Webmaster forum - Pros and cons of LCD monitors

Author

Pros and cons of LCD monitors

Lois

2005-07-23, 4:14 am

As some of you know, I'm on the hunt for a new computer. I may be
able to get a good used one (1-2 years old) locally, but my question
at this point is about the monitor. I don't need to buy a new
monitor, but I might get one with the computer. What do you guys
think of LCD monitors?

From http://www.lsit.ucsb.edu/kb/idx/5/046/article/ : "The
disadvantages of LCD monitors are...fixed resolution and inconsistent
color. It is also common for these screens to have imperfections
known as dead or stuck pixels, where one dot is stuck on a color.
This is not a problem for most users."

These sound like serious problems for people who do web design. What
do you think? Do some LCD monitors avoid these problems?

Thanks,
Lois
--
www.wordsweave.com

Roy Schestowitz

2005-07-23, 4:14 am

Lois wrote:

> As some of you know, I'm on the hunt for a new computer. I may be
> able to get a good used one (1-2 years old) locally, but my question
> at this point is about the monitor. I don't need to buy a new
> monitor, but I might get one with the computer. What do you guys
> think of LCD monitors?
>
> From http://www.lsit.ucsb.edu/kb/idx/5/046/article/ : "The
> disadvantages of LCD monitors are...fixed resolution and inconsistent
> color. It is also common for these screens to have imperfections
> known as dead or stuck pixels, where one dot is stuck on a color.
> This is not a problem for most users."
>
> These sound like serious problems for people who do web design. What
> do you think? Do some LCD monitors avoid these problems?

This must has been asked thousands of times over the Internet (including
this: http://www.schestowitz.com/UseNet/2...5/msg00134.html ),
so all I can offer is a humble advice which refers to your particular
questions.

The text which you quoted speaks of problems that _develop_. With your
current CRT, is anything faulty? Is the picture not sharp? If all works
properly, why get a new one? What will you do with the old one? Due to the
weight you can't sell it for much (shipping expenses).

Then, you have power consumption arguments to look into assuming that the
monitor is always on. What about portability? If you intend to move the
monitor, size might be an important factor. Desk size is yet another a big
selling point for LCD displays.

I personally dislike the picture on LCD monitors, but I know it is a matter
of preference. I dread seeing my pages on LCD displays, let alone in
Internet Explorer.

Roy

Leonard Blaisdell

2005-07-23, 4:14 am

In article <51e75$42e1d90c$d135d5a2$11881@MDI.CA>,
"Lois" <auto-newsgroups@wordsweave.com> wrote:

> I don't need to buy a new
> monitor, but I might get one with the computer. What do you guys
> think of LCD monitors?

One man's opinion on one monitor in my home. My Viewsonic 19" LCD is the
cat's meow. I bought it with the same trepidation that you have now. I'm
sure the one you buy will be all screwed up, but mine simply worked
fine. I see no difference between my old CRT and my LCD except that the
LCD allows me to have my computer behind it and occupying far less space
combined than my old CRT alone (Mac Mini). I miss being irradiated.

> From http://www.lsit.ucsb.edu/kb/idx/5/046/article/ : "The
> disadvantages of LCD monitors are...fixed resolution and inconsistent
> color.

I'm not sure what that definition of fixed resolution means. I can show
anything between 640x480 to 1280x1024 and a whole lot in between. I can
also show anything between 256 and millions of colors.

> It is also common for these screens to have imperfections
> known as dead or stuck pixels, where one dot is stuck on a color.

Hasn't happened yet. Hopefully, that's an old problem. I've heard it too
in the past with Powerbooks.

> This is not a problem for most users."
>
> These sound like serious problems for people who do web design. What
> do you think? Do some LCD monitors avoid these problems?

Again, I won't even try to sell you on any monitor. But I will tell you
that there is an LCD in your future. Just like I used to tell friends
that the Internet was in their future. And it happened! I have no doubt
that it will happen to you. CRT's are dead technology. Have you seen how
cheap they are lately? Again, one man's opinion.

leo

--
<http://web0.greatbasin.net/~leo/

Brian Cryer

2005-07-23, 4:14 am

Lois,

Personally if I had the option I would always go for an LCD monitor. They
are smaller (depth wise), don't suffer from flicker and give a crisper
image. I realise the last point is subjective and some might disagree.

