Confused over monitors

[bluffer]

Hello All,

I must have read about half the Web lately! I'd like to change my 17 inch crt monitor for something that offers height and swivel adjustment and takes up less room. Seemed easy enough when I started.... However:

TFT's seem to be rather variable. One review will say that a particular monitor is of great quality but another review of the same display will say that it had backlight bleed or something. This gives me concern. Durability is in my mind, too. Are flat panels as long lasting as crt's?

Another big problem for me is that I know nobody with a flat panel and the shops don't allow me to use one in the way I'd want to use it at home. All we do is surf the net, write letters, use email, keep a small database and play about with still digital photography. But I can't use any new monitor anywhere to see if it would suit us.

I don't understand the business of resolution and screen size. 17 inch monitors seem to have the same resolution as 19 inch. What is the usability difference between them both? Is text clearer on the 17 incher as the pixels, presumably, would be closer together? Would a landscape snap be okay on both?

As we don't play games at all, I can't see the point of widescreen for us, though I'd like advice on this aspect, please.

I think what I'm asking is for someone knowledgeable to give advice on the points I've raised and to recommend a monitor with an adjustable stand that would do us. I'd be grateful for this. I read that NEC do a couple of displays with both good text and graphics but then I also read that they had very reflective screens. Oh dear, is nothing simple?

[Steve B]

In a wide market, nothing is ever simple

Firstly, where are you based?

Are flat panels as long lasting as crt's?

Everything is sure to break at some point, but LCD's are approaching CRT's in their lifespan. Occasionally, some pixels may become stuck or die, but its hard to notice any, unless you're specifically looking for them. (I find anyway, but thats maybe just my eyes )

What is the useability between 17" and 19" monitors?

Nothing particularly significant. Pixel resolution is usually the same on most 17 and 19" panels, therefore, pixels on the 19" will be slightly bigger. Again, this isn't noticable unless you're pressing your nose against the screen. Its useful to note that 17" LCD monitors give almost the same screen real-estate to that of a 19" CRT monitor. This is because of the curvature of the glass in a CRT, which continues beyond the limitations of the casing. If money permits, upgrade to a 19" monitor, as I prefer them to be bigger. Landscape photos should be alright, bear in mind however, that you'll get banding along the top and bottom, unless you use a widescreen, where the letterboxed aspect ratio can be advantageous.

Again, if funds permit, i'd chose a widescreen. This isn't just because i like to game, i just prefer the letterbox shape to 4:3. Its generally easier on the eyes.

One monitor that I would suggest would be a HannsG model, found here
I purchased one of the 19" 4:3 panels in November and its excellent value for money. Its also pretty cheap for a 19" monitor which is also a bonus. Maybe if you gave a clear idea of budget, it would be easier to pick out something which correctly suited your needs?

[bluffer]

Hi Steve B,

I'm in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Glad to hear that lcd's last pretty well.

If a 17 incher would be enough for us, then there'd be no point taking up more desk space. I'm mostly concerned about being able to clearly see and read small size fonts on screen and if a 19" would help that, I'd go for one of those.

I'm not clear, when using a widescreen, if the text or photo or website data, automatically expands to fill the available space without losing clarity. I'd hate to have to continually adjust something or other. This is my main concern about widescreen.

My budget is pretty good, I think. Say about £180 if the monitor was worth it.

It's just occured to me that a monitor stand may be the answer to our need for height and swivel adjustability. If so, would I have to buy a monitor with a removeable stand in the first place?

Thanks for your willingness to help

[bluffer]

Hello,

I've now ordered an HP L1740. It is a 17 inch, non-widescreen business class monitor which will suit my needs perfectly. It has a stand adjustable for height, swivel, tilt and pivot, and I couldn't find a bad review of it on the net anywhere. Best of all, it is only £117 delivered from Misco.

Hope this helps somebody else.