[Retired] The LCD Thread

[CurseTheSky]

Originally posted by: 10e
These were never TN panels as far as I know.

I paid $369.99 Canadian for it and it was 100% an S-MVA panel. Westinghouse doesn't know their respective cracks from the cracks in the pavement, because they don't even manufacture this monitor. It's made by CMO in China and a Westy name is slapped on it.

Same with their TVs.

That response was from before (also on HardForum) and it turned out it was wrong. Sorry if I come off sounding nasty, but this screen was never a TN to start with.

My only concern with this screen is the 1 year warranty from Westinghouse. It's best to reinforce it with an extended store warranty.

Originally posted by: zod96
I found this http://www.newegg.com/Product/...001&CMP=AFC-C8Junction it is glossy and I think its an 8 bit panel?

I just got off the phone with a Westinghouse rep. She talked with some of the internal techs, and confirmed that they indeed are TN panels. They said that the new TN panel is "superior" to the older MVA panels.... riiiight.

Their website still claims it's an MVA panel, though.

 

[BerlinCB]

My head is about to explode from information overload.

With every single computer component I can pretty much dial in what I want to buy, but the exception is the LCD monitor. I've read the thread, done research, and am still confused.

Please help me out!

Background: I mostly play games, surf the net, and do homework on my system. My new system will have a blu-ray drive in it, so I will want to watch a few HD movies once it is up and running. So, mostly gaming and surfing, some blu-ray movie matching.

Price: $500 is the absolute most I want to pay, but if I can get a nice one for a lot less, I'm all about saving the benjamins.

Questions:

1.) I have a 19" Samsung Syncmaster 931B right now. Will going to a 22" or 24" make a huge difference? Only reason I'm thinking of upgrading it is my buddy needs a new monitor and it would kill two birds with one stone. I'd get a newer, bigger LCD, and he'd get my old to replace his dead one.

2.) Given my needs, which panel type do you think would be best? I know for gaming TN's are tops, but if you're watching a blu-ray movie (probably just me watching it solo 90% of the time) would that make a difference?

3.) My current LCD has no dead pixels. I think dead pixels, even just one, would drive me nuts. What is the best way to protect yourself against getting a panel with them, or is it just a crap shoot and you have no recourse?

4.) Given the previous questions, which monitors would you recommend, and where would you recommend purchasing them?

Thank you in advance!

BerlinCB

P.S. - After all the research I did, the closest I came to making a decision on one was the BenQ G2400WD from newegg.com for $369.99.

 

[BDawg]

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky


I just got off the phone with a Westinghouse rep. She talked with some of the internal techs, and confirmed that they indeed are TN panels. They said that the new TN panel is "superior" to the older MVA panels.... riiiight.

Their website still claims it's an MVA panel, though.

Having delt with Westinghouse support for the last week, I can assure you, they don't know their butts from a hole in the ground.

Due to converting my AV room into my study / weight room for a potential baby, I was thinking about buying a Samsung or Panasonic 1080p 37 or 40" set for my computer and for TV. Is this an incredibly stupid idea?

 

[LS21]

Originally posted by: zod96
That Dell Sp2009w looks nice. Is that a P-MVA panel in their? And is this a new LCD by Dell? How are the reviews on it..

AVOID.

Just got a pair of Ultrasharp 2009W to replace an Ultrasharp 2008Fp (whatever they call it) at work.

Also have had Ultrasharp FP1907 at home for a longggg time.

I always equate Ultrasharp = quality (being non TN panel) but these new ones are. viewing angle and color are horrible. if i even peek at it funny a white notepad canvas turns to red. it is disgusting. there's a reason this new 2009 costs much less than an old 2008

 

[maddiebrad]

Hello,
This thread is really great and informative. I am just wondering however why the HP LP3065 isn't really mentioned here. The screen has been out for some time, and is quite established. It seems to be quite highly recommended on other forums. Digital verses also has nothing listed about it. Would really love to see some real world numbers on input lag on this screen.