As for bad pixels, I've yet to see any develop over time. I did buy a 17"
LCD monitor for home recently and that came with one bad pixel. Needless to
say it went straight back and I got a replacement without any hassle.

I don't think that "fixed resolution" is an issue, but I know what you mean.
Most 15" LCD displays have a native resolution of 1024x768. By native I mean
that there are physically 1024x768 pixels. Thus the monitor won't be able to
support a higher resolution. Displaying at a lower resolution should be
possible but you will notice some deterioration in the quality because there
will be some interperlation going on somewhere. I find the upper limit the
one to worry about. Personally when I first had a 15" LCD monitor at work it
felt like a backwards step because whilst the picture quality was superb,
going to 1024x768 when I had been running a much larger CRT monitor at
1280x1024 was a pain because of the sudden loss in screen real-estate. If
you are thinking about an LCD monitor I suggest giving serious consideration
to both its size and its maximum resolution. If an LCD monitor comes bundled
with the computer then you may not get a choice about which LCD monitor you
get, but it may be worth trying to negotiate.

Regarding inconsistent colours. I don't find this a problem, but I am aware
that some colours show up very clearly on one monitor but are a bit washed
out on others - my laptop seems to be the worst offender. You will also find
this with CRT monitors, but to a much lesser extent.

Hope this is useful. But quality is one of those subjective things.

Brian.

www.cryer.co.uk/brian

"Lois" <auto-newsgroups@wordsweave.com> wrote in message
news:51e75$42e1d90c$d135d5a2$11881@MDI.CA...
> As some of you know, I'm on the hunt for a new computer. I may be
> able to get a good used one (1-2 years old) locally, but my question
> at this point is about the monitor. I don't need to buy a new
> monitor, but I might get one with the computer. What do you guys
> think of LCD monitors?
>
> From http://www.lsit.ucsb.edu/kb/idx/5/046/article/ : "The
> disadvantages of LCD monitors are...fixed resolution and inconsistent
> color. It is also common for these screens to have imperfections
> known as dead or stuck pixels, where one dot is stuck on a color.
> This is not a problem for most users."
>
> These sound like serious problems for people who do web design. What
> do you think? Do some LCD monitors avoid these problems?
>
> Thanks,
> Lois
> --
> www.wordsweave.com
>
>

Chris Hope

2005-07-23, 7:14 am

Lois wrote:

> As some of you know, I'm on the hunt for a new computer. I may be
> able to get a good used one (1-2 years old) locally, but my question
> at this point is about the monitor. I don't need to buy a new
> monitor, but I might get one with the computer. What do you guys
> think of LCD monitors?
>
> From http://www.lsit.ucsb.edu/kb/idx/5/046/article/ : "The
> disadvantages of LCD monitors are...fixed resolution and inconsistent
> color. It is also common for these screens to have imperfections
> known as dead or stuck pixels, where one dot is stuck on a color.
> This is not a problem for most users."
>
> These sound like serious problems for people who do web design. What
> do you think? Do some LCD monitors avoid these problems?

One thing to be aware of - if the number of colours is listed as 16.2
million then it really only supports something like 250k (I can't
remember the number OTOH but it's something like that) and the 16.2m
are achieved through dithering. If it says 16.7m then it really is
16.7m. For most users this isn't a problem, but if you require exact
colour matching when designing or whatever, then you're best to make
sure it supports 16.7m colours.

--
Chris Hope | www.electrictoolbox.com | www.linuxcdmall.com

Steve Sobol

2005-07-23, 7:14 am

Brian Cryer wrote:
> Lois,
>
> Personally if I had the option I would always go for an LCD monitor. They
> are smaller (depth wise), don't suffer from flicker and give a crisper
> image. I realise the last point is subjective and some might disagree.

They're definitely brighter.

--
Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
Company website: http://JustThe.net/
Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/
E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307

Brian Cryer

2005-07-23, 7:14 am

Yes. Agreed - and without straining you eyes (you can turn up the brightness
on a CRT monitor but it just isn't the same because a CRT just "glares").

