Question About LCD TFT Monitors

[Jethro]

I see most manufacturers are now making so-called wide screen LCD
monitors in addition to the regular ones.

I am in the market for a new monitor, and I wonder which kind I should
get.

I have the impression that wide screen is more useful for video. Is
that so?

If I display a text document page on a wide screen LCD, do I get what
I would normally get on a regular LCD but with unused areas maybe on
both sides? Or is the text document page blown up to cover the full
screen width at the expense of height (i.e. showing fewer text lines)?
That doesn't strike me as too good.

Thanks

Jethro

 

[Rod Speed]

I see most manufacturers are now making so-called wide
screen LCD monitors in addition to the regular ones.

I am in the market for a new monitor, and I wonder which kind I should get.

I have the impression that wide screen is more useful for video. Is that so?
Yes.

If I display a text document page on a wide screen LCD, do I get what
I would normally get on a regular LCD but with unused areas maybe on
both sides? Or is the text document page blown up to cover the full
screen width at the expense of height (i.e. showing fewer text lines)?

You can do it either way with say Acrobat.

That doesn't strike me as too good.

You dont have to get that last effect if you buy a
monitor with the same vertical height, but widescreen.

 

[kony]

I see most manufacturers are now making so-called wide screen LCD
monitors in addition to the regular ones.

I am in the market for a new monitor, and I wonder which kind I should
get.

I have the impression that wide screen is more useful for video. Is
that so?

Yes, but only if your video is in wide-screen format.
Modern commercial DVD or TV might be, but quite a lot of
computer-targeted video was developed for the more common
aspect ratios, closer to 4:3 than to widescreen or nearer
widescreen.

If I display a text document page on a wide screen LCD, do I get what
I would normally get on a regular LCD but with unused areas maybe on
both sides?

Yes, no and maybe.
If the document word-wraps, it fills whole width of screen
still. If it doesn't, you can use a larger font and it will
be wider, else yes it will have unusued areas.

You need to go to a store and fiddle with some systems
hooked up to wide and non-wide screens to see what looks
best to you. In general, widescreens are more often cited
as good for spreadsheets, something I have to agree with if
you have several columns and don't want to put your nose to
screen to read the necessarily tiny font (to keep it all
on-screen at any moment).

Or is the text document page blown up to cover the full
screen width at the expense of height (i.e. showing fewer text lines)?
That doesn't strike me as too good.

yes, "IF" you choose to have it larger font, you will see
fewer vertical lines of text.

In general, given any particular inch measurement of the
screen, the higher the aspect ratio (more wide-screen it
is), the lower the actual screen area (simple mathematics)
and thus the fewer vertical pixels.

So the choice is pretty simple really, if you value using
data or movies that already are in a wide-screen
complimentary "shape", preserved as such, get a wide screen
monitor. For typical office work, email or websurfing with
_one_ window in focus (or maximized) at a time, the more
traditional 4:3 or 5:4 for 19", may be better. If you
commonly put two windows tiled vertically on screen, that
would be better with widescreen monitors.

It can depend on the budget too, given a large enough
monitor, even when the data/movie/etc on screen is a
different *shape*, it's still presented large enough to use
at a comfortable distance. To put it another way, I
wouldn't buy a 19" 1440x900 monitor because I don't find 900
vertical pixels to be enough, since most apps have toolbars
at the top, a title window, etc. Regarding games, it
depends a lot on what you play if anything, more modern and
future games are more likely to support wider screens but
currently it's hit-or-miss, you have to research it to know
about particular titles.

 

[Ken Maltby]

I see most manufacturers are now making so-called wide screen LCD
monitors in addition to the regular ones.

I am in the market for a new monitor, and I wonder which kind I should
get.

I have the impression that wide screen is more useful for video. Is
that so?

If I display a text document page on a wide screen LCD, do I get what
I would normally get on a regular LCD but with unused areas maybe on
both sides? Or is the text document page blown up to cover the full
screen width at the expense of height (i.e. showing fewer text lines)?
That doesn't strike me as too good.