Regards,
Brad

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
First off, thanks xknight for your insightful thread and helpful advice. I noted above that you said that the Dell 2408 A01 revision could be a firmware update (and thus it may be possible to upgrade the existing revision to once it is released). In case that does not eliminate the input lag problem, would the input lag on the 2408 be any worse than what I am used to on my current panel or would it actually have less input lag than what I am used to? I currently play FPShooters on a Dell 2001FP
Specifications of a Dell 2001FP

With firmware updates, you would have to send it in to the manufacturer.

It would likely have more input lag than you're used to. But that doesn't mean it's unsuitable for you. I think you should give it a try. AFAIK Dell accepts returns.

Originally posted by: Fugifighter
Thanks for the awesome Thread XTKnight. I recently received my Benq G2400WD and it looks amazing. A bunch of my friends are using this thread as a reference as well for their upcoming purchases. Tonite I'll be doing some more settings for color and to lower the brightness but from the brief TF2 run last night I know it was worth the money. Keep up the good work!

That's cool. I love recommending the G2400WD as a budget LCD for anyone.

Originally posted by: BDawg
What are thoughts on buying a 1080p HDTV for use as a monitor instead of a 1920x1200 monitor? Just about all TVs are MVA / IPS, right?

Most bigger TVs are MVA/IPS, yes. I would say most above 26". Most TVs (these days) are just fine for PC input, I just don't like their bigger pixels and sometimes image processing functions you can't turn off. I don't know that much about TVs in general but the Sharp 32" in my OP that I recommend is one I hear good things about. It is pretty pricey, though. I have to say I recommend monitors because I know more about them but that doesn't mean that the TVs are a bad choice. It may be harder to find reviews on those TVs or particularly how well they work with PCs, though.

Originally posted by: MRIM

Originally posted by: xtknight

....

Hopefully this gives you a better idea what to expect. I'm sorry if it seems harsh but the rest of us have been swimming in pools of problems like this for years (or worse like bad viewing angle, flickering panels, burn-in, dithering, dead pixels, backlight bleeding, poor response time control) and are just used to it. Especially for consumer monitors. 🙂 Count your blessings and do understand a refurb (which is most likely the monitor with which they would exchange your current) could have worse problems. I'm most disappointed in the NECs' lack of 1080i support, but I love the 90 series LCDs for the most part. Give it some time just through your normal PC routine, but do take some photos and see if the pincushion is a serious problem. If it is then your LCD qualifies as defective and you can probably get a new one and start afresh.

Thanks for the response. I considered taking some pictures but then I just decided to RMA it since I have a two-week window to do so. I should be getting a replacement sometime next week. I think you are right about the bad panel assembly. The monitor was manufactured last month in China; I wonder if some are manufactured in Japan and so maybe have better quality control?

Yes, maybe, I am not too sure about panel manufacturing.

Originally posted by: Veramocor
I'm trying to decide how much of a problem input lag is on PVA monitors such as the Dell UltraSharp 2408WF. I realize that PVA monitors have the worst input lag and the dell is pretty bad in this regard. Is there a noticeable effect for non-hardcore FPS gamers, or do you need to really be elite to notice? Also how about click fest games like diablo or RTS games, how does input lag effect these?

I really use games less than 5% of the time, most of my use will be work,internet, and TV/video. But I don't want gaming so degraded I can't enjoy it the little amount of time I use it.

The whole tradeoffs between PVA and TN almost make me want to keep my CRT monitor (Samsung SyncMaster 955df still going strong). Too bad IPS displays aren't more affordable.

The gaming won't be that bad. I guess you can say you have to be "elite" to notice it. If you play games competitvely it will put you at a disadvantage, but if not don't worry about it. It's not like the games are a big sloppy, blurry, and unplayable mess. There is a few milliseconds more of delay and nothing more.

In general it is only an issue for FPS/RTS fast games and not slower games like RPGs. If you were serious about gaming you might want to keep the CRT around for that but you can make comparisons once you get your LCD.

