LCD vs CRT

[desertfox04]

Re-edited to be less inflamatory.

I'm seriously debating about wether to get a LCD or CRT.

I went to Bestbuy and examined the quality of a $150 Samsung 19" 955df to the LCD monitors and didn't notice a whole lot of difference in quality.

I'm concerned with LCD's trouble with changing resolution and are cosiderabley more expensive.

Yes, I know LCD's take up less space, but I doubt many people are using that space behind their monitor.

I'll be doing mostly gaming. My choice of a CRT is Samsung 955df $150, any good LCD alternitives?


P.S. I'm poor.

 

[dennisjai215]

buy a CRT then.. some people have small a desk and like to use LCD, and it is better for the eye.. do what you want

 

[SickBeast]

LCD is much better on the eyes, but CRT will be better for gaming. Most gamers don't game for 8 hours straight, so a CRT is fine. It all depends on what you do. I stare at my computer for 9 hours a day doing AutoCAD work, so the LCD really made a huge impact for me. I no longer get headaches.

On top of that, I find the image quality superior, and it's nice to have the extra desk space.

Also, typically at places like Best Buy, they have like 20 monitors hooked up to a single computer, so the signal quality is terrible. Don't make a judgement based on something you saw at Best Buy. Small computer shops are usually a much better bet for that kind of stuff.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: dennisjai215
buy a CRT then.. some people have small a desk and like to use LCD, and it is better for the eye.. do what you want

Exactly. Why would I want to justify an LCD to you? What do I get out of it? Do I own LG Phillips or something? I have to justify things to myself, not to you. You're already biased against LCDs, so don't get one. What do I care? Do I need everyone to buy what I buy?

 

[desertfox04]

What I meant by justify is that I was wondering if I was missing out on some great feature of an LCD that makes them so popular.

Also, I'm thinking about buying a Samsung 955df 19", wise choice? It's only $150 and recomended by our very own anandtech.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: desertfox04
What I meant by justify is that I was wondering if I was missing out on some great feature of an LCD that makes them so popular.

Also, I'm thinking about buying a Samsung 955df 19", wise choice? It's only $150 and recomended by our very own anandtech.

They are much much easier on your eyes, and they look really cool on your desk. That's why I have one. Plus I couldn't fit a keyboard on my desk w/ a CRT.

 

[SickBeast]

Your thread title should read "can't afford an LCD", as opposed to "justify". There are tons of reasons why LCDs are superior, but I'm not going to bother going into it because you seem biased already and are just looking for someone to agree with your 19" CRT purchase. I'm not going to do that.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
Your thread title should read "can't afford an LCD", as opposed to "justify". There are tons of reasons why LCDs are superior, but I'm not going to bother going into it because you seem biased already and are just looking for someone to agree with your 19" CRT purchase. I'm not going to do that.

I'm to the point where I don't care if the CRT zealots get an LCD. I really don't give a damn to argue with them. They can miss out. Why should I bother?

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: Nebor
They can miss out. Why should I bother?

Agreed. It's like trying to convince an intel fanboy to buy an AMD rig for gaming on a budget. "They just like intel better".

 

[Bovinicus]

If you don't spend excessive numbers of hours in front of your computer consecutively, then I wouldn't worry about it too much. My father runs his business via his computer; he sits in front of it for nearly 12 hours at a time on some days. An LCD is a necessity for him. I, on the other hand, spend a fraction of that time on my PC. My primary usage consists of gaming, article reading, and forum posting. I prefer a CRT because the slight amount of ghosting that modern LCDs exhibit is still bothersome to me while I play games and I don't like being forced into a particular resolution.

An LCD isn't for everyone. Eventually the technology will develop more, the prices will come down, and they will become a viable option for more people.

 

[Varun]

I own a 19" CRT at home, it's a few years old and not the top of the line by any means. At work I use an 18" LCD and when I come home now it's hard to look at the CRT.

Even though I game my next moniter will be an LCD, the difference it makes on your eyes (and your desktop) is just too much to pass up IMHO.

 

[XplosiV]

I would say, practicly, to make your own 'best choise for you', it would be worth working out how much time you spend sat infront of a VDU (Visual Display Unit) and spend roughly the same length of time ( per day for a day ) infront of each a CRT & LCD. Then you will see some of the pro's / con's of each for yourself, and you can buy what practicly suits you better.

