display questions - Blu-ray Forum

no_wei · 09-18-2006, 05:26 AM

my earlier post bashing hd in general notwithstanding, i have a couple questions regarding displays...

1. does anyone know what type of display is easiest on the eyes. i'll take opinions derived either solely from personal experience or from some kind of scientific evidence. i know i've heard good things about lcd, plus i figure front-projection is a pretty good bet since the light is indirect. i have heard nothing about plasma... considering the sheer amount of time i spend in front of a screen everyday, i've decided that this factor will most likely be paramount in my future display-buying endeavours.

2. all that being said, what do people feel about using a CRT monitor as a stopgap hd solution? i ask this because it looks as though i'm probably in the market for a new computer monitor, and i can't help but notice that the majority of 19" CRT monitors still on the market are running 1920x1440 resolution. also, they're dirt cheap--i can potentially get a refurbished one for under 100 canadian dollars--so that's a motivating factor. in actual fact, this might be the worst of both worlds for me, it might be a poor hd solution (one which i don't actually need at the moment) and it might be terrible for my battered, bleary eyes. but i'm sure with the money i save from not buying a tv i can afford all kinds of eye drops and ointments and god knows what else.

thanks

/no

theknub · 09-18-2006, 06:03 AM

it really depends on the budget. I picked up an amazing TV that is relatively cheap compared to most, but it is a behemoth... a tube to be precise.

georgir · 09-18-2006, 07:40 AM

For a pc monitor, choices are only CRT and TFT anyway. I spend a LOT of time infront monitors, currently 19" CRT at work and 19" TFT at home. TFTs are definitely more pleasant to look at, supposedly easier on the eyes too, but I don't feel any problem with CRTs too. Any new(-ish) CRT should be just fine. They all have some emmision regulations and certificates, stuff like TCO 95/99/03. I'm wearing glasses, more than 4 dioptres of short-sightedness, so I guess I'm not the one to give you advice on this... but who is to say it's because of the CRTs?

With CRTs you'll get higher resolutions for much cheaper, so not a bad choice. Just make sure what you buy supports high refresh rates - sure it might be doing 1920x1440, but if it's only doing it at 60Hz, your head might explode

For 80Hz at that resolution the monitor should support above 115.2 kHz horizontal refresh rate, for 100Hz it is 144 kHz. Pay attention to these specs when you're browsing and you should be fine.
Problem with CRTs are that they are too small but too big

I mean, 19-21" monitors (and the actual viewable area is an inch or so less) aren't really suitable for a home theater - if you want to watch a movie you'd have to sit pretty close to them. You'd certainly wish you had a real TV then. At the same time they are bulky and take up lots of space.
Go with CRTs if you are sure you want the high resolutions but budget is really low, or if you're content with a stopgap solution for now.

If you decide to go with TFTs, you should be prepared for a little extra cost, and some resolution restrictions... 17" and 19" TFTs are just 1280x1024, even 22" widescreen ones don't have enough for 1080p - they are weird 1680x1050 or such. Either is enough for normal PC use, games and such, so if that's what you need them for, go that way. But for HDTV/HDDVD/BD watching, the image will need to be scaled down. Not a fatal flaw ofcourse, but you won't be getting the full detail. And again like the CRTs, the smallish size will force you to watch from close distance.

The cheapest 1080p-capable TFTs would be 24" at 1920x1200. The Dell 2405fpw or 2407fpw are the current fad, though there are other options ofcourse. At 24" viewable area this isn't a small screen, might even be good for watching from the sofa. But it's still smallish compared to TVs.
If you have the cash and really want a combination between a good PC monitor and HDTV, these seem great. One downside is that for gaming on the native resolution you'd need quite a fast graphic card, but if you have that its even better.

There are also 30" TFTs but prices get quite ridiculous there... and you'd need to _upscale_ HDTV if you want to watch fullscreen - some people will argue that that leads to quality loss, though I'm not really sure (like, is upscaling 780p to 1080p a bad thing?)

