Where to get a good monitor?

[Cervantes]

My current monitor is on its last legs. On 1152 x 864 res a red bar would go across the screen, just above the start bar, then fade into green, then into blue. Things in the centre of the screen would be clear, but the more one looks to the edge of the screen, the more blurry things appear. And the screen would automatically make small adjustments in its width and height. It seems okay on 1024 x 768, but I want to start looking for a new monitor just in case it breaks down.

I was thinking of puchasing a nice LCD monitor. What is a good place to get one? I prefer stores in my area over using the internet, but if the price difference is good enough, I'll go with the internet.
I'm not looking for a top-of-the-line monitor, just a decent one that won't inflict too much damage on my bank account.

Thanks in advance,
-Cervantes

[Martin]

17" or 19"?

Sony monitors are nice, but they are expensive.

When I'm shopping for computer hardware, the first place I look is www.futureshop.ca. They have everything. After I find what I'm looking for, I head over to my good friend www.tigerdirect.ca and find the same item at a way lower price, and fell much better with my purchase.

Expect to pay 500-600 for a good 17" LCD, and 900 - 1000 for a good 19" LCD. Also, LCD monitors have a slew of problems associated with them (dead pixels, stuck pixels, etc.) so the extended warrenty might be something to consider.

[Dan]

I whould not go for a LCD unless you need to save space or need a light wigth monter. The old ctr ones cost less and you can uhsely find biger ones. Althougth if u have the money might as well go for LCD.

[Cervantes]

thanks for the tigerdirect link: way cheaper than futureshop.

Darkness wrote:

17" or 19"?

depends on the price.

Darkness wrote:

Expect to pay 500-600 for a good 17" LCD, and 900 - 1000 for a good 19" LCD.

ack! perhaps neither, in that case.

are LCD monitors easier on the eyes than CTR ones?
perhaps I'll just weather this old monitor out for as long as I possibly can. I wonder if that problem could be fixed? If I took my monitor into some shop that probably doesn't exist, because nowadays things get replaced rather than fixed, I wonder if it could be fixed.

[Martin]

I don't think so. I like my notebook monitor (LCD obviously ) but I also like my desktop monitor (19" CRT).

The key with CRT monitors is to just crank the refresh rate to 85+. If you do that, it'll be fine on the eyes.

Sure, LCD's look a lot better (not in image quality, in the 'slick looking computer' way), but, if you've got the space, a CRT gives you more bang for your buck.

Here are some nice CRT's (for a lot cheaper than LCD's). The other thing about CRTs is that you don't have to worry about dead pixils, which is nice.

This one looks amazing. Low dot pitch, high max resolution, and flat screen:
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=415291&CatId=169

And, if you are feeling like paying a bit more, you can get this:
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=415296&CatId=172

[Paul]

Darkness wrote:

The key with CRT monitors is to just crank the refresh rate to 85+. If you do that, it'll be fine on the eyes.

How would u do that?

[Tony]

to adjust your screen's refresh rate :

go to display properties (right click on your desktop -> properties) -> settings (tab) -> advanced (butoon).

a window for your monitor/gfx card properties should pop up. -> Monitor (tab)

Under Monitor settings there's a drop down for refresh rates.

The refresh rate and screen's resolution are inversely proportional, so if you want a higher refreshrate to become available, you might have to lower your resolution. (shoudln't be an issue with a desent video card)

[Paul]

ha...ha... heh...
my gfx thingy is better than my 6 year old one, but still pretty bad. I mean come on:

ATI RAGE XL AGP 2X
memory size: 8mb

it should be able to handle 90 shouldn't it? I had it on 85, and it was fine.

I have this as a monitor though

I love sony

[Tony]

yaya, quit complaining I have a 4mb build in (celeron) card, though I since upgrade (well... just installed second since I couldn't take this one out) radeon with 64 MB

[wtd]

BenQ makes some nice LCDs at decent prices.

I would go with 17". They're less expensive, and 19" LCDs are usually the same resolution at 17" LCDs.

[Mazer]

Paul Bian: Refresh rates are more monitor-dependant than gfx card dependant, I believe. With mine, I can't go past 60Hz or so at the highest resolution.

[templest]

http://ncix.com

If you sign up for the weekly newsletter, you get even cheaper prices. I got $30 of my new vid card by buying it from the link they put in the newsletter rather than directly from the site. Good prices, and they won't spam your e-mail.

[Cervantes]

tony wrote:

to adjust your screen's refresh rate :

go to display properties (right click on your desktop -> properties) -> settings (tab) -> advanced (butoon).

a window for your monitor/gfx card properties should pop up. -> Monitor (tab)

Under Monitor settings there's a drop down for refresh rates.

The refresh rate and screen's resolution are inversely proportional, so if you want a higher refreshrate to become available, you might have to lower your resolution. (shoudln't be an issue with a desent video card)

Couldn't find anything related to refresh rate in the monitor tab. it looked like this
That's Windows ME. *twitch*
I wonder if the refresh rate when compared to my resolution has something to do with my problem. But, more likely than not, its just something simple gone out of whack inside the monitor.

I guess I'll go with a CRT then, since I do have the space.
Which companies build good, long-lasting monitors? (BenQ, Samsung, LG, etc.)

EDIT:
What is the advantage of having a flat screen CRT over a non-flat screen CRT? The only difference I've ever noticed is price.

this monitor looks pretty good. Pretty cheap too, though it's not flat screen. I've never heard of this "Famous Brand" before. Not too famous if you ask me How would I tell if this monitor will last me a long time?
But, if I want a refresh rate of 85, I need to use 800.600 res on that monitor, which doesn't sit too well with me.

then, looking at this monitor, I get flatscreen and better refresh rate at 1600x1200 res, for the same price. But then, it's dell, and I am forced to question the quality behind this seemingly great monitor.

so many possibilities

[Paul]

I feel your pain... get rid of it... now

[Martin]

Flatscreen is definately what you want to go with. If you don't have a flatscreen, you end up with much more glare, and the picture looks stretched around the edges. Flatscreen is DEFINATELY the way to go.

That second one looks pretty good. The first one is ass. Dell doesn't make the monitor, it just sells them. It looks alright, although with .25mm dot pitch, you might find it somewhat course (although if you have an old monitor, it'll be miles of improvement.)