CRT or Flat Panel?

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Lan

Lan

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Mar 29, 2004
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After building a new computer for myself, I am now in the market for a new monitor. But before I do any more research on the subject than I already have, there is one question that needs to be answered. CRT or Flat Panel?

I am an avid gamer. As a result of that from what I have read CRT's are better suited for this, but have a larger physical footprint on my desk.

Flat panels take up less space, but most with the exeption of only a few are suitable for games (yes I do play first person shooters, among others).

Is finding one of those few flat panels that will work for me even worth the money I would spend on it? Or am I just better off getting a CRT instead?

My current monitor is a CRT that is very old. With the new video card in the computer, the monitor can't keep up with what the card puts out. Thanks in advance for any replies..........Lan

<b><i>"We are what we repeatedly do.
Exellence then, is not an act, but a habit."
-Aristotle</i></b>
 
I was just before this selection and I had to buy new CRT. Monitors I tried: Samsung 193P, 172X (fastest 17'') and Sharp 191A (probably fastest 19'') were all unsuitable for UT99. UT2k4 was playable but amount of ghosting and blur was unbearable for me. It all depends on how serious you're at playing these games, what mods you're playing etc.
Looks like new generation of LCD's came very close to be real gaming monitors, but they're still lacking behind CRT's. 🙁 I had to move furniture around to free space for new CRT. 😛
 
Surely those that are viewing the thread have some advice they are willing to give? A little help please. Thanks.........Lan

<b><i>"We are what we repeatedly do.
Exellence then, is not an act, but a habit."
-Aristotle</i></b>
 
If possible I think you should try to live with your old crappy monitor for a couple of more months until you read a review on this site that says there's a monitor with no ghosting. LCDs are better then CRTs in most respects save for the ghosting.

Otherwise all of the monitors listed in the previous post are probably your best options.
 
Hmm....So we have a vote for keeping my old POS. Do we have any others that can second (and third) any of the options? Why or why not? Thank you...........Lan

<b><i>"We are what we repeatedly do.
Exellence then, is not an act, but a habit."
-Aristotle</i></b>
 
ill second that. ive been looking to replace my 15" envision lcd and ive been searching and reading about LCDs for months now. havent found anything worth buying(im about to give up and get a 172x but the damn things expesive). just wait. the technology is moving fast and soon there will be great lcds (10ms hydis for example), but so far there hasnt been any one monitor that has said "I'm the best!". so youve got my vote to wait and see unless something says "buy me!" to you.
 
theoretically my 172x should arrive tomorrow

i have already sent my dell 1703fp back due to the nauseating amount of streaking/ghosting

if the 172x doesnt work out its straight back to crt for me, at least until the arrival of some must-have lcd
 
Hmm....so is EVERYONE saying not to bother with a CRT? They are cheaper, and a better picture right? If I'm going to stay with a CRT, why should I not just get one that will work for my needs instead? Keep the input comming! Thanks..............Lan

<b><i>"We are what we repeatedly do.
Exellence then, is not an act, but a habit."
-Aristotle</i></b>
 
Do what you want. I couldn't possibly go from a 21" CRT to some dinky 17" LCD so I'm just pissed. I want a good/fast 19"+ LCD and they don't exist yet.

Just go buy a cheap, used CRT to hold you off for the next 6 months to a year and I'd bet there will be the ultimate LCD out by then.

<A HREF="http://www.proactivedesign.net/eric" target="_new">More than you want to know about me . . .</A>
 
man, ive got a LCD now and i could never get a bulky CRT again. even at work the animators use 21" CRTs and at home they all have LCDs. thier just more aesthetically pleasing.
 
well i just received my 172x

i have 2 main problems, first is the flaming blue stuck pixel dead center, which is horrendously distracting during unreal tournament and everything else actually. fortunately pc nation has zero tolerance so i can send back no prob

the other problem is on a black screen the backlight on top and bottom is very noticeable, making a light gray glow on top and bottom where it should be dark black, also annoying

Alex74, or anyone else, did you notice this or is it a defect?

On a positive note the colors are very nice, the monitor itself is very attractive, the menues are easy to use, and after a couple hours of solid gaming i found the response times to be very acceptable, not perfect but hardly noticeable.

if it werent for these two problems, one of which im sure can be taken care of (dead pixel) i would be happy to replace my crt. the lcd is so much nicer on the eyes and colors seem more brilliant rather than the washed out appearance on my crt

guess ill send back and try again

on a sidenote i was pretty impressed with pc nations service, free shipping, zero dead pixel policy, and satisfaction guarantee

hope this was helpful
 
Not sure if you're still looking at this thread, but I think the main issue is what size monitor you want. If you want 17", I'd say LCD is now the way to go, but if you want a 21" you need to go with a CRT. Another issue is the resolution. A good CRT will handle 1600 x 1200 beautifully, but an LCD looks best in 1280 x 1024. Regardless of the picture quality, an LCD puts less strain on the eyes according to studies I've read. Other things to consider are that an LCD uses only a fraction of the electricity, doesn't emit the harmful radiation that CRTs do, and they don't have the lead lining behind the glass that has made it illegal to throw a CRT in the trash in my state (have to take it somewhere and pay $10 for them to disassemble it etc.).

