LCD Computer Monitror Reviews?

[AndrewLyles]

Anybody know a good place for computer monitor reviews? I would trust Tom's Hardware with my firstborn child, but they haven't done anything on the subject in a while. I refuse to trust CNET for anything pricing, I just can't seem to find a good website for this sort of thing.

Suggestions?

 

[MDS]

You could just google and get a bunch of different reviews from all over the place (but consider the source!). If you go to newegg.com, they have user reviews on just about every product and of course they sell LCD monitors.

Or you could take my advice and buy Viewsonic.

 

[nav]

Maybe a bit presumptuous, but we might be able to help. In my opinion, the type of panel matters much more than the manufacturer. If you Google a display, you'll often find out what sort of panel it's utilizing.

TN: Typically, the least expensive panel. TN panels tend to have poor viewing angles, so are best for small displays (especially wide screen TN panels can be awfully discolored in one corner or another from any viewpoint). Many TN panels are so-called "6-bit" panels and have poor color accuracy (though, depending on the dithering implementation, some are more noticeable than others). My recommendation for gaming.

MVA/PVA: Modern non-dithered MVA/PVA panels offer good viewing angle, good color reproduction, but slower response time and they're slightly more expensive than TN. My recommendation for movies. (I use a Samsung PVA LCD as monitor number two alongside my Mitsubishi Diamond Pro CRT. Very nice, but not the best for gaming.)

IPS: Great color reproduction but lesser black levels compared to MVA/PVA. Depending on the implementation, refresh rate may be as good as MVA/PVA panels. Generally found in fairly large displays because they're not inexpensive to manufacture. My recommendation for graphic arts. (I suppose there are dithered IPS panels around, but I haven't seen one. Avoid them.)

That's not the say that the manufacturer doesn't play into this at all. They all tend to have different "dead pixel" policies and features (like adjustable stands). My personal recommendations for an everyday budget are Samsung and Viewsonic.

 

[mike c]

i've never ever had a broken samsung LCD ... (i've been using samsung LCD's since 2001)

i've never ever had a broken viewsonic LCD ... (i've only started using viewsonic las year) but they ARE cheaper than samsung though ...

 

[emorphien]

I've found all the collections of reviews out there to be questionable at best.

I've only owned two brands of LCDs, Dell and NEC. NEC LCDs are of consistently high quality and they offer some very good models with excellent tonalities, better than most in fact (including the Dells, Apples and so on) without being too expensive. I have one of those which is several years old now and it hasn't started to yellow, fade or fail in any way which is better than I can say for most LCDs I've used that are getting to be that old. Granted it's not Eizo good, but these are good displays in my experience.

Dells are consistently pretty good and a hell of a deal. Particularly if you're after the wide screens since they use the same panels as Apple, etc and their stands are more functional (pivoting, height, etc). I use my NEC on my office computer now, and I have two Dell 20" widescreens on my home desktop (2005FPW and 2007FPW).

Even though panels are largely shared across manufacturers (there's only a handful of companies that actually make the panels) the backlights and other electronics are not necessarily shared which is why the same panel in two different displays can perform quite differently.

What will you be using it for? For most people it really doesn't matter so Viewsonic, Samsung, NEC, Dell etc are all good choices.

 

[Yamahaluver]

Viewsonic, NEC and if you have money then EIZO, SONY is made by SAMSUNG, Viewsonic is best value and excellent color.

 

[Nick250]

I think the responses above pretty much hit the target. If you want to read more, cnet and pcworld have on line reviews. I have a 17" Dell at home and at the office we have about 15 Dells with the oldest about 4 years old. Never had a problem with any of them. That being said we also have a couple of generic cheapie displays that are about 4 years old and they are working well too.

If I was in the market for a new display, I would keep the above posts in mind and take a look at the monitors on display at BB, CC or Compusa to get a feel for what's out there.

Nick

 

[emorphien]

newegg has a lot of displays from other manufacturers like Benq, etc which are usually fairly good and inexpensive.

Dell also sells models of display other than their own (that's where I got my NEC several years ago). Their return and support are also great, and they'll take care of you if you have dead pixels. I had gotten my 2007 FPW from them and there was one dead pixel near the center. Under industry standards, their tech support won't replace (industry standards allows a certian number of bad pixels) it but customer satisfaction took care of me.

 

[jonnythan]

Check the forums. They know what they're talking about.

