LCD Help plz!: Samsung vs. LG

[stealthrs]

I'm no monitor guru, but I need help picking out a good LCD monitor. Anyone really knowledgeable about this stuff and product line changes?

Talked to a dude tonight at Fry's who seemed very technical and knowledgeable, but they didn't have the Samsung there that I could compare to. His story was that basically that LG and Samsung are neck-and-neck on what's better. It's basically whoever has the most recently released product line (in a comparable model) would probably be the best.

The LG is very nice in person, looked better than the Samsungs... But he was saying at times it can be difficult to tell because of the way Fry's is wired (has a monitor splitter that kills quality)

But I'm thinking about the Samsung due to the resolution. Any thought? No brand nutswingers plz.



$219 LG 2353 -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824005125

Screen Size 23"
HDMI
Recommended Resolution 1920 x 1080
Pixel Pitch 0.266mm
Display Colors 16.7 Million
Brightness 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio DC 50000:1
Response Time 2ms(GTG)

$199 Samsung 2343BWX -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001317

glossy bezel
Screen Size 23"
No HDMI
Maximum Resolution 2048 x 1152
Recommended Resolution 2048 x 1152
Brightness 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio DC 20000:1 (1000:1)
Response Time 5ms

What do you think? I do light, light FPS gaming. This will mostly be used for Documents, Poker, surfing, and videos.

 

[dguy6789]

Definitely the LG. Better quality monitors.

 

[Patrickz0rs]

I have that exact LG monitor. 50,000:1 makes black look amazing and 2ms you don't see a shutter. Do you really need that large of a resolution to go for the Samsung? Since that would be the only advantage that monitor has over the LG.

 

[Ken90630]

Both of those monitor have TN panels, which typically offer faster response times at the expense of image quality (particularly color accuracy and viewing angles). Since you say you're only going to be doing "lite, lite" gaming, and presumably video quality will take priority over gaming performance, you'd be better off with a monitor that has a PVA or, better yet, an IPS panel in it. But that'll take some research & time.

XTKnight's exhaustive, stickied thread in this forum is a must-read if you're serious about getting the right monitor for your needs. TN panels are the cheapest, of course, so if your budget maxes out at around what those two LG & Samsung monitors cost, then you'll likely be getting a TN panel in that price range anyway. There will almost certainly be dithering, color accuracy and shadow detail issues with either of those, 'cuz they use TN panels, but whether or not you'll notice them, who knows? If they look good to your eyes, that's all that matters.

Good luck.

 

[stealthrs]

Both of those monitor have TN panels, which typically offer faster response times at the expense of image quality (particularly color accuracy and viewing angles). Since you say you're only going to be doing "lite, lite" gaming, and presumably video quality will take priority over gaming performance, you'd be better off with a monitor that has a PVA or, better yet, an IPS panel in it. But that'll take some research & time.

XTKnight's exhaustive, stickied thread in this forum is a must-read if you're serious about getting the right monitor for your needs. TN panels are the cheapest, of course, so if your budget maxes out at around what those two LG & Samsung monitors cost, then you'll likely be getting a TN panel in that price range anyway. There will almost certainly be dithering, color accuracy and shadow detail issues with either of those, 'cuz they use TN panels, but whether or not you'll notice them, who knows? If they look good to your eyes, that's all that matters.

Good luck.

Thanks for the suggestion. I hate to be lazy, but holy crap that's a lot of reading . Definitely thankful for the diehard members to type something like that

When I say "light gaming" - they're first-person shooters.

 

[stealthrs]

Any other input? Tags added

 

[Ken90630]

Thanks for the suggestion. I hate to be lazy, but holy crap that's a lot of reading . Definitely thankful for the diehard members to type something like that

When I say "light gaming" - they're first-person shooters.

Oh, I know. It's not something you can read & digest in an hour or anything. But you could just read the section on panel types and get at least a superficial grasp of the differences.

Alternatively, just Google for reviews of any monitors you're considering buying. PCmag.com, PCWorld.com and CNET do reviews that can sometimes be useful for novices. And the sites XTKnight lists in his thread can be even better (more in-depth & technical).

Gaming isn't considered a demanding source for picture quality in the way that high-def movies or, say, photo/video editing are, so you might not notice issues with a TN panel when gaming. But movie quality will not be as good as it would be on a PVA or IPS panel (although response time with IPS panels is typically inferior to TN panels). Like a lot of things computer-related, you prioritize according to your needs. And a few hours of research can make a difference in the monitor you could be using for the next several years.