Forum Home
Press F1
Thread ID: 46440	2004-06-23 22:52:00	Life of LCD vs CRT Screens	Steve_L (763)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
247202	2004-06-26 22:29:00	Hello Guys - I am working on replies to what you have said since my last post yesterday. In the mean time, have a look at the following info found on: http://www.lcd-monitor-reviews.com This is an excellent site and has links to other sites. The only gripe I have with "lcd-monitor-reviews" is that they don't date their reviews, so we cannot tell how current the info is. More to come from me later this morning..... Cheers - Steve_L "There are some lemons out there and some crazy monitor pricing you can take advantage of. You can save HUNDREDS of DOLLARS so make sure you make an informed choice before parting with your cash." With a response time of 16ms this monitor would be ideal for games. ... The major problem with this monitor is that it only has an analog input. This means if you can never connect this monitor up digitally. Digital connectors do offer some benefits and it's starting to become really commont for LCD computer monitors to support them. LCD monitor dead pixel guide... Dead pixels are not the major issue they used to be. Manufacturing techniques have improved to the point that there are far fewer monitors produced with dead pixels that ever before. As of writing this the best brands are: Lite On, Phillips and Hitachi. All three have a zero tolerance to dead pixels but Phillips doesn't count unlit pixels as dead. If you do a lot of image editing you'll want a contrast ratio of at least 700:1 If you want to play games then you'll need a response time 20ms or below.	Steve_L (763)
247203	2004-06-27 00:10:00	Hello again guys . . . DVI input - anyone considering buying an LCD screen should, imho, be sure it has DVI . You will probably be sorry at sometime in the future if your new screen has only analogue input . >agent wrote: The lowest response time for LCDs at the moment is 12ms, I believe . The Samsung SyncMaster 172x sports this response time . 16ms appears to be the standard for the moment though . . . . The April issue of PC Authority did a round up of 23 17" LCDs . The top one was the Acer AL1751W (which is a widescreen LCD monitor) - going for $930 at the moment, according to PriceSpy . Thanks for the PriceSpy referral - I had a look there and at Ascent (NZ), and have found that the best 17in LCDs are a good more expensive - around 850 or more . I am going over to a friend's house today - he has a 17in Philips, bought at the same store where I am getting my new PC (Atech, Wellington) . He is happy with it, including game playing, and has no bad pixels . If I choose to go with an LCD, maybe Atech will let me check the screen for bad pixels before paying . >Growly wrote: Because the highest resolutions are large (1240 x 1024 ish), it makes everything small, which is bad for people with vision that struggles to read small things at shot distances . An excellent explanation . Thanks . Considering you first wrote on your laptop in the back seat of a moving car, your writing is commendable . ;) >I wrote (from LCD Monitors Review web site): Lite On, Phillips and Hitachi . All three have a zero tolerance to dead pixels but Phillips doesn't count unlit pixels as dead . So I wonder if unllit pixels would be noticed, or not noticed to the degree of other dead pixels? ?:| >>Here is some more info on warranties, from http://www . lcd-monitor-reviews . com Lite On, Phillips and Hitachi: All three have a zero tolerance to dead pixels but Phillips doesn't count unlit pixels as dead . HP will only replace a monitor with there are 4 scattered faulty pixels or 3 clustered . LG will replace a monitor if there are 2 within a 10cm circle . NEX-NEC will replace 3 lit, 3 unlit or 6 color . Samsung could try harder . Six dead pixels allowed on a 15", or nine on a 17", are too many . Sony will replace if on a 15" panel there is 2 lit, 2 unlit or 4 dead . On 17" panels Sony will replace if there are 3 lit, 3 unlit or 7 dead . Viewsonic will replace if on a 15" panel there is 2 lit, 2 unlit or 4 dead . On 17" panels Viewsonic will replace if there are 3 lit, 3 unlit or 7 dead . Egad - what a mess with warranties! :O What a load of rubbish - for manufacturers to have a consumer shell out big bucks for their LCD and expect them to be content with the likes of "2 lit, 2 unlit or 6 dead" (acceptable for Sony) . X-( > From my post above: If you want to play games then you'll need a response time 20ms or below . What about watching movies - the same response time of 20ms or below? >>>Does anyone know of a NZ computer store that has a shop money-back / right of exchange guarantee for LCD monitors? I guess DSE Dick Smith and Noel Lemmings would be a good bet so I will check their prices . Cheers - Steve	Steve_L (763)
