LCD monitor suggestions & reviews?

[computer]

Hi all, I'm in the market now for a 17" LCD monitor (or 18" if cheap enough), and have no idea where to go for reviews. I've tried searching and couldn't find a site that reviewed numerous monitors. Can someone please point me to a website that has reviewed many different brands, or give me your suggestions on the best LCD monitors ~$300-$450? Also models to avoid would be helpful. (If it matters, the video card I'll probably be using is what I'm using now, ATI AIW 7500 Radeon DVI).

Also, on the ones with TV tuners built in, is it PIP like the AIW where you can watch a TV window and 'compute' at the same time? If so, I'd like suggestions/info on these as well and I can ditch my ATI AIW.

Thanks guys......Clint

 

[computer]

I guess I can strike LCD's w/TV tuners. I was looking at a Cornea CT1702 and see it's not a PIP TV tuner, and the next price up is way too much. So, looks like I'll have to stick with the AIW and get the monitor with no tuner.

 

[azkiwi]

you've heard of Google - right?

PCWorld
ZDNet
ZDNet Australia

once you get narrowed down to a short list, you will likey find more specific reviews.

Get a DVI, don't get integral speakers, use Powerstrip to tweak your color after you get the panel.

 

[computer]

Yes I've heard of Google, that's what I used and found no reviews.

 

[bendixG15]

PCworld, ZDnet and CNet all have reviews on 17" LCDs

 

[computer]

Thanks I'll check there. Can anyone vouch for this:

LCD-type monitors can often go even lower than CRT refresh rates and still remain flicker-free. That's because the pixels in a standard color LCD are self-illuminating; they don't have to be "painted" serially by an electron gun, and they don't fade out if not repainted regularly. They are turned on by a signal from the video card, and stay on until another signal arrives telling them to turn off or change; or until power is removed. Because if this, many LCD's have default refresh rates of 60Hz, and still show no flicker at all.

However, this means that whatever image is on screen isn't getting updated that often. There may be no flicker, but in video and other rapid-motion images, you may see smearing, blurring, and loss of detail in the moving part.

LCDs have other issues too. For example, you may notice "artifacting" or "aliasing," where the sides of curved and sloping images (and text letterforms) have little jagged stairsteps. These visual defects have all but vanished from good CRT's driven by decent video cards: The video card fills in some extra data--- data that isn't really there--- to fool your eye into seeing a smooth curve.

LCDs do this less well, even with helping technologies like XP's excellent "ClearType," which was specifically developed to improve text legibility on LCDs. Even driven by ClearType, text on some LCDs can look very harsh and stark--- a sure recipe for headaches and eyestrain.

....maybe I should stick with a CRT?

 

[CBone]

That "blurring, smearing, blah, blah, blah" is caused by a slow response time. <=16 ms total response time (62.5 FPS) LCDs are just on the streets. I just got a new 17 in. LCD w/16 ms response time and it is quite sweet for gaming. No blur or anything. If possible you would want to check on the rising and falling time and make sure that they are less than or equal to 16 ms total. My question is: most LCDs that I have seen breakdowns of rising and falling times on, either the fall time is greater or equal to the rise time. There are some that I haven't seen in person that have a higher rise time than fall time. Wouldn't this eliminate any ghosting? Since the slow tail end change of colors is what causes you to be able to perceive it. I can't remember who makes a monitor with a 12 rise and 4 fall. I think that it is BenQ. They may not be popular yet, but they are affilliated with AU Optronics, and they make most of the low refresh rate screens. Much like KDS using Trinitron screens. Yes, the image isn't getting refreshed much, but it is a point refresh, meaning that only the pixels that need to change will change.

For example, you may notice "artifacting" or "aliasing," where the sides of curved and sloping images (and text letterforms) have little jagged stairsteps.

Turn on clear type and anti-alias your games. If you get a newer monitor your games will only be refreshing at ~60 FPS anyway. You have the same problem with regular monitors if you have them in a low resolution and don't turn on anti-aliasing.

 

[lung]

Also you can't simply go by the stats alone. I have a couple Dell 1800FPs. They have a response time of either 25 or 30ms, I forget which. They are great for gaming and movies. I have yet to see any smearing or ghosting. They blur the very tiniest bit in fast, high detail parts of some games, but nothing more than what I have seen on many CRTs.

The only reason that LCDs have a "refresh rate"stat is so that they can communicate properly with the video card.

I have yet to see any kind of artifacting or "stair-stepping" on my LCDs.

The problems with alot of the info out there about LCDs is that it is outdated. As we all know, the computer industry moves pretty quick, so it doesn't take long for information to become obsolete. A case in point is that by the end ofhte year the 12ms LCD panels should be hitting the street. Say goodbye to ghosting, smearing, etc. Even when they do become available, people will still proclaim that LCDs suck for gaming. The thing is that most people who would say that LCDs suck have probably never even used one...

 

[computer]

Yeah, after some checking, they're a bit too new for me right now, but I wanted to get a handle on which brands/models to avoid so far, and just which brands/models were the best so far. After some thought on it, (and like you said) they are just too new for any specs to stabliize......they'll probably be a magnitude better in only a few months, plus cheaper.

 

[Kartajan]

don't have a review, but this is what I have.
I am a "casual" UT2003 player, but I mostly do real time strategy games.


linky

at the moment, newegg has it for $579