What to look for when buying a MONITOR?

[goofy2000]

I don't wanna ruin my eyes because of low spec monitor...
What figures should I check before buying a monitor.
(is there a website that I can have a look at?)

Here are ma list and questions on them..

1. Larger sized monitors
They tend to have lower DP and higher resolutions, does that mean I'm always better off buying larger one (noname) than brand name smaller monitor?

2. Low dot pitch.
What does it mean to have low dot pitch? The lower the DP, the clearer?

3. High refresh rate at a given Res.
This is to reduce flickering, right?

4. Maximum resolution
The higher the max, the better quality?

5.Larger viewable area
So I can see bigger picture. I know that

6. Flat tube
Not sure of its benefit.. Is it easier on eyes?

7. Brand name
Personally, I don't think it's important if the spec is same..

 

[Wuming]

i think right now the "usual specs" people look for when searching for a new monitor would be at least 17 inch, with around 16 inch viewable, 0.25 to 0.27 dot pitch (finer resolution), at least 1024 * 768, but prefably up to 1280 * 1024 resolution, and a refresh rate of at least 60 hz at the maximum resolution you use. personally i don't think flat tube is really worth its price. hmm... brand names maybe important when it comes to reliability and customer service. i bought a never heard of brand monitor once, and its fuse blew after only 2 weeks of use. and i had to go through a whole lot of trouble to get it replaced. so where you buy it from is quite important as well. reputable sites like buy.com should be good... always check out the hot deals category in this forum for monitor deals as well.

 

[larrymoencurly]

Make sure the monitor isn't on fire.

I've been told that you should take a look at a 1280x1024 picture because a lot of monitors are fuzzy at that resolution, and it requires at least 120 MHz of bandwidth for a clear picture.

I've noticed that a perfectly flat screen gives a lot less glare than a screen that has even the slighest curvature.

 

[goofy2000]

..on fire?

umm.. what do you mean.. you mean whether it has been burnt?

Ah.. I didn't consider tha bandwidth.. thanks~

 

[subhuman]

It seems you have a pretty decent grasp already; You want the lowest dot pitch you can get usually, and (my opinion) 80Hz at the resolution you will be running at (any lower, and extended use will hurt your eyes and/or give you a headache.. some people have tolerance for less though, but any lower than 75Hz and I get a migrane which puts a damper on productivity to say the least). For a 17" monitor, I prefer to run 1024x768, so look for that resolution at 80Hz refresh. For a 19" monitor, I prefer to run 1280x1024, again 80Hz. For a 21", I prefer 1600x1200, 80Hz. My monitor does 1600x1200 @ 76Hz, which is acceptable, but I only use it in evenings (I stare at a nice 19" at work all day) at the time I bought it, it was $150 more for the model (P815) that would run 1600x1200 @ 85hz. It's a pain to sell a monitor, I would get less than half of what I paid for it, and it's expensive to ship. Advice: get a slightly better monitor than you may need to avoid ever thinking of selling it.

My personal taste goes STRONGLY towards Trinitron or Diamondtron tubes. These are the Sony and Mitsubishi tubes which are completely flat with no distortion at the edges. For this lack of distortion, and the extra crispness, better colors, and higher contrast, you pay with two VERY FINE lines which run horizontal across the display. These lines annoy some people, but they really only show up with a pure white screen. I avoid pure white anyway, (my anand stuff is all black backgrounds), as I hate looking into "a lite bulb."

Definitely test the monitor you're thinking of buying at a big store like BestBuy or Circuit City or something, at the resolution and refresh rate you plan on running at. You will want to note that the VIDEO card has a lot to do with the quality of the picture you see, so keep the video card consistant across comparisions. Also note that GEFORCE cards, and many NVIDIA cards (which I love, and use) have bad 2D at higher resolutions. The crispest video cards are the Radeon and the Matrox Gx00 cards, and would be IDEAL for testing the quality of a monitor. Since I don't game very often, the Matrox cards offer the best 2D, and I will eventually own a G450 or G400 DH (need a Wega first...)

Anyway, enough babble, what was the question again and did I answer any of it?

 

[AngelOfDeath]

When buying a monitor then look for the following:

1. The lower the dot pitch the better, it removes blurriness when operating the monitor in higher resolutions.

2. Be sure to get a monitor that can do at least 85Hz. I use this as a rule of thumb. a 15"@800x600, 17"@1024x768, 19"@1280x1024, 21"@1600x1200, and then I always look if the monitor can do more than those above since I most of the time use a higher res than the standard-res.

