Monitor 19 inch RECOMMENDATIONS (why does my subject keep changing to '19' ??????!?!?!)

[MallowJr]

I've seen NEC's MultiSync FE+ 19" Monitors on websites listing their specs, and they list a spec of "varying" .25-.27mm. Then Samsung's 955DF lists its dotpitch as .20mm!! I've never seen a monitor that low. I probably need to see these things up close, as I had a 21" Dell Trinitron Monitor and it looked very "foggy" and not clean/sharp text as I had hoped (compared to my dad's 19" Trinitron, his other 19" non-flat monitor and my 17" Trinitron). My monitor is getting old so I want to replace it with a 19".

Anyone know what some of the top quality 19" Monitors are out there?
Someone below suggested the Samsung 755DF (I think) for a 17" Monitor, I would assume they would suggest the Samsung 955DF. I want it to be a flat screen monitor, and sharpness for text and colours for games should be as excellent as possible - 19 inch. 21 is a bit too large for my taste and my desk space.

Thanks for any advice, please feel free to post what 19" monitor you have and your thoughts on it (prices too!)
~ELmO

 

[ryandlugosz]

I have a 955DF and love it. Great Flat 19" CRT for <$300. You really need to look at monitors side by side to compare them though. Be aware that sometimes stores suck & aren't running at optimal resolutions/refresh rates.

I would certainly recommend the Samsung to anyone though.

-ryan

 

[be1498]

My buddy just bought a 955, and it looks great! I'd recommend it, especially with the $40 rebate.

 

[MallowJr]

Where did he perchance purchase it from?
I am going to find a local store..it's hard to find local stores with the monitors you want to look at - ya know?
I want to take it back home myself so I know it's the monitor that's bad, not the shipping....if it doesnt look quite as good as the store version.

-I just ran 1.5 miles folks, I'm fat now but I'm trying to get thin!-

 

[Random Variable]

The Samsung 955DF has a .20 mm horizontal dot pitch, not an uniform .20 mm dot pitch. In other words, the 955DF is not as good as you think it is. The NEC FE950+ is OK, and the black cabinet version looks cool, but the Samsung 900NF and the Iiyama Vision Master Pro 451 are much better monitors.

 

[thorin]

Well it may not be as high end as you are looking. But I am very pleased with my ViewSonic e790.

Thorin

 

[be1498]

MallowJr,

He got it at Best Buy (he needed to take it home the same day), for $319 with a $40 manufacturer rebate.

This is the price currently advertised on their website here

 

[Salvador]

Read my reply to another thread.. Here..

You can't look at one sample of a monitor in the store and judge that particular brand or model. The fuzzy or foggy model that you looked at is probably a defect or a damaged product. The store clerks can care less about what their display looks like. You'll find a lot of varience in monitors. Even monitors of the same exact brand and model. QC sucks with monitors these days unfortunately.

The .20 dp is not a true measurement. If you measured a Shadow Mask the same way that you measured a Trinitron, the SM would be closer to .24 or .25 dp. Hitachi argues that they have to measure their monitors this way because of the technology. Whatever.. I think it's deceiving. Just like the way that they measure CRT's. A 19" is not a true 19", but rather a 18" viewable typically. So.. A 18" LCD is basically a 19" monitor if you measured it the same way.

Now.. The 955DF is really nice if you get a good one. It's an Invar Shadow Mask (Hitachi technology). The only problem that I had with it is that the refresh rates are a little weak. It only does 75hz at 1280 x 1024 (the resolution I use 90% of the time). I prefer 85 hz. Much easier on the eyes. The 1600 x 1200 refresh rate is almost unusable in my eyes. It's somewhere in the 60's. I would consider 75hz to be your cutoff point if you value your eyes.

In 19" monitors, look for a monitor that does 1280 x 1024 at 85 hz or better. Your eyes will thank you!

You first have to ask yourself if you want a Shadow Mask or a Aperture Grille if you're looking at CRT's. They are different and they both have their advantages and disadvantages, some of which I covered in the post that I linked for you. I would read up on the differences between AG and SM before you continue your search if I were you.

If you get a good monitor, the brand should not matter that much. I've seen OEM's just kill the manufacturers version. Shop for warrantees and refresh rates. KDS is a budget company, but they have an excellent 3 yr replacement policy from what I understand. I don't know how the QC is, but if you get a good monitor from KDS, it will be just as good as any other Trinitron/Diamondtron or Shadow Mask you look at. That is if the refresh rates are the same.

Sal

 

[Beau]

Be careful with proclaimed dpi numbers, some only give the horizontal (vertical makes a difference).

I have a Viewsonic PS790 and am absolutely thrilled with it, .22 dpi, unfortunately they don't make 'em anymore. It's replacement is .25 ~ .27 dpi, ucky.

 

[Gosharkss]

<< Be careful with proclaimed dpi numbers, some only give the horizontal (vertical makes a difference).
>>


The vertical dot pitch is not as important as the horizontal dot pitch. Some may argue that the horizontal dot / aperture pitch limits the horizontal resolution on the display. To a degree this is true.

For example: A 19" monitor typically has a horizontal viewable area of 360mm. Let's assume it has a 0.22mm horizontal dot pitch. 360 / 0.22 = 1636 dots across the screen. A monitor with the same viewable area and a 0.25mm horizontal dot / aperture pitch has 1440, limiting its highest end resolution capability.

Vertically is not so much a problem. A typical 19" monitor has a vertical viewable area of 270mm. Aperture grill monitors have a 0.00mm vertical aperture pitch. Vertical resolution capability is virtually unlimited. As with every technology the trade off is more beam current hitting the phosphor making them more susceptible to screen burn. Use a screen saver!

Most shadow mask monitors have a 0.14mm vertical dot pitch. 270 / 0.14 = 1928 lines. Far more than any video card can produce at any decent refresh rate.

Jim Witkowski
Chief Hardware Engineer
Cornerstone / MonitorsDirect.com

 

[MallowJr]

Yes, I did not know this DYNA FLAT Samsung is not a trinitron-like truly flat screen (NOT shadow mask). I know about Trinitrons and Shadows, I much prefer the Flat screen Trinis...I noticed Samsung has the NATURAL FLAT which is supposed "flatter" than dyna flat, which took some digging just to find that info (bah on Samsung!).

I had that 21", and yes it probably was a defect compared to all the other Dell 17/19 and nontrini/trinis I had. I need to run 1024 @ 100 HZ. I was running that 21" at 1152 @ 120HZ.

Yes now I'm looking for a great 19". I would so esaily take my Dad's Dell Trinitron 19" (that came with his PC), it looks LCD like for 2D and I can 'only imagine' that it's just fine for games. But, sadly, I do not trust Dell anymore for purchasing JUST monitors from their website (and not a whole PC), it seems they must do some testing on the system before they ship it out adn make "sure" the monitor is working "correctly" with the system, whereas the monitors in their store for sale may not have been put through the same 'rigorous' tests.

I need to fin da local store to see the natural flat samsungs. I have best buy, circuit city, and other stores in the area..id drive 50-100 miles radius just to pick the monitor up myself (grr on UPS).

Now I'm down to Samsungs and NECs.
Any more comments?

Thanks for all the help friends,
ElMO

 

[Salvador]

gosharkss: Thanks for the technical input. Now.. Apples to apples, would you see a difference between a SM rated at .22 dp and a Trinitron rated at .24-.25?

Mallowjr.. Be careful because the 900NF is a Diamondtron (basically a Trinitron) and the 955DF is a Shadow Mask. '

Neither one is flatter than the other. They are both different technologies.

If you're looking for the Diamondtron/Trinitron, you need to take a look at the Samsung 900NF for sure.

Sal

 

[Random Variable]

You would see a huge difference between a shadow mask tube with a .22 mm dot pitch and the .22 mm aperture grille pitch FD Trinitron tube.

 

[MallowJr]

Looks like Iiyama has a new 19" Monitor coming soon..Vision master Pro 453. Seems to hav some "brightness" switch that my Dell Trinitron has which is very useful for gaming. Just hit it and game, hit it again and brightness back to normal for Windows.

I'll wait for that and see reviews of it!

 

[Sean203]

I will be using a 19" P990 Dell Trinitron monitor when I get my computer finished. I hooked it up to our current one. It's a great monitor. I found a really good deal on it too.

 

[Gosharkss]

<< gosharkss: Thanks for the technical input. Now.. Apples to apples, would you see a difference between a SM rated at .22 dp and a Trinitron rated at .24-.25?

>>



From my experience, it depends on the application. If you are playing games (animation) or general surfing odds are you will not be able to tell the difference.

However if you are using business applications black text on a white background, I have found it make a significant difference.

BTW the horizontal measurement is accurate and a fair way to compare SM and AG technology. Hitachi is correct in their statements is not deceiving anyone.
Jim

 

[MallowJr]

Sean my dad has that monitor, when he ordered his PC through DELL it came with it and it RULES - LCD like 2D...so I ordered the 21" Version of the same trinitron, and it was 'terrible'. Cloudy appearance, could never get it to look "good", hurt eyes because of color/brightness/contrast even at high refresh rates (120-150 HZ). I use a Voodoo 5...I heard 3dfx was beter in 2D than Nvidia, but my dad's 19" nontrini Dell on a NVIDIA TNT2 and his 19" Trini DELL on a Geforce2 GTS both look much better than the 21" I had.

I would take my dad's 19" Dell Trinitron anyday but I don't trust DELL shipping it to me anymore (since it looked like the 21" went bad somehow). I wish I could trust them...I'd buy that 19" monitor for $350-400....