I have no experience with plasmas or projectors, but I can speculate a bit.
I'd expect plasmas to be just as safe as LCDs for the eyes. A large Plasma/LCD TV will be great for movies, and might make an interesting primary PC monitor. But I'm not sure it'd be too comfortable for PC usage - if it's far enough for comfortable viewing of movies, you won't be able to easily see the small fonts, mouse cursor, icons etc. Also, when working with a computer you need a desk or the like while for watching movies you need a sofa or armchair, a table, etc. So some quite inventive placement of the furniture and TV will be required.

As to front projection - thats the closest thing to a cinema theatre you can get at home, the biggest screens possible, certainly the best solution for watching movies. Again not quite the best for a primary PC monitor though... Contrast isn't as good, especially if the room isn't dark enough, so spending a lot of time staring at small fonts, icons and the cursor can be a headache again. And even if the room is properly darkened to make viewing the screen comfortable, don't forget you need to see other things besides the screen - books, papers etc. which will be a headache in a dark room.

So in conclusion, if you go with a large TV or a projector you'd better have some other primary monitor too. And for a primary monitor I'd recommend a TFT if budget allows it. And if that TFT is large enough, you might very well go without the large TV/projector.

Psiweaver · 09-18-2006, 06:26 PM

TFT is going to be better for your eyes because it will emit far less radiation than the CRT. THe one thing the CRT can do though is very nice contrast depending on how much you spend so its really up to you. I wouldn't use either as an HD monitor.

no_wei · 09-19-2006, 05:43 AM

awesome! thanks for the responses...

the one thing i had never considered was using a gigantic tv as a pc monitor. it's not really in my budget at the moment, but it's just such a cool idea.

has anybody tried this? if not, will somebody? post a pic... using a volkswagen beetle for scale.

/no

09-18-2006, 05:26 AM	#1
no_wei Member Member since:May 2006	display questions my earlier post bashing hd in general notwithstanding, i have a couple questions regarding displays... 1. does anyone know what type of display is easiest on the eyes. i'll take opinions derived either solely from personal experience or from some kind of scientific evidence. i know i've heard good things about lcd, plus i figure front-projection is a pretty good bet since the light is indirect. i have heard nothing about plasma... considering the sheer amount of time i spend in front of a screen everyday, i've decided that this factor will most likely be paramount in my future display-buying endeavours. 2. all that being said, what do people feel about using a CRT monitor as a stopgap hd solution? i ask this because it looks as though i'm probably in the market for a new computer monitor, and i can't help but notice that the majority of 19" CRT monitors still on the market are running 1920x1440 resolution. also, they're dirt cheap--i can potentially get a refurbished one for under 100 canadian dollars--so that's a motivating factor. in actual fact, this might be the worst of both worlds for me, it might be a poor hd solution (one which i don't actually need at the moment) and it might be terrible for my battered, bleary eyes. but i'm sure with the money i save from not buying a tv i can afford all kinds of eye drops and ointments and god knows what else. thanks /no

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09-18-2006, 06:03 AM	#2
theknub Blu-ray Guru Member since:May 2006	it really depends on the budget. I picked up an amazing TV that is relatively cheap compared to most, but it is a behemoth... a tube to be precise.