"Steve Sobol" <sjsobol@JustThe.net> wrote in message
news:dbsruu$5mo$2@ratbert.glorb.com...
> Brian Cryer wrote:
They[color=darkred]
>
> They're definitely brighter.
>
> --
> Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
> Company website: http://JustThe.net/
> Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/
> E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307

Chris Hope

2005-07-23, 7:14 am

Steve Sobol wrote:

> Brian Cryer wrote:
>
> They're definitely brighter.

Agreed. I just recently bought a Dell 20" monitor (1600x1200 - nice!)
and got terrible headaches from it the first few days. I turned the
brightness and contrast down a bit each day until they went away. It's
almost at zero for both settings but it's still bright enough for me!
I've been meaning to up the brightness a bit again to see if the
headaches come back.

--
Chris Hope | www.electrictoolbox.com | www.linuxcdmall.com

Steve

2005-07-23, 7:14 am

Lois wrote:

> From http://www.lsit.ucsb.edu/kb/idx/5/046/article/ : "The
> disadvantages of LCD monitors are...fixed resolution and inconsistent
> color. It is also common for these screens to have imperfections
> known as dead or stuck pixels, where one dot is stuck on a color.
> This is not a problem for most users."
>
> These sound like serious problems for people who do web design. What
> do you think? Do some LCD monitors avoid these problems?

I still use CRT for digital photography stuff (on a Mac) where I need the
monitor properly calibrated. On our two main desktop machines (running
Linux) we're now using Iiyama ProLite E485S 19in LCD monitors and love 'em.
If there is any problem with the colour balance, I can't see it (and I'm
fussy about these things). I had one pixel that stuck for a while, but that
cured itself. Not bothered about the fixed resolution because it's the
resolution (1280 x 1024) that I want anyway. I do web design on this
machine, running Gimp to make/adjust web versions of images, and I'm
perfectly happy with it - given that web design is far less critical than
digital photography anyway.

Plus, the LCD monitors have their own advantages - very crisp display, they
consume less desk space and, in our relatively small office, don't seem to
take up the whole place like the hulking great 19in CRTs used to. I
wouldn't go back.

--
www.diverse-art.com
www.montcocher.com/work/

Jim Fisher

2005-07-23, 7:14 pm

"Lois" <auto-newsgroups@wordsweave.com> wrote in message
> These sound like serious problems for people who do web design. What
> do you think? Do some LCD monitors avoid these problems?

There are lot's of considerations with LCD technology (brightness,
resolution, dead pixels and so on) but one of the most important is this:
It is pretty well agreed that CRT outperforms LCD by a wide margin unless
you purchase a "high-end" (expensive) LCD.

If you get a LCD, you need to look at a monitor (and video card) that
support Digital Video Interface and "bright screen technology" and stay away
from 'analog LCD". If you can't (or don't want to) afford the DVI then
stick with a decent "flat screen" CRT and spend the savings on your wife or
something.

I personally think LCD technology has quote a few years before it catches up
with the performance of good old CRT technology.

--
Jim

MGW

2005-07-23, 7:14 pm

I'd suggest going to your local computer shop and trying some out.
See how you like them.

I was just forced to convert from CRT to LCD (CRT died, LCD was a free
loaner from brother-in-law).

Pluses: More room for the infinite pile of papers on my desk to creep
forward, better resolution, can put monitor further back (since I'm
far-sighted, that is a more comfortable focal distance for me). And I
found that, due to the better resolution, I have more space on my
desktop at 15" LCD than I had on my 17" CRT.

Minuses: I'm having a little trouble adjusting visually - since all
the lines are now thinner I'm finding my middle-aged eyes are working
harder to read text (in other words, a new glasses prescription is in
order - drat!). Re: dead pixels, bil (computer hardware guru) says
that while it's not uncommon for LCDs to arrive with one dead pixel
somewhere, it's seldom any more noticeable that a dust mote (which,
with my lack of housekeeping skills, I have plenty of!) and showed us
one to prove his case.

Bil recommends shopping online at newegg.com - if you do that, you can
read lots of user comments on the various monitors. I'm amazed how
low the prices have gotten - $175 for a 17" monitor!

Just one woman's experience.
--

MGW

MGW

2005-07-23, 7:14 pm

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 00:46:01 -0700, Steve Sobol <sjsobol@JustThe.net>
scrawled:

>Brian Cryer wrote:
>
>They're definitely brighter.