If you go with an LCD, be sure to get 12ms or less. 12ms just recently became available and someone mentioned in a previous post that a 10ms should be available soon.
 
12ms is a "typical time" measured on rise-fall-rise (or fall-rise-fall? :) ) cycle. When in fact it may be up to 3 times higher for gray scale switches.
Even 172X is hardly suitable for serious FPS gaming. Gray scales are blurred when you're moving fast. I bet 10ms won't make a revolution either.
 
Yes, I'm still keeping an eye on this thread. I only have a 17" old CRT right now, and was considering a 19" or higher, but haven't decided. I can deal with a 17" though, realistically I don't NEED a bigger monitor, but it might be nice.

Based on everything I've been reading here in the thread so far, I think I'm leaning twoards a CRT, but I am far from a final decision. Keep the coments comming if anyone is still looking at this thread........Lan

<b><i>"We are what we repeatedly do.
Exellence then, is not an act, but a habit."
-Aristotle</i></b>
 
I got my 172X a month ago, and what can I say guys... once you had flat, you’ll never go back 😉 172X is very suitable for FPS... I'm playing a lot of COD, and it's great! 😀
 
I tossed my Sony GDM-F500R 21" CRT for a very expensive but SCARY good EIZO ColorEdge CG-21. I am seeing things that I never saw on the Sony, it's that good. And it's a true 21" diagonal unlike the Sony which was more like 20". Of course it's 6x the price but I think worth it for all the time I spend on it. Monitor Outlet has the best price I could find on it. http://www.monitoroutlet.com

And it isn't a 32kg behemoth like the Sony. Only 10kg and it's slim profile lets me put it further from my eyes. The Sony was up against the wall if you know what I mean.


The Sony was also failing after only 3 years with faint diagonal green lines visible against a black surface. It must have had other problems as well but I did not realize how bad it was until I fired up the EIZO. Sort of like going from standard TV to HDTV.
 
All I can say is that I have gone through 4 different 172x LCD's and I've decided to stick with CRT for now. I have had the chance to stick with the 172x for just about a month now and was dissatisfied with finding 2 dead sub-pixels on the first LCD, glowing edges on the second LCD, 2 dead pixels on the third one, and this last one I had also had glowing edges. I am very frustrated and dissapointed at LCD technology right now. It's a lot of money to pay for a technology that isn't quite there yet. I may be knit-picking, but again I don't think I should pay premium dollar for a sub-par technology. My advice is buy an inexpensive CRT for now...it will last you long enough to buy an LCD when the technology becomes more stable: The money you save in that time will be more than enough to buy a kickass LCD later on.

Don't get me wrong, the 172x is a good LCD (games are good on it), but all these problems out of the box just doesn't cut it. Why should you have to settle and pay for dead pixels. You need to have 7 before Samsung replaces the monitor - RIDICULOUS!!!!!! Like I said, unless you really have to have it because you need the latest and greatest right now this second then get it. If you can wait, better for you.
 
How did you get to replace the 172x four times with only a couple dead pixels? Did you get it in a brick & morter or online, and where? They seem to have a pretty good return policy.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by stickx on 05/28/04 05:30 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
 
I went to FutureShop (in Canada). They have an online site www.futureshop.ca They will allow you to return any computer items (except software, DVD's, etc.) within 14 days of purchase no matter what the reason is. You could just say "I don't like the way it smells" and they will return it for you (but if you buy online it'll cost you return shipping). Anyway, today I returned it and bought a 17" LG FLATRON T710BH CRT. I paid $160 CAD for it (LOL!!!! $160 vs the $700 I paid for the Samsung.....I'm laughing because of the major price difference). Anyway, this monitor is not the best (people are gonna think I'm crazy for sayng this stuff), but it rocks for playing games.....looks so much better than the Samsung (in terms of crispness and detail in-game). It was so worth it to wait and just use a cheapy monitor until LCD technology gets as good if not better than CRT. The Samsung was great, but I feel so relieved that I don't have to have nightmares worrying about dead pixels and bad things happening to such an expensive monitor that Samsung will only replace if it's acceptable to them. Phew.......
 
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