Returning my Westinghouse 37" LVM-37W3

[richd111]

OK, so I bought the westy mentioned in this thread:

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...&keyword1=westinghouse

The monitor is beautiful. The brightness is outstanding. The response time, ok.
The price, unbeatable. I just cannot get over how gorgeous things look on it.

Here's the problem. I play an FPS called Unreal Tournament 2004. It is VERY fast paced. When playing on this monitor, while I wouldn't call it ghosting, there is definitely a noticeable "lag" that I detect. After 60 days of playing with this monitor, I still have not gotten used to it. The other "knock" against the monitor is the fact that it is 1900x1080 only.

To complicate matters, I have my trusted FW900 sitting next to it. Best CRT ever made. It probably needs a good calibration, but it's chugging along nicely, and is smooth as buttah at 1900x1200. And it can go plenty higher than that once I get a card to drive it higher.

So what do you guys think? Will I get used to it if I give it more time? If I haven't gotten used to it by now I should return it? Anything LCD wise out there now or coming down the pike worth looking at that will rival my FW900? What's the response time I should be looking for?

There have been so many glowing reviews out there of the westy. So many so that it makes me question my judgements a little. But I can't help think that some of these folks are looking through rose colored glasses, coming from something so much worse to begin with that they can't make a proper comaprison, or just happy with the bragging rights of gaming on a 37" monitor.

So what do you guys think?

Thanks for your consideration.

Rich

 

[RussianSensation]

Well you won't have this problem when Unreal Tournament 2007 comes out and you'll be lucky enough to get smooth 60FPS at 1920x1080 4AA/16AF. And with the 2007 version, 2004 should be put away for good.

Is that the only game that bothers you?

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

If your a hardcore gamer stay away from LCD's. Things are getting better but no LCD has yet to equal a quality CRT in terms of lag.

 

[Looney]

I gave away my Sony GDM-FW900 as soon as i got a Dell 24" monitor.

 

[richd111]

Originally posted by: Looney
I gave away my Sony GDM-FW900 as soon as i got a Dell 24" monitor.

Ahh, but it really matters what you play. If you are playing something really fast paced, where you're always running, turning, shooting, it can be very noticable.

If you're playing a game where you can only run for short distances, snipe, or move slowly in general, you're probably going to be thrilled to death.

UT is really the ONLY game I play, so if I'm not satisfied with its performance, then nothing else really matters I guess.

Rich

 

[n7]

Hey rich, what's the name you play under in UT2k4?

If you have Xfire, add n7dgs.

I suspect the reason for your problems is this:

37": Westinghouse LVM-37W3, 1920x1080p (16:9)

* Panel: S-MVA (CMO V370H1); true 8-bit, 16.7M colors
* Image Delay (rt+lag, estimated): High (40 ms)
* Specifications: Westinghouse LVM-37W3
* HDCP Compliant: Yes
* Price: ~$1,100 USD

That's taken from the stickied LCD thread atop this forum.
Seems to me like that TV LCD is less than ideal for fast paced gaming.

I suspect you'd be much happier with a 24" LCD TBH.

 

[Dman877]

I had the previous gen 37 inch westy and I play UT2004 almost exclusively as well. Never noticed any ghosting or lag whatsoever.

 

[richd111]

I play under DW>Toxic Waste of Death Warrant.

Like I said, I don't think it's excessive lag, or what I would call ghosting. It's just not as smooth as the FW900. And maybe it doesn't bother the majority of people out there, but it bothers me. I guess I just wanted to hear a few more opinions.

I might just hold off until my FW900 dies. Maybe by then there will be an LCD cabable of 19x12 or greater with no discernable lag.

Rich

 

[heyheybooboo]

You should trash that FW900 . . I'd be glad to take it off your hands

You've been spoiled. The refresh rate on the Sony is top-notch. There is no LCD panel that can come close to matching it. Future LCDs promise faster response and if they delver on their promises they still will not be as fast as the FW900!

