[dj_mocok]

Sorry to post a monitor-related question about LCD again guys. But my late question was not really answered.

Basically I have decided to get a new LCD instead of a used CRT, but I haven't used LCD before, so not really experienced.

What it is for: well, at the moment, mainly photoshopping/still images, and a bit of gaming.

Below is the list. The one that I am leaning towards to is the 19" Phillips. It's cheap, and has a good 3 year 0 pixel warranty. But not sure about image quality. What do you think? From that list which one should I get (price is in AUD, and I prefer something around AUS$300 max).

I read that 17" and 19" have similar max resolution, 1028X1024. So does that mean the 17" actually sharper than the 19"?

 

[Zorander]

Harvey Norman or perhaps your local computer shops should have plenty of LCD screens for you to 'sample'. It's a safer practice to choose with your own eyes, rather than by reading opinions.

That said, I vote for the Samsungs.

 

[captainzoli]

LCDs are like TVs, the best one is the one you like the look of. I love my Sony, but out of the ones you have listed, I think the Samsungs or the LGs look the best. My parents both have Samsungs, and they are very nice.

 

[dj_mocok]

I went to DickSmith, and as far as I remember, the Samsung one (19") isn't as sharp as the other, image was a bit grainy. But then again, it might be a slightly faulty LCD.

The one I thought was sharp was actually the 17" one. But I didn't really pay attention on the brand.

What makes it hard to decide is lots of the monitors are poorly adjusted, with wrong colour tones and all that, I can't tell whether the colour is that bad or they just didn't adjust it properly, or maybe it's even due to the store's strong lighting/reflection.

 

[Arainach]

Stick to known brands. Viewsonic, Samsung, Dell, and NEC make the best stuff ("Dell" monitors are usually rebranded Samsungs or Viewsonics, but they're still good stuff), but as long as you stick with a brand reasonably known in the computer world you should be OK. On that list I'd avoid Phillips and Chi-Mei for sure. I had issues with the one BenQ I've tried, but a lot of others have used them successfully, so they're probably not too bad.

 

[dj_mocok]

Philips isn't a good brand? But why are they so confident giving out that very good warranty policy?

I've had a look around, and it seems like in Australia, every second person owns a Samsung 940B 19" LCD - and they never recommend anything else...

I read quite a few people were disappointed with BenQ FP91G, mainly due to crap colour...

 

[darkninja67]

Viewsonic, Dell and Samsung. All good brands. If you are going 19" look at the Hyundai LD90+. It is popular with a lot of tech forums members as a "bang for buck" LCD.
Look at the Viewsonic VX series as they are superb.

 

[dj_mocok]

The problem with Viewsonic ones, their viewing angle is inferior compared to other brands...

I got some questions though, is contrast ratio that important? Seems like many manufacturers are using this as their selling point. For example, how different is 600:1 compared to 1400:1 (for both movies/gaming and graphic/still images)?

And say, when I am buying it, how is the most efficient and effective way of checking dead/abnormal pixels? I think it's better if I open and check the LCD first before leaving the shop.

 

[Jahn]

go with a samsung if you can. i've never regretted switching to LCD after getting my Samsung - and that monitor has even made it to a few Head-fi meets, being so light!

 

[BlindTiger]

My Princeton Graphics 15" LCD I bought 6 years ago is still going strong.
So, I would agree with the others, go with a brand name.

 

[FalconP]

Response time and contrast ratios are only useful if you know how they are measured. Each manufacturer may measure these in a different way and tout figures most favorable to them. So, ask around in professional photo groups or search for reviews in Tom's hardware guide.

I can't give you specific advices about brands; I got my first LCD monitor just two weeks ago and frankly my biggest concern had been the price -- I don't do serious photo work or play lots of games. However, I've never heard of the name ChiMei even in Hong Kong...

 

[Arainach]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj_mocok The problem with Viewsonic ones, their viewing angle is inferior compared to other brands... I got some questions though, is contrast ratio that important? Seems like many manufacturers are using this as their selling point. For example, how different is 600:1 compared to 1400:1 (for both movies/gaming and graphic/still images)? And say, when I am buying it, how is the most efficient and effective way of checking dead/abnormal pixels? I think it's better if I open and check the LCD first before leaving the shop.

As long as all the other specs are within "decent" ranges (i.e. refresh rate 16ms or faster, etc.) I'd call contrast ratio the single most important part of image quality on an LCD. Now, I survive just fine on a 400:1 Dell 2001FP, but when compared to the 1600:1 of my friend's NEC 20WMGX2-BK, the difference is absolutely amazing - the blacks are truly an increidbly deep, CRT-grade black (admittedly, that particular monitor is widely considered to be the best LCD on the market in terms of image quality).

 

[FalconP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj_mocok And say, when I am buying it, how is the most efficient and effective way of checking dead/abnormal pixels? I think it's better if I open and check the LCD first before leaving the shop.

Why you must check your monitor before you pay! Have the store hook it up, display a series of different colors full-screen (at the very least red,green,blue and white), take time to look for any deficiencies.

 

[JahJahBinks]

I bought an Eizo L768 last year for the image quality. It has 1000:1 contrast ratio and 10-bit gamma correction along with highly adjustable image controls. I have used it to watch DVDs, play games and I don't have any complains. But then the price was 3 times more than a Dell LCD.

 

[dj_mocok]

I checked Tom's Hardware, but basically the one they recommend there are the expensive 19" ones, anything else = crap.

And the Philips that I am thinking to get got a pretty bad review from Tom's Hardware, although I read from users, they were very happy with the result..

I don't know whether I should take them seriously or not... although the test seem legit though...


The reason why I asked for opinion was, I don't think I can ask that many favours from the shop I am getting it from. This shop is well known to be very cheap compared to the competition but offers so so service. And it will be busy all the time I don't think they have the time and patience to setup different LCDs and wait for me to decide.

But I am sure if I buy one, I can ask them to open it and test it for me at the shop.