247204	2004-06-27 00:24:00	Trying before you buy is a great idea, especially if you can take a DVD you are familiar with into the shop. Bear in mind that the LCD in the shop may require a bit of setup in order to get the best out of them, ie contrast and brightness etc. Most monitors should come with some type of setup application which makes this process a bit easier. Also as far as the dead pixel issue goes....get the shop to open the box and let you see the monitor running before you purchase it, explain you are concerned about the pixels and you want to physically check the monitor before you buy it. I think most stores offer a 7 day return of you are unhappy with the purchase...someone here may know the legalities of the Consumer Guarantees Act. In either case you are pretty well protected I think. If you are unhappy then you can get your money back or exchange for a different product. I see Noel Leeming offers a 28 day exchange guarantee now....maybe we will see this from other stores as well? I have to say choosing an LCD was a big decision for me also. My PC is used for all manner of tasks and I was concerned that the display should perform well for all of them. I read many reviews and did a lot of research on forums etc to see what other people thought of various brands. It did take a hour or two to get used to the monitor (they just look different) but now I don't even notice it, except for the fact it is only a couple of cm thick and looks dead sexy :x Have fun with your new PC.	Sb0h (3744)
247205	2004-06-27 00:34:00	As far as noticing dead pixels, unlit or otherwise...my laptop has one stuck pixel (it is a fixed colour). It apears as a tiny dot on the screen and it always there. As I mentioned previously I originally thought it was a speck of dust, but it can't be wiped away. Initially it was very annoying as my eyes were drawn to it, but now I have to actually look for it...I must have got used to it being there. But in saying that I would not be happy shelling out a grand for a new LCD to find a bung pixel on it. As with most things though, you get what you pay for.	Sb0h (3744)
247206	2004-06-27 01:16:00	> LCD screens are best when they are displaying at their highest resolution This statement needs a minor correction: LCD screens look sharpest (ie, best) when they are displaying at their native resolution. Hence why it's called the native resolution. The native resolution and an LCDs top resolution are always (read: in most cases that you will find) different, as far as I have seen. Has anyone seen an LCD with a native resolution of 2048x1536, or higher? So the main things you want to be looking out for a decent native resolution (most these days are higher than 1024x768), a good contrast ratio (higher is better), digital and analogue inputs, perhaps power consumption, and an excellent pixel warranty. And now, without making this post too long, I'll tell you some basic stuff you should try testing on an LCD that you are thinking of buying. Firstly, you'll want to get the whole displaying a single colour - go through red, green, blue, black, and white. This can be done easily with a simple HTML file and putting Internet Explorer into kiosk mode, or via Paint, or similar. Look for any subtle differences in colour when the LCD is displaying each colour. You'll also want to try displaying gradients - you can make one using The GIMP, Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop, etc - a simple black to white gradient would be sufficient. If the LCD cannot display this correctly (ie, it becomes banded), you might want to move on.	agent (30)
247207	2004-06-27 11:51:00	>A dead pixel is far easier to live with then a stuck one. >>>What is the difference between a dead and stuck pixel?	Steve_L (763)
247208	2004-06-27 12:03:00	a dead pixel is just that,dull,no light. A stuck pixel is stuck on one colour.	metla (154)
247209	2004-06-27 21:57:00	Excellent advice agent . All I gotta do now is find a friendly retailer who will allow me to run all those tests on their collection of LCD screens . If I can find any who have more than a couple of different models on display, that is . ;-)	Fire-and-Ice (3910)
247210	2004-06-27 22:08:00	Thanks Metla. By the way, here is what I found on a NZ computer sales page, for a Philips 17in LCD: ** ZERO BRIGHT DOT WARRANTY EXCLUDED ** Grrrrrrrrr.....!!!	Steve_L (763)
247211	2004-06-27 22:27:00	> Excellent advice agent . All I gotta do now is find a > friendly retailer who will allow me to run all those > tests on their collection of LCD screens . > > If I can find any who have more than a couple of > different models on display, that is . ;-) Just don't buy via mail order,get them to get one in for you and have them fire it up before youe make the purchase .	metla (154)
1 2 3 4 5