TFT/LCD Monitos & 2D games 60FPS/ 120HZ

[retroborg]

So which TFT do you suggest to cover my needs?

EIZO
Samsung
Philips
NEC
?

[tom deloford]

Hi

Well, as this thread has shown everyone has different requirements, sensitivities and wallets. I run a few emulators including mame and n64 on my samsung 213T and its great, especially for 2 player games.

The good thing about 21inch is you can actually sit back and play 2 player games with a mate, this is not so easy on a 17inch monitor, you end up sitting uncomfortably close to your friend and the monitor which probably wont be appropriate!

If I was you I would make the following judgement. "Do I really need a tft?" If you have the space for a CRT buy a CRT, you will get better performance for less money. Check as many reviews as you can. Anandtech, even Tomshardware (shockhorror) etc before you buy.

Good luck.

[retroborg]

I've read at other forums that, if I want to use the TFT for emulation it would probably be a good idea to stay away from 1280x1024 native REs LCDs, since they have an unusual aspect ratio (5:4 instead of 4:3).

In that case these EIZO TFTs I posted are not suitable for emulation since their native resolution is 1280x1024 thus being 5:4 instead of 4:3.

Is that true?

EIZO 17'' L550
http://www.eizo.com/products/lcd/l550/index.asp#
Specs:
http://www.eizo.com/products/lcd/l550/spec.asp
I found this at a shop for 399 Euros / 534$ is this price ok?

Or this:
EIZO 17'' L551
http://www.eizo.com/products/lcd/l551/index.asp#
Specs:
http://www.eizo.com/products/lcd/l557/spec.asp

What resolutions over 1280x1024 have 4:3 aspect ratio in TFT monitos?
What about your 21" samsung?

[tom deloford]

Thats true, 