 

[Stormer]

Originally posted by: xtknight


It would likely have more input lag than you're used to. But that doesn't mean it's unsuitable for you. I think you should give it a try. AFAIK Dell accepts returns.

Just received a Dell SP2009W, and the return is 21 days from purchase. Screen's a TN, made in China. Waiting for the Acer F-20 to arrive for comparison.

 

[MRIM]

Just an update about the NEC 2490WUXi: I got the replacement just now and it has the same problems (I checked the serial # and it's different from the first one by 2 digits). There's a slight inward flex in the middle of the panel versus the corners, a slightly cooler color cast on the left than on the right, and the same weird noises emitted from the monitor when displaying a simple black-and-white striped pattern. I'm going to call NEC and see if I can talk to someone knowledgeable. If they give me nothing then I'm probably just going to return it for a refund. $1100 is too much to put up with these problems.

For those of you looking for a high-end monitor my recommendation is to stay away from the NEC at this point, it seems like they've got manufacturing problems.

 

[brettjrob]

Like a few others, I'm finding the decision-making process for a new LCD maddening in comparison to the rest of my planned new rig.

I'm currently on an extremely crappy LG L1715S display, so absolutely anything will be an upgrade. The problem is, one of my main uses will be photo editing, in addition to gaming, web design, and normal use. I'm a college student on a limited budget, and it seems virtually impossible to graduate to something better than a TN panel without going beyond my means.

I'm almost set on grabbing the Acer AL2216Wbd on NewEgg for $209; reason being that I've reached the conclusion that a high-quality monitor larger than 19" sufficient for pro photo editing is simply not within my reach ($400-450 max), so I may as well get something basic to hold me over for a few years until that changes. A few questions, though:

1. For those who follow this stuff, would you expect better-quality panels to come down in price significantly over the next few years? For example, is it reasonable to expect to be able to pick up a 24" IPS or VA panel in the $300-400 range within 2-3 years?

2. I saw something posted a couple pages back about the HP LP2275w 22" S-PVA display due out in August. It appears pricing info has not yet been released, but am I dreaming to hope that it might be in the $350-450 range? As far as I can tell, it's the first non-TN 22" on the market, so I guess there's not much of a point of reference in terms of pricing.

 

[gevorg]

Which monitor type (TN, IPS, VA, etc) is best for movies? Which type shows blacker blacks? Played by the computer (so DVI/HDMI), not external video source.

Any suggestions for a 24"ish size and around $600 in price?

 

[DandyJ]

The LG L227WT is listed as having no input lag and a good picture, with the timed photo test. But then according to this test, it's going on 2 frames of input lag on average. So which is it? I guess I'm more inclined to trust the photo, but what's up with the charts there? I don't want to get a hold of this thing and feel 2 frames of input lag. 🙁

edit - I read if the monitors are in clone mode, that test may pointless. Is that true?

edit 2 - OK i see this has been covered. I guess I'm going to go with this one, since everyone says it's great, and there's really no other monitor that got very good reviews and has the features I want. You've done a great job with the thread, thanks!

 

[BRDiger]

Any chance you might review the V7 Videoseven D24W33?
One of the cheapest 24" you can get in germany.
It had a short, but promissing review at gamestar.de which is, unfortunately lacking in details...

 

[ceremus]

Awesome thread here, first of all.

Does anyone have any reviews or info on the LG W2241T-PF? It's a 22" widescreen, I believe it's a TN panel of some type but I can't find much info for it beyond that. A friend of mine is looking to replace a dead LCD and she's had her eye on the LG L227WT, but this one caught her eye because it's about the same size, and Best Buy is going to have it on sale for $319 minus $100 instant this first week of August. If the retail price is around the same as the L227 I tend to think it should be around the same type and build of monitor, but I can't find anything to confirm it. Anyone have any info or comparisons?

 

[maddiebrad]

Hello,
This thread is really great and informative. I am just wondering however why the HP LP3065 isn't really mentioned here. The screen has been out for some time, and is quite established. It seems to be quite highly recommended on other forums. Digital verses also has nothing listed about it. Would really love to see some real world numbers on input lag on this screen.

