Should i buy a new monitor?

[d1abolic]

Well, i currently have a 19" ViewSonic monitor. I want to upgrade to a 21," mainly because i'm getting into graphics and i need a larger monitor and higher resolution. 19" might not sound that bad, but mine can only go as high up as 1152x864 at 100Hz. I know most people can't even see the difference between 75 and 85, but i can see flicker at 85 on this monitor, so i have to stick with 100, and the low res that comes with it.

Anyway, the monitor i want to buy is the SONY G520, which goes up to 1600x1200 (or even higher?) at 85Hz. Yes, 85 - and that's my problem. I wouldn't even consider it, but the thing is that in an earlier post of mine, someone who owns both a ViewSonic and a SONY mentioned that flicker is visible on the ViewSonic at 85Hz, but not on the SONY. So i'm thinking it could be a monitor thing, and maybe i won't see any flicker on the SONY.

But, what if i do? Then what? Could someone tell me a way to maybe test the monitor at home before buying it? And i live in Canada, so to get the best deal, i have to have it shipped from the US. So buying from a Canadian store really isn't an option, and paying for shipping it back to US if i don't like it isn't either. The only way i can think of right now is to buy it from a Canadian store, test it out, return it even if i do like it, and then just order from the US once i know it's what i want.

Or, i could go with a monitor from iiYama, which can do 1600x1200x100. I would, but the monitor looks just bad from the outside. I can't stare for hours every day at something that looks bad.

 

[Kadarin]

There aren't any stores near you that stock this thing so that you can go there and look at the screen at your desired resolution to check for flicker?

 

[d1abolic]

I can only see the flicker at home in a completely dark room. I don't think it would be visible at all in a brightly lit store.

 

[Jarwa]

Don't buy a POS KDS. I have to stare at one for 8 hours a day (at work, of course), and it's KILLIN me!!! Looks like a blurry fishbowl.

 

[Chaotic42]

Yeah, the flickering on my Viewsonic P95f bothers me at 1600x1200. For some reason, Windows won't go above 85, even though the monitor can do 92.

I want 120Hz+ at 1600x1200!

 

[Zim Hosein]

d1abolic, I'm currently running a 19" Sony G400 and from someone who has "sensative" eyes, the refresh rate on a Sony monitor is much more bearable than I've seen on other brand monitors. Just my opinion, hope this helps

 

[thEnEuRoMancER]

I have a Sony F520 and there's no flicker at 1600x1200@85. Don't know if Sony G520 has the same tube and electronics though.

 

[d1abolic]

Hmm i seriously wanna buy this monitor. I just found out that my home theater room won't be ready for months, so i need a new toy. All work and no play... you know how it goes

 

[d1abolic]

Ideas?

 

[chickendinner]

I am an NEC fan. maybe you should look at one of those.

 

[bmacd]

KDS=refurbished sonys? i thought that's what we were told when i worked at BB and staples.

-=bmacd=-

 

[d1abolic]

Wow, really? Which models?

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Yeah, the flickering on my Viewsonic P95f bothers me at 1600x1200. For some reason, Windows won't go above 85, even though the monitor can do 92.

I want 120Hz+ at 1600x1200!

You need to DL the drivers from Viewsonic if you want any resolutions and refresh rates above Windows defaults.
Also, have any of you complaining about flickering at high res'es considered that your video card might be at fault? Very few vid cards out there are capable of supporting the bandwidth required for 1600*1200*32@120Hz.

 

[amnesiac]

I have a KDS 195TF monitor.. doing 1600x1200 @ 85hz with zero flicker.
I can't bear to use a monitor with 75hz, it hurts my eyes instantly, though no one I know can tell the difference.

 

[manly]

I run a 19" monitor at 1152x864 (91 Hz refresh I think), which I believe *is* the optimal resolution with current operating systems. I don't know of any operating systems that have widgets and standard text fonts that scale appropriately for 1600x1200 resolution on a 19" CRT. Even 1600x1200 on a 21" CRT is slightly pushing it (not from a quality standpoint for a great monitor, but again from tiny widgets).

Don't current ultra-sharp UXGA LCDs on high-end notebooks in particular suffer the same scaling problem?

I personally am waiting until I can upgrade to a 20+" LCD, which will take a number of years to become mass-market and affordable.

 

[StageLeft]

No don't bother.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: PSYWVic

You need to DL the drivers from Viewsonic if you want any resolutions and refresh rates above Windows defaults.
Also, have any of you complaining about flickering at high res'es considered that your video card might be at fault? Very few vid cards out there are capable of supporting the bandwidth required for 1600*1200*32@120Hz.

