Photoediting + Games + Internets monitor ... plz help

[Hyper_Psycho]

I need to upgrade my monitor badly. I have a Sony Trinitron 21in from like 1999. The colors on it are great, but it is taking way too much space.

I need something that has a fast refresh rate, can display 1920x1200, and if possible go into portrait mode. any suggestions?

 

[E.T]

You probably want to avoid all TN-panels... compared to CRTs they don't have anykind viewing angles and small nodding move of head is enough to make image to brighten or darken. While some might not be bothered by that it has been very annoying in laptop screens when I've had (now breaking up) CRT as comparison point and I wouldn't even want to think using TN monitors in portrait mode.
(IMO small input lag doesn't compensate this and other disadvantages of TNs unless monitor is used for hardcore FPS gaming)

60Hz is fixed refresh rate of all TFT monitor, because of different operation principle compared to CRT they don't need high refresh frequency for preventing flickering. And while some of them accept 75Hz input at lower than native resolution they just drop away every fifth frame.


If your work desk space is in short supply Lenovo ThinkVision L220x could be good choise, as 22" sized (only 1920x1200 display smaller than 24") its total width is probably same as in your current CRT.
http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cg...=897/ENUS107-646&appname=lenovous&language=en
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1267220
http://www.computerworld.com/action...ewArticleBasic&articleId=9056059&pageNumber=2
http://forums.lenovo.com/lnv/board/message?board.id=Thinkvision&thread.id=2
Some people managed to get one when shops had some of these few weeks ago but now availability is bad here in Europe and I have to wait ten days. Possibly lot of them are going to IBM's own use because I heard ysterday from one PC hobbyer that in his work place whose PCs are from IBM they're in process of replacing all old CRTs with this TFT.

In 24" size there's quite many models aimed to serious use, especially from Eizo and Nec.
Here's some reviews:
http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/reviews.html
http://www.behardware.com/html/articles/index.php3?categorie=22
Not all of these high ranked monitors are with TN because most reviewers don't put much weight to viewing angle problem of TNs.

Also "cheap and good are two different things" rule applies very well to TFT monitors so what kind budget you were thinking?

 

[Ikasu]

Keep in mind, going down to a LCD will sacrifice quality. You'll have to live with input lag, response times, lower color accuracy, poor blacks, viewing angles, ghosting/motion blur, etc.

Avoid tn panels like the plague if you love your color, PVA MINIMUM, if you want a good monitor that can offer the best possible quality to compete with your CRT..you're looking at IPS panels, which are PRICEY for 1920x1200 res (24"+), If money aint a issue, a Nec 2490WUXI would be phenomenal, but priced around 1200-1400, might be an issue.

Honestly, just bare with your monitor if you can, if you go LCD, you will be sacrificing a LOT...and since you want to game and photoedit, you already have the cream of the crop with a trinitron tube. A Nec 2490WUXI may be indeed great for photowork, but it's color accuracy is still not as good as trinitron monitors, same goes for gaming, which CRT's are know to be superior in many aspects.

Now don't get me wrong on this, I do despise LCD's, but that doesn't mean I'm saying they suck, they do their job well for their benefits, but I'd never go LCD myself considering the hefty amount of disadvantages that come along with it. I'll be on a CRT till OLED/FED, Sony FW900 here I come ^_^.

If you want a IPS panel monitor, you could nab the Planar PX2611W, 26" widescreen CRT with a IPS panel. Priced around 900-1000. Possibly the best price for a 1920x1200 IPS LCD you can find. But IMO, CRT > LCD, especially trinitrons. But if you can deal with the negatives, get minimum, a MVA/PVA, but be prepared for crushing blacks, or go IPS, but be prepared to pay a hefty sum. TN may be good for gaming, but their color accuracy is horrid.

 

[Dunan]

Keep in mind, going down to a LCD will sacrifice quality. You'll have to live with input lag, response times, lower color accuracy, poor blacks, viewing angles, ghosting/motion blur, etc.

Avoid tn panels like the plague if you love your color, PVA MINIMUM, if you want a good monitor that can offer the best possible quality to compete with your CRT..you're looking at IPS panels, which are PRICEY for 1920x1200 res (24"+), If money aint a issue, a Nec 2490WUXI would be phenomenal, but priced around 1200-1400, might be an issue.

Honestly, just bare with your monitor if you can, if you go LCD, you will be sacrificing a LOT...and since you want to game and photoedit, you already have the cream of the crop with a trinitron tube. A Nec 2490WUXI may be indeed great for photowork, but it's color accuracy is still not as good as trinitron monitors, same goes for gaming, which CRT's are know to be superior in many aspects.

Now don't get me wrong on this, I do despise LCD's, but that doesn't mean I'm saying they suck, they do their job well for their benefits, but I'd never go LCD myself considering the hefty amount of disadvantages that come along with it. I'll be on a CRT till OLED/FED, Sony FW900 here I come ^_^.

If you want a IPS panel monitor, you could nab the Planar PX2611W, 26" widescreen CRT with a IPS panel. Priced around 900-1000. Possibly the best price for a 1920x1200 IPS LCD you can find. But IMO, CRT > LCD, especially trinitrons. But if you can deal with the negatives, get minimum, a MVA/PVA, but be prepared for crushing blacks, or go IPS, but be prepared to pay a hefty sum. TN may be good for gaming, but their color accuracy is horrid.

all of this QFT

and

why do ppl ask the impossible

 

[Luthorcrow]

Keep in mind, going down to a LCD will sacrifice quality. You'll have to live with input lag, response times, lower color accuracy, poor blacks, viewing angles, ghosting/motion blur, etc..