Regards,
Brad

 

[cyberkost]

Does anyone have any more info about upcoming Vizio VMM monitor? I gather it's going to have resolution higher than that of typical PC LCDs ... any idea what kind of panel might they be using? I like the size/design/price.

 

[Stormer]

Originally posted by: LS21

Originally posted by: zod96
That Dell Sp2009w looks nice. Is that a P-MVA panel in their? And is this a new LCD by Dell? How are the reviews on it..

AVOID.

Just got a pair of Ultrasharp 2009W to replace an Ultrasharp 2008Fp (whatever they call it) at work.

Also have had Ultrasharp FP1907 at home for a longggg time.

I always equate Ultrasharp = quality (being non TN panel) but these new ones are. viewing angle and color are horrible. if i even peek at it funny a white notepad canvas turns to red. it is disgusting. there's a reason this new 2009 costs much less than an old 2008

He's right. Color adjustments very limited; sharpness adjustment only in four increments; viewing modes offer no help. Screen seems very hot, had to work in blue mode, or cool mode. It's going back. Only good news: Dell not only pays the return shipping, they call UPS to come to your door.

 

[T0bias]

Hello,
I am considering buying an LG L227WT monitor, but I am a bit worried about it's colors. The monitor is going to be used for gaming (not hardcore/pro gaming though 🙂) and general use (websurfing, text editing etc). Moreover I am making some websites and graphics in photoshop at an amateur level.

So my questions are:

1) Is the LG monitor's wide color gamut a bad thing compared with the more common sRGB when working with photoshop and creating websites?

2) Do you think the LG's colors will be good enough for my purposes? After some research I convinced myself that these TN based panels will be sufficient, but the wide color gamut stuff messes a bit up with this 🙂

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: vk101
Hi all,

Did HP ever produce an LP2465 that *DID NOT* have the input lag problems people have talked about? LP2465 uses the same panel as the Dell 24" and I don't recall hearing of an input lag fix for the Dell so I'm doubtful. However, I know a few people said they'd sent their LCDs into HP for replacement, but I never heard back if the problem was resolved.

I'd great appreciate any feedback on this, my main monitor died and I need to buy a new one.

I don't think there was ever a variance in input lag among the 24" units. Rather, I've never heard of a fix lowering any specific unit's lag.

Originally posted by: airhendrix13
Hey guys! So I'm in the market for my FIRST LCD monitor and could use some help.

Is 6-bit dithering much worse quality than full 8-bit?

Not really.

PVA vs. TN quality that big of a difference?

VA panels have a wider viewing angle and higher brightness/contrast.

Is 1:1 pixel mapping a feature, or something that can be accomplished on all monitors?

Only some monitors have 1:1.

I'm kinda stuck in a tough place here. I will be using the monitor for my PC, watching TV, and watching DVD's / BluRay. I do game a fair bit, but I also do photo editing.

I'm thinking a PVA panel would suit me best, but I'm kinda on a tight budget. I would like to stay under $500.

Is their a PVA panel that has plenty of inputs and falls in my budget? I looked at the Westinghouse L2410NM, but I hear their support sucks, makes a high pitched hissing sound, and lacks DVI. I also looked at the Gateway FHD2400, but it lacks the PVA panel.

ARGH! What should I do?

Thanks!

The HP LP2465 is the closest I can think of that would satisfy your needs, it's $520 after rebate. http://www.newegg.com/Product/...16824176059&Tpk=lp2465

The DoubleSight DS-245W is another good bet. I'm not sure exactly how good it is but it's an S-PVA panel like the LP2465, shouldn't be much difference. http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824185005

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: ccubed
Any opinions on the Samsung 22" 2232BW+ vs. the 22" LG L227WT? There's going to be a sale on the Sammy at Best Buy for 280, and I missed the Fry's deal on the LG for 300. I can pick up the LG at auction for much less (after MS live search Cash Back) but I'd kind of like to be able to actually just drive down the street to pick it up (or if worse comes to worst, return it.)