 

[Wiktor]

For me LCD is great for web browsing and studying, my Sony CRT is still much better for games, movies and graphics, that's because of the superior contrast and saturated, uniform colors as well as real black.

 

[wkwong]

well i didnt notice a big difference until i set them up side by side on a dual monitor system. the difference is huge between my samsung 170n and my viewsonic a70f.

personally, i find the lcd, more clear and must more vibrant then the crt. i tried taking a picture of the difference but you just have to see it with your own eyes.

also the lcd has super thin bezels... and not to mention way for viewing area even though they are both 17".

hth

 

[jerome12345]

THIS IS WHY AN LCD IS BETTER THAN A CRT

 

[desertfox04]

I think we're at the equilibrium of crt vs lcd. In a few more years re-scaling and response time will improve and crt will become extinct. A friend told me that LCD's prices are still high because there is still great demand for them. How long before LCD prices come down to CRT prices?

 

[imported_NoGodForMe]

I have the 19" Sharp reviewed on this site a few weeks ago.

It's nice, colors are much brighter.

No ghosting. 16ms, UT2K4 plays great.

The only thing that bugs me is that eventually it will wear out and there is no way to fix it.
With a CRT, the power supply parts usually go bad after 3-4 years. I've sent a 21" inch Hitachi back for repair under warranty and they fixed it. Only had to pay for shipping to them, about $50. But with the LCD, once it goes, you're done. I guess you can justify the cost if you spread it out over the 4 years it lasts, but darn it, I hate it when hardware goes bad.

I think LCDs will make it into gaming tournaments now that the response times are down to 12ms. The only thing keeping them from the tournaments is the price, they are still double the price of CRTs.

I paid $700 for my Sharp from their site. Early adopter, yes. Happy? Yes. Can you get a 19" CRT for half the price? Yes. There ya go.

 

[XplosiV]

As far as life expectancy goes, i guess you pay for what you want, i have a 17" gateway CRT and its now 6 years old, still does well, with practicly no maintanence and has never been sent for repair of any kind. Theroy is, if you buy cheap you wouldnt expect it too last long, or evan get good after sales support. So maybe to some extent, some of your money goes toward build quality, Be it a CRT or LCD. I still think that in order to be practical, you would need to see results for your own eyes on each type of display, so you can see what does the job you want it to do better.

 

[TBP]

I don't play a lot games, most time work on documents so LCD is clearly my choice. As a matter of fact I have a dual-LCD setup on my small desk and still have a lot room for books, food, drink, and etc.

 

[Hawaiian2002]

Price-wise you would have to go with a CRT. Game-wise you will have to go with a CRT. Resolution-wise you will have to go with a CRT. Saying that I use a 19" Samsung LCD. If the LCD's did multiple resolutions the LCD's would have a better arguement. This is a great quote:

"They just like intel better"

 

[BBnet3000]

i have an lcd and a crt and i game on the lcd

 

[imported_michaelpatrick33]

don't the 12ms lcd not have the full 16.7million color pallette that can cause some issues? I would get two 19 LCD screens (make sure they have digital inputs and a video card that has a digital output to maximize your performance. If you game alot than maybe a crt is a good way to go but if you 2d mostly than i think LCD are better

just my .02

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: desertfox04
Re-edited to be less inflamatory.

Yes, I know LCD's take up less space, but I doubt many people are using that space behind their monitor.

errr... I got an LCD to have more space in front of my monitor....

 

[imported_michaelpatrick33]

lol inguyen. UHHHHHHH. The LCD you would push back on the desk where the tube of the crt used to radiate (get it, get it ... radiate) I need a life

 

[Kentarre]

the plus to LCD's (especially if your gaming) is the size, they are definately easier to move around to LANs and around the house and are a great asset if you are using a small table or restricted to a corner etc.

the main problem is that for alot LCD monitors (coming from longtime CRT users) is that during games, if the LCD response time is too low, it tends to make the image be very blurry and fuzzy. i personally dont have this problem on my LCD (NEC Multisync 1760V, response time 16ms), i play counterstrike in 1152x8-- in window mode and i can still own faces just fine

my roommate however, cant stand to play on LCD monitors and chooses to buy the 200 dollar CRT monitors that weigh alot, i just prefer the compactness and my monitor does the job for me, i think its more of a preference issue as well