Which big monitor @ Dell.com to buy

[HardWired]

That's where I've got credit, so that's where I've got to do business at the moment.

From this link:

21" and over CRT's on dell.com

which one would you buy...and why??

Thanks for all the opinions that I hope are to follow....


P.S. I don't want to even look at a LCD. I have one now and while it's nice, I miss the warmth and true color reproduction of a CRT.

 

[HardWired]

I know...I can do a search of the forums and see lots of opinions on different CRT's, but I was hoping for a least a little discussion on the particular 21"+ monitors that Dell sells.

How about their own Dell brand P1130? Does anyone own that one? That's got to be a rebadged name brand doesn't it? I entered that into the forum search engine and came up with nothing.

 

[Oakenfold]

Stick with a trinitron tube, also heard those diamondtrons?(mitusubishi I think) are pretty good as well.
Make sure it's flat, .24 or under, shouldn't need much res over 1600x1200(I can't run too many games playable anywhere near that).

I got the Sony E540, was going to go with the next up but really didn't need the extra resolution or the fancy controls or connectors.
Those add quite a bit to larger 21"'ers.
If you wait for a sale you should be able to pickup the e540 for 400.00 or under.
Quite a deal IMO.
There's a guy in the forums that runs dual dell 21" I think.
You might want to search in HOT deals under DELL or 21"

 

[Ardan]

I haven't seen many 21" or over monitors in real life, but I have to agree with Oakenfold on that one. Trinitron or Mitsubishi's DiamondTron is probably your best bet. The only real difference between Trinitron and DiamondTron is the fact that Trinitron uses 3 guns for the seperate RGBs and DiamondTron uses only one. I am searching for a 19" Screen and I might settle on an NEC FE991SB, it uses SuperBright DiamondTron technology, has a flat tube, and has the excellent picture of a Trinitron.
I don't know which 21" ones are the best, but I think you should be able to narrow it down by what Oakenfold's advice was, and the fact that Dell makes very good monitors

 

[Jadow]

get the NEC/Mitsu. They are da'bomb and you don't get reamed in the price.

 

[coomarlin]

I got a 19" Viewsonic VG191b LCD flat screen monitor and it rocks. Paired with a Radeon 9700 it's awesome for gaming. Much better than my old 17" LCD.

 

[thorin]

What are you going to use it for?

Thorin

 

[Oakenfold]

Originally posted by: thorin
What are you going to use it for?

Thorin

That's really the main thing,

Thorin is right.

Sorry was asleep this morning, tell us what you are going to use this thing for...That will help in determining what kind of Res you need or should look for.

 

[HardWired]

I use my computer for just average daily use. Nothing business related. Web surfing, gaming, and I shoot famliy pics with a digital camera and use Photoshop to edit them. I own a dying KDS 21" Avitron, so I know I definetly want to stick with an apeture grill tube, not shadow mask, but which one has left me wonderng.

I've been trying out a Planar 19" LCD, and while the picture is vibrant, it's cold feeling and I know it doesn't reproduce "true" colors like a CRT does. And I don't like being stuck at a particular resolution. Those two reasons plus several others, are pulling me back to a CRT. And it's got to be 21".

Is the Dell P1130 a rebadged Sony, because I know they don't actually "make" monitors...they just put their name on other companies stuff.? What about the NEC 22" FP2141SB? Is the SB the Super Bright that's being referred too? It looks like I don't have to pay much more (actually less in a couple of cases) for that extra inch with the NEC. Is that one any good?

I owned a Sony 17" back 6 or 7 years ago (when Sony was king) but I know there's some good stiff competition out there now and I'm wondering if someone else (on Dell's site) is making a better AG tube, or if I should just go back to Sony.

If like Ardan says, the difference between Trinitron and DiamondTron tubes (other than the mfg.)is that Trinitron uses 3 guns for the seperate RGBs and DiamondTron uses only one, wouldn't 3 guns shooting the image make for a better overall image? Kind of like how s-video seperates the chromanance and luminance to give a better picture?