Forgot to include that in my list of plus/minuses. In my case, being
sensitive to glare, that is actually a minus - I keep my monitor at a
very low level of brightness and have trouble adjusting the brightness
to suit me. But, again, I seem to have unusual visual preferences.

I imagine I'll be used to this LCD and have it set up in a way that's
comfortable to me in a few weeks. But I'm definitely having some
trouble with the switchover.
--

MGW

George King

2005-07-23, 7:14 pm

"MGW" <mgw1979@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:17k4e112oc3ob0v0boa2gleab7sn4daehr@4ax.com...
> I'd suggest going to your local computer shop and trying some out.
> See how you like them.
>
> I was just forced to convert from CRT to LCD (CRT died, LCD was a free
> loaner from brother-in-law).
>
> Pluses: More room for the infinite pile of papers on my desk to creep
> forward, better resolution, can put monitor further back (since I'm
> far-sighted, that is a more comfortable focal distance for me). And I
> found that, due to the better resolution, I have more space on my
> desktop at 15" LCD than I had on my 17" CRT.
>
> Minuses: I'm having a little trouble adjusting visually - since all
> the lines are now thinner I'm finding my middle-aged eyes are working
> harder to read text (in other words, a new glasses prescription is in
> order - drat!). Re: dead pixels, bil (computer hardware guru) says
> that while it's not uncommon for LCDs to arrive with one dead pixel
> somewhere, it's seldom any more noticeable that a dust mote (which,
> with my lack of housekeeping skills, I have plenty of!) and showed us
> one to prove his case.
>
> Bil recommends shopping online at newegg.com - if you do that, you can
> read lots of user comments on the various monitors. I'm amazed how
> low the prices have gotten - $175 for a 17" monitor!
>
> Just one woman's experience.
> --
>
> MGW

MGW,

I had the eyeguy make up a new prescription for me just for the PC. It is a
bifocal solution, one set for my acuity from a comfortable sitting position
to the screen, and one from the sitting position to the table top. This
way, I can shift between the screen and printed materials just by looking
through one lens or the other. It has greatly reduced eyestrain and tension
headaches from leaning and head-tilting. The glasses look a little funny
(the lower lenses are actually thicker than the uppers), but nobody sees
them but the PC.

Good luck,
George (and I love my LCD monitor).

saz

2005-07-23, 7:15 pm

In article <51e75$42e1d90c$d135d5a2$11881@MDI.CA>, auto-
newsgroups@wordsweave.com says...
> As some of you know, I'm on the hunt for a new computer. I may be
> able to get a good used one (1-2 years old) locally, but my question
> at this point is about the monitor. I don't need to buy a new
> monitor, but I might get one with the computer. What do you guys
> think of LCD monitors?
>
> From http://www.lsit.ucsb.edu/kb/idx/5/046/article/ : "The
> disadvantages of LCD monitors are...fixed resolution and inconsistent
> color. It is also common for these screens to have imperfections
> known as dead or stuck pixels, where one dot is stuck on a color.
> This is not a problem for most users."
>
> These sound like serious problems for people who do web design. What
> do you think? Do some LCD monitors avoid these problems?
>
> Thanks,
> Lois
>
I have a 19" Sony and a 19" Samsung. I would never go back to CRT.

Colors are brighter, text is crisp (at the right resolution) and it
takes much less space.

The only drawback is that the factory default settings on both were too
bright for my eyes, but once I cut them down to about 80, there were no
problems.

Red E. Kilowatt

2005-07-23, 7:15 pm

"Leonard Blaisdell" <leo@greatbasin.com> wrote in message
news:leo-559457.23465422072005@news.supernews.com
> In article <51e75$42e1d90c$d135d5a2$11881@MDI.CA>,
> "Lois" <auto-newsgroups@wordsweave.com> wrote:
>
>
> One man's opinion on one monitor in my home. My Viewsonic 19" LCD is
> the cat's meow.

I have a 19" Viewsonic as well and it's a great pleasure to use. I think
it's far superior to the 21" Viewsonic CRT it replaced. I'll never go
back to a CRT.