I've got a Westy W4207. In terms of quality/price it can't be beat. I think it would be hard for you to replace the 37" Westy and substantially improve picture quality and gaming performance in a similar model.

 

[Sonikku]

Huh. I use the FW900 and people act like I'm crazy when I say I prefer "tubes" over "LCD's". Maybe it's just my tube isn't represenitive of the technology in general.

 

[lopri]

New LCD panels will be out in not-so-distant future. Can't say much how affordable they will be at introduction, though.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: OneOfTheseDays
If your a hardcore gamer stay away from LCD's. Things are getting better but no LCD has yet to equal a quality CRT in terms of lag.

QFT. LCD lag is a real problem, and all LCDs have it, to some extent. I imagine that many TV-style monitors might have more lag.

Btw. richd111, PM me. If you're getting rid of it, I'm looking for a Westy.

 

[SuinusLatinus]

Originally posted by: OneOfTheseDays
If your a hardcore gamer stay away from LCD's. Things are getting better but no LCD has yet to equal a quality CRT in terms of lag.

Same here.

Yesterday I returned my brand new Samsung 226BW. It was a fine monitor but the overall feeling is that LCD is (still) not as good as a good CRT (for gaming).

The main point in my decision was finding out that I can't live without pixel mapping and aspect ratio scaling.

I know, I know, the nVidia cards can do that on any monitor. But I won't/can't spend the money on the monitor and on a new card.

And then other little things started to annoy me in this monitor/technology.

- The 60 fps limit if I activate VSync. I'm used to a 100Hz/100fps experience with my CRT (at 1600:1200 I'm able to go to 75Hz/75fps with VSync). I could deactivate VSync but I don't like image tearing and what's the point of having a card that, amongst other things, can give me 100+ fps on most games if I can't use it?

- Less true colors than a CRT. Maybe it's all in my mind but I think I really notice the dithering and banding (maybe the fact that I got a C panel helped...).

On the end I started thinking that I was making a downgrade instead of a upgrade. I hope LCDs advance and become really better than CRTs because I really like the 16:10 view area (as long as it can give me a 4:3 image as well). Now, they're only just as good or even not as good in some areas.

When we have affordable 100Hz LCDs with 8bit color, then I'll make the jump. I only hope my fateful CRT lasts that long

ps: I'm talking from a gamer's perspective. For some other uses, I think LCDs are already better than CRTs. But I'm first a gamer, then the other boring stuff

 

[Creig]

Originally posted by: richd111
But I can't help think that some of these folks are looking through rose colored glasses, coming from something so much worse to begin with that they can't make a proper comaprison, or just happy with the bragging rights of gaming on a 37" monitor.

So what do you guys think?

As Sonikku said, you're used to the video quality coming from one of the very best CRT monitors ever made. There are very few (if any) LCDs of any price that can equal it. Somebody coming from a middle-of-the-pack monitor would probably have been completely thrilled by all aspects of the 37" Westinghouse as it would have represented an improvement in all categories. But not someone used to a CRT with an original MSRP of $2500.



You might as well just face facts:

You've been spoiled by the WS Trinitron's quality and won't be be happy downgrading to an LCD.

 

[richd111]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I re-hooked up my FW900 a couple of weeks ago, and I'm much happier

The westy goes back. It really depresses me a bit becuase it really was so bright and so beautiful.

I sure hope in the next 2-3 years there are some real breakthroughs in LCD tech.

Rich

 

[exdeath]

I went from a 5 year old Sony GDM-F500R 21" FD (2048x1536 @ 85 hrz, .22mm AGP, later renamed to F520) to my 37" Westinghouse and have had no regrets. With that monitor I was already used to the level of sharpness that everyone else had only discovered with LCD.

I knew before I got the LCD that nothing will ever compare to that particular CRT, but then thats like expecting todays Camry and Accord to be equal to a Ferrari of the 90s.

I just decided that LCD was far enough along that some compromise was finally within range of being acceptable.