Difference in quality between 17" and 19" LCDs?

[JediJorgie]

My CRT monitor literally fried a few weeks ago so I'm researching which LCD to buy. One thing I'm curious about is if there is a noticeable difference between the image quality bewteen 17" and 19" LCDs at the same resolution. It seems like a .03mm difference would be hardly noticeable, but I've never compared them side by side.

Another thing I am trying to find out is if there are any 8-bit LCDs available for under $300. I haven't found any yet.

So far, my top choice would be a Dell UltraSharp 1905fp, but it looks like they have been discontinued and come and go in Dell Outlet. The new 1907fp looks good to me, and a steal right now at $271 from Dell Business, but I haven't found many reviews on it. The Benq FP91G+ also looks good and is very affordable. Then again, I wouldn't object to buying a nice 17" LCD if the quality was really better.

So to sum it up, is there a difference in quality between 17" and 19", are there cheap 8-bit panels anywhere, and what do you like from my list? I'm feeling very overwhelmed by all the different LCDs available and all the different opinions I've heard, so advice will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Eric

 

[xtknight]

It's certainly a noticeable difference. I can tell my 19" has bigger pixels than my 17" but I just like the sheer size of it. There aren't any 8-bit LCDs that would be anything close to fast for under $300 unfortunately. Will you be gaming much?

 

[kmmatney]

The pixel size difference is pretty significant. Everything will be a bit bigger on a 19" LCD, and as xtknight says, the sheer size makes a 19" LCD more impressive than a 17".

Supposedly, with larger pixels you'll see the gaps between the pixels (screendoor effect). However I can see the gaps between pixels much easier on my 0.255 mm pixel laptop than on my 19" BenQ LCD, so there are other factors involved besides pixel size for the screen door effect.

If you game, and want a monitor below $300, then you'll have to get a 6-bit LCD at the moment. Here is an 8-bit LCD, but the response time is slow (20 ms):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824001069

The Viewsonic 930B is also a reasonably priced 8-bit panel at $359.

 

[JediJorgie]

I do play games now and then so yes, response time is an issue. And I've noticed response time is usually sacrificed for image quality on 8-bit panels, so I probably have to go with 6 bit. Now I am leaning towards the Dell Ultrasharp 1907fp, it looks like a step up from the Benq FP91G+, which I thought sounded like a pretty decent 6 bit monitor.

But I've been hemming and hawing over LCDs for weeks now. I'll probably change my mind in the morning.

 

[kmmatney]

The viewing angle of the Dell 1907Fp is only 130 degress, which means it a TN (6 bit) panel.

http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/product...r_1907fp?c=hk&l=en&s=dhs&~tab=specstab

The 1905FP was 8-bit, but it appears the 1907 is not. However my BenQ LCD is a 6-bit panel, and games/colors look great (after a little adjustment) so it is probably not worth getting too hung up on an 8-bit panel.

 

[j3ffry]

yeah, I'm also confused with the choice of 17" and 19" but after I test them side by side Viewsonic VX724 and VX922 the VX724 looks like a jr. to the VX922. Very huge difference indeed! I choose the VX922.

BTW, how would I know if it is a 8 bit, 16 bit LCD Monitor?

thanks!

jeff

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: kmmatney
If you game, and want a monitor below $300, then you'll have to get a 6-bit LCD at the moment. Here is an 8-bit LCD, but the response time is slow (20 ms):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824001069

That's a PVA panel with a 6 bit (which interpolates up to 9 bit for 16.7m) driver. Exact same with the 1905FP/VP930b AFAIK. But it's not like anybody could really tell the difference with the new type of "9 bit interpolation" dithering. If you already have the FP91G+ I wouldn't bother with the 1907FP. I'm really not sure if the 1907FP is any better or not.

 

[JediJorgie]

I'm not sure if the 1907fp is any better than the Benq either. It would be nice if I could compare them side by side.

 

[alcoholbob]

The 1907fp I received came with a Samsung LTM190EX panel, which is listed as a 5ms screen with 160 view angle and 1000:1 contrast ratio. Some also get the 6bit AUO panel with poorer contrast and viewing angles. Looks like a crap shoot.

 

[003]

Originally posted by: kmmatney
The pixel size difference is pretty significant. Everything will be a bit bigger on a 19" LCD, and as xtknight says, the sheer size makes a 19" LCD more impressive than a 17".

Supposedly, with larger pixels you'll see the gaps between the pixels (screendoor effect). However I can see the gaps between pixels much easier on my 0.255 mm pixel laptop than on my 19" BenQ LCD, so there are other factors involved besides pixel size for the screen door effect.

If you game, and want a monitor below $300, then you'll have to get a 6-bit LCD at the moment. Here is an 8-bit LCD, but the response time is slow (20 ms):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824001069

The Viewsonic 930B is also a reasonably priced 8-bit panel at $359.

Neither of those are 8-bit panels. See my thread:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=31&threadid=1833162&enterthread=y

Seems the cheapest, true 8-bit LCD that is suited for gaming is the LG L2000C. It has some pretty impressive specs, but it is a bit pricy at ~$530

 

[Nox1]

I was pretty impressed with the LG L1732TQ (17") and the LG L1932TQ (19"). Though they are not 8-bit, they had a great picture.

Check out the specs:
17" -- http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp...2&type=product&cmp=++&id=1138083976018
19" -- http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp...2&type=product&cmp=++&id=1138083975957

I had a chance to play around with the 19" at Best Buy. Super fast 4ms. I was comparing it directly to Gateway's 21" widescreen FPD2185W (I had the two monitors next to each other and even to the same computer at times). Gateway states the FPD2185W is 8-bit, but the LG looked pretty good next to it (perhaps the PVA panel of the Gateway isn't true 8-bit).