Look at Hardforum.com especially. They have threads about most monitors.

 

[AndrewLyles]

Thanks for all of the suggestions y'all.

(I use a Samsung PVA LCD as monitor number two alongside my Mitsubishi Diamond Pro CRT. Very nice, but not the best for gaming.)

My current display is a Mitsubishi Diamon Pro 1010e..21" of professional CRT goodness. I still have yet to find a display that can put it to shame which is why I'm having such a hard time replacing it. I'm sure you're asking if I like it so much why would I want to replace such a fantastic pience of hardware? Well I moved to NYC from VA and my desk shrank to about 1/3rd the size of what it used to be. Unfortuneate, but now space is a limiting factor.

I don't play many games on my PC and the bulk of what I will be doing is audio based, or digital photography. I'm going with a mac so the Dells are out becuase I don't believe the support Macs (or at least not the last time I looked.)

I had been eyeballing the Viewsonic VP930b and running a pair of them but they've been on the market for quite a while now with no update or line refresh which seems odd. I'm not sure the life cycle of a monitor these days but thought it was aabout an annual refresh period, though I'm guessing not. Would love a pair of the VP2030b's because of the extra available resolution but those get pricey and I can't find any great deals on them.

For whoever mentioned that most of the review sites out there are worthless I tend to agree with you save one...I'm a hunge fan of Tom's Hardware for much the same reason I enjoy Audioholics. Pure unadulterated tests. Just about everything they review they put hard facts and numbers behind to let you draw your own conclusions instead of relying simply on colorful adjectives. That's the main reason that I am such a loyal fan of this site as well. I wonder if there's anychance for collaboration between the two? I smell synergies when it comes to media center PC's and computer audio equipment...anybody, anybody? Ahh well the more the merrier I suppose.

 

[MDS]

I have the Viewsonic VP2030b and I'm very satisified with it. I think I paid around $700 but haven't checked prices lately to see if it has come down in price.

Two of them side by side may not be the best solution for a limited size desk or if you sit fairly close to the monitor. One thing you might consider is whether your eyes can take in the whole display without having to pan back and forth. That's one reason I opted for the 20.1" instead of larger and I think it was the right choice now that I have had it for over a year.

 

[Nick250]

One thing you might consider is whether your eyes can take in the whole display without having to pan back and forth. That's one reason I opted for the 20.1" instead of larger and I think it was the right choice now that I have had it for over a year.

We have a 24" Dell wide screen at the office. Some people like it, but having to pan, as MDS suggested, is a PITA as far as I am concerned. I am happy with a 17", but I suspect I am in the minority.

Nick

 

[emorphien]

That's one reason I opted for the 20.1" instead of larger and I think it was the right choice now that I have had it for over a year.

That's a key thing for me too. I could have had a 24 (or even 30") display now, but two 20.1" widescreens means I can look at either and see basically everything on it in one look. I also get the benefit (I think) of two displays as far as organization and workflow control goes.

 

[AndrewLyles]

That's a key thing for me too. I could have had a 24 (or even 30") display now, but two 20.1" widescreens means I can look at either and see basically everything on it in one look. I also get the benefit (I think) of two displays as far as organization and workflow control goes.

I like the idea of the 20" primarily for the increase in resolution (also because I feel anyless would be a step down from my 21" CRT...talk about a BEAST!) I'm hankering for two because I'd love to beable to post my pallets and control panels up on one screen and use the main screen for a full canvas for what ever I'm working with at the time. Not to mention using multiple monitors at work is huge. It takes some adjustment period, some of the guys use up to six...well beyond my skills, but two or three can be a huge benefit when a lot is going on.

 

[emorphien]

I like the idea of the 20" primarily for the increase in resolution (also because I feel anyless would be a step down from my 21" CRT...talk about a BEAST!) I'm hankering for two because I'd love to beable to post my pallets and control panels up on one screen and use the main screen for a full canvas for what ever I'm working with at the time. Not to mention using multiple monitors at work is huge. It takes some adjustment period, some of the guys use up to six...well beyond my skills, but two or three can be a huge benefit when a lot is going on.

I remember being amazed at how much larger the actual screen was when I bought my 19" NEC LCD a few years ago. I used it side by side with a 19" Sony CRT for a couple years I think before I got the 2005FPW. The 19" Sony was at least an inch smaller than the 19" NEC.