ago i believe. Well 2 years ago, it started to FLICKER on him and the screen would just turn purple on him suddenly. So he would just HIT the monitor on the side and it would work again.

WEll of course, that didn't work forever and eventually the monitor wouldn't turn on at all. SO, he went to a SONY SERVICE CENTER, dropped off the monitor and within 3-4 days i think, they fixed it. FOR FREE. Then, when he brought it back, it showed the same problem again, so he brought it back again and after 1-2 days, they FIXED it again, FOR FREE.

Second, my neighboor purchased the SONY HOME THEATER system and during his 3rd year of warranty i believe, it started to stop working and show signs of problems. So, he brought it TO THE SONY SERVICE CENTER and they REPLACED IT WITH A NEW SYSTEM FOR FREE.

Now of course, you are gonna say how KDS has that KARES warranty program and how impressive that is. WEll that's not the issue. YOUR QUESTION WAS...

How many good stories are there about getting sony monitors for repair?

And i gave you one. I also gave you one about their home electronics system.

 

[Orbius]

Actually Lxi look at Consumer Reports, Sony and Mitsubishi monitors are mid-pack performers as far as reliability goes. I see where your logic comes from about Sony and Mitsubishi but its completely faulty.

It would be the same thing as saying that since the Saab 900 uses a Opel(GM Europe) Vectra engine(which it does), that there is no way that the Saab could be a better car than the Opel Vectra because the Opel used the engine first. Very incorrect logic Lxi.

Personally in the store amongst all the monitors I picked the Viewsonic hands down. To my eyes it had the most vibrant colors, and seemed to have good depth and sharpness.

 

[LXi]

Like I said the creators of the tubes, Sony and Mitsubishi, they might not have the most impressive specs because they're the first ones who produce these monitors with the tubes. When they sell the tubes the 3rd parties can do whatever they want to it, increase the max res, incresase refresh rate, add extra features... etc. But to my knowledge the 3rd parties CANNOT manage to put out a monitor that looks better than the original. Lets say if the Opel Vectra has 250 horse power, the SAAB, with the same engine, will have 250 horse power as well. Unless they make modifications to the engine, the performance of these two cars should not differ. Same thing goes for the tubes, the 3rd parties can do whatever they want to it but they cannot alter the tube. As far as I've seen, and IMO, few 3rd parties can manage to produce a monitor that looks as good as the original, not saying there arent any, but once they put it in their own monitor, it will look somewhat different from the original Sony/Mitsubishi. As for ViewSonic, Im very unimpressed with their recent performance, Im very disappointed by their Professional line(P8xx, P7xx) shadow mask monitors, the Natural Flat ones or PF8xx, PF7xx, looks very decent, with impressive specs, but IMO doesnt look as good as Mitsu and Samsung, plus the fact that they carry a much hefty pricetag than Samsung. I really wouldnt call it a hands down.

 

[Captain Ginyu]

SONY have MITSU do not have better quality tubes than kds! Listen as I said before if they were offerinbg lower quality tubes other companies wouldent buy them! The_Wildcard: You have no idea what you're saying! Do you know how to read?

 

[LXi]

Hahaha... your statements are contradictory, if even Sony or Mitsubishi doesnt know whether the tube is good quality or not, how do the 3rd parties know??? The things is, Sony and Mitsu arent stupid enough to keep all the low quality tubes to themselves and sell the good ones to 3rd parties.