Best 19" Flatscreen Monitor for 300-500???

[Marine06]

I need your guys's expertise. What would be the best 19" monitor that is flat for atmost 500 shipped??

 

[br0wn]

If you really want to spend about $500,
I'll recommend Sony G400 $487 shipped from
Onvia (with $25 coupons and 10% off pointclick).

If you want cheaper one, check Samsung, KDS,
Hitachi, and Viewsonic monitors.

 

[Marine06]

Is Viewsonic a reliable company to make quality monitors?

 

[Rudee]

Do a search.

There's a couple of large threads regarding this topic elsewhere.

 

[LXi]

ViewSonics are pretty reliable. But they dont look as good as the others, they use the Mitsubishi tubes so theoretically they look the same as Mitsubishis. This is a list of the monitors I like:

Sony G400 ~$560
Mitsubishi DiamondPro 900u ~$560
Mitsubishi DiamondPlus 91 ~$450
Samsung SyncMaster 900NF ~$340
Samsung SyncMaster 900IFT ~$330
Hitachi SuperScan 776 ~$430
KDS AV-195FT ~$330

I would probably go with something in the middle of the pack, like the Mitsubishi DiamondPlus 91, if you want to go cheap, I'd say Samsung or KDS. The expensive, high performance is a draw between Sony G400 and Mitsubishi DiamondPro 900u.

 

[amb#cog]

LXi. I don't get your list. You put the Sony on top, but the KDS, which is a Sony tube, at the bottom. Why? I have the KDS, and totally love this thing. It's so nice. I highly recommend it. I did the coupon/pointclick thing. It was $337.50 shipped.

 

[amb#cog]

Oh I should add that I am getting a second one soon to put right next to it. That's how much I like it.

 

[LXi]

I dont care if its a Sony tube. Its a KDS and it will always be a KDS, nothing is going to change that. However, if Im totally broke, KDS will be my last resort.

Edit I ranked the monitors as if money was no object. So that makes even less sense going with KDS.

 

[dennilfloss]

Just out of curiosity, what exactly is the problem you find with the KDS? Without clear evidence against this monitor, your vehemence is starting to sound a tad like Monel's when defending his RAMBUS DRAM (at least he supplies us with some data to support his point of view).

No offense to either of you intended. I'd just like to see some data or cold hard facts that can be discussed.

 

[Lore]

I recommend getting the KDS AV-195TF for a under $400 - the quality cannot be beat and the price is right!

 

[LXi]

dennilfloss: I like whatever I like, and you can like whatever you like. Why do you have a problem with that? Why do some people like cheese and others dont? Why do people like Pepsi over coke? How come some people think Sprite taste better than MountainDew? Why do you drive a Mercedes but not a BMW? This is all personal preference.

My reason? I just dont trust a company such as KDS. Just like any other part of your computer, a brand name is always more trust worthy than the small or no name brands no matter what. Would you rather have some no name Chinese company making your GeForce2 GTS card? Or would you rather have Creative Labs do it? Why do you use Logitech or Microsoft mice when the no name mice works just fine and they cost fractions less? Many question arises but the answer is always self explanatory.

 

[dennilfloss]

" a brand name is always more trust worthy than the small or no name brands no matter what"

Mmm...That was partly the reason a friend gave me for buying a Hewlett Packard computer and I'm sure most Compaq users would agree with you. I do not know how small a company KDS is but all the so-called brand-name companies started small too. In Canada KDS is selling a substantial number of units according to some resellers I have talked to and the numbers are growing. Matrox is a small company, yet many people have its video cards in high regard. Much audiophile equipment from small companies is far better than the crap from RCA, Hitachi, etc...Astrophysics and Televue make high-quality telescopes even if they are much smaller than Meade & Celestron. Small size by itself is quite a red herring IMO.

Now if you do not like its image quality, on-screen display control, etc..., those would appear to me as better reasons for you to recommend against buying it. Ditto if you could substantiate your claims of many DOA monitors or early failures.

Again, no offense intended.

Nothing wrong with some judgement calls being subjective.

 

[LXi]

There is one thing I want to comment on

Ditto if you could substantiate your claims of many DOA monitors or early failures.

I've heard of such cases in many different places, messageboards and forums alike. Two of my friends bought them but DOA, when they got one that worked it didnt last very long. I've seen them, looked pretty nice for the money, but it's not something I would buy for myself. Customed made computers vs brand name is different from Sony vs KDS, I wouldnt use that to defend KDS. Like the examples I gave, video card, sound card, ram, hard drives, MONITORS, peripherals. Brand name is always prefferable. Just one more thing, Matrox is not a small company, they have a very good reputation and they make great products, KDS on the other hand doesnt appear to have any of that except price advantage. Hitachi doesnt make crap either, did I mention they make good monitors?

Edit Oh yea, if I remember clearly, your KDS overheats. Not a problem with any other monitors I listed. Just an example. Also forgot to mention Hyundai cars.

