[CaptBubba]

As far as text goes, LCD monitors are awesome. Gaming they aren't too bad (at least the one on my laptop isn't), but grey colors tend to ghost.

Colors on TFT's just aren't as consistant as CRT's. They seem to vary from monitor to monitor, while CRTs have fairly standard color temperature settings.

 

[BoyElroy]

Dokebi:

LCDs will last just as long as any other solid state device. As long as you don't smack it around, the panel and circuits should last much longer than a CRT monitor.

Joe Bloggs:

I've come to the realization that my Viewsonics monitor is not very good at all. Other than the large screen size, it doesn't have much else going for it; the corners look out of focus and are a bit discolored and everything is too soft for my liking.


Andrzjpw, Dhwilkin, Vertigo-1 and CaptBubba:

There are current generation LCD monitors that have response times of 15 ms or less and contrast ratios of 600:1. They are said to be fine for gaming with no visible lag or ghosting. Check out the "Monitor" section at the GamePC site:

GamePC in the Labs

 

[wallijonn]

LCDs are crap compared to a good CRT. Look closely at any shape that has a curve on it, like the XP hill wallpaper. Nothing like nice little jagged lines instead of a smooth curve. Do you have the sailboat wall paper up? Fine, look at the little sailboat on the lower left corner. You should see sail ghosting, some with three or four ghost images of the real sail. I've seen the Apple 23" monitor and prefer a 9" black and white crt tube to it. LCD screens may be acceptable to you for the slim 50" TV screen, but don't get too close, or look for lifelike contrast. I doubt that many Mac users which use their machines for photographic production or CAD/CAM will be switching over to LCDs anytime soon.

Me, I use 21" monitors. Too heavy? Takes too much real estate? That's why I use a real work bench style table top and not particle board desks.

I've investigated LCDs and have found them lacking.

 

[ian]

I don't game much anymore, but I have played a few games like Quake3 on my laptop (IBM Thinkpad T22 with 14.1" 1400x1050 LCD). No ghosting at all, works just as well for gaming as any other CRT I've tried. I watch lots of DVD's on it as well and enjoy it very much. I never plan to buy a CRT again after the experience with this laptop (never plan to buy a desktop either!).

 

[BoyElroy]

Hi Wallijonn,

I'm actually looking at "Bliss" on the Sony LCD now and I don't see any jagged edges. The 23" Apple screen you're referring to is a 1st gen. LCD and already obsolete. You should check out some of the new high end LCD monitors that are coming out now.

 

[Audio-Me]

On the contrary, I find that all TFTs and even Plasmas don't stand a chance against a good CRT. I assume you got a value Viewsonic, and not the flat screen professional model.

 

[Calanctus]

I tried a new Viewsonic 19" LCD last year for a few hours. Ghosted like crazy with Unreal Tournament. Otherwise it was great, but I was gaming a lot at that time, so back it went.

 

[wallijonn]

BoyElroy,

you might be interested in: http://screensavers.tierranet.com/wp/

I like the celebrity wallpapers

Make one a wallpaper and tell me all the curves aren't zig zagged somewhere.

Go to the "default" green hillside wallpaper / theme. Are you really telling me that that hill curve doesn't go into jagged lines?

I've seen all the LCD I care to see. I spent over an hour with a salesman, who came over because i had my eyes about 1" away from the screens. We chit chatted about headphone gaming, www.di.fm and screens. And I can't help but take a REAL close up look at all the plasma screens at BestBuy and CircuitCity everytime I go into their stores.

I'm still not impressed. Can you turn off vertical sync on LCDs? And I have looked at both digital and analogue LCDs. When they get down to a .19 pitch, maybe. But for now I remain unconvinced.

check this out on your LCD:

 

[Audio-Me]

Why on earth do people turn off vsync?

 

[wallijonn]

Audio&Me,

the short answer is for faster frame rates, but the long answer is that you do not want your monitor's refresh rate in sync with flourescent or incadescent lights. it causes headaches. you therefore set your refresh rate to the fastest possible that your monitor will handle. makes for smoother pictures.

 

[Audio-Me]

I hate the blurring effect of LCDs, they give me headaches, my Viewsonic CRT certainly does not.

I didn't know radiated and heated light operates at the same frequency, what exactly is the freq anyway? I like 85hz. I don't see the point of frame rates any higher than that, besides, you can get artifacts with vsync off.

 

[wallijonn]

A&M,

for incadescents, it's 60 Hz. For flourscents, i think it's in the 45 - 55 Hz. range.

Haven't you ever wondered why remote controlls don't work when there are overhead flourscent lights on?

 

[CaptBubba]

But if you actually run the monitor in its native resolution (meaning the res where it can keep the refresh rate at 75Hz), you don't have to worry about that.

And with V-sync off you get image tearing, which isn't cool

 

[wallijonn]

CB, A&M,

image tearing is completely dependent on the speed of the processor, video card, video card drivers and whether it's dx or opengl. i usually find that updated drivers tend to fix any problems. of course if you use MS Qualified / Certified drivers, you are not given the option of turning off sync.

i wonder how many guys just made the first picture their wallpapers?

 

[BoyElroy]

Hi Calanctus, Audio&Me and Wallijonn:

I don't think you're understanding my main point (out of my many main points, that is...).

There are several 2nd gen. LCD panels out now made my a couple of companies at the moment (Hitachi and Solarism) that have extremely high speed response times, superfine dot pitch and very high contrast ratios (600:1). These are the ones I'm suggesting you check out for gaming and such. I'm definitely not saying that ALL LCD panels are suitable for this, but there are a few panels coming online now and more in the near future that will hopefully change your views on this!

I Agree that the Viewsonic LCDs are pretty bad. They are not the ones I'm talking about.

The Viewsonic CRT I have is a P815 which cost something like $1200 when I bought it but is so outdated that I'd have trouble giving it away now