All true except the color accuracy claim. The top of the line IPS monitors 12bit LUTs are more accuracte for color than the CRTs they replaced. They still have all of the other issues you mentioned but color accuracy is not one of them.

 

[Hyper_Psycho]

thanks on the replies guys

im rally happy with my CRT monitor ... I had two of them running at one time ... but now I only have one because of desktop realestate ...

anyway... if i go with an LCD ... is there anything decent for less than 500 that can maybe have great color accuracy, viewing angle, and refresh rate but maybe at a lower screen resolution?

 

[Ikasu]

Luthorcrow: Not so sure on that, it may be true that they can represent a larger scale of RGB....But these monitors can't even handle it effectively until Display port since due to bandwidth issues (at least this is what I've heard repeatedly). But I won't say that's wrong either...A high wide gamut display is indeed quite colorful...

But personally IMO, Skipping the LCD/Plasma generation is probably the wisest move I can make considering how much I'd spend on a monitor. If I was to nab a LCD, it would pretty much have to be a Nec 2490 considering my video editing, photoshop color critical work, gaming, movies, among many other things. But I'd still have to run a CRT as a secondary display during my editing since the timing and beats are VERY tight, which LCD's would really hurt considering the delay...

But the future is VERY bright, OLED and FED are going to be jaw dropping. FED can even reach 240HZ..a higher gamut rating, and meanwhile eliminate all the downsides of LCD...It's going to be fantastic. But the issue with flickering will be there considering the Field emission technology is based on CRT's. But yea, a bright future for OLED and FED is ahead. I just hope it gets here soon >_<...I'm going to have to dump around 700 for a Sony FW900 from accurate IT if I really want that warranty to make sure this monitor at least lasts me till the newer technology displays, or pick up numerous ones via ebay/craigslist and use windas and the manual calibration/tuning to make them last.

::sighs:: Really sad to see CRT's completely gone, at least in the middle/high end segment that is...We CRT followers have to suffer due to consumers wanting cheap and flat/light displays? Which can't even outpace CRT's in many aspects?!?!...Talk about unfair! ....lol

 

[Hyper_Psycho]

well... i guess ill be sticking to my CRT .. it has served me well and its just bloody fantastic even though it runs hot, uses lots of power, and clutters my desk ....
when are we going to see the next generation of flat monitors?

 

[Ikasu]

Good luck getting those soon (which makes me sniffle just saying it), reasonably priced, probably 2011/2012...They should be introduced in 2010 though, maybe late 2009 if we're lucky.

 

[E.T]

well... i guess ill be sticking to my CRT .. it has served me well and its just bloody fantastic even though it runs hot, uses lots of power, and clutters my desk ....
when are we going to see the next generation of flat monitors?

Like said it probably takes enough many years that if you want to keep CRT until OLED/FED/SED displays it might be better to get electronics serviceman to check insides of display, clean dust (can cause overheating of components) check if soldering (especially power components) needs to be redone.
Also checking for bulging or leaking (sure signs it's dead/dying) electrolytic capacitors would be good thing, "elcas" don't tolerate high temperatures too well (darkened PCBs around power components are normal in CRTs) and failing capacitors can damage other components, especially if they decide to go fast "with the bang" instead of dying slowly and giving warning signs.
(my CRT is probably in that, slow drying up of elcas, phase)

anyway... if i go with an LCD ... is there anything decent for less than 500 that can maybe have great color accuracy, viewing angle, and refresh rate but maybe at a lower screen resolution?

That 1920x1200 resolution Lenovo L220x should cost about that.
There doesn't seem to be much any TFTs with quality panels in smaller wide screen sizes, if 1680x1050 is enough Eizo S2231 (panel probably close to Lenovo considering both are very new S-PVAs) might be one of the best for that price:
http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2008/review-eizo-s2231w-part17.html#Conclusion
(more of non-TNs in older, out of fashion, 4:3 monitors)

Luthorcrow: Not so sure on that, it may be true that they can represent a larger scale of RGB....But these monitors can't even handle it effectively until Display port since due to bandwidth issues (at least this is what I've heard repeatedly).

Addressing wider gamut can be done with same bandwidth but using more than 8 bits per colour would be good because otherwise steps between shades get bigger meaning higher bandwidth would be useful.

 

[Luthorcrow]

Luthorcrow: Not so sure on that, it may be true that they can represent a larger scale of RGB....But these monitors can't even handle it effectively until Display port since due to bandwidth issues (at least this is what I've heard repeatedly). But I won't say that's wrong either...A high wide gamut display is indeed quite colorful...

Ikasu, you misunderstand my point. I would be the last person to argue for wide gamut necessarily equaling more accurate colors. No that is not the issue. The statement regarding the color accuracy of LCDs vs CRT really comes down to two things:

1. There are no more high quality CRTs made, period. All of the high end, color correct manufactures have switched to LCD.
   
2. Color correct LCDs whether we are talking wide gamut or not are more color correct than the past generation of high end CRTs.

What is true is you do have to sacrafice one for the other. I either response time, gaming, with a TN panel or H-IPS with an internal LUT for color correct (the LUT being probably the bigger lag factor).

Addressing wider gamut can be done with same bandwidth but using more than 8 bits per colour would be good because otherwise steps between shades get bigger meaning higher bandwidth would be useful.

The other reason being that most people that photo edit in color spaces wider than sRGB generally do it in 16bits. Having the monitor actually capable of displaying apples to apples is what color correct print work is all about.

Also the space between shades with a wide gamut color space in 8 bit has the potential to make color correction for skin tones challenging.

Display port, once it actually goes larger than 8 bit, will be great for wide gamut. But the need for bigger data paths probably has more to do with future standards and higher display resolutions than used today.

Besides it’s a sleek and sexy plug.