 

[amb#cog]

Well mine does not run that hot, although that could have something to do with my 8,000BTU A/C unit right near it.

Either way KDS has been around for quite a while, and make decent products from what I've seen. This particular one does have a Sony tube, and IMO is by far the best deal for the money. I compared it side by side with a Viewsonic, and it won hands down. It is also clearer then my Misubushi Diamondtron Plus 71 (17 inch), but only a little bit.

Like I said before. I highly recommend this monitor. I got one for my friend, then had to have one for myself, and I plan on buying another very soon.

Oh, and they also have a program that gets you a new monitor in days if something does go wrong with it.

 

[dennilfloss]

LXi,

Thank you for clarifying your statement regarding DOA monitors and early failures.

Though I agree that it does indeed make good products and have a great reputation, the president of Matrox himself recently called his company a small company in the video card business during a televised speech, so I just accept his word on that matter. My comment only pertained to size. Hitachi does indeed make great monitors. My comment referred strictly to their audio components in general. My KDS does indeed run hot. I do not know whether this qualify as overheating and a similar phenomenon has been reported by some Sony users.

If one keeps a cool head about this discussion, one will not forget that the purpose of this thread is to help Marine06 make an informed decision on his monitor purchase. So what he needs is indeed information, not harangue or hyperbole.

 

[Ausm]

KDS AV-195FT is a steal for around 330


Ausm

 

[Doomguy]

If kds made crap why would they have such a good warrenty service? Why do people who see the kds and sony say they look the same? How come lore had problems with 3 different G500's and the kds 21tf didnt have the problems?

 

[luv2chill]

I have the G400 and love it. I probably wouldn't get a KDS because they have a reputation of being cheap, and last time I bought a cheap monitor I got burned big time. Also, just because two monitors use the same tube in no way means they will have identical picture quality. There's a lot more to it than that.

Anyway, I suggest you have a look here and read the ~80 reviews.

http://computers.cnet.com/hardware/0-1044-404-128522.html?st.co.1044_402.txt.pdtl

l2c

 

[Radarman]

Lxi, you have been totally brainwashed by the Advertizing Worlds Hype, of more expensive and name brand is better. neither statement is true. You are free to have your own opinion, just make sure you represent that it is just a personal opinion, because you don't have any documentation or evidence to back up your statement about brands of monitors. Just MHO Radarman

 

[ccc]

LXi,
your price on the monitors
are not entirely accurate.

You mentioned that Samsung 900NF around $340,
and KDS around $330, while Sony G400 around $560.

Samsung 900NF is actually around $440, and
KDS is around $410. Your price reflected the
$25 coupons and 10% pointclick from Onvia,
but you failed to do the same for Sony G400
(and other monitors in your list)
which will bring the price of G400 down to $478 if you
do the fair comparison.

 

[Marine06]

Wow i didnt think i was gonna get this many replies. Thanks for them all and ill checkout the KDS and see if it really is "cheap."

 

[LXi]

Radarman: I've said all along that my words towards KDS is purely personaly opinion. I dont have cold hard evidence so whatever I said is not a fact, but rather my personal prefference.

ccc: Yes, you are correct, I forgot to apply the coupon and discount for the other monitors.

Edit Boy, I just made a list of the monitors I like and I get flamed so hard. Damn... let's me put it this way, it's not like I have a thing against KDS monitors, it's just not my top pick. Like I said, if Im totally broke, I'd be totally happy to own a KDS. This is just my opinion, I never told anyone to follow it!

 

[Buzzed]

Just got a Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 91 from buyline.com.
Paid $514 with shipping ($80 to Hawaii). So far so good..nothing to compare it to except my old Gateway crystalscan 17. Flatscreen is really nice. I guess I coulda saved some money with the KDS but I didn't care for the styling and button placement on KDS. Plus I wanted the Mitsubishi brand name.

 

[Doomguy]

Everyone please ignore lxi as he is ignorant and biased. He's in love with brand names and dosent know the facts.

 

[duragezic]

Why is everyone against LXi? There is a lot of monitor threads (especially lately) and he mentions he doesn't prefer KDS. Look it what he said here:

Edit Boy, I just made a list of the monitors I like and I get flamed so hard. Damn... let's me put it this way, it's not like I have a thing against KDS monitors, it's just not my top pick. Like I said, if Im totally broke, I'd be totally happy to own a KDS. This is just my opinion, I never told anyone to follow it!

It is his opinion he just thinks there are better monitors in the same price range. Just thought I'd point that out...

MY EDIT: Just though I would say that the list LXi made looks very nice indeed. the $300-$500 is kinda broad considering you could get a real nice Sony or Mitsubishi for a little under $500 but you could also get a not so good KDS, Samsung, Viewsonic, etc... for a little over $300. But anyway, I'd pick one from that list.