Big used monitor for movies

[Kmogg]

I will be building a "home entertainment center" PC for my living room. Want to ditch the TV and just use the All in Wonder card, good speakers etc for TV and movies. It seems that there are pretty good deals on used CRT monitors on line and on local websites like Craigslist. (I live in San Francisco).

I am new to this, so I would appreciate any general advice.

I assume 21" or 22" will be best. Do you think this will be good enough for about 8 feet away?

Does it have to be a flat screen ?

Couple of years old OK? Seems monitors have a long life.

Any brands to look for, avoid? Viewsonic good? HP, Dell etc remarket Sony.. is that right?

Will Movies require a particular resolution? Or minimum dot pitch number? Any other specs to consider?

Is $150 to $200 the realistic price range?

I would love your ideas!

Kevin

 

[Kmogg]

What do you think of this one? There seem to be a bunch of em locally and on ebay. They seem to be from around 1999 and sell from $125 to $225. If I get locally, I can save on shipping. I think it is flat display.

"21 Dell P1110 UltraScan Trinitron Monitor

Features:
Actual Screen Size: 21-inch (19.8-inch viewable)
Max Resolution: 1800 x 1440 @ 75Hz
Dot Pitch: 0.24-mm
Horizontal Scan: 30kHz - 121kHz
Vertical Scan: 48Hz - 160Hz
Connector: HD15 VGA
Connector2: HD15 VGA
Compatible With: PC and Mac (VGA adapter required)
VGA Monitor cable : INCLUDED
Serial Number: JP-09171R
Model Number: P1110
Condition: Tested and working. Some minor cosmetic case blemishes. "

I would like to identify a few common reliable models so I can comparison shop. I think this same model is also resold by HP.

Kevin

 

[Slick5150]

It would probably be ok, but if you're sitting 8 feet away, it would be a little small. You're under 20" of viewable screen there. If you don't mind the small picture, then it shouldn't be a problem. Otherwise, you might be better off getting a 27" TV, and using an Svideo out connection from the computer and hook it up to the TV.

 

[Corporate Thug]

i have that monitor, it is pretty damn sweet. i sit 3 feet away from it

 

[Kmogg]

Well, I may have to go there eventually( S-Video to a TV), but want to go with one big monitor at first. Part of this whole deal is avoiding having the TV take over the living room watching mindless junk. I have two kids and would like them to be a little more choosy about what is watched.. hence the PVR functions on the AIW. Being a little less sucked in by a big screen is not necessarily bad.

So do you think a 22" monitor would be much better? I think that might still be in the budget. Much more than that , no. I have seen a Viewsonic 22" but don' have the specs now.

Kevin

 

[Slammy1]

There used to be a deal on Hot Deals for refurbs in that range. I'd think a 19" would be fine for personal viewing, I currently do not use my 32" TV in favor of my 19" LCD. Even when friends are over I use it, sort of a novelty for them and me. Wait till I get my Plasma or 30"+ LCD.

 

[Skibbi]

http://www.tribalwar.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=234344



Arrived today,

bought it used/refurbed from

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_...35618e300cffda1

www.poweron.com

or Poweron.com << ebay ID


for 210 shipped (pricegrabber was the least, like 250 by their ebay/website) I got it today,

HOLY S THIS BEAST IS HUGE, Like 71 pounds or something,

Screen is really nice, really clear, and this refurb is basically new, i haven't found a single scratch, nor a single screen problem, pics and long term reviews to follow.



Here's the run down:


Day2:

The monitor just came with powerplug and monitor plug,
you have to download the NEC drivers (not really necessary, but you can only change the Hz with the drivers on)

After installing the drivers you can change the Hz to make it look better, but even stock it looks great, good colors, no visual imperfections.

1 thing thuogh, if you've only had a 17 before be wary, this is HUGE, and Heavy... w0w, Deskspace is a lot, Although write ups seem to show that this is one of the smallest 22"s available...not bad..


Long term test and Pictures (coming soon) to follow

 

[nRollo]

I would never pitch my tv for a monitor. My smallest tv is 27" which is still a lot bigger than any monitor that's close to reasonably priced. Get your big monitor, keep your tv.

 

[Kmogg]

Skibbi,
I am very interested in that deal. Thanks for the tip. FYI your monitor was reviewed by Toms last year and it did pretty well:

Tom's Monitor review

They were looking at the FE1250+ and I believe yours was the FE1250 . Any idea what the difference would be. You still like it? Do you know the pros and cons of refurbs? THe price is sure right.

Kevin