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pelvis_3 · 10-10-2005, 08:23 AM

Colour
All except the cheapest CRT screens give more or less consistent colour for any particular signal value across the whole screen (they use the same phosphor across it.) With TFT there is often some variation and colour across the screen is less accurate. Testing of most TFT screens with colour calibration hardware also shows them to be generally inferior to CRT displays in giving accurate colour. The best TFT screens designed for imaging work will give good results, but cheaper models are generally less reliable. However they are suitable for less critical work.

Increasingly the hardware solutions for monitor calibration are produced so they will also work with TFT displays, but they may not work as well, or may take more care in use. You need to be much more careful with the surface of the screen than with the protective glass over a CRT monitor.
TFT displays also vary quite widely in the contrast range they support. The better models give a range of perhaps 4-500:1.

Viewing Angle
Although many TFT displays are now very bright when viewed head on, most still fall off fairly dramatically when you move your head to one side,similar to a rear projection TV, and colours may change. This can be annoying when you want to compare images on two screens for example, or when you want to discuss an image with several people - they can't all be in the best viewing position. Although some more recent screens are much better than older models, CRT displays are still generally better when viewed from the side, especially if you have a Flat Screen.

Size, Weight and Cost etc
TFT displays do have the obvious advantage in size and weight, and perhaps less obviously in lower power consumption. However for the cost of a cheap TFT display you can buy a good CRT that will be much more suitable for working with images, and allow a much higher resolution when required.
TFT displays marketed especially for imaging professionals are still expensive - perhaps thousands rather than hundreds of dollars.

If you are looking at a second display for your system, one of the cheaper TFT screens might be a good choice, especially if you want to make use of the portrait format display option some offer. It is vital of course to check the specifications carefully to make sure exactly what it offers; in particular you need to check the actual device resolution, the brightness and the contrast ratio.

If you have a TFT display, even some of the less adequate ones built into some notebooks, don't be too despondent. You can still get good results from your images, even if you will not be able to have quite the same control over your work.

What To Look For When Buying
Response Times are the primary concern of any TFT LCD screen. Viewsonic is advertising their VP201s monitors as having Response Times that are fast enough to present "Realistic, artifact-free 3-D gaming. These monitors have a "16 millisecond Response time. Hitachi also advertises their CML174B and CML 175B LCD monitors with Response Times of 16ms "enabling smoother computer video, animation and gaming movement." Samsung goes one step better with their 172X LCD monitor that sports an amazing 12ms Response Time. Newer models have gone just another step further with 8 and 6ms response times.

Generally for gaming, a response time less than 12ms is respectable and won’t produce any really noticeable ‘blur or ghosting’ in fast paced games. If it’s going to be used for office applications such as Word or Excel, than anything under 20ms will do fine.

Next, be sure to select a screen that has a native resolution that meets your needs. That is to say, if your system can only play games at 800x600 then buying a 2048x1536 monster display won’t give you any advantage and will almost certainly do more to hinder your game playing and your enjoyment of it.
Check the dot pitch measurement and make sure you are comparing like-for-like if you are looking at more than one display, especially from different manufacturers.

High contrast and high brightness, but low power comsuption is a very good combination because this will give you impressive visuals and your display will hopefully last longer.

Other, smaller, concerns (like the price) I is purely personal preference. A TFT LCD that satisfies all of these criteria will hopefully do justice to your game visuals and give you the gaming experience that you desire.

Final Words
The best way to know if a monitor is right for you is to view it in person. Specs are a great tool for narrowing down your choices, but they are no replacement for hands-on experience. Plenty of large resellers stock a wide range of monitors and some are on display. Go down to every shop you can and see if you can find the monitor you are thinking of buying. You never know, that slightly low spec one you shunned in favour of that extra inch of screen may beat everything else hands down in ‘real world’ performance.