AoD

 

[LXi]

<<1. Larger sized monitors
They tend to have lower DP and higher resolutions, does that mean I'm always better off buying larger one (noname) than brand name smaller monitor?>>

Thats not right, larger monitors dont always have lower DP and higher resolutions. The DP is totally dependent on the type of tube it's using. And I can easily find a good 17&quot; monitor with higher resolution/refresh rate than a crappy 19&quot;.


<<2. Low dot pitch.
What does it mean to have low dot pitch? The lower the DP, the clearer?>>

Yes the lower the DP, the clearer. Dot pitch means the the distance between the nearest phosphor dots of the same color, thats called diagonal dot pitch since the 3 colors(Red, Green, Blue) are placed in a triangular shape. Straight lines of phosphor dots form a line of the same color, and from that line to the next line of the same color is defined as horizontal dot pitch. Blah! I cant explain it well enough, but if you look at this diagram, you'll understand. In case of Aperture Grille monitors(Trinitron, DiamondTron...), since they use wires as a mask. The wires are stretched vertically in a frame and the beams pass between the wires, so you measure it the same way you do with horizontal dot pitch, from a line of the same phospher color to the next one with the same color, look at this diagram to clarify what Im talking about.


<<3. High refresh rate at a given Res.
This is to reduce flickering, right?>>

Yes, the higher the refresh rate, the faster the monitor redraws itself in one second. So higher is more desirable, 85Hz is usually the number to shoot for.


<<4. Maximum resolution
The higher the max, the better quality?>>

Resolution has nothing to do with quality. Think of resolution as surface area, for example 800x600, think of it as 800 pixels across and 600 pixels down. The higher the resolution, the more pixels the monitor tube has to pump out, therefore higher resolutions capable monitors are generally a lot more &quot;powerful&quot;, to maintain a usable refresh rate at high resolution is even more difficult.


<<5.Larger viewable area
So I can see bigger picture. I know that>>

Generally with today's monitors, 15&quot;-13.8&quot;vis, 17&quot;-16&quot;vis, 19&quot;-18&quot;vis, 21&quot;-19.8~20&quot;vis, 22&quot;-20&quot;vis.


<<6. Flat tube
Not sure of its benefit.. Is it easier on eyes?>>

Easier on the eyes, less glare, better clarity, more realistic picture quality.


<<7. Brand name
Personally, I don't think it's important if the spec is same..>>

Its not a spec, but manufacturer generally determines whether you're going to get crappy service or good service. Most manufacturers have the same 3 year warranty, but everyone of the varies in terms RMA and repair policies, most manufacturers offer advance replacement programs, some dont, notably Sony.

 

[cyclistca]

Another suggestion. If you can try to go and see the monitor in person. I bought a new 17 inch monitor a few weeks ago so I just went through the whole experience. I went around to a whole pile of computer store look at various monitors before I purchase.

 

[slpaulson]

Right now the best name brands are probably sony, mitsubishi, and samsung.
I am using a viewsonic PF790 and I have been plenty happy with the quality. I believe it uses the mitsubishi flat tube.
I think you should defidently get yourself a nice flat monitor.

 

[nippyjun]

One important thing to consider also is the warrantee and return policy. These are very important for expensive purchases like this.

 

[Radboy]

I'd look for a something with a flat screen. I have the Iiyama VM Pro 450, which uses the Mitsubishi 'Naturally Flat' tube. Most family &amp; friends who stop by, remark about how good it looks. I think anything flat will rock.

 

[andri]

Flat monitors are the best. Right now when I sit behind a usual monitor my first words are &quot;ugh, what an ugly aquarium&quot;

Yes, ViewSonic rules

 

[jamarno]

Test the monitor with a stationary picture consisting of a black background and a test pattern made up of grid of vertical and horizontal lines, plus signs, or the letter &quot;H&quot; because this shows focus and color convergence (alignment) problems that will go unnoticed with most Windows screens. Don't use only a full-screen DOS box for this test because that will run the monitor at the slowest scan rates, and high-resolution focus problems may not appear then. The test pattern should be displayed not only in white but also violet because many convergence problems don't show up except in violet. Also test with the picture completely white and completely grey and at every sweep frequency in order to detect moire problems.

