New Monitor - Regular or Widescreen?

[AdamK47]

I bought two monitors yesterday. One for my wife and one for myself. I bought her a nice Viewsonic 20.1" 16:10 for $399 and I got a 20.1" Samsung 204B with a 4:3 aspect ratio for $420. I'm a gamer and I prefer a 4:3 aspect ratio. I really think it comes down to user preference. My Samsung is a bit faster for gaming and has more pixels with a finer dot pitch. I don't like playing a game where widescreen support is non-existant or just thrown in with little regard to view angle and graphical interface. Most games support the standard resolutions of 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024, and 1600x1200. Is 1680x1050 even a standard?

Plus, I play all of these.. I'd be a bit irritated it I had to play with large black bars around the edges at 1280x1024 or lower. Lets not mention the horrible scaling otherwise.

 

[wpeng]

Originally posted by: 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.

Doesn't that just apply to first-person games though?

 

[Ackmed]

No.

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots.php

 

[MaceX]

Originally posted by: Ackmed
No.

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots.php

Yeah, and what resolution do you think that 4:3 version was taken at? That example doesn't apply to comparing 20" LCDs.

The 20" WS LCD monitor's width is only 80 pixels more than the 4:3 version. That's only 5% more (2.5% on each side), but 12.5% less than the 4:3 version.

Here's 80 pixels

http://i3.tinypic.com/11avr7k.jpg

It's not that much more.

 

[Ackmed]

It doesnt matter what res the 4:3 was taken at, it would be the same.

You obviously have not used both a 20" WS or 4:3 monitor, I have. Here is a post that I made long ago, with a 2001FP and 2005FPW. As the HL2 shots show, you get more game on a WS resolution. There is much more left and right, and very little less up and down.

 

[AdamK47]

Originally posted by: Ackmed
No.

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots.php

That's not a true comparison. What they are showing is comparible to the difference between a 17" 4:3 (If one existed) to a 20.1" 16:10.

I just measured the 4 LCDs I have.

width x height in inches

17" = 13.25"x10.6"
19" = 14.75"x11.8"
20.1" = 16"x12"
20.1"ws = 17.15" 10.7"

 

[MaceX]

Originally posted by: Ackmed
It doesnt matter what res the 4:3 was taken at, it would be the same.

You obviously have not used both a 20" WS or 4:3 monitor, I have. Here is a post that I made long ago, with a 2001FP and 2005FPW. As the HL2 shots show, you get more game on a WS resolution. There is much more left and right, and very little less up and down.

Yeah, and there is not that much more to see. What 2.5% more on each side, big whoop.

 

[Ackmed]

The fact is, there is more. Looking at the HL2 screenies, there is an extra 15 feet or so on each side in "game length". Just because you dont want more game screen, doesnt mean everyone doesnt. WS is the future, get used to it.

 

[jday]

I was interested in this thread because I, too, am contemplating this decision--widescreen vs regular. I appreciate all the arguments for both sides, but haven't seen one thing addressed. I was in Best Buy today looking at a 21" Gateway widescreen monitor. The great thing about the monitor is that the screen rotates, so it is great to watch movies on widescreen or anything else you need the extra width for, but for surfing the internet, word processing, etc you can see much more of the length by rotating the screen.

I am interested what others think about this feature.

 

[BernardP]

Originally posted by: jday
I was in Best Buy today looking at a 21" Gateway widescreen monitor. The great thing about the monitor is that the screen rotates(...)I am interested what others think about this feature.

The 21-inch Gateway has a known buzzing issue. You could have a look at the newer

Samsung 215TW 21-inch Widescreen

It also has the Rotate feature.