LCD Monitor for DVD viewing

[Burke55]

Hi, I am looking for an LCD monitor...ideally a 16:9 aspect ratio with a very good pixel change response time, good contrast adjustability and it must have a DVI input. I intend to use this with a Samsung DVD player that outputs scaled 1080i via a DVI connection. it will also double as a gaming display and eventually a computer monitor. It needs to be able to display true 1080i. I dont think there are currently a lot of 16:9 monitors on the market with DVI that will do all I ask. Any knowledge I can glean here will be most appreciated. In the absence of 16:9 I would consider 4:3 monitors in the 17 to 19 inch range.

 

[BoomAM]

For a 4:3 TFT.
Hitachi CML174SX Series.
17"
16ms Responce time
DVI input
1280x1024 recommended resolution.

 

[AllDressedUp]

FWIW I've been using the widescreen 17" Samsung 172W for while, here are some remarks I posted in another thread re it:

IMO, it's strongpoints are nice streamlined ergonomics (more pleasant than I've run across anywhere else so far), crisp picture quality through the DVI input, and the 450 cd/m2 brightness.

I can't overwhelmingly recommend it though. The viewing angles are weak, especially vertically. There is a noticeable glow around the edges of the screen, especially when working in low ambient light conditions. And I wish the blacks (contrast ratio?) were stronger. I thought a widescreen LCD would be cool, since most of my apps involve widescreen video. But after using it for awhile, I think I'd prefer the additional resolution (the 172W is only 768 pixels vertically) and headroom of a 4:3.

I haven't seen the Samsung 172T firsthand, but the specs on it look better than the 172W with respect to the above. According to reviews I've read, it has much wider viewing angles (170 in both directions), better contrast, and finer pixel pitch (~.27 instead of the 172W's ~.29) which are my main gripes with the 172W. Both models run about the same cost, so my inclination would be to go for the "T" over the "W". The max brightness on the 172T is lower than the 172W, but I rarely find myself using that high brightness.

If you're seriously interested in a widescreen display though, I think there's a 17" Viewsonic model that looks better than the 172W, but at higher cost. And it may also have some video inputs on it.

I don't know how the Samsung 172T would compare to the NEC or Dell though.

Some other widescreen LCD options are also mentioned in this thread.

I could be wrong, but I sorta doubt you'll find a LCD monitor that can would support an interlaced mode like 1080i via the DVI input. 720p might be doable though, and would probably look better since it's progressive.

 

[KristopherKubicki]

I agree with AllDressedUp

 

[dima1984]

Originally posted by: BoomAM
For a 4:3 TFT.
Hitachi CML174SX Series.
17"
16ms Responce time
DVI input
1280x1024 recommended resolution.

Hmm, I'm confused, aren't most LCD's 5:4? Why do people refer to them as 4:3?
1280:1024 :: 5:4
1280:960 :: 4:3

 

[BoomAM]

Originally posted by: dima1984
Hmm, I'm confused, aren't most LCD's 5:4? Why do people refer to them as 4:3?
1280:1024 :: 5:4
1280:960 :: 4:3

Not a clue to be honest. I just use it and be happy. lol.

 

[AllDressedUp]

Burke55,

Now that I think about it, I doubt any of the monitors mentioned above will work for you what you have in mind. I'm pretty sure that the Samsung 931's DVD scaling will only work when connected to an HDCP compliant DVI display. It's unlikely that any of the usual LCD computer displays will be HDCP compliant.

The Bravo D1 DVI DVD player might be a possibility though. It may not require HDCP. Otherwise a home theater PC with a DVI video card would work. AVScience should have more on this.

 

[AllDressedUp]

Hmm, I'm confused, aren't most LCD's 5:4? Why do people refer to them as 4:3?

1024x768 = 4:3
800x600 = 4:3
640x480 = 4:3

Most conventional computer and TV monitors are 4:3.

Not sure why 1280x1024 doesn't fit the pattern.

 

[AllDressedUp]

It looks as though LCD monitors which are designed for 1280x1024 do indeed have a 5:4 aspect ratio, while monitors designed for the other resolutions may be 4:3. Never noticed that before. Weird.

I returned the Samsung 172w BTW, and am now trying out a Neovo S-17 with DVI input. Don't know what sort of track record this company has, but I'm actually kinda impressed so far. The OSD seems alot more intuitive. There's an NTSC video input (which I haven't tried yet). Good viewing angles. Nice blacks. Separate Backlight and Brightness control, so the latter works more like the black level adjustment on CRTs. Some real thought seems to have gone into the construction of this display.

Not sure how it'd be for gaming though with the reported 25 ms pixel response.