Flat panels worse than crt?

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by jem, Nov 1, 2003.

  1. Short answer - no.

    Be sure you're comparing apples to apples. All panels are not the same. There are a lot of low quality panels - they're cheaper, but lower quality specs. You have to compare equivalent quality LCD and CRT. Compare the technical specs - physical res, dot pitch, contrast ratio, etc.

    Especially check the LCDs physical resolution (i.e., actual physical pixels) and dot pitch. Some panels have less physical pixels than the maximum resolution they claim to support. Ideally, you want to use a screen res setting that matches the physical characteristics of the panel - while technically supported, running the panel higher or lower than its native res can produce lower quality results.

    I know you were talking about text, but if you have a need to display rapidly changing images, such as playing video or high res animated graphics, also check the panel's response time (lower is better).
     
    #11     Nov 1, 2003
  2. I was VERY disappointed when I first fired up my 19" flat screen after using Trinitrons. After getting the cleartype font stuff properly set and setting my resoluton back to native, it didn't bother me too much. Now, after 8 months or so I prefer to use the lcd, even though the font may not be quite as clear.

    BTW here is a link for adjusting cleartype using XP...

    http://www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype/tuner/1.htm
     
    #12     Nov 1, 2003
  3. Hi jem,

    Good question. The truth is both (currently) have pro's and cons. However, the cons for LCD are very quickly disappearing, which slowly is sending CRT into obsolescence.

    As for the eye aspect - sorry CRT folks, but CRT's just fry your eyes, no matter how good they are. Anybody who says LCD's aren't much better for your eyes is either badly misinformed, mildly delusional or just kidding you. Compare your working stamina on both and you'll know why. CRT's just flicker, no matter if you can see it or not - LCD's don't (they're liquid). And don't forget that CRT's, as the name implies, still do nothing but generate an image by firing billions of cathode rays into your direction, only to be restraint by maybe 30KG of lead (it's the lead-glass that makes CRT's so heavy), to deal with the radiation. If you believe that it will always retain 100% of the radiation - good for you. If you believe in god - god for you, too. I prefer not to believe, I but to know and go without risk instead.

    Personally, I've had some bad experiences with CRT. First was
    that, last year, my Feng Shui consultant went through my house & gallery & office to test the microwave and electromagnetic radiation. Well, some places a lot, some less. My mobile phone would just make his "geiger counter" swing out in the highest areas, it was shocking. Then there was a badly wired lamp, which got chucked out the window, responsible for a lot of unproductive working. Great. Next : My monitors. CRT - BEEEEP! The CRT must have had the highest degree of radiation altogether. Only just acceptable level about 1.5m away from it. Certainly not 40cm or so - as many people do, including me! Right in the "Fry your brain" zone - Great!

    The reason this affects you is because micro-electric mechanisms are also what works in your body (particularly your brain). We're nothing but complex microelectronic robots. If strong electromagnetic radiation influences us, it will disturb these frequencies (particularly since they're very small and sensitive in our bodies!), so emr isn't only taboo for people with pacemakers, but should be for anybody. Regarding microwave radiation (mobiles) - Well, it will heat up surrounding matter. "Fry your brain" they say. Whether it can cause you tumors is still not being openly admitted, but I sure know it makes my head (and part. ear) hot after talking on a mobile not long. As for electromagnetic - certainly proven to be harmful!

    My Feng Shui consultant told me to dispose of the CRT's "IMMEDIATELY!". I said sure, I'll get LCD soon, and then didn't take him serious enough and ended up working with CRT a few months longer (after all, I've been working with them X years - so what?). Then came:

    2nd incident (last year and beg. this year) I had to put my Flatron CRT into repair twice. 100% warranty, sure, but they kind of relucted to tell me what it was and making excuses (i.e. not sure). Now I really kept nagging the repair-subcontractor badly, in the old scientist-pit-bull-don't-let-go-manner. Eventually, they told me it was the self-protection unit that shuts down the CRT when X-Radiation becomes too large. OK then I was possibly exposed to a fair bit of X-rays here (explains quite a bit of headache - literally).

    That was it for me. No more CRT!!!

    You are of course right with saying many of the quality CRT's have better looking text. They're simply crisper. This has to do with contrast ratio, which matters mostly for business apps (text). But if you look at the best of current LCD's, you'll notice they have excellent CR already, and they're constantly improving. Another problem with LCD is refresh rate. They can't (yet) refresh images as fast as CRT - but this only matters if you're gaming at ultra-high FPS rate, not for trading.

    Either way, if you want to know what's the best currently on the market: Most of the Samsung models, by far. Samsung owns many proprietary patents and AFAIK in fact manufactures most of its technology in Sony factories with Sony technology, plus their own, improved technology, on a long-term contract basis. And actually, Mitsubishi does the same with CRT's - Their Diamondtron's are in fact a little better than Sony's Flatron's, with additional resistors etc. not clear about the details.

    The best you can get in the moment are the Samsung 191T's, and if you have a single look at them, you'll know why - LOL.

    But honestly - you can compare the stats, such as response time, viewing angle, contrast ratio, pixel pitch, brightness and frequencies. Do your due diligence on the stats and compare them live, and you'll find the best without having to trust others!

    To top it all off - Insider rumours are saying that Samsung is going to release a new model soon, since their stocks on 191T/N etc are running dangerously low and aren't being replenished. It is clear that they want to clear the stock on these first - So they (and the retailers) don't sit on them, which is why things like this are always 'insider' info.

    Either way - my brother (who is in the IT, Audio & HiFi retail industry) is telling me these things and urging me to wait for the release of the new Samsungs, which could come out any day. And since they aren't gonna cost much more than the old ones, I'll wait instead of stacking up more now. Plus, I'm gonna get them wholesale. :D

    By the way, you may (like many people) wonder what's the difference between LCD and TFT - There is really none. LCD stands for "Liquid Crystal Display" and CRT stands for "Thin Film Transistor", one describing the matter / ingredients, the other describing the technology. Just thought I'd say that.

    Hope I helped in some way.

    Regards,
    Scientist.
     
    #13     Nov 1, 2003
  4. jem

    jem

    thanks for the help Scientist and others---Scientist said some interesting things there. Do people agree about the radiaition risk?

    That might swing me back to the lcds.
     
    #14     Nov 1, 2003
  5. nitro

    nitro

    Hmmm,

    Something is wrong. I had the Sony 19" CRT for a long time as well. Once I went to Phillips 18.1" flat screens (on the Samsung 191T's it is even better) using a digital graphics connection, not only were the graphics much better, but so was the text!!!

    I am not sure what the problem is, but perhaps you are running the LCD's at their non-native resolution, or perhaps you have a bad video card or driver...

    nitro
     
    #15     Nov 1, 2003
  6. Fully agree with nitro in all points!

    If you have Samsung 191T's (DVI input), a DVI compatible VGA and set the res to native 1280X1024, it should beat the crap out of pretty much anything out there. Seriously.

    The only real factor con LCD is shift+4, and if you're a decent trader this shouldn't be a factor, either.
     
    #16     Nov 1, 2003
  7. jem

    jem

    Well now I am confused again. I have just purchased 2 two port nvidia cards becasue I had my panties in a bunch and could not wait for internet delivery. I have spent a ton of time trying to get that setup to work on my machines. But that is antoher story. I had a 4 yr old jeronimo pro, 4 port,that seems to have stoped working but that is what I will be doing this evening.

    As far as monitors go I bought the NECs because their specs were similar to samsung's and liked their picture in the store and I like mitusbishi tvs (yeah I know). But I bought them at Sams club so perhaps I was not looking at the top of the line samsung or nec.
     
    #17     Nov 1, 2003
  8. THE MAN

    THE MAN

  9. Tea

    Tea

    My sommelier says that my 21" crts are the cat's meow.

    Then again, he likes two buck chuck.

    :p
     
    #19     Nov 1, 2003
  10. ges

    ges

    yeh, my flat panel is crips and clear and easy on my eyes. MUCH better than any crt I've ever used and I've used a lot of them.

    g
     
    #20     Nov 1, 2003