Heh, the 120Hz thing was kind of a joke

My video card supports 120Hz at 1600x1200 up to 16bit color, then it drops to 100hz at 32bit. My monitor can't even do 100. Thanks for the driver info.

 

[Linux23]

ever consider an LCD flat panel. zero flicker for me. but then again, it does have slight ghosting issues.

 

[RossMAN]

I would go with this 19" LCD before getting a 21" CRT.

 

[Harvey]

... flicker is visible on the ViewSonic at 85Hz

I doubt that unless you have it set to interlaced scan or your monitor is malfunctioning. I seriously think you have other problems with your setup.

What model is your ViewSonic? My 19" G790 is spec'd at 1600 x 1200 @ 75Hz and 1280 x 1024 @ 95Hz, and it's nails!

I suggest one basic rule -- Never buy any monitor until you see it working. Better yet, view as many of your possible choices side by side, and follow these steps:

1. Ask the salesperson to show each one connected directly to the computer's video output. Except for the best active distribution boxes, almost all of them distort and degrade the picture.

2. Set the display for the highest resolution you want to view, center the picture, and adjust each monitor so each edge of the picture is about 1/10th inch inside the bezel.

3. Adjust all geometry controls for the straightest edges with good 90 deg. rectangularity. Pay particular attention to the top edge. On many monitors, the picture appears to sag, there, and there is no adjustment for it. It would need the equivalent a of top/bottom pincushion balance adjustment. If you can't get them all straight and parallel, forget it.

4. Look for color fringes along hard color blocks, especially near the edges of the screen. For example, look at the dividing lines of the Windoze tool bar at the top or the sytem trey at the bottom. With a shadow mask tube, this is misconvergance, but I have seen it on "tron" tubes, too. Some monitors have an adjustment for that.

Personally, I prefer the look of a good shadow mask CRT. "Trons," including superflats, appear a little concave to me, an effect that happens to bother me a lot.

5. If possible, buy the monitor locally. Except for the ride to your place, whatever is going to happen to mis-align it during shipping has already happened, and your recourse for exchange, etc. is local. You can't save enough money to be worth the hassle when you need the help.

6. At the price you'll pay for the monitor you descibe, you'd better be rich enough to afford the indulgence, or it better make you more money than it will cost, because cost it will.

Good luck.

 

[GingerSynapse]

What an excellent post, Harvey!

(Biting my tongue to prevent myself from making a Wounded Monitor Children remark!)

 

[Harvey]

(Biting my tongue to prevent myself from making a Wounded Monitor Children remark!)

I coined the expression (really). When all the kiddies were ranting about driving down to Buy.com's headquarters in Mission Viejo, Ca., I posted a thread on Russ's forum with the title, Wounded Monitor Children Storm Castle Buycomp (an alternate name for buy.com), and the name stuck.

OTOH... wounded, hell! When others were militating about starting a class action suit, I posted that half of each transaction took place on each person's desktop, so the best action would be to file a small claims action in every locality.

It worked. I believe everyone who filed a small claims action got a settlement. Mine was my ViewSonic G790. The class action warriors were right, and they won, too, but it took well over a year, by then, many of them had dropped out of sight, and the lawyers ate a big chunk of it.

Do you want that tongue sandwhich on rye with mustard?

 

[LiLRiceBoi]

Good post Harvey! Those are definatly some important things to remember when picking a monitor.

 

[hollowman]

KDS=refurbished sonys? i thought that's what we were told when i worked at BB and staples.

KDS is rebadged sony not refurb

KDS Avitrons use Sony Trinitron Tubes. i have no problem running my 19inch avitron @ 1600x 1200 with 85mhz. though i run at 1280 x 1024.

 

[GingerSynapse]

Originally posted by: Harvey

(Biting my tongue to prevent myself from making a Wounded Monitor Children remark!)

I coined the expression (really). When all the kiddies were ranting about driving down to Buy.com's headquarters in Mission Viejo, Ca., I posted a thread on Russ's forum with the title, Wounded Monitor Children Storm Castle Buycomp (an alternate name for buy.com), and the name stuck.

OTOH... wounded, hell! When others were militating about starting a class action suit, I posted that half of each transaction took place on each person's desktop, so the best action would be to file a small claims action in every locality.

It worked. I believe everyone who filed a small claims action got a settlement. Mine was my ViewSonic G790. The class action warriors were right, and they won, too, but it took well over a year, by then, many of them had dropped out of sight, and the lawyers ate a big chunk of it.

Do you want that tongue sandwhich on rye with mustard?

You should write a satirical book about this, Harvey. You do have the wry tongue for it.