new monitor advice

[pangea]

I currently am using an old CRT monitor that works fine, but I'd like to upgrade.  What type of monitor is best for AH?  I think I recall earlier posts that stated that a CRT monitor was better than an LCD monitor for AH due to better refresh rates.  Is this true?  What are pros and cons of each?

Thanks!

[Max]

What size CRT are you using? How big do you want to go? What the the specs of your system...CPU? memory? vid card?

CRT's are cheap...that's the good news. The bad news is they're heavy, take up a lot of desk space and will be receiving less and less support from manufacturers, as flat panels are cheap and prevelent.

LCD's are getting cheaper and better. Single digit response rates are the norm now. 19" LCD's can be found between $200 - $300. I just grabbed a 24" Gateway 1920 x 1200 res flat screen from Best Buy for $450 as they didn't have the Samsung Syncmaster 24" (great reviews on NewEgg) which was on sale for $429.

Keep in mind, once you get into the larger (over 20 inch) flat panels, you need to check and see what your vid card will support in terms of resolutions. So as to maximize my screen size, I run AH at a resolution of 1280 x 1024, which I also believe is the optimum res.

All in all, if you need a new monitor, flat panels are the way yo go, as long as your hardware will support it.

[Tigger29]

The old versions of LCD were nothing compared to CRTs, but they have come a long way.

I have a 19" Hanns-G LCD, I paid $160 a few years back for... still working perfectly.  (You can get the equivalent for about $100 these days).

It has a 8ms response time (In the case of LCD's, the lower, the better).  I would not get anything higher than 8ms.  They have them as low as 2ms now.

Refresh rate is not important to LCD's.  This is the number of times the screen gets "redrawn" every second, so with CRT's a higher refresh rate is better.  LCD's are rated in "response time", due to the difference in how they work.

I have no desire to go back to a CRT.  The LCD has a brighter, clearer, less distorted picture.  The colors are much better, and it fills up the entire screen!  I also don't get the "headaches" I used to get looking at a CRT for long periods of time.

My ONLY problem with the LCD is very slight blurring in a GV gunsite in full zoom while rapidly scrolling across.  This is only a minor annoyance and took every bit of a couple days to get used to.  A lower response time I'm sure will correct this, as 8ms is actually pretty high these days.

Also keep in mind, monitors are measured in diagonal tube diameter (top left corner to bottom right corner).  CRT's tube overlap the case by as much of 3/4", as the edges of CRT tubes are so distorted you wouldn't want to use the full size anyway.  LCD screens fit inside the case and can use every part of the screen without distortion.  As a result, for example, a 17" LCD is almost the same size as a 19" CRT.

My vote goes to LCD.

[Getback]

Originally posted by Tigger29
The old versions of LCD were nothing compared to CRTs, but they have come a long way.

I have a 19" Hanns-G LCD, I paid $160 a few years back for... still working perfectly.  (You can get the equivalent for about $100 these days).

It has a 8ms response time (In the case of LCD's, the lower, the better).  I would not get anything higher than 8ms.  They have them as low as 2ms now.

Refresh rate is not important to LCD's.  This is the number of times the screen gets "redrawn" every second, so with CRT's a higher refresh rate is better.  LCD's are rated in "response time", due to the difference in how they work.

I have no desire to go back to a CRT.  The LCD has a brighter, clearer, less distorted picture.  The colors are much better, and it fills up the entire screen!  I also don't get the "headaches" I used to get looking at a CRT for long periods of time.

My ONLY problem with the LCD is very slight blurring in a GV gunsite in full zoom while rapidly scrolling across.  This is only a minor annoyance and took every bit of a couple days to get used to.  A lower response time I'm sure will correct this, as 8ms is actually pretty high these days.

Also keep in mind, monitors are measured in diagonal tube diameter (top left corner to bottom right corner).  CRT's tube overlap the case by as much of 3/4", as the edges of CRT tubes are so distorted you wouldn't want to use the full size anyway.  LCD screens fit inside the case and can use every part of the screen without distortion.  As a result, for example, a 17" LCD is almost the same size as a 19" CRT.

