Recommendations for a 19" LCD monitor

[TR Custom Parts]

Looking for something under $300, what do you guys recommend?? Not sure if widescreen or a regular screen is the way to go. Tired of this big hulking 17" monitor I have.

 

[Quiky One]

I have an HP 17" regular screen that they make in 19" too. It is a great screen and I cant stand looking at CRT now. They sell them at walmart and mine was just under $160 but I bought mine with the computer.

Jason

 

[SGRIM]

If you catch the sales you can get a 20 or 21 for around $300. IMO viewsonic are nice screens at reasonable prices. There are alot of good ones though. I would suggest going to the store and looking at them and see which one suits you. It is amazing how cheap the LCD's have gotten!

 

[Jbenn911]

I have the Samsung SyncMaster 940BE-BK(regular 19") upstairs on my daughters PC and the SyncMaster 940BW(wide) on my MCE box...Both work very well!!

 

[matt87]

ditto on the samsung. i have the widescreen 940bw. got it 225.00 at Sam's club.

 

[Jack Evers]

Just saw a nice 20" LCD at Albertson's/Osco (grocery/drug store) for $199.00.

 

[TurboDave]

I have the Samsung SyncMaster 940BE-BK(regular 19") upstairs on my daughters PC and the SyncMaster 940BW(wide) on my MCE box...Both work very well!!

Double ditto on the Samsung 940BE. The wife and I just treated ourselves to one for "our" Christmas present to each other.
19" super fast 2ms response time and 2000:1 contrast ratio for under $300 !!!!!!

 

[corymc]

samsung its pretty good better than the emachines i had

 

[Dwayne]

Double ditto on the Samsung 940BE. The wife and I just treated ourselves to one for "our" Christmas present to each other.
19" super fast 2ms response time and 2000:1 contrast ratio for under $300 !!!!!!

I just "froogled" the samsung 940be and all the sites that listed it said 8ms response and 700:1 ratio.......am I leaving something out on the model number ?

 

[TurboDave]

I just "froogled" the samsung 940be and all the sites that listed it said 8ms response and 700:1 ratio.......am I leaving something out on the model number ?

Not sure now. I thought that was the part number I got. I'll have to look when I get home. I know the one I got is a 940(something) and has labels on the monitor that say it's the one with 2ms response and 2000:1 contrast.

 

[Dwayne]

If you get time, would you care to post that model number this evening ? Thanks

 

[TurboDave]

Just checked. The one I got was the 931C(something), or something similar. I'll check later.
Picked it up at Best Buy for $287

Samsung 931C and Dark Messiah Games

 

[Dwayne]

Thanks for the info............I'm a gamer and need the quicker response time.............I got a gift cert. for christmas at FRYE's electronics and I'm going monitor and/or ram shopping this weekend. :biggrin:

 

[TurboDave]

OK, sorry for the confusion. Just called the house. The one we have is the syncmaster 931BF (glossy black)

It has the specs you'll need as a gamer.

Odly enough, though when you look up the specs they're not what shows up on the monitor. The monitor is glossy black with the specs stated above, NOT what's on their web site. I'm confused, maybe it's been upgraded. I wonder if they're packaging 931C's in 931bf boxes. I need to investigate further.

 

[Dwayne]

Thanks for the info Dave.

 

[TurboDave]

As a followup (and this is strange). Near as I can figure they must have revised the 931BF. The box is labeled 931BF, and on the back of the monitor the label says 931BF (R).
It has the glossy black appearence of the 931C and the 2ms response and 2000:1 contrast.
This is not what is on their web site. I know the guy at Best Buy said they had just gotten them in, so it's probably and update.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Picked up a 19" Envision monitor today for $189. Do you guys usually run it at the highest resolution possible? When I run mine at the max I can barely read the toolbars. Is it just because I am old? :frown:

 

[tom h]

Picked up a 19" Envision monitor today for $189. Do you guys usually run it at the highest resolution possible? When I run mine at the max I can barely read the toolbars. Is it just because I am old?

1st, an LCD is a "fixed pixel" display device, unlike a CRT. An LCD only looks sharp and clear when operated at it's "native" resolution. A 19", non-widescreen LCD typically has native resolution of 1280x1024. Check your LCD's specs, and then set that on your "Display Properties".

2nd, if your LCD's native resolution is not showing up on "Display Properties", then download the latest stable video drivers from your PC manufacturer's website. Installing latest drivers is probably a good idea, no matter what.

3rd, Windows XP (if that's what you're using) has a very useful feature called "Clear Type" . Its effect on clarity of text is wonderful.

To find and set "clear type",

-- right click on desktop and select 'properties'.
-- select the "Appearance" tab.
-- click the "Effects" button/menu.
-- check/enable the box "use following method to smooth edges of screen fonts ..." and select "Clear Type".

if after all this the result is still unsatisfactory, you can increase the default size of the icons, BUT if you were able to read the icons OK on your CRT, you should be at least as good on the new LCD.

enjoy!

 

[Quiky One]

Wow my screen looks weird with the clear type on...Guess I will use it for awhile.

Jason

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Thanks for the tips Tom. I increased the DPI from 96 to 120 and that helped a lot too. Got it at the native resolution now, I had decreased it because everything appeared too small. All set now except with the larger screen I am finding it hard with damn bifocals to find a comfortable position for the monitor.:biggrin: :biggrin: