LCD or CRT?
 

I'd really like to hear the computer guys' opinions about monitor choices. I am buying myself a new one for christmas and I am torn. I'd love to get a 17"-19" LCD for the style and space savings. However I have not been real happy with the LCD's that I have used in the past. They are hard on my eyes and have limited choices when it comes to resolution. I can't stand that "messy text" look that results from using the non-native resolution on alot of LCDs.

On the other hand, I could get a 22" CRT even cheaper that any of those LCDs and have no resolution problems, a lower dot pitch, and of course one huge mother of a screen. However It would take up a good part of my desk, and shipping prices on those monitors are evil.

So tell me what you think about CRTs and LCDs, what you would get and why.

Thanks.

I think it really depends on your application. They've improved greatly over the past couple years, but I still wouldn't use one at work because my of my particular job. I would like one for my home because I have limited space and really only use that machine for internet and word processing.

CRT for money and reso and thats what I'm using. Just my .02

Go for a flat screen crt unless you want the extra space and bling that the lcd offers.

As pockets' said, it depends on your intended application. I don't think many dedicated gamers like LCDs. I use several computers during my work week - and one at home of course. Two have LCDs, two have CRTs.

I prefer the LCD as there's no sensation of blinking - which I get from just about any CRT, Sony, NEC, etc. but then again, I very rarely play any games (mostly because I suck so bad). I think color rendition is better on the CRTs, but maybe that's just a brand thing (all the LCDs I have experience with are from Dell or Gateway).

i have both types. 2 LCD's and 2 CRT's.

I prefer the LCD's. My eyes get tired from the blinking.

Blinking? with six comps and two laptops in my house I have not seen any blinking and I much prefer the regular monitors

I can't remember the last time I played a game other than snood, and even that has been awhile. However, I do use Alias, Cobalt, and Adobe CS, and for those apps alone I think I may just stick with a CRT.

With a Professional 22" CRT I should be able to run refresh rates of over 120hz. That means that the monitor is displaying frames faster than the human brain can take them in. If you see blinking at that level, you need your head examined.

Thanks for all the opinions. Feel free to continue, I haven't fully decided yet. It may just come down to what I feel is the best deal.

CRT. You get more for less money. LCDs are rapidly catching up, but CRTs still whoop 'em.

True story:
President of Boxlight: "We're the largest flat-panel company in the world." (Glances at the CRT sitting on his desk.) "Think I should get one?"
My friend: "Do you want one?"
President: "I don't know. Do you think if I ask nicely they'll let me have one?"
(He still has the CRT.)

Their offices are littered with CRTs. Only a few LCDs for the dozens of CRTs. Same story for a large distributor / reseller of flat-panel displays I've dealt with.

Also with LCDs, you get what you pay for. The cheap ones rarely look as good as the expensive models. Take a good look at what you're buying before you jump. There's less variation between CRTs, but flat-panels can be amazing or horrible.

LCD. Easy. CRTs are big, heavy, have nice colors, but ultimately aren't as sharp and crispy. A cheap LCD is just that: Cheap. However, a decent LCD provides way more contrast than a CRT ever could, and they look fantastic. Much easier on the eyes. Buy one as big as you can with as much resolution as you can. They're great.

Re: LCD or CRT?
 

I've been a CRT user for 25 years... Back from the days when green monochrome was the best you could get... Then amber monochrome hit the market and everyone oooh'd and ahh'd... Then came the CGA and WOW! Magenta, Yellow and Cyan.. With white too!

Then we moved onto something resembling colours... EGA with it's 16, IBM's failed XGA standard, then came VGA, SVGA... ...and now it all kinda blurs together as everyone has 16 millon+ colours.

In that time, I've seen the progression of the 'alternative' screens.. Plasma (when it was just black and red) moving all the way up to current day LCD's.

What am I using now? a 2001FP 20.1" LCD from Dell. I AM a hardcore gamer (both PC and console) and I don't notice any perceptible lag or ghosting with this monitor... With it's S-Video inputs, I have my game systems hooked up to it (X-Box, Gamecube & PS2).

The image is sharp and clear. The colours are vibrant. I have my olde 19" Iiyama CRT sitting right next to it and I cringe when I compare one image to the other... If set up properly, the colours are just as warm and precise on the LCD as they are on the CRT. ..and the CRT fails miserably when it comes to sheer sharpness of the image.

Now.. With that being said... There's a lot of crappy LCD's out there and you definitely get what you pay for. The 2001FP is Dell's flagship model and you pay a premium for that (Luckily, I got in on a serious discount they had going for awhile and picked mine up for $666.00 shipped.).

Now, if you're not willing to shell out that kind of cash, then by all means.. Go with a CRT. It's the nature of the beast that good LCD's cost.

What's in the future? OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) is where it's at... OLED is going to completely decimate both the CRT and LCD market when they work out the few remaining bugs. Each pixel is individually lighted, so there's no backlight like a CRT that causes eyestrain and no sidelighting like an LCD that can be readily seen on full black images.

It uses less power than both a CRT and LCD, there's no parts to wear out and the image is better than today's top-end plasma/LCD displays. ..and the cost of manufacturing is nearly negligible.

So the choice is up to you, but with an LCD, if you want quality, you can't go cheap.

I'll second that... I have two 17" LCD's at work and one 19" LCD attached to my dockingstation for my laptop at home. Sure, I'm limited to about 1200x1024 res, but the picture is great and no flashing... Plus, if I take the base stand off of the 19" er I can hang it on the wall :D:D:D LCD's are definantly getting better... Just yesterday I saw a 19" Sony LCD that was absolutly beautiful!!! Wonderful picture...

It really depends on your eyes and your needs.

My eyes don't get strained at an 85Hz refresh rate, some people need higher.

If you get an LCD, make sure you get one with DVI input and get a video card with DVI out. Match the resolution of the computer to the native resolution of the LCD and the picture will be crisp enough for most users.

Doug

Forgot to mention this... It is a very good idea to have a DVI input... Al of my monitors have them, however I only have them hooked up through the DVI input at work... Don't use DVI back in my room...

FYI: DVI is that input that is shaped kinda like the "Purple/blue" of the normal one except it is white and has a whole bunch of diagonal flat pins inside of it... Also, expect to pay ALOT for the cable... That stuff is expensive if ya want the good stuff... :rolleyes:.... <--- One of the reasons why I haven't hooked it up like that on my personal yet...

DVI cables are full digital**, you can buy the cheapest ones unless you are going further than 15 feet.

**Yes I know that some DVI cables have analog leads to be backward compatible, but few LCDs use them.

Doug