Noticeable difference in performance? I'll be moving on from a Viewsonic 19" CRT, so this would be a big change for me. Focus is mostly on gaming, although I'm also a chronic web surfer and may watch some movies or streaming video on the thing. No graphic arts inclinations here.

Thanks for your time.

Edit: and now Newegg threw this Samsung T220 Rose-Black 22" 2ms GTG Touch of Color series Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 DC 20,000:1 into the mix.

I wouldn't worry about the 5,000, 10,100, and 20,000 specs, they are all just lies.

The LG L227WT is a great performer for games and I feel it is an easy winner in this duel against the Samsungs.

You will notice a slight decrease in smoothness going to an LCD, but it won't be very much because the L227WT is a very good gaming LCD. Still, it operates at 60 Hz like most other LCDs. I'm not sure if the Samsung 22"s operate at 75 Hz or not; I think they may, but I can almost guarantee you your experience with the 60 Hz LG is going to be better anyway just because it's wide gamut, and has a faster and more accurate response time with less response time errors. You also don't have to play the "panel lottery" with the LG panel.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Zeppelin2282
Hey I'm looking for a 24..maybe 26 inch LCD with a glossy screen for games/movies. Which one would you guys recommend? Must have HDMI. My limit is $600.

I don't know any VA panels I'd recommend in that range but the Gateway FHD2400 and HP w2408h are good choices. I think the Gateway has better connectivity but the HP better image quality. I realized the HP w2408h isn't on my list so I will add that soon. Until then there is a good review of it at prad.de (English section).

http://prad.de/en/monitore/rev.../review-hp-w2408h.html

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: geokilla
Great information xtknight. Even though I don't understand 90% of the stuff, I'm gonna go through it a couple of times before I buy a monitor.

I'm going to be getting a new computer soon. Whether it's for me or for my sister will determine whether I should buy a new LCD monitor or not.

In the second post, I saw that the Acer AL2216Wbd was listed as a good multimedia LCD monitor, which is exactly what I do. I game sometimes, watch movies, just surf the web, do homework. This LCD should last me say, 5+ years assuming all I do is multimedia stuff right?

Plus, for $189.99, is it worth it? I buy lots of stuff from CC, so I don't have to worry about the store having a bad reputation and stuff.

Thanks in advance.

Sure I think that's a pretty good deal for what you're doing.

Originally posted by: zod96
Is their a 24 inch glossy screen monitor?

Check the glossy LCDs list in the OP.

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky
I was advised to post here; this is the original thread.

I'm looking for a 24" LCD in the ~$400 range. I will go up to $450ish if it'll make a huge difference in quality, but I'd prefer not to. I will also consider a 22" if the quality difference is day and night, but again, I'd prefer not to. It will be used primarily for gaming with some movies and photoshop (color accuracy not a giant concern) on the side. I hate my current monitor's (TN panel) viewing angles, but I'll deal with it if that's all there is in this price range.

I heard good things about most of the Dell monitors, as well as this Westinghouse. Other than that, I'm clueless. Suggestions are much appreciated.

Thanks.

Edit: After reading through the LCD thread some more, I see the Westinghouse L2410NM I linked coming up a bit, as well as the BenQ G2400WD. For my needs, which would be the better option, OR is there something else I should consider?

Those are what I would suggest. Go for the Westinghouse if you don't like the viewing angles of your TN.

Originally posted by: Stormer
I just ordered the Dell SP2009W (a glossy) and the Acer F-20, so I can compare the TN and P-MVA panels. My work is not color or image sensitive -- hours of word processing. So I'm just looking at which unit will display text better. I think at one point early in this long thread, xtknight offered that TN's might be better for WP because they offered better contrast (correction welcomed). Anyway, I prefer glossy. The HP2007 does not, repeat, does not have a "sharpness" adjustment. It's listed in the manual but disabled in the unit. Both the F-20 and 2009W do have this adjustment. The F-20 with its thick bezel is going to be difficult to twin on a desk, but I'm going to decide first on quality of the image (text). I'm happy to run some tests on the 2009W if someone wants and can tell me what tests to run and how to run them. (For what it's worth, the NEC 20WMGX2, as I wrote in another thread, is available in England -- for roughly $850. Can't even find refurbished models in US.)

