New Monitor - Regular or Widescreen?

[Nightfang]

I went with a 20.1 Widescreen. I can't wait for it to get here!

 

[nullpointerus]

Originally posted by: Dribble

Originally posted by: nullpointerus

Originally posted by: fatpat268
What I don't get, is why monitor manufacturers are switching from 4:3 to 5:4. What's the advantage of this?

Um...I didn't know that they were. Out of the typical computer monitor resolutions, 1280x1024 is an oddball resolution at 5:4 instead of 4:3. 17" and 19" nonwidescreen monitors use 5:4 because they wan to support 1280x1024. The 4:3 resolution would be 1280x960, but no one uses it for no apparent reason.

CRT's are nearly all 4:3 but for some reason when they started making LCD's they switched to 5:4.
The reason that for a given diagonal a widescreen is smaller is because you get a bigger screen area the closer to a perfect square you get. Hence for screen area at the same diagonal size 5:4 > 4:3 > 16:10.

No one seems to understand me. The following resolutions were standardized well before LCDs:

640x480
800x600
1024x768
1280x1024
1600x1200

Then monitor manufacturers came along and decided that it would be nice to make LCD computer monitors. For the 15" displays they used 1024x768 as this was the best choice for the physical dimensions of the monitor. For the 20" displays they used 1600x1200 as this was the best choice for the physical dimensions of the monitor. For the 17-19" displays they picked the only suitable intermediate standard resolution, 1280x1024. It just happens to be 5:4. All 17-19" nonwidescreen displays are 5:4 and always have been.

There was no "switch" to 5:4 with LCDs!

Don't ask why 1280x1024 is the only non-4:3 standard resolution. I don't know why, and frankly it doesn't make any sense. That's just the way it is.

 

[cdmccool]

Originally posted by: akugami

Originally posted by: cdmccool
I dislike widescreen. I bought a 19" widescreen monitor from newegg without seeing it in person. I thought the vertical viewing area measurement would be that of a regular 19" monitor and also be much wider. As you know, I was wrong. One of the main reasons I wanted to upgrade from my 17" regular lcd is because I wanted a bigger screen to watch anime on and most of it is in 4:3 ratio. So now, when I watch anime in fullscreen there are these black bars on the side of the picture and the actual viewing area is smaller than my 17" lcd!

So anyway, I'm selling the widescreen monitor and have a 20.1" regular lcd on the way.

Uhh...pretty much all monitors are measured from the bottom left corner to the upper right. This doesn't change with a widescreen resolution. The height of a 20" or 21" widescreen LCD is about the same as a 17" LCD so even though there are black bars on the side of the monitor when viewing 4:3 content, the actual displayed size is roughly the same. Just with black bars on the side. Where is shines is viewing widescreen content and for newer games that support widescreen resolutions.


My next LCD is going to replace my 21" CRT. Actually I have a few spare 20 and 21" CRT's and they are huge and heavy. My next LCD will be widescreen and at least 24" but that's a while off as I'm waiting for a 24" LCD to really wow me.

It's just something people might not think about if they haven't seen a widescreen lcd before... I didn't. I just thought 19" widescreen = 19" PLUS widescreen. I bought a regular 20.1" lcd monitor and couldn't be happier with it. It's all just a matter of preference, really.

Oh and when I said the viewing area, I should've said the picture is actually smaller than my regular 17" lcd when watching 4:3 content(which is what I was talking about) with the black bars on the side.

 

[soydios]

1680x1050 is bigger than 1280x1024 in both dimensions. You get maybe one more line of text vertically, but the screen is a good 1/3 wider.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: soydios
1680x1050 is bigger than 1280x1024 in both dimensions. You get maybe one more line of text vertically, but the screen is a good 1/3 wider.

You're counting pixels.

1280x1024 is 19" LCD.

Your 19" LCD wil easily be higher than a 20" widescreen. You will see text much larger, and the screen itself will be larger.

20" Widescreen is a waste. I suggest hte 20.1" 4:3 one. If you want widescreen, get a 2405. Settle for nothing less than 24" widescreen. Any smaller, and its not worth the upgrade.

 

[greatromances]

I would go with widescreen. I have a dell 20.1" and I would prefer it 100% over 4:3

 

[Heartbreaker]

Originally posted by: cockeyed
Go to this LINK to compare sizes. This is a site someone else had referenced some time ago.

For me, a 20" widescreen wouldn't cut it. I use a 19" LCD and the extra height is not something I would want to give up. Friends of mine have 20" widescreens and are ok with them, but went there from a 19" CRT. Personally, I don't like the 20" WS size.

My next LCD will either be a 20" 4:3 or a 23" widescreen which would not lose any height compared to a 19" LCD.

However, the 20" widescreens are selling at a good price and for those who don't mind that size, a bargain can be had. It all boils down to what you like.