I know I can search the web for reviews...but I like getting real world opinions from users like ya'll.

Thanks again for taking the time to discuss it a bit with me

 

[JackBurton]

I owned a Sony 17" back 6 or 7 years ago (when Sony was king) but I know there's some good stiff competition out there now and I'm wondering if someone else (on Dell's site) is making a better AG tube, or if I should just go back to Sony.

I HIGHLY recommend the Sony CPD-G520P! I have the G500 and it is the best computer investment I've ever made. I love that thing! But it cost me a grand when I bought it. I think it is a steal at $688.

 

[HardWired]

Thanks JackBurton, I'll take yours and the others comments into consideration. It looks like the Dell brand P1130 is out. It's a rebadged low-end Sony and I want something that'll do better than 1600x1200.

So it looks like I'm down to the Sony G520P, the NEC 2141SB, or the Mitsubishi 2070SB. What's the deal with the NEC and Mitsu.? They are both the exact same hardware (I think) with just different names stamped on them. Is that their way of penetrating/saturating the market?

BTW..I'll be driving this new monitor with a Radeon 9800 Pro and it'll do 2048x1536 @ 85Hz, so that's one of my reasons for wanting a higher res. than 1600x1200. I know I won't usually go past 1600x1200 but on the rarest of occasions, but it's still nice to have the option since the video card will push it.

Sony or NEC/Mitsu.? Sony Or NEC/Mitsu.? What do I choose? What do I choose?

Do I just do the old blindfold and a dartboard thing? And is Sony still the king when it comes to AG tubes...or are they just surviving on their past, with the NEC's and Mitsubishi's as the new kings of the hill and I just don't know any better?

Also, am I doing myself a disservice by not even considering the Samsung or Viewsonic models? They both offer greater than 1600x1200 res., but they both have a .25 mm dot pitch as compared to .24 mm on the three I've narrowed it down to.

Plus, I can't hardly find any reviews on any of these three (well, a couple on the Sony) to be able to make an informed decision.

Is there anyone reading this that is better than me at doing advanced Web searching that can come up with a few reviews on these three?

 

[Wag]

so that's one of my reasons for wanting a higher res. than 1600x1200

What are you going to use higher resolutions for? I just got my Philips 202p4 ($455@Newegg), which uses the same flat tube as the Mits, and can handle 2048x1536 @ 80Hz. I tried that res, and it's fairly clear, but I don't see myself ever using it. I run my desktop at 1600 x 1200/100Hz.

 

[HardWired]

The higher the res. (I use a Olympus C-5050 which has a max res of 2560x1920) the better for having them professionally developed on photo paper. So there are *some* times when I'll go higher than 1600x1200. And there's nothing worse than having to slide a pic around on your screen to see it all. So usually while 1600x1200 is sufficient, there's no reason to limit yourself.

As far as text.... no. If any of you have a video card and monitor that supports 2048x1536 (like my 9800 Pro and this dying old KDS AV-21TF), you know that it's an almost impossible res. to use for reading anything. You almost have to push your nose right up on the glass to read text at that res it's so small. Even with healthy eyes and excellent vision.

 

[peter7921]

go with the sony, you can't go wrong with them. I will be purchasing a Sony CPD G420s soon. I wish i could afford the 21 inch. lol

 

[HardWired]

Actually after reading what I can online, the Sony line is overated lately and many aren't happy with the fuzzy text, and poor quality control... among onther things. I believe I've narrowed it down to the Mitsubishi 2070SB. From what I can read online, it is "the bomb"!!

If anyone has any first-hand experience with the 2070Sb, please chime in.

Thanks for the discussion...

 

[AthlonXP]

Get a Matrox Parhelia Video card and three Sony 24inch FD-Trinitron CRT's.

 

[HardWired]

Get a life...and a better sense of humor....if that's what you were trying to impart.