My vote goes to LCD.

And don't forget the huge savings on desk space.

[wabbit]

I picked up an Acer 22" last january and I love it. Right now Mwave has them for $215.00. You might find it cheaper at other sites, so check them.

here's the link:

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch.hmx?SCriteria=4128426&CartID=done&nextloc=

On any lcd monitor don't let the response rate go slower then 5ms, or you'll get blurring in motion.

With a wide-screen monitor, the other problem is not being able to see the bottom of the cockpit. I solved that by setting the 'Antenna' wheel on my cougar to lower my view and it works just fine for when I have to look down into the cockpit.



Wabbit
Rolling Thunder

[rogerdee]

i just got a 26inch lcd tv that can be used as a pc monitor,but my graphics card don't like it so  be careful.

i am using the dvi to mdni connection or whatever its called. the screen looks great for everything normal but wont play ces high which was one of the main reasons i got it ,apaprt from saving space

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Originally posted by rogerdee
i just got a 26inch lcd tv that can be used as a pc monitor,but my graphics card don't like it so  be careful.

i am using the dvi to mdni connection or whatever its called. the screen looks great for everything normal but wont play ces high which was one of the main reasons i got it ,apaprt from saving space

You got struck by DRM probably. You should have bought a TV with a DVI input. HDMI is neutered by your friends at MPAA.

[mipoikel]

Originally posted by rogerdee
i just got a 26inch lcd tv that can be used as a pc monitor,but my graphics card don't like it so  be careful.

i am using the dvi to mdni connection or whatever its called. the screen looks great for everything normal but wont play ces high which was one of the main reasons i got it ,apaprt from saving space

I think you have to manually edit AH video-cfg filke to get right resolution for it. Many LCD TVs are quite bad with PC:s even if they say it is "supported" for PC...


I have LG L2000CN 20" (1600x1200) monitor and if I wouldnt play AH, I would throw it away...

[humble]

Its important to know the native resolution for the "TV" monitor as well as ensuring it has both DVI and HDMI inputs. I have a 37" sceptre 1080P (currently in bedroom since its to big for my home office) that works great with a PC.

[rogerdee]

i got a dvi to hdm1 adaptor
the screen works fine for a pc

it does everything else i got a new good graphics card that does dvi  and hmdi settings,
but  i cant get it to play aces high?

any suggestions?

[Krusty]

Well... Supposedly ( ) we're getting a hefty tax refund here in the USA, and it's got me wondering about a better monitor.


My current LCD is bright, and big, but blurs horribly (26ms response time, I believe).

I'm looking for a 3:4 ratio screen if possible (I don't like widescreen), with a decent refresh rate and some resolution larger than 1280x1024 (what I have now).

I believe the next standard up would be 1600x1280, can anybody confirm that?

It can be 17, 18, or 19 inches. I'm not against 20" but I don't want it to be too large. It has to sit on a desk next to my existing LCD. I don't want speakers on the monitor.



Anybody got any suggestions? I'm looking for something I can play AH on.

[mipoikel]

Originally posted by Krusty
Well... Supposedly ( ) we're getting a hefty tax refund here in the USA, and it's got me wondering about a better monitor.


My current LCD is bright, and big, but blurs horribly (26ms response time, I believe).

I'm looking for a 3:4 ratio screen if possible (I don't like widescreen), with a decent refresh rate and some resolution larger than 1280x1024 (what I have now).

I believe the next standard up would be 1600x1280, can anybody confirm that?

It can be 17, 18, or 19 inches. I'm not against 20" but I don't want it to be too large. It has to sit on a desk next to my existing LCD. I don't want speakers on the monitor.



Anybody got any suggestions? I'm looking for something I can play AH on.

Try to find a good 20" 1600 x 1200 monitor. There are not many choices left anymore and they are more expensive than widescreen models.

I have LG L2000CN , and playing AH with 1600x1200 resolution is the only reason I keep this. I just dont like it in other use, photoshop etc.