I don't like to run a monitor at its highest sweep frequencies because it stresses the sweep transistors and power supply more, so if I want to use a horizontal rate of 50 KHz and a vertical of 72 Hz all day I'll look for a monitor designed for at least 60 KHz horz and 85 Hz vert.

 

[Intol]

1. Larger sized monitors
They tend to have lower DP and higher resolutions, does that mean I'm always better off buying larger one (noname) than brand name smaller monitor?

In my opinion I'd go with a high quality smaller monitor than a lower quality larger monitor, but, that is just an opinion.

2. Low dot pitch.
What does it mean to have low dot pitch? The lower the DP, the clearer?

The lower the DP the sharper the image. The DP is a measurement of the space between the little dots the monitor shoots at the screen.

3. High refresh rate at a given Res.
This is to reduce flickering, right?

yes, higher refresh rate the better. The refresh rate is how many times the picture is drawn per second (hertz=second). 85Hz is flicker free, but i personally can't tell the difference between 75Hz and 85Hz.

4. Maximum resolution
The higher the max, the better quality?

the higher resolution, the more pixels can be fit on a screen. However, keep in mind that when you run your desktop higher than the standard resolution for the size of the monitor (ie, 17in is usually 1024x768)everything looks smaller because its squished into a smaller space.
5.Larger viewable area
So I can see bigger picture. I know that
you got it
6. Flat tube
Not sure of its benefit.. Is it easier on eyes?
its all around better quality, sharper, brighter, clearer, less glare, everything.
7. Brand name
Personally, I don't think it's important if the spec is same..

just make sure the warranty isn't nil

 

[Rigoletto]

Jamarno has some interesting stuff to say.
I neither like to use the highest refresh available at any resolution. Not only is it likely to stress the monitor more, but I don't need it.
I use 1024x768, no problems, @60Hz on my MAG trinitron. I used to use a Tatung shadow mask@56Hz. Mind you, I have to say that even a strobe light does not perturb me. Making generalistations about a minimum of 72Hz refresh is ridiculous, it's all individual. Have-you-perhaps-forgotten-that-people-were-using-TVs-of-50/60Hz-for-TV-and-computers-for-many-years-without-complaints ?

 

[tboo]

Also keep in mind some Monitor companies offer an advanced exchange warranty program included in the cost of the monitor(KDS, NEC/Mitsubishi)-others charge an addition amount of cash to get the advance exchange warranty(Viewsonic &amp; IIyama charge an additional $129)

 

[goofy2000]

umm.. what's advance exchange warranty?

 

[tboo]

Your monitor goes bad they ship a new one to you in 48 hours-when it arrives you have your busted one ready to ship back with the UPS/FedEX guy who delivers the new one(depends on the maker-some require that you pay for return shipping)-happened to my once with a KDS AV195T- damn sweet service!!

 

[rojay]

The way I've always seen it - go for Sony if you have the money, Viewsonic if you have less. I can't speak for Sony's return policy, but Viewsonic was more than happy to send me a replacement ASAP.

 

[DELUX]

The main things to look for are:
1)Brand
2)DP(dot pitch) between .24 and .27 are fine but the lower DP the better quality pictuere youll get.
3)Price Ive been noticing a trend lately that most mom and pop type store will sell the initial computer parts cheap but then screw you on the monitor go to Price Watch and check around for prices before settling.

Anyways I hope this helped you some good luck and have fun!

PS: Remember a good looking monitor will make even the crapyest video card look good.

 

[larrymoencurly]

Do any brands include advance exchange with free shipping both ways beyond the first year?

 

[Midnight Rambler]

KDS' Advanced Replacement is only free for the first 90 days. Also, I thought Viewsonic and Iiyama only charged $99, at least they did. That's not bad for a three year period, and I'm not aware of any similar 3 yr plan from KDS.

 

[tboo]

For 21inch monitors its 129 bucks-it varies by size. Mitsubishi/NEC offer a 3year advance exchange warranty similair to the KDS plan for no extra charge. My kds was returned well after the first 90 days and I didnt pay any shipping charges.

 

[lagvoid]

thanks for the help everyone
im planning on getting a new system so i need another monitor.

 

[Craze]

I just bought a Samsung 900NF and IMHO the extra $100 for a flat screen is worth it.