Thanks

Jethro

You could use Windows, XP is pretty good. The "text document page"
will then be in a window that you can size as you wish, you just have
more space to put it on.

There are also some Widescreen Displays that can be rotated so it
becomes more of a "Tallscreen" and you could display more of a text
document that way.

If you want a recommendation for a fast Widescreen display that is good
for games as well as general computing and video, I like my new
ViewSonic "VX2025wm"

Luck;
Ken

 

[klaatu]

I see most manufacturers are now making so-called wide screen LCD
monitors in addition to the regular ones.

I am in the market for a new monitor, and I wonder which kind I should
get.

I have the impression that wide screen is more useful for video. Is
that so?

If I display a text document page on a wide screen LCD, do I get what
I would normally get on a regular LCD but with unused areas maybe on
both sides? Or is the text document page blown up to cover the full
screen width at the expense of height (i.e. showing fewer text lines)?
That doesn't strike me as too good.

Thanks

Jethro

First off, make sure your video card will support wide screen aspect
ratio or something close to it.

 

[Jethro]

Thanks, all three of you. klaatu says something I hadn't thought of -
the role of the video card.

Both of mine are 'on-board' (MOBO), and so I'll bet they don't support
wide screen.

I think I'll avoid wide screen. My main use will be for texts and
pictures, not video

Jethro

 

[kony]

Thanks, all three of you. klaatu says something I hadn't thought of -
the role of the video card.

Both of mine are 'on-board' (MOBO), and so I'll bet they don't support
wide screen.

Not necessarily true, for example nForce2 video should have
this ability due to the nVidia driver support. You should
check your driver, if it isn't specified in the INF file, it
will have to provide a facility for defining custom
resolutions... something that may be visible and testable
now in Display Properties, though you won't actually be able
to RUN the custom resolution if you haven't a monitor that
supports it, too.

I think I'll avoid wide screen. My main use will be for texts and
pictures, not video

For those uses, yes widescreen will be sub-optimal.

 

[Rod Speed]

Not necessarily true, for example nForce2 video should have
this ability due to the nVidia driver support. You should
check your driver, if it isn't specified in the INF file, it
will have to provide a facility for defining custom
resolutions... something that may be visible and testable
now in Display Properties, though you won't actually be able
to RUN the custom resolution if you haven't a monitor that
supports it, too.



For those uses, yes widescreen will be sub-optimal.

Not necessarily, if you have a choice between two monitors
with the same vertical height, one widescreen and the other
not, the widescreen will be fine for texts and pictures.

 

[kony]

Not necessarily, if you have a choice between two monitors
with the same vertical height, one widescreen and the other
not, the widescreen will be fine for texts and pictures.

Yes, necessarily it will be sub-optimal even if you have the
same height because of the price difference.
A 19" 5:4 ratio monitor is taller than a 21" widescreen. To
get the same height in a widescreen display per today's
prices it'll tend to cost substantially more. Same for
20.x" 4:3 monitor vs widescreen.

 

[Rod Speed]

Yes, necessarily it will be sub-optimal even if you
have the same height because of the price difference.

Never ever could bullshit its way out of a wet paper bag.

A 19" 5:4 ratio monitor is taller than a 21" widescreen.

Which might just be why I said THE SAME HEIGHT, ****wit child.

To get the same height in a widescreen display per
today's prices it'll tend to cost substantially more.
Bullshit.

Same for 20.x" 4:3 monitor vs widescreen.

More bullshit.

 

[Jethro]

Yes, necessarily it will be sub-optimal even if you have the
same height because of the price difference.
A 19" 5:4 ratio monitor is taller than a 21" widescreen. To
get the same height in a widescreen display per today's
prices it'll tend to cost substantially more. Same for
20.x" 4:3 monitor vs widescreen.

Well now...

COMPUSA has a SAMSUNG 204BW 20.1" LCD monitor for $300 after $80
rebates. It has brightness=300, resolution = 1600X1200, response time
=5ms, contrast=800:1.

and a SAMSUNG 205BW 20-inch LCD Wide screen Monitor for $269 after $80
rebates. It has brightness=300, resolution = 1680X1050, response time
=6ms, contrast=700:1.

Which should I buy for my stated uses - if either?

Jethro

 

[Rod Speed]

Well now...

COMPUSA has a SAMSUNG 204BW 20.1" LCD monitor for $300 after $80
rebates. It has brightness=300, resolution = 1600X1200, response time
=5ms, contrast=800:1.

and a SAMSUNG 205BW 20-inch LCD Wide screen Monitor for $269 after $80
rebates. It has brightness=300, resolution = 1680X1050, response time
=6ms, contrast=700:1.

Which should I buy for my stated uses - if either?

The first one. The second one wont be as high since its got the same
diagonal measurement, so you will get less screen lines on the second one.

 

[Jethro]

The first one. The second one wont be as high since its got the same
diagonal measurement, so you will get less screen lines on the second one.

Thanks

Jethro

 

[kony]

Never ever could bullshit its way out of a wet paper bag.


Which might just be why I said THE SAME HEIGHT, ****wit child.


Bullshit.

Oh?

Have you ever used a ruler Rod? Anyone who has can measure
this pretty easily.

The cost different may only be 30-50% but can easily be 200%

 

[Bazzer Smith]

Thanks

Jethro

The second one will be slightly wider though (5%).
The first one is 12.5% higher.

The first one has 8.8% more screen area.
If I had your choice I would definately get the first one 1600 X 1200
because it displays four 800X600 screens perfectly, four poker screen in my
case. However I am in the UK and they don't sell then (God know I tried to
find one), for a reasonable price.

This USA model $229
http://www.compusa.com/products/pro...t_code=337774&Pn=EN2028_20_1_inch_LCD_Monitor

Works out at about £122 in the UK, for me to buy the equivilent in the
UK would probably cost me about £500, actually the cheapest I can find is
£340, thats £240 of additional profit. and almost 3 times the price!!!!!!
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Monitors_5220897_2-1600_x_1200-flat_screen
God I feel sick!!!
Just as well we get free healthcare here I guess, but that doesn't explain
such a huge price differernce.
Maybe I can import one?
My 19" 1280 X 1024 cost £170.

 

[Bazzer Smith]

I see most manufacturers are now making so-called wide screen LCD
monitors in addition to the regular ones.

I am in the market for a new monitor, and I wonder which kind I should
get.

I have the impression that wide screen is more useful for video. Is
that so?

Depends, a lot of more modern TV programs as widescreen but there is
still a lot that isn't, I watch TV on my PC sometimes on my 5:4 ratio
monitor,
if you are watching in a window, it doesn't really matter what shape the
screen is, whenever I watch video on my PC it is usually in a wiindow,
however I sometimes watch it full screen with black bars at the top and
bottom.
The exta space when watching on a 4:3 or 4:5 can be useful if you want to
have
a small window open for other things, or in my case to show the "on screen"
TV remote control. But ideally if you are watching 16:9 it will look better
on
a 16:9 monitor, sames goes for 4:3. I am thinking of using dual display with
another monitor so I might get a widescreen one so I have the choice.
However I have noticed most monitors described as widescreen are not
16:9 (1.78:1) they are 1440:900 (1.6:1) equally mine is not 1.33:1 (4:3) it
is
1.25:1. (5:4).

In my opinion widescreen is two wide, however it might be useful for
having two windows side by side.

Incidently I would say my 1280 X 1024 is 'too wide' for most applications,
using OE to read your post for example, I could comfortably sit two posts
side
by side, and have width to spare. We humans don't like to read things too
wide because it is hard to scan back and find the next lline. (Notice how
newspapers split things into narrow columns.)


What you could do is is 'try before you buy' go down to a computer
store and play around on the duisplay models.

 

[Rod Speed]

Yep.

Have you ever used a ruler Rod? Anyone
who has can measure this pretty easily.

Irrelevant to the COST, ****wit child.

The cost different may only be 30-50%

Doesnt qualify as substantially more, ****wit child.

but can easily be 200%

Only in your pathetic little drug crazed pig ignorant fantasyland, ****wit child.