How to buy the best LCD monitor if I can't SEE it first??

[ImodiumAD]

I was searching the web for an answer to this but I had no luck.

My question basically is: how can I select the best LCD monitor for me by just readig the tech specs listed at X or Y vendor?

I haven't bought a flat LCD screen for my PC because all those I've seen displayed at places like Office Max and Wal-Mart (my only local choices, unfortunately) look too blurry for my taste. I always ended up purchasing a less expensive and ultra sharper CRT. (There is a CompUSA like a 90 miles from where I live, but I'm afraid of making the 2+ hour trip and find the same "quality" of monitors there.)

Then, one day, I went to Office Max and saw this HP (Compaq?) laptop with the sharpest, brightest, most crystal-clear LCD screen I have EVER seen. I could almost swear it was even sharper than most, if not all CRTs I've ever seen. I did a double-take, since it felt as if I had on a fresh, new set of eyeglasses. Oh, my jaw dropped and I drooled as well, btw. I made the mistake of not writing down the model number, though, and they no longer have it in display.

I'm seriously beginning doubt I'll be able to find something like that locally. My only option would be to mail-order it, but how to do that if I can't savor it visually first? I don't want to end up with a blurry-looking LCD that I could have bought at Office Max in the first place, sans shipping charges.

Any suggestions on this endless quest would be appreciated.

Ed.

 

[micker377]

Make sure they have a good return policy!

 

[ImodiumAD]

hehe

Er... well, if I interpreted the subtext of your post correctly, then I guess I'll keep buying CRTs.

 

[micker377]

Flat panels are good for space and power saving. For "sharp" pictures (auto-cad and games), stick to CRT's. The laptop looked good because the computer itself, and the video set up, were optimized for that screen.

 

[paparazi]

ImodiumAD
The common mistake many big retailers make when displaying TFT's is that they don't set the resolution to native maximum.
TFT's have to be set to their maximum native resolution to display sharply, typically 1024 X 1280 for 17inch models and 1024 X 768 for many 15inch models.
Often they will be operating a lower setting which lowers visual quality.
Lastly, read reviews, ask technically minded friends, actually see the screen and make sure it's resolution is set to native!!!!
Martin

We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[ImodiumAD]

micker377: my eyesight is rather poor, so I need to be a four-eyed geek 24-7... thus having a non-fuzzy-looking screen is a big issue for me,less eyestrain... don't want to go blind while reading forums I was, indeed, looking for an alternative that took far less space and consumed less power (since I use my PC for hours on end, and I think it's showing up in the electric bill)... but my eyes come first...

paparazi: I see what you mean... Thanks for the info about LCD's native resolutions. I guess I should stop take for granted that the store has actually someone who knows what he/she is doing when setting up the displays.

 

[ImodiumAD]

I just found out in CNet and PC mag that LCD specs such as constrast ratios cannot be trusted:

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-7610_7-5084364-3.html?tag=tnav

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,110483,00.asp

I guess I'll definitely should avoid buying one by mail *IF* I ever decide to buy one... I have no patience with RMAs...

 

[Frank4d]

The most important thing to look for (as mentioned above) is the display's native resolution. If you set it to any other resolution, image quality will suck.

You will also want to look at refresh rate. For gaming, watching DVDs & TV... look for a refresh rate less than 15mS. Higher refresh rates can cause ghosting or blurring. If you aren't a gamer, refresh rate isn't so much a of a concern.

And you're right about contrast ratio. Generally, the higher the contrast ratio (450:1 is better than 300:1)... the sharper the picture, but it is easy for manufacturers cheat on these numbers.

Another thing to look for is the manufacturer's warranty regarding stuck or dead pixels. There is nothing worse than looking at what is supposed to be a black screen that has 20 red, green, and blue pixels stuck "on"... and the manufacturer won't replace it.


Without getting into specific model numbers (since I don't know what is available at your local Office-Max or Walmart)... from the reviews that I have read Dell, Samsung, and Ben-Q seem to produce consistently high quality LCDs. And even if the people who work at Office Max and BestBuy do not know how to set up the displays... keep in mind that they let their customers screw with the settings all day long. So if you know a display's native resolution is supposed to be 1600 X 1200, click on the demo PC display properties and see if it really is set at 1600 X 1200 before deciding not to buy a blurry display.

Sign on to the "Help Me Buy/Help Me Build" forum here and ask more questions:

http://www.maximumpc.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=30&sid=9143cb24b180a926f25467a957153f89

 

[felixc]

In addition to the native resolution that has to match between the TFT and the Graphics card, the way to get a sharp image from a TFT is to use the digital connector. With DVI each pixel sent by the graphics card goes only to the corresponding pixel on the TFT display. In a Windows environment you will find the picture to be rock solid.

But if you are a gamer, I doubt that you will be happy to have your games play at 1280 x 1024 or 1600 x 1200. They will be slooooooww. Using the games at a lower resolution will make use of the stretching circuits and you may not find the image as sharp as it could be with a CRT.