09-18-2006, 07:40 AM	#3
georgir Active Member Member since:Mar 2005	For a pc monitor, choices are only CRT and TFT anyway. I spend a LOT of time infront monitors, currently 19" CRT at work and 19" TFT at home. TFTs are definitely more pleasant to look at, supposedly easier on the eyes too, but I don't feel any problem with CRTs too. Any new(-ish) CRT should be just fine. They all have some emmision regulations and certificates, stuff like TCO 95/99/03. I'm wearing glasses, more than 4 dioptres of short-sightedness, so I guess I'm not the one to give you advice on this... but who is to say it's because of the CRTs? With CRTs you'll get higher resolutions for much cheaper, so not a bad choice. Just make sure what you buy supports high refresh rates - sure it might be doing 1920x1440, but if it's only doing it at 60Hz, your head might explode For 80Hz at that resolution the monitor should support above 115.2 kHz horizontal refresh rate, for 100Hz it is 144 kHz. Pay attention to these specs when you're browsing and you should be fine. Problem with CRTs are that they are too small but too big I mean, 19-21" monitors (and the actual viewable area is an inch or so less) aren't really suitable for a home theater - if you want to watch a movie you'd have to sit pretty close to them. You'd certainly wish you had a real TV then. At the same time they are bulky and take up lots of space. Go with CRTs if you are sure you want the high resolutions but budget is really low, or if you're content with a stopgap solution for now. If you decide to go with TFTs, you should be prepared for a little extra cost, and some resolution restrictions... 17" and 19" TFTs are just 1280x1024, even 22" widescreen ones don't have enough for 1080p - they are weird 1680x1050 or such. Either is enough for normal PC use, games and such, so if that's what you need them for, go that way. But for HDTV/HDDVD/BD watching, the image will need to be scaled down. Not a fatal flaw ofcourse, but you won't be getting the full detail. And again like the CRTs, the smallish size will force you to watch from close distance. The cheapest 1080p-capable TFTs would be 24" at 1920x1200. The Dell 2405fpw or 2407fpw are the current fad, though there are other options ofcourse. At 24" viewable area this isn't a small screen, might even be good for watching from the sofa. But it's still smallish compared to TVs. If you have the cash and really want a combination between a good PC monitor and HDTV, these seem great. One downside is that for gaming on the native resolution you'd need quite a fast graphic card, but if you have that its even better. There are also 30" TFTs but prices get quite ridiculous there... and you'd need to _upscale_ HDTV if you want to watch fullscreen - some people will argue that that leads to quality loss, though I'm not really sure (like, is upscaling 780p to 1080p a bad thing?) I have no experience with plasmas or projectors, but I can speculate a bit. I'd expect plasmas to be just as safe as LCDs for the eyes. A large Plasma/LCD TV will be great for movies, and might make an interesting primary PC monitor. But I'm not sure it'd be too comfortable for PC usage - if it's far enough for comfortable viewing of movies, you won't be able to easily see the small fonts, mouse cursor, icons etc. Also, when working with a computer you need a desk or the like while for watching movies you need a sofa or armchair, a table, etc. So some quite inventive placement of the furniture and TV will be required. As to front projection - thats the closest thing to a cinema theatre you can get at home, the biggest screens possible, certainly the best solution for watching movies. Again not quite the best for a primary PC monitor though... Contrast isn't as good, especially if the room isn't dark enough, so spending a lot of time staring at small fonts, icons and the cursor can be a headache again. And even if the room is properly darkened to make viewing the screen comfortable, don't forget you need to see other things besides the screen - books, papers etc. which will be a headache in a dark room. So in conclusion, if you go with a large TV or a projector you'd better have some other primary monitor too. And for a primary monitor I'd recommend a TFT if budget allows it. And if that TFT is large enough, you might very well go without the large TV/projector.

09-18-2006, 06:26 PM	#4
Psiweaver Special Member Member since:Jun 2006 Location:Los Angeles,CA	TFT is going to be better for your eyes because it will emit far less radiation than the CRT. THe one thing the CRT can do though is very nice contrast depending on how much you spend so its really up to you. I wouldn't use either as an HD monitor.

09-19-2006, 05:43 AM	#5
no_wei Member Member since:May 2006	awesome! thanks for the responses... the one thing i had never considered was using a gigantic tv as a pc monitor. it's not really in my budget at the moment, but it's just such a cool idea. has anybody tried this? if not, will somebody? post a pic... using a volkswagen beetle for scale. /no

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