Flat screen monitor recommendations?
polycounter lvl 18
I desperately need more screen real estate at home to finish my reel.
I've decided that I think I'd prefer one big widescreen flatscreen than a clumsy dual CRT setup.
Anyone got any leads? Are flatscreens good enough for colour yet? I was thinking I'd try and get something this weekend but really don't know much about them or the various different technologies behind them so any thoughts appreciated. I'll spend what I have to to get quality ( within reason ).
thanks.
I've decided that I think I'd prefer one big widescreen flatscreen than a clumsy dual CRT setup.
Anyone got any leads? Are flatscreens good enough for colour yet? I was thinking I'd try and get something this weekend but really don't know much about them or the various different technologies behind them so any thoughts appreciated. I'll spend what I have to to get quality ( within reason ).
thanks.
Replies
The dell 24" LCD (I've heard it's gorgeous, even for color)
The apple Studio display 30" (you need a quadro 340 as minimum to drive it. The dual ramdac's have to be linkable to drive the resolution)
I've got the new Del 24" 16:10 flat panel. It's pretty good for color, not quite as good however as the apple cinema displays, but very very close. Neither are as good as a good, calibrated CRT however. The tech just isn't there yet. Also, like Plasma's LCD's suffer from non-quite blacks. So everything will be quite a bit brighter than you might like.
I got mine for just barely over $800 shipping included.
Poop! You worked on my Dell 24" here, remember?
dell 20.1
the ability to essentially hook up four individual things (like two comps and two consoles) to each monitor is nice, and the adjustable / scalable Picture in Picture option is pretty awesome too.
http://www.go-l.com/monitors/athens/features/index.htm
apple: better form factor, but fewer options (no video in, basic controls on the monitor itself). USB2 and Firewire ports on the back of the display. a very eye-catching unit, i've been very happy with mine. good color and brightness.
Dell: if apple's display is a lithe european sportscar, Dell's unit feels like an american musclecar. what it doesn't have in finesse it makes up for in brute strength. the looks are pretty chunky, but it's a 24" display with an assload of inputs, sporting picture-in-picture... and though it's rather a novelty, if you have use for a monitor that can turn on its side to display its width vertically, then this is for you. it's also bright. extremely bright. you'll probably need to take some time to dial it down and in, it is an extremely bright display.
so there you go. highly recommend trying both out, of course. i couldn't tell you about the 30" apple, but i hear it is quite a beast. good luck with making the pick.
I plugged mine into the VGA port even though it could be DVI, because that meant I could alter the individual colour temperature from the monitor's OSD, rather than from graphics drivers settings in Windows, which I found rather fiddly (and which I believe DVI connections force you to do?).
I went the dual-flat-panel monitor route, and it works great. Don't have to worry about weird widescreen aspect ratios b0rking up games or anything... still, a big-ass widescreen display always looks impressive. I always imagined an Apple display next to a PC box and peripherals would look kinda incongruous
The 'impact' on games is awesome too. MOst games don't have the res your screen supports it would seem, but as soon as you plug the monitor in, 99% of the games will let you use that res. You get more space in games then giving you a lot more to see to the left and right... they're like awesome, or something, for games
sorry, was in a hurry to catch the bus.
Most people have an alergic reaction when you mention hooking up EMO-Mac stuff to a PC, but really if I had the coin (and the need) I would do it. Just get a new clear case and put some blue lights in it =P
EDIT: just read the thread, and yeah... I agree...
Heh, it just reminded me of some of the early Doom3 interviews with John Carmack, he was sitting in front of his computer with a widescreen 20-something-inch CRT screen, I swear that monster was about 2 metres deep! It'd take 3 men to move it...
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MoP,
I have one of these on my desk at work...
24" Sony GDM FW-900
I just finished ups my triple monitor setup (Two 19" samsung displays + the Viewsonic 17" VA712b LCD) and setting up the colours in between them is a pita! In the CRT's I can can see the details but the colours are washed out compared to the Viewsonic, but at the same time the viewsonic is too dark/contrasty to see details in dark images.
I think you'll be happy with it. I've so far really liked mine, even though, as I said, it is a bit overbright even when turned all the way down.
Although, if you find a good solution for that, please share it with me!
before that i had barely believed the stories about monitors that interfere with tablets.
I had the same problem here at home as well with my 2 19" hitachi CRT's before upgrading to the Dell. LCD's produce little/no magnetic field.
like if this is proffesional painting purposes involved - it is not teh good
just get a huge EIZO and you're set mate!
whatever you get anyways you cant go wrong with these monitors.
i snatched off one of their 22" for 400$ only off their refurbished (?) stuff. it handles color saturation more deeply than any other monitor i've seen, and runs at very high resolutions seamlessly at high refresh rate. its the best monitor i've ever seen. seriously.
those japanese scientists.. they'll take over the world one day, i tell ye!
EDIT:
oh you already bought it!
now i read your posts..
well nevermind then.
but you still are a crazy bastard
Scott
If this was the case, then yes, your new screen has the correct aspect ratio (especially if circles are circles!).
If this wasn't the case, then something weird is going on, or you're hallucinating
30-inch Cinema HD display.
There's a programmer at work that has one. My jaw dropped.
Ecstacy in the form of a flatscreen.