I think TNs can be easier on the eyes because they are usually not as bright as VA panels. I'm not really sure though. Most LCDs are pretty comfortable for text use despite panel type.

Originally posted by: zod96
Is this NEC http://accessories.us.dell.com...dhs&cs=19&sku=A1478820 a 8 bit panel? I'm looking for a 20-24 inch glossy screen that is 8 bit and in stock somewhere. Is their such an LCD?

zod96, you asked this a while back but unfortunately there are no more 8-bit glossy panels than I had told you then. Which means iMac 24" and the VA panels listed in the glossy section. The 20WMGX2 is refurb only.

I am pretty sure the L2410NM only has a glossy bezel but I can't find a definite answer on that. It has a VA panel (I believe that's been established despite concerns of it being a TN panel). It will be 8-bit or.."about" 8-bit (with dithering you probably cannot tell).

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Xponential
I have talked to 2 different Samsung support ppl. and they both claim the new T240 and T260 are S-PVA panels, not TN like everyone has been saying.

Does anyone have this monitor and can confirm/deny this?? It's on sale at BB this week and $500 for a 25.5" S-PVA panel is a pretty hot deal if this is in fact not a TN panel.

They are definitely TN panels.

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Good news, it looks like the new revision of the Dell 2408 that fixes (or reduces) the input lag issue is out.
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/ne...ive/13.htm#2408wfp_a01

Jimmy P of the Dell Community Forums has said: "I have news, as of yesterday [22 July 2008] all 2408's shipping as refurbished have the new firmware, as of Monday new monitors started coming off the production line with it. If you are ordering a new monitor you should wait about two weeks to make sure that they have a chance to get through the distribution network.

Due to a Dell internal process change many of the 2408's that will ship new with the revised firmware will have a different part number and not a different revision number. The only way you will be able to tell if it's the revised firmware is to check the sharpness setting, if the setting is in multiples of 10 then it is the revised firmware if it's in multiples of 25 then it's not. The part number has nothing to do with the revision but someone decided since we are changing the part number anyway the firmware will be A00 on that part number."

He went on later to explain that: "You can not upgrade the frimware yourself. We do not send out replacements just because of a revision, you have to actually have a technical problem. This firmware update features greater control over sharpness settings, improved power save recovery, and less input lag."

Interesting, we'll see how the "less input lag" thing really turns out.

 

[Ingenuitor]

Hello this is probably the most in depth thread I have ever read on LCD panels, very well written. I have certainly learned a lot in the past few hours of reading. I find the task of selecting monitor(s) daunting at this point.

What would you recommend for a fulltime graphic designer that is also a software programmer and a part time photographer? I need to buy three monitors and the ideal in my mind would be three 24"+ maybe 27"+ that can be rotated easily for reviewing very long coded documents of programming and high resolution portrait images.

All this will be mounted on a tri monitor mount and attached to an ergonomic pneumatic desk unit. I assume at least $1000 each for the panels but would like to pay less if I can.

Any recommendations? Thank you for your time.

 

[YouHoserMeHosehead]

:evil:
It is with great triumph that I announce, as my first post (and as a test), that I have completed reading every single page of this thread, from the beginning.

You may all now give me extended raspberries.

What did I find most compelling, in all these 257 pages of reading, including the OP? A post by "albovin" regarding the multimedia capabilities of the NEC LCD2690WUXi, despite that it "only" has two DVI and one VGA ports. There has been excellent info throughout, and truly superior info and perspective from xtnight (although 10e has been good too). That's what led me to buy that display in the SV version including calibration at $1150 without shipping. It was $987 for the non-SV version.