I bought a couple of 19" Dell LCDs for my wife and daughter, but they
are not quite as good as the Viewsonic. Good enough for them though.
;-)
--
Red

saz

2005-07-23, 7:15 pm

In article <yFuEe.459$5g.118@tornado.socal.rr.com>, kilowattREMOVE@aww-
faq.org says...
> "Leonard Blaisdell" <leo@greatbasin.com> wrote in message
> news:leo-559457.23465422072005@news.supernews.com
>
>
> I have a 19" Viewsonic as well and it's a great pleasure to use. I think
> it's far superior to the 21" Viewsonic CRT it replaced. I'll never go
> back to a CRT.
>
> I bought a couple of 19" Dell LCDs for my wife and daughter, but they
> are not quite as good as the Viewsonic. Good enough for them though.
> ;-)
>
Interesting - my neighbor bought a 19" Dell - can't compare to either my
Samsung or Sony. He returned it and bought a Samsung.

Martin Harran

2005-07-23, 11:58 pm

"Lois" <auto-newsgroups@wordsweave.com> wrote in message
news:51e75$42e1d90c$d135d5a2$11881@MDI.CA...

Best solution of the lot, get a dual monitor card and use both :)

I used to think dual monitors was a bit of a gimmick but once you have it,
you wouldn't want to part with it.

I got mine when I bought a new system last year with a 17" LCD and I now run
the old 17" CRT beside it. I don't find much difference between them except
the CRT is a bit better on graphics. I use the LCD as my main screen,
however, as I can work at a higher resolution on it and have more 'real
estate'.

In rough and ready terms, a 15" LCD has the same 'real estate' as a 17" CRT,
a 17" LCD the same 'real estate' as a 19" CRT and so on.

(PeteCresswell)

2005-07-24, 7:35 pm

Per Lois:
>These sound like serious problems for people who do web design. What
>do you think? Do some LCD monitors avoid these problems?

What are you doing with the old PC and it's CRT monitor?

One thing to consider is putting a dual-head graphics card in the new PC and
having both an LCD and a CRT monitor.

I like this setup a lot because I can set the CRT's rez to whatever the lowest
screen rez is for the application I'm working on - which makes testing screen
layouts more convenient. It's also nice to have a separate monitor for an
Immedate and/or code window when doing interactive debugging.
--
PeteCresswell

(PeteCresswell)

2005-07-24, 7:35 pm

Per (PeteCresswell):
>LCD monitors

One disadvantage of LCD monitors is that they don't scale as well as CRT
monitors. They look great when run at their native rez, but not so great when
run at other resolutions. I run my Sony LCD at it's native 1600x1200 and keep
a CRT on the side for lower rez's.
--
PeteCresswell

Red E. Kilowatt

2005-07-24, 7:36 pm

"saz" <saz1958@nospammersexcite.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d4c345298784bbb989795@newsgroups.comcast.net
> In article <yFuEe.459$5g.118@tornado.socal.rr.com>,
> kilowattREMOVE@aww- faq.org says...
> Interesting - my neighbor bought a 19" Dell - can't compare to either
> my Samsung or Sony. He returned it and bought a Samsung.

The Dells were about $50 cheaper than the Viewsonic and I don't have to
use either one of them.
--
Red

(PeteCresswell)

2005-07-24, 7:36 pm

Per (PeteCresswell):
> LCD monitors

Dunno if it has any real-world significance, but one thing I read about CRT
monitors is that the dots that make up the image aren't quite crisp/clear. The
result of that is that your eye's focusing mechanism is constantly trying to
make the picture clear, causing eye fatigue.

I have no idea if there's anything to this, but it would seem to me that an
LCD's pixels/dots/whaterver would be much better defined.

That plus no refresh rate in digital mode would seem to make an LCD easier on
the eyes.

My eye fatigue seems to have gone down since goint to a Sony 19" LCD.

OTOH, my car always seems to run better after I've washed it....so maybe there's
something like a placebo or Hawthorne effect at work.
--
PeteCresswell

Lois

2005-07-26, 4:40 am

Thanks everyone for your responses on this topic. Sorry I don't have
time now to respond to everyone individually, but all your responses
helped. I'm going to look into the option of getting an LCD monitor
down the road and keeping my current monitor. I didn't know before
that I could get them to work together.

Lois
--
www.wordsweave.com