New LCD Options??
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- mg330
What is this, like 0 for 8 now???
- k0na_an0k0
HAHA. I know man. I'll run it past the wifey and try to make it down but we leave I think 8am on Saturday from Ohare.
What time do you think you guys will go on?
- mg330
11 or something. headlining. not even played or practiced in the last month and this will be the "test" show for seeing how well we do by each of us taking the stage clutching a bottle of red wine.
- k0na_an0k0
NICE!
haha!
- monNom0
those Acers use TN panels (6 bit per channel)
I think if you're going to be doing any graphics work, the 6bit dithering will end up being a sore spot.
most 6it panels will say 16.2 million colours (as opposed to 16.7 M in 8bit {like your Planar}). they can actually display 262,144 colours without dithering so it's a bit of a fudged number.
it can be really hard to find out what panel type a particular monitor uses. your best bet is to look for a review once you find one you like and see if they say. IPS, MVA or PVA
are all 8bit, high quality panels. I'd recommend getting a 19" with one of those over the big shitty one.
- mg330
Interesting... thanks for posting.
I already ordered the Acer but if it's not up to snuff then I'll return it and get something that's 8bit.
- mg330
OK, so I cancelled that order, especially do the fact that it was on backorder after I ordered and there were NO RETURNS on that item.
Going to look at Dells and Samsungs when I know I should just bite the bullet and get the 20" Planar that's 1" larger than my 19" at work. Love this monitor.
- monNom0
if you go dell, make sure its from the 'ultrasharp' lineup. their other lines use lower quality panels.
your best bet is to walk into a store and see the monitor in person. Wallpapers or photos may not show the limitations of a panel. If possible, open the colour picker in photoshop and look for aberations, or colour shifting/banding. a budget panel will jump out as inadequate in that test.
- mg330
Here's a little update.
I got the Dell last week, after reading many stories about Dell doing a panel lottery and buyers not knowing whether or not they will receive a PVA or an S-IPS panel (with S-IPS considered superior to PVA).
Well, I got the S-IPS on the first try. 20" Widescreen is excellent, just like you guys said. Love the widescreen, it is in fact as tall as my 19" CRT but the widescreen rules.
Now...
These Dells are known for bad gradient banding as well as a flaw with the DVI connection. It actually looks better with VGA.
But the more bad reviews of the 2007wfp and better reviews I read of other monitors convince me I need to send this back and go with Viewsonic or Samsung.
I just can't get it to look the way I need it to. Just as bad, video stalls on it for some reason. I've got updated drivers and all that, so I"m kind of perplexed.
Further, the portrait mode doesn't even work because the right driver doesnt' exist. That sucks. Why can't Dell have the driver instead of my graphics card maker?
Anyhow, just wanted to share my woes with it.
My Planar at work, which somoeone pointed out is a TN type LCD panel, is sich a better picture than the Dell. It's crazy.
- ETM0
For home, I went with the Samsung 215tw.
Nice price, 8-bit panel, 21" widescreen, multiple inputs PIP.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Pr…
Works great, nice viewing angles, adjustable height. The only downside is that the stand is a little flimsy for the size of monitor, but hasn't caused any real probs yet.
- mg330
ETM do you have any knowledge of what type of panel it uses?
I knew nothing of the different types until I started researching LCDs.
The Samsungs might have PVA's but I can't remember.
- ETM0
It's TFT/PVA.
It's the whole package that matters, I wouldn't get too caught up with S-IPS or PVA issue as there are other factors including other hardware components, software, firmware that contribute to the overall image quality. Also, keep in mind there are few panel manufacturers in the world and most brands including Dell and Apple are using LG or Samsung panels in their products.
I shop the same way as you, researching a lot and comparing. I find the danger in that is sometimes no product looks good then, as I won't compromise. The flip side is I sometimes spend more than I need for specs that look good on paper, but don't have the performance increases/advantages the price premium warrants.
Personally, I don't mail order more than I need to so that I can demo, and if need be, return any items I am not happy with quickly and easily. I just exchanged the LCD I bought for my wife 3 times after Christmas becauase the higher specs didn't always equal best visual performance in real world use.
As a last note, if you are interested in Samsung, only go for for the "T" series models. If you want the hardcore professional LCD models, then Eizo products are the way to go, but I think they are usually not worth the premium cost.
- mg330
Thanks man. What do you think of this Viewsonic 22" Widescreen?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Pr…
Looks like a new arrival product. Did some looking around and it indeed comes with a TN panel.
However... my Planar at work has a TN panel and I love it.I know the S-IPS is superior (so they say) but I'm thinking about checking this one out.
- ETM0
A quick look at the specs indicates some problems (for me anyhow). The viewing angle is not great at 170° h, 160° v (I prefer at least 170/170 or 178/178) and the contrast ratio could be higher though 700:1 is decent.
A brief review of that model is here:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/di…Typically (I say typically) a TN panel is not going to have the viewing angles, colour and richness of a PVA. It's just technical limitations.
- mg330
Cool, thanks. I've read some people's reviews of various 22" and they say that the picture isn't as great as a 20" because the max size is 1680x1050 - think about it: you're taking that size up to a 22", wouldn't it be less crisp?
I think I just need to concentrate on finding the best $20 within my budget. Going to work with the Dell a little more at home and see if it can satisfy me.
But here's a question: on any lcd's you've used, do you notice a "buzzing" effect to the graphics in darker gradients?
- ETM0
Buzzing? I am not totally sure what you mean, but sounds like interference. I would check the placement of speakers and what quality of cable you are using. But I don't know if these are issues with digital connections and LCDs as they were with analog CRTs.
As for size/crispness with the 2x" widescreens, I wouldn't worry too much. Consider this, a 19" 4:3 monitor has an average vertical resolution of 1024px and phsical height of 12" (visable panel). My 21" widescreen has a vertical resolution of 1050px at only 11.5". The pixel density is actually higher.
If you're Dell doesn't work out, I still recommend the Samsung 215tw:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/di…Good luck! An LCD monitor is one of the hardest choices I have made in a while.
- mg330
Yah, it's tough to figure it all out.
Replacing my 19" CRT with a widescreen is nice, however, since removing the CRT's anti-glare coating last week, it's like having a brand new CRT. It's a Viewsonic PF790, I've had it since 2000.
Love the space I save with an LCD.
- mg330
Also ETM, any chance that my problems could be attributed to an older, 64MB graphics card?
It's an ATI card, Radeon 7000 series that came with the computer when I buit it in 2003.
I'd like to hold off buying new computer parts for a while, at least until I build something new if/when I upgrade to Vista.
- ETM0
Hey mg33,
If your card is that model, then I assume you are using the RGB connection. That would make it possible to get signal loss and interference from outside sources. You could look at a higher quality shielded RGB cable, but suggest you only go DVI with an LCD. I would consider even replacing your existing card with a cheap card that supports DVI. You can get an ATI x800, which is still a good card, for $50-75 if you look around. You won;t be able to truely evaluate your LCD without a DVI connection.
- mg330
Here's the catch:
I have a card with a DVI connection, however, the Dell 2007 wfp's have a flaw in their dvi connection.
So as it is right now I'm connected with the VGA.
On that alone, should that be enough reason to send back the Dell and get something else?
Dell has even acknowledged the flaw. The gradient banding with DVI is worse than with VGA.
I know that DVI is the top quality, and I want that, so now just need to get a better screen.
You seem to like the Samsung, I don't want to spend over $400 so I'm going to look around a bit.
Much thanks for your tips and such. :)