What, that seems too low? Check OnSale.com: that's where I bought it from. They have instant discounts on these NEC 2x90s, including a $250 instant discount on my LCD2690WUXi-SV. That suddenly found price incentive swayed me to buy this, even though the forthcoming DougleSight DS-265W (August sometime) will no doubt be a worthy successor to the previous model. I figured I'd know that I bought quality, and have no doubts. This instant discount is also why I got the SV option now: it turns out to be less than paying $987 and then $250 later on for the SV kit.

I believe MacMall owns/partners OnSale.com: they seem to have the LCD2690WUXi-SV at $1170, still a lot less than normal (example, the OP has the LCD2490WUXi non-SV at around $1200, or $30 more for a display missing SV and 2" smaller. Amazing).

Mine doesn't appear to have any dead pixels. I calibrated it once for "Broadcast" because that was the default, but need to understand more and do it again for the settings best for me.

I admit that I may have been better off saving $350 or so and buying the new DS-265W (although to be fair, $150 extra was for the SV option). What can I plead, but temporary insanity? :laugh:

The price incentive changed the delta from $600 to about $250 or less for getting an NEC over the DoubleSight (guessing that the new model will be $800 or so). I wonder what xtnight would recommend, given that ?

I urge folks to search on "albovin" to find his extended post, and then continue to see xtnight's informative response. Memory tells me it's around page 157 ?

I'm completely new to console gaming, and now want to buy a silver PS2 (I fondly remember playing the old Megaman games, and want to get the PS2 collection).

All I need to do is identify the video output of that device, and then buy an adapter cable if it's not DVI. I *think* it's component out, and that I can get a component-VGA or component-DVI adapter (Monoprice.com of course). Does anyone know for sure?

Who else uses consoles with this kind of NEC and how have they connected them? I'd appreciate any comments or perspective. I can try to answer questions too, I suppose. 😉

also sprach The Hosehead

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: BerlinCB
My head is about to explode from information overload.

With every single computer component I can pretty much dial in what I want to buy, but the exception is the LCD monitor. I've read the thread, done research, and am still confused.

Please help me out!

Background: I mostly play games, surf the net, and do homework on my system. My new system will have a blu-ray drive in it, so I will want to watch a few HD movies once it is up and running. So, mostly gaming and surfing, some blu-ray movie matching.

Price: $500 is the absolute most I want to pay, but if I can get a nice one for a lot less, I'm all about saving the benjamins.

Questions:

1.) I have a 19" Samsung Syncmaster 931B right now. Will going to a 22" or 24" make a huge difference? Only reason I'm thinking of upgrading it is my buddy needs a new monitor and it would kill two birds with one stone. I'd get a newer, bigger LCD, and he'd get my old to replace his dead one.

22" is 19" but wider, and 24" is a giant step-up in resolution and size.

2.) Given my needs, which panel type do you think would be best? I know for gaming TN's are tops, but if you're watching a blu-ray movie (probably just me watching it solo 90% of the time) would that make a difference?

It wouldn't make a giant difference. You'd probably rather save the money.

3.) My current LCD has no dead pixels. I think dead pixels, even just one, would drive me nuts. What is the best way to protect yourself against getting a panel with them, or is it just a crap shoot and you have no recourse?

I'm picky, buy expensive IPS panels and still have to deal with them but in all honesty they are not that bad most of the time. I have two on a 26" panel. There's no way to prevent yourself from getting them because a lot of the time they come that way out of the factory. And most dead pixel policies aren't very forgiving (6 or more, 8 or more, etc.) Sometimes you can arrange an exchange with the manufacturer to get a refurb to see if that's better. And sometimes you can just try refurbs repeatedly.

4.) Given the previous questions, which monitors would you recommend, and where would you recommend purchasing them?

Thank you in advance!

BerlinCB

P.S. - After all the research I did, the closest I came to making a decision on one was the BenQ G2400WD from newegg.com for $369.99.

That's a pretty good choice. Just keep in mind Newegg's policies aren't very forgiving. But I don't think you can get the BenQ anywhere better. Maybe Amazon.