LCD moniter questions.

[Weasel]

I'm looking at replacing my dying 15" CRT with a 17" LCD. After doing alot of searching and reviewing of different models it seems Samsung and Viewsonic make good LCD's. So I went down to Office Depot and looked over several. Well the Samsung and Viewsonic very nice but two others really stood out, a Sony(SDM-HS75P/S) and a Xerox (XR3-17GS). These made the others look like crap, super sharp images and the color and screen depth was excellent. Colors were dead on and the detail was unreal. So I come back and start to research them and with the Sony now of the reviews are excellent, they rate it above average but thats it. The Xerox is brank new and couldn't find anything out about it. So what am I missing? The two mentioned above had a far better display then any of the higher rated moniters, the screens were all playing the same graphics test display.

[Wolf]

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=31&threadid=1745344&enterthread=y

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^try this. I just bought my first LCD with price being my main concern. I got a 19" Rosewill(??) brand one. All the spec numbers seemed to be fine. Since my TV is a 19" RCA (exact same viewable size as the monitor :( ), I'm gonna build a DVR computer and use the monitor as both my TV and computer screen w/ a wireless keyboard and mouse on a KVM switch. :cool:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824021019

[Sniggs]

Also check out Dell's 19" Very nice.

[casm]

Also check out Dell's 19" Very nice.

Yes on Samsung, Viewsonic, and Dell. All are good brands.

When you find one you like, be sure to check Office Despot's prices against what's available online. Froogle (http://www.froogle.com)'s a good starting point; I saved almost $300 over retail on a 19" Viewsonic LCD last year, which was well worth waiting three days for it to arrive. Granted, it was a client's, not mine, but it was a damned good monitor (they still love it) at about two-thirds to half the price I was finding it for everywhere else.

[Bent]

I've got the 19" samsung, the refresh rate is fast enough to handle some pretty good sized games. I think I paid ~$375 for it at best buy. Refresh rate is the one thing that I kept hearing while shopping for the LCD.

[RichP]

Go to www.newegg.com, you really want a 19" :) only $50 more but well worth it, go with an Acer, I have several AL1914's and their earlier variants that have 6ms response time, cost was $239 ea delivered in two days. They have a 3 year warranty and none of mine have had any deadpixels. If you want to shop around go to www.pricewatch.com and go from there. I've been putting acers in my commercial customers installations, they have had positive feedback which has resulted in the customers buying them for their home systems.

I also never get speakers built in, this system Im on now has a 5.1 creative surround sound system and I use a KVMS [Keyboard, Video, Mouse, Sound] swtich to access the media center PC that runs on this computer desk.

[Root Moose]

Stay away from Sony. They'll try to install a root kit on your monitor and try to track your digital media usage.

<that's a joke - or is it?>

[Bent]

.....install a root kit on your monitor and try to track ....
<that's a joke - or is it?>

:rof: :rof: :rof: :rof:













Well, not really that funny.
:D

[87manche]

I second the Acer monitor bid. We use those for all of our new systems and sell them retail. I can count on one hand how many have needed to be repaired, and we've been selling them for 2 years.
One thing on the warranty though. Yes, it's a 3 year warranty, but it's only 1 year on the backlight/inverter combo, and that's the most likely thing to die in an LCD monitor of any type. That's how most LCD warranties are in the industry.
The other nice thing about Acer is that the tech support call center is in Texas, so when the guy says his name is Jim, it really is.

[DaJudge]

I have about 20 Dell 1905s installed at work and 2 at home. Great picture quality and we haven't had any fail. If you buy a Dell make sure you get better model, they sell two different lines.

I also have a 23" Apple Widescreen at work. Best picture but very expensive!

[Root Moose]

I also have a 23" Apple Widescreen at work. Best picture but very expensive!

Yep, we have Cinema displays for some of the video compression research labs here at work. Top dollar, top picture.

20" Cinema at home. It's fab but depending on the type of usage there are probably better values out there.

[RichP]

I have about 20 Dell 1905s installed at work and 2 at home. Great picture quality and we haven't had any fail. If you buy a Dell make sure you get better model, they sell two different lines.

I also have a 23" Apple Widescreen at work. Best picture but very expensive!

Typical of Dell, their bargain stuff is crap that peope think they got a deal on and their quality stuff is expensive and overpriced...no suprise there..

[Weasel]

ok so why is it the sony has a better picture then the other models? I havn't got a chance to look at a Accer or Dell yet.

[Root Moose]

ok so why is it the sony has a better picture then the other models? I havn't got a chance to look at a Accer or Dell yet.
Probably a function of using their own specified LCD for that line of product versus a Matsushita/Panasonic or Hitachi or whatever.

Regardless of what the label is on the bezel the "guts" may not bear that name unless it is a line/product where the manufacturer wants to make an "impression" with tight specifications.

[Weasel]

Yeah I've found Sony mostly outsources all of their guts but adds a few things to keep it theirs. I'm going to shop around town a bit more and see if I can't get some better picture comparison with other brands.

[DaJudge]

Typical of Dell, their bargain stuff is crap that peope think they got a deal on and their quality stuff is expensive and overpriced...no suprise there..

Actually their better line is priced competively with everyone elses better stuff. $369.00 for a 19" LCD.

[RichP]

Actually their better line is priced competively with everyone elses better stuff. $369.00 for a 19" LCD.

Actually I'd go with an acer AL1916W [wide screen] and save $100 right off the top from Newegg, Shipping is close $14.50 from NE and $16 from dell with the FP1905 from dell which means dell must have a boatload of them in the warehouse to get rid of, whoops dell has free shipping. I just don't like dell.

[Weasel]

well I went back again to Office Depot and then up to Best Buy and comapred them all again, spent over an hour at Best Buy comparing the screens. Again the Sony had the best pictures out of any of the Samsung's, ViewSonic's, Mag's, or Westinghouse moniters. The only one close was the LG screen, but it still wasn't as good. So the sony is now sitting on my desk.

I guess I could have tried Newegg but as much of a difference as I was noticing in the store moniters I really didn't want to buy a screen without seeing it first. Also the dead pixels issue had me worried, with best Buy I can just swap it for a different one. The price was a bit more (~20 bucks) but so far I'm loving the screen.