Any monitor gurus here? (19")

[neilm]

damn, hit return by accident again.. anyways

Would anyone recommend me a good 19" monitor, I was going to buy the CTX-PR960F, but I came across a couple of bad comments about it in here.. I still might get it, but I was want your opinions on which is best (afaik, that monitor has been around for a long time with hardly any drop in price)

Thanks for any advice

 

[Utterman]

So what's your question?

Edit: IMO, the best 19" monitor you can get would be the Samsung 900NF. You should be able to get it for under $300 from dell whenever they have their coupons and sales (be sure to check hot deals every once in a while). The monitor is very crisp in graphics and text and can display at a resolution of 1600x1200 @ 85hz which seems to be what a lot of people look for in a monitor. The only thing bad about it is that it has 2 lines that are thin as a hair that go across the screen. Some people is annoys them, but if you are not that picky, it won't bother you.

 

[Cessna172]

Anything with a Trinitron FD flat tube. Some are better than others, though. I personally wouldn't buy one that didn't do 85hz at 1600x1200.

85hz is the minimum refresh rate you should accept for any resolution. So if you want a 19" that does 1600x1200 at 85 (for games), you might have to spend a little more money.

I tried a Diamondtron tube monitor first, but found the Trinitron to be much sharper and had better colors.

 

[neilm]

Utterman, I live in the UK and visited some of the big resellers here, none has that monitor, but I'll keep looking.. why does it have 2 lines going across it (sounds a little annoying imo )

BTW what is this 'Trinitron FD flat tube'?

Keep the suggestions coming, thanks for the ones so far

 

[Utterman]

Originally posted by: neilm
Utterman, I live in the UK and visited some of the big resellers here, none has that monitor, but I'll keep looking.. why does it have 2 lines going across it (sounds a little annoying imo )

BTW what is this 'Trinitron FD flat tube'?

Keep the suggestions coming, thanks for the ones so far

The 2 lines across the screen are caused by the aperature grill that the 900NF uses. The tube touches the glass of the monitor at 2 spots. Those 2 spots are where there is no color is shown so they are 2 thin black lines. On a very bright backround, they are visible, but on a darker one it's very hard to tell.

With the 900NF, you get really bright colors, but the only tradeoff is those 2 lines which may or may not be a big problem.

 

[Sub51]

Seems like a big design flaw.

I was about to buy this monitor but now I have doubts...do you mean two lines on the edges of the screen?

 

[lung]

I just bought a Viewsonic P95F+B and I love it. The colours are bright and accurate and the detail is very sharp.

It also has the two horizontal lines across the top and bottom of the screen. They are about 2 inches form the top and bottom. These are not a design flaw. It is how the aperature grille is made. Most monitors have a sheet that makes up the grill. It will cover the whole screen and is comprised of very small circluar or oval holes depending on the manufacturer. This type with the lines though is actually made of slots that run vertically form the top to the bottom of the screen. The only way to keep them in place is to have these horizontal holders which is what the two faint lines actually are. At first they take soem getting used to, but they are only really visible when the screen is a very light colour. It is a small tradeoff for getting a crisper overall screen.

 

[Sub51]

I still don't quite understand...

Most monitors have (oftentimes huge) black lines around the actual screen. Is that what you're talking about? It sounded like Utterman meant to say that these lines are actually in side of your view, meaning they are not on the edges of the screen but somewhere in the middle.

 

[SteelyKen]

On my 19" trinitron, the lines are horizontal and are located approximately 2 3/4 in. from the top and bottom edges of the screen. They are shadows cast by two filaments inside the glass holding the aperature grill in place. They are very faint, but still noticeable against a white background.

 

[Bovinicus]

Are you looking to get any specific refresh rates at high resolutions? Do you care if you have two thin black lines running across your screen? What kind of cost limit do you have? Do you want a good warranty program?

 

[neilm]

Originally posted by: Bovinicus
Are you looking to get any specific refresh rates at high resolutions? Do you care if you have two thin black lines running across your screen? What kind of cost limit do you have? Do you want a good warranty program?

Nothing more than £300, though the CTX one was £330 (is that too much? and still worth getting?). About refresh rates, well I do like to play HLDM and want it nice and smooth.
Not really sure about the two black lines running across the screen, it's kinda the thing where you have to see it to tell if you'd be able to put up with it... is the lines running from left to right constantly? (if so, I think that'd drive me nuts to be honest.. and I've never noticed any monitor doing that, even my 6yr old beast right in front of me).
Would like a flat screen also, like the CTX model, and what is that Trinitron FD flat tube? I'm guessing the CTX-PR960F is too old and too expensive for a good buy?

 

[Bovinicus]

Yes, the lines are there constantly. There are only hair thin. However, when working with light backgrounds, they are quite noticeable. They definitely bother the Hell out of me, and I could never get an aperture grill monitor. If you do very little besides game on your computer, then it probably wouldn't be as much of a problem for you. Also $450 (About 300 Pounds) will get you a pretty nice monitor. 85Hz is what I consider to be smooth.

If you can't deal with those two lines, the best monitor in my opinion is the Hitachi CM721F. It uses a very fine dot pitch, and produces good geometry, with very true colors to boot. The price is right around 300 Pounds.

If you don't mind them, I like the Viewsonic P95f. It is also around 300 Pounds. It provies good crisp images with a fairly low dot pitch, and produces nice bright colors.

I suggest you go into a local computer superstore and take a look at some of these monitors for yourself in person. That helps a lot. At least do it to get an idea of what having those two lines are like. Some people could care less, but I can't stand them. Good luck.

 

[ripthesystem]

don't worry about the 2 lines IMO. All the truely flat aperature CRTs have them and after the first day you won't even notice them. It is a VERY tiny tradeoff for the clarity and crispness that these monitors offer.

At first I thought they would interfere or mess with my work (I do lots of Graphic Design and so does my girlfriend) and I can tell you that honestly I can't even tell they are there. It's not like a bunch of dead pixels or anything, it has not negatively affected my work or monitor pleasure at all.

I would gladly take my monitor (Lacie Electron Blue III 19") over any non-Mitsubishi monitor or LCD. The color and clarity with this grille is second to none for the price

ripthesystem

 

[Chaotic42]

I like my Viewsonic P95f.

If I could do it over though, I'd probably put out a bit more money for a high-end Sony.