LCD Screen Response Rates -- How can You Tell if It's Fast Enough?

[celebpaint]

I'm about to buy an LCD monitor and I am going to use some Sony points I've accumulated on my credit card to pay off a part of it. I've settled on the SDM-M61 16inch LCD from Sony.

However, I am concerned that someone wrote a review on the M81 (the M61's 18inch brother) at epinions saying the response rate was really slow...causing mouse trails and such. I don't think I'd like that...is there a spec for response times or is it something I'd have to try out?

Thanks for any help!!

 

[Gosharkss]

All LCD monitors have a pixel response specification. The problem is that not all manufacturers publish it. Call and ask before you give them you credit card.

There are other aspects that can affect the rise and fall time of the pixel. The video card can also affect pixel response. Video cards with RFI filters increase the pixel response time by the addition of capacitance to the video signal. This added capacitance adds to the rise and fall time of the signal introduced to the LCD panel.

Because the signal on a monitors with DVI interface is digital interface is digital, the rise and fall times of digital signals are much faster than analog signals and will be less prone to this affect. Remember even monitors with digital interfaces need to convert the signal to analog in order to create the 16.7M color palette. The difference is it is converted inside the monitor as opposed to the video card.

My experience says that anything under 30ms is just fine for animation others claim that they run games on panels with 45ms response time with no problem. Faster response time (lower number) is better.

Good Luck

Jim Witkowski
Chief Hardware Engineer
Cornerstone / Monitorsdirect.com