Same here. Wide screen is only an advantage if they take the same size screen and make it wider. So the 20" widesceen is better than a 17" widescreen because it is the same height as the 17" but wider.

But compared to the 20" 4:3 the widescreen is like taking the regular monitor and cutting a chunk off the top and bottom. 5:4 is just oddball that I don't like that much.

4:3 is still the best compromise for general usage screen IMO. Vertical info matters a lot because just about all documents and web pages, code, etc are already taller than they are wide so chopping off the vertical doesn't make sense. If you only watch widescreen movies then the WS 20" is a tiny bit wider than the regular 20". For everything else I think 4:3 20" is better.

I have tried and got rid of two dells so far. The 2405 24" widescreen at 1920x1200 and the Dell 2007fp 20" 4:3 at 1600x1200 and I consider either of these the minimum point of entry for screen size.

The 16x10 widescreen is just too much of a step back, but I may end up with one if I can't find a decent S-IPS 20" 4:3 for a reasonably price. The LG L2000C is what I was thinking about, but I found out they are not available in Canada.

 

[Continuity28]

I bought a 4:3 20.1" LCD monitor and couldn't be happier. (1600x1200)

I don't watch movies on my computer, I dislike the current movie industry and feel they mostly produce crap. Besides, this justification doesn't make sense, as most, if not all, computer monitors aren't HDCP compliant anyways.

I watch anime though, which is 95% 4:3 right now.

I play games, which 100% are 4:3, with SOME allowing you to use widescreen either through a setting or hack.. with varying success. Some games allowing you to do "widescreen" just screw up the ratio and shorten everything. That's not true widescreen...

So for what I do, widescreen would cost much more (I want at least 1200 vertical, which means 1920x1200 or usually a 24" or greater screen. Either that or I get one that costs the same, and get a WORSE experience for 75% of everything I do right now.

I don't future proof in the world of computers, it's foolish. Widescreen is coming, but it's not there enough yet. I spend a lot of time in front of my computer, and suffering now just to benefit in the future is not for me. I'd rather buy another monitor later, when most of what I do is 16:9/16:10, including all new anime series, and all games to look better in that mode than 4:3.

 

[JRW]

Widescreen is the future ..the future is here. I could never go back to 4:3.

 

[akugami]

Originally posted by: cdmccool
It's just something people might not think about if they haven't seen a widescreen lcd before... I didn't. I just thought 19" widescreen = 19" PLUS widescreen. I bought a regular 20.1" lcd monitor and couldn't be happier with it. It's all just a matter of preference, really.

Agreed. I think some people aren't really thinking about how screens are measured and just think a 20" widescreen will be roughly the same physical height as a 20" 4:3 when measuring the LCD.

Oh and when I said the viewing area, I should've said the picture is actually smaller than my regular 17" lcd when watching 4:3 content(which is what I was talking about) with the black bars on the side.

Not so. A 20" widescreen is physically about the same height as a 17" 4:3 LCD. That means that aside from having black bars on the side, the phsyically viewable picture is almost the same on both.

 

[wpeng]

If you decide not to go with widescreen, don't get a 19" monitor. The pixels are huge!

 

[n7]

I like how everyone keeps saying WS is the future.
Yes, it is.

But game developers/producers are still very much in the past.

WS support is at best sketchy for most game; some won't even work with manual editting.

I'd recommend going to http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/

If the games you play are "fixable" to work with WS, then consider it.
Otherwise, you might regret it.

Also, i cannot recommend WS smaller than 20" (1680x1050).

Your 19" 1280x1024 idea is likely the best unless you want to jump to 20" for a lot more.

 

[TheRyuu]

FW900 FTW!! (j/k)

I wouldn't settle for anything less than a 23-24in. WS monitor. Anything below that really isn't really worth it.

Why not invest in a 2405. You'll be happy

 

[Heartbreaker]

Originally posted by: n7
I like how everyone keeps saying WS is the future.
Yes, it is.

People are swayed by fashion. Games will support 4:3 longer than any monitor you buy today will be in service.

I have a simple critera. Screen real estate and lots of it.

I won't drop back from 1200 lines of resolution without a file. I have tried both a 1920x1200 LCD and later 1600x1200 LCD. Both had issue, but as far as resolution. 1920 was a marginal improvement over the 1600 and pretty much only in widescreen movies.

I wrestle with getting a Dell 2007wfp because it has a S-IPS screen and it is hard to find a decent inexpensive 4:3 S-IPS screen which is what I really want (that extra resolution).

 

[wpeng]

I really struggled with the decision, being swayed by the "it's more natural to see more horizontally than vertically." While that may be true, what about RTSes? Wouldn't a square screen be more advantageous than widescreen? Or photo editing? Is it really more efficient to edit photos with widescreen? Really depends on the situation.

 

[Tequila]

My advice is to go to your favorite computer store and compare the widescreen vs regular. Personally I didn't like the widescreen because of what you lose in height. Instead I went with a 20.1" Samsung 204b which I absolutely love.

 

[PingSpike]

I just wish there were more monitors out there that supported scale and maintain aspect ratio in their OSD. I like WS for the games that support it because it gives you a wider FOV...but I don't want to play my older games squashed. WTF would I buy a new monitor for that can't even display old stuff properly?

 

[bjc112]

Originally posted by: Ackmed
Easy choice, widescreen.

 

[nullpointerus]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I just wish there were more monitors out there that supported scale and maintain aspect ratio in their OSD. I like WS for the games that support it because it gives you a wider FOV...but I don't want to play my older games squashed. WTF would I buy a new monitor for that can't even display old stuff properly?

You can use "aspect ratio" scaling in your video card's display options. I know nVidia drivers have this, and ATI probably does, too.

 

[wpeng]

Originally posted by: nullpointerus

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I just wish there were more monitors out there that supported scale and maintain aspect ratio in their OSD. I like WS for the games that support it because it gives you a wider FOV...but I don't want to play my older games squashed. WTF would I buy a new monitor for that can't even display old stuff properly?

You can use "aspect ratio" scaling in your video card's display options. I know nVidia drivers have this, and ATI probably does, too.

I'm pretty sure ATI's option is buggy and doesn't work.

 

[MaceX]

19" for widescreen
20" for 4:3

the reasoning for this is that with the 19" you have more pixels if you go widescreen.

the 20" lcds have 1600x1200, while the widescreen only has 1680x1050. The 4:3 20" is basically the same as the widescreen, but you have more height.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: wpeng

Originally posted by: nullpointerus

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I just wish there were more monitors out there that supported scale and maintain aspect ratio in their OSD. I like WS for the games that support it because it gives you a wider FOV...but I don't want to play my older games squashed. WTF would I buy a new monitor for that can't even display old stuff properly?

You can use "aspect ratio" scaling in your video card's display options. I know nVidia drivers have this, and ATI probably does, too.

I'm pretty sure ATI's option is buggy and doesn't work.

ATI flat out doesn't have an option with the exception of a handful of laptop setups, which has sort of made me regret my recent ATI purchase. However, I've read reports that the option is currently broken on nvidia's 7 series cards. Which leaves me sort of screwed.

I wonder if you can just stick an old second nvidia video card in, run it through the vga input while my faster new card uses the dvi and make aspect ratio scaling work on old titles that way.

 

[Ackmed]

Originally posted by: MaceX
19" for widescreen
20" for 4:3

the reasoning for this is that with the 19" you have more pixels if you go widescreen.

the 20" lcds have 1600x1200, while the widescreen only has 1680x1050. The 4:3 20" is basically the same as the widescreen, but you have more height.

Yet at 1680x1050 you get more game than at 1600x1200 in a true WS game.

WS is the way to go.

 

[nullpointerus]

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: wpeng

Originally posted by: nullpointerus

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I just wish there were more monitors out there that supported scale and maintain aspect ratio in their OSD. I like WS for the games that support it because it gives you a wider FOV...but I don't want to play my older games squashed. WTF would I buy a new monitor for that can't even display old stuff properly?

You can use "aspect ratio" scaling in your video card's display options. I know nVidia drivers have this, and ATI probably does, too.

I'm pretty sure ATI's option is buggy and doesn't work.

ATI flat out doesn't have an option with the exception of a handful of laptop setups, which has sort of made me regret my recent ATI purchase. However, I've read reports that the option is currently broken on nvidia's 7 series cards. Which leaves me sort of screwed.

I wonder if you can just stick an old second nvidia video card in, run it through the vga input while my faster new card uses the dvi and make aspect ratio scaling work on old titles that way.

Aspect ratio scaling works perfectly fine on my eVGA 7900GT KO.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: nullpointerus

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: wpeng

Originally posted by: nullpointerus

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I just wish there were more monitors out there that supported scale and maintain aspect ratio in their OSD. I like WS for the games that support it because it gives you a wider FOV...but I don't want to play my older games squashed. WTF would I buy a new monitor for that can't even display old stuff properly?

You can use "aspect ratio" scaling in your video card's display options. I know nVidia drivers have this, and ATI probably does, too.

I'm pretty sure ATI's option is buggy and doesn't work.

ATI flat out doesn't have an option with the exception of a handful of laptop setups, which has sort of made me regret my recent ATI purchase. However, I've read reports that the option is currently broken on nvidia's 7 series cards. Which leaves me sort of screwed.

I wonder if you can just stick an old second nvidia video card in, run it through the vga input while my faster new card uses the dvi and make aspect ratio scaling work on old titles that way.

Aspect ratio scaling works perfectly fine on my eVGA 7900GT KO.

What drivers and monitor do you have? Perhaps it was only with certain monitors.