TFT/LCD and all that

[catgate]

One of my monitors is showing signs of aging and decrepitude and I feel its demise is very imminent. I much prefer the CRT monitor but they seem to be as difficult as rocking horse dung to find, at a sensible price. So I have been trawling the TFT world. This has resulted in raising a question about "wide screen" models. Would I be correct in assuming that these are purely for giving the user the ability of watching wide screen videos and nothing else? Or do they have some other esoteric use?

[-pops-]

Like you, catgate, I much prefer a CRT monitor but, I have reluctantly just changed all of mine to TFT flat screens as the all three of the CRT devices each decided to weaken in their output more or less simultaneously. (Collusion between them?)

I've just bought three HP1740 TFT replacements which are proving very good and I'm slowly coming round to liking them.

I can't see the point of widescreen monitors for computer use as IBM decided a long time ago the format should be that of the then television screen and Mr Gates has carried on with that philosophy. So, a wide screen is, of necessity, going to have something missing somewhere in some or all of its uses so I don't see much point unless you want to use it the majority of the time for watching films or television - and I have a dedicated device for that.

These are the ones I bought here.

Free delivery from dabs this weekend.

[catgate]

Thanks for that, pops. You have confirmed my view. It seems folly to buy something which one does not need.

[Boris]

I suppose even my venerable 19" HP CRT will eventually pass on.

Its nearly 10 years old :(

(cost me a fiver) :) about 4 years ago ?

The other CRT - a 22" Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 200 is a mere child at 6 years of age and was under a tenner some 3 years back.

I am a spendthrift

[catgate]

I suppose even my venerable 19" HP CRT will eventually pass on.

Its nearly 10 years old :(

(cost me a fiver) :) about 4 years ago ?

The other CRT - a 22" Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 200 is a mere child at 6 years of age and was under a tenner some 3 years back.

I am a spendthrift

I suspect you may well have some Yorkshire ancestry too.

[Boris]

It has been known for me to be described as "careful" !

[Irene]

I recently bought a replacment TFT monitor.

My problem was: what is the criteria of choice?

The advice which I took on board was that a particular aspect to be considered, was the resposnse time.

I am very happy with my choice, I just wish I could recall what the response time which convinced me to choose this vdu was!!!!

Extended Senior Moment

So, the only constructive advice I can give is, "ask about the reponse time". :)

P.S. Mine is not a wide screen.

[-pops-]

Response time is only really of importance in gaming where it can affect the appearance of the screen during fast moving games - so I understand.

For general use, almost all screens have an adequate response time. The ones I just bought have a

The criteria for buying mine was the likelihood of dead pixels. I heard that HP tend to be better in that respect so I went for discounted mid-price HP models. None of them have any dead pixels.

[catgate]

Well I have bought an ASUS 19" TFT Normal format with a brightess of 330 cd/m2, contrast Ratio of 800:1 and response time of 5msecs.The latter being just because it came with the two previous important (I think) factors of brightness and contrast.

Promised delivery for Tuesday, from CCL. We will see how it pans out, if and when.

[AlanHo]

One thing I would recommend with a TFT/LCD monitor - is to run it at its native resolution. My 19" runs at 1280 x 1024 anf forcing it to run at a lower setting to increase icon and text sizes produces a serious loss of picture quality and fuzzy text.

When I first changed to a LCD screen 3 years ago, I had to buy a new graphics card - my old one was not up to the task - suffering from an incurable case of pixel deficiency.

For me - the main reason for changing to a wide scren display would not be to watch videos or TV - but to display two windows side by side. Useful for graphics and video editing - also to have say a Word and Excel document in view simutaneously.

[andsome]

Alan, I remember some time ago, that it was you who recommended me to buy an AOC TFT monitor. I have NEVER regretted this move.

[catgate]

One thing I would recommend with a TFT/LCD monitor - is to run it at its native resolution. My 19" runs at 1280 x 1024 anf forcing it to run at a lower setting to increase icon and text sizes produces a serious loss of picture quality and fuzzy text.

When I first changed to a LCD screen 3 years ago, I had to buy a new graphics card - my old one was not up to the task - suffering from an incurable case of pixel deficiency.

For me - the main reason for changing to a wide scren display would not be to watch videos or TV - but to display two windows side by side. Useful for graphics and video editing - also to have say a Word and Excel document in view simutaneously.

Thats interesting, Alan.

At first I misread run it at its native resolution and I thought I was going to have to buy a wigwam and put a totem pole up in the back garden. Wampum has never appealed to me.