10-10-2005, 08:23 AM	#2 (permalink) Top
pelvis_3 HWF Member For Life Join Date: Jul 2005 Age: 22 Male Posts: 2,339 Times Helpful: 265 My Mood: Happy Status: Offline My Computer	Colour All except the cheapest CRT screens give more or less consistent colour for any particular signal value across the whole screen (they use the same phosphor across it.) With TFT there is often some variation and colour across the screen is less accurate. Testing of most TFT screens with colour calibration hardware also shows them to be generally inferior to CRT displays in giving accurate colour. The best TFT screens designed for imaging work will give good results, but cheaper models are generally less reliable. However they are suitable for less critical work. Increasingly the hardware solutions for monitor calibration are produced so they will also work with TFT displays, but they may not work as well, or may take more care in use. You need to be much more careful with the surface of the screen than with the protective glass over a CRT monitor. TFT displays also vary quite widely in the contrast range they support. The better models give a range of perhaps 4-500:1. Viewing Angle Although many TFT displays are now very bright when viewed head on, most still fall off fairly dramatically when you move your head to one side,similar to a rear projection TV, and colours may change. This can be annoying when you want to compare images on two screens for example, or when you want to discuss an image with several people - they can't all be in the best viewing position. Although some more recent screens are much better than older models, CRT displays are still generally better when viewed from the side, especially if you have a Flat Screen. Size, Weight and Cost etc TFT displays do have the obvious advantage in size and weight, and perhaps less obviously in lower power consumption. However for the cost of a cheap TFT display you can buy a good CRT that will be much more suitable for working with images, and allow a much higher resolution when required. TFT displays marketed especially for imaging professionals are still expensive - perhaps thousands rather than hundreds of dollars. If you are looking at a second display for your system, one of the cheaper TFT screens might be a good choice, especially if you want to make use of the portrait format display option some offer. It is vital of course to check the specifications carefully to make sure exactly what it offers; in particular you need to check the actual device resolution, the brightness and the contrast ratio. If you have a TFT display, even some of the less adequate ones built into some notebooks, don't be too despondent. You can still get good results from your images, even if you will not be able to have quite the same control over your work. What To Look For When Buying Response Times are the primary concern of any TFT LCD screen. Viewsonic is advertising their VP201s monitors as having Response Times that are fast enough to present "Realistic, artifact-free 3-D gaming. These monitors have a "16 millisecond Response time. Hitachi also advertises their CML174B and CML 175B LCD monitors with Response Times of 16ms "enabling smoother computer video, animation and gaming movement." Samsung goes one step better with their 172X LCD monitor that sports an amazing 12ms Response Time. Newer models have gone just another step further with 8 and 6ms response times. Generally for gaming, a response time less than 12ms is respectable and won’t produce any really noticeable ‘blur or ghosting’ in fast paced games. If it’s going to be used for office applications such as Word or Excel, than anything under 20ms will do fine. Next, be sure to select a screen that has a native resolution that meets your needs. That is to say, if your system can only play games at 800x600 then buying a 2048x1536 monster display won’t give you any advantage and will almost certainly do more to hinder your game playing and your enjoyment of it. Check the dot pitch measurement and make sure you are comparing like-for-like if you are looking at more than one display, especially from different manufacturers. High contrast and high brightness, but low power comsuption is a very good combination because this will give you impressive visuals and your display will hopefully last longer. Other, smaller, concerns (like the price) I is purely personal preference. A TFT LCD that satisfies all of these criteria will hopefully do justice to your game visuals and give you the gaming experience that you desire. Final Words The best way to know if a monitor is right for you is to view it in person. Specs are a great tool for narrowing down your choices, but they are no replacement for hands-on experience. Plenty of large resellers stock a wide range of monitors and some are on display. Go down to every shop you can and see if you can find the monitor you are thinking of buying. You never know, that slightly low spec one you shunned in favour of that extra inch of screen may beat everything else hands down in ‘real world’ performance. __________________ Adopt an unanswered thread. \| Who's Online \| vB Code Some people are alive only because it’s illegal to kill them! Support bacteria, it's the only culture some people have! Last edited by pelvis_3; 10-10-2005 at 08:31 AM.