please help me pick a LCD monitor

[alex]

Hi,

I want to buy a LCD/TFT monitor for my home computer. Unoriginally, I
am on a very tight budget. I looked around and found the following
possibilities:

17" Samsung LCD Monitor
Model: Samsung 713N
Features
# 17" Silver LCD
# Response Time: 8 ms
# Contrast Ratio: 600:1
# Brightness: 300 cd/m2
# Viewing Angle: 160 / 160
# Built-in Power Supply
# Stand: Tilt Adjustment

price: $259.43

15" Acer America TFT LCD Monitor
Model: ET.L2202.135
Features
# 15" TFT LCD
# Native Resolution: 1024 x 768
# Contrast Ratio: 350:1
# Viewing Angles: 140?/125? horizontal/vertical
# VGA connector
# Brightness: 250 cd/m2
# Response Time: 25ms
# Vesa wall mount-supported

price: $169.66

17" Samsung LCD Monitor
Model: 713V
Features
# 17" LCD
# 1280 x 1024 native resolution
# Brightness: 290 cd/m^2
# Contrast Ratio: 500:1
# Built-in power supply
# VESA arm/wall mount compatible

price: $248.61

KDS K517s 15" Flat Panel LCD Monitor, Silver
model name K517s
screen type flat panel LCD
diagonal screen size 15 inches
viewable image size 15 inches
horizontal viewable angle 100 degrees
maximum resolution 1024 x 768
native resolution 1024 x 768
dot pitch 0.297 mm
monitor brightness 250 cd/m2
aspect ratio 4:3
contrast ratio 400:1
maximum horizontal frequency 60 kHz
maximum vertical frequency 75 Hz
typical response time 25 ms
typical: Command not found.

Acer 15.0" Flat Panel Display, AL1511B

Actual Screen Size 15"
Viewable Screen Size 15"
Projection Technology Active Matrix TFT
Dot Pitch 0.297mm
Input Signal RGB (Analog)
Monitor Response Time 25 ms
# Viewing Angle 140 degrees Horizontal
# 125 degrees Vertical
Mountable Wall-mountable VESA
Resolution 1024 x 768 Native Resolution
Ratio 350:1 Contrast Ratio
Brightness 250 Nit

Do any of these look good to you from a price/quality ratio?

Could you reccommend something better?

Many thanks,

Alex

 

[badgolferman]

alex, 8/16/2005, 3:16:20 PM,

Hi,

I want to buy a LCD/TFT monitor for my home computer. Unoriginally, I
am on a very tight budget. I looked around and found the following
possibilities:

17" Samsung LCD Monitor
Model: Samsung 713N
Features
# 17" Silver LCD
# Response Time: 8 ms
# Contrast Ratio: 600:1
# Brightness: 300 cd/m2
# Viewing Angle: 160 / 160
# Built-in Power Supply
# Stand: Tilt Adjustment

price: $259.43

15" Acer America TFT LCD Monitor
Model: ET.L2202.135
Features
# 15" TFT LCD
# Native Resolution: 1024 x 768
# Contrast Ratio: 350:1
# Viewing Angles: 140?/125? horizontal/vertical
# VGA connector
# Brightness: 250 cd/m2
# Response Time: 25ms
# Vesa wall mount-supported

price: $169.66

17" Samsung LCD Monitor
Model: 713V
Features
# 17" LCD
# 1280 x 1024 native resolution
# Brightness: 290 cd/m^2
# Contrast Ratio: 500:1
# Built-in power supply
# VESA arm/wall mount compatible

price: $248.61

KDS K517s 15" Flat Panel LCD Monitor, Silver
model name K517s
screen type flat panel LCD
diagonal screen size 15 inches
viewable image size 15 inches
horizontal viewable angle 100 degrees
maximum resolution 1024 x 768
native resolution 1024 x 768
dot pitch 0.297 mm
monitor brightness 250 cd/m2
aspect ratio 4:3
contrast ratio 400:1
maximum horizontal frequency 60 kHz
maximum vertical frequency 75 Hz
typical response time 25 ms
typical: Command not found.

Acer 15.0" Flat Panel Display, AL1511B

Actual Screen Size 15"
Viewable Screen Size 15"
Projection Technology Active Matrix TFT
Dot Pitch 0.297mm
Input Signal RGB (Analog)
Monitor Response Time 25 ms
# Viewing Angle 140 degrees Horizontal
# 125 degrees Vertical
Mountable Wall-mountable VESA
Resolution 1024 x 768 Native Resolution
Ratio 350:1 Contrast Ratio
Brightness 250 Nit

Do any of these look good to you from a price/quality ratio?

Could you reccommend something better?

Many thanks,

Alex

I have always been a fan of Princeton Graphics monitors. You can find
similar prices as above on www.pricewatch.com

 

[John]

Hi,

I want to buy a LCD/TFT monitor for my home computer. Unoriginally, I
am on a very tight budget. I looked around and found the following
possibilities:

The problem is it depends on where you are. That determines
availablity and prices of things so unless someone knows your area
they cant really give you really good advice and it looks like you are
posting from Russia.

So if I was just going by your information , the list you have - Id
obviously prefer a bigger screen rather than smaller so Id get the 17"
LCDs. On top of that , id rather get Samsung than a KDS or Acer
generally speaking of course. So everything points to the Samsungs on
that list. There are two samsungs which im not particularly familiar
with though in general Samsungs have gotten decent reviews . One
claims 8ms response time and the other 25ms.

Generally speaking again ---- if you play games you want lower
response times so Id take the 8ms one if you believe the specs. One
thing Toms Hardware pointed out you cant take all the LCD specs at
face value. However in general its been posted ad nauseum that about a
year or more ago LCDs which used to be pretty slow 25 ms and slower
started getting much faster because people noticed ghosting problems
with fast action games.

So then a raft of 6bit LCD panels that had faster than 25 ms response
times came out. The problem is , 6bits use dithering supposedly to get
more shades . You can tell cause theyll say 16.2 mil colors where the
8 bit panels will 16.7 mil colors. And many of those 16.2 shades are
dithered on the 6 bits. Reviewers will point out usually banding when
they test them with some testing software for LCDs with certain
shades. So a typical review might say - great for gaming and or movies
but not the best for critical graphics work or whatever.

In that sense maybe a 25 ms response /8 bit panel may or may not be
better if you do graphics work thats if its a decent LCD too of course
just cause its 8 bit obviously doesnt mean its good for graphics work.
However theres another thing -- both say analog and they dont seem to
have DVI connections. Everyone goes around asking if an LCD has a DVI
connection. Usually the claim is text is sharper etc and maybe
graphics too when it doesnt go through the analog stuff. Ive always
said I dont notice a big difference with many LCD screens when they
switch from the analog connection to DVI but others have claimed they
do. However when I finally bought my own LCD and Im a real late
adopter as I didnt like a lot of the problems with LCDs - slow
response time etc. Anyway - when I checked all the reviews, Anandtech
had a series of reviews where he claims DVI connections make a big
difference with ghosting etc And he sounded as if he wasnt crazy at
all with any monitors that didnt have a DVI connection.

That changed my mind as I assume he isnt lying or crazy so there must
be a difference. However subjectively I doubt you will be disappointed
with the Samsungs just because they dont have DVI (as I assume they
dont). It probably look fine to your eyes. But Im not sure about the
gaming aspect. Will it effect games? I dont know as Anandtech seemed
to be the site bringing up this angle. Ive never seen a lot of posters
mentioned analog connections in regards to ghosting on games etc. its
usually the response time.

Another thing --- if you want to watch movies on LCDs , Ive done that
a lot and I hate watching movies etc on my LCD especially if there are
dark scenes , the contrast is fairly poor in the dark shades and Ive
heard this mentioned a lot with various LCDs. It gets really murky
looking . I put the same movie on my TV and its no problem at all to
see dark scenes in various films.

So on that list youll probably like the Samsung I would think but if
you can get another model by Samsung , Sony , VIewsonic, Acer or
zillions of other firms with fast response time, DVI connection , ag
contrast ratios and viewing angles etc then at a decent Id rather go
for that instead. One thing LCDs have become much more commodity like
-- many of the panels as Toms Hardware pointed out a while back are
probably made by a few big factories . Theres lots of generic sounding
LCDs now that are perfectly fine for cheap in the US which has driven
prices down on the Samsungs, Sony, Viewsonics, NECs etc. Ive seen
some pretty hot deals in the US on Acers and brand ive never even
heard of. I got a generic brand for $150 last year at the end of the
year for someone a 17" and it looked fine - no DVI, 25 ms but it isnt
being used for games.

 

[Curious]

Go for a Samsung if you don't mind price.
8ms response time is fast, but you may settle for 12ms (or 16ms) for
price/performance.

Check out Hyndai:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=BROWSE&manufactory=1927&bop=and&InnerCata=20

Hi,

I want to buy a LCD/TFT monitor for my home computer. Unoriginally, I
am on a very tight budget. I looked around and found the following
possibilities:

17" Samsung LCD Monitor
Model: Samsung 713N
Features
# 17" Silver LCD

# Response Time: 8 ms <=== Fast!

# Contrast Ratio: 600:1
# Brightness: 300 cd/m2
# Viewing Angle: 160 / 160
# Built-in Power Supply
# Stand: Tilt Adjustment

price: $259.43

15" Acer America TFT LCD Monitor
Model: ET.L2202.135
Features
# 15" TFT LCD
# Native Resolution: 1024 x 768
# Contrast Ratio: 350:1
# Viewing Angles: 140?/125? horizontal/vertical
# VGA connector
# Brightness: 250 cd/m2

# Response Time: 25ms <=== Too slow for gaming

# Vesa wall mount-supported

price: $169.66 <=== Good price

 

[alex]

Hi everybody,

Thanks for all your pointers and good info! On one hand I am a little
concerned about purchasing from an Internet-based seller who does not
provide a convenient no-questions-asked return policy
Walmart/Sams/RadioShack/etc. -style, but on the other hand all of these
will charge taxes on any sale whereas pure Internet sellers will not.

So I need to think about all this a little more.

Anyway - thanks a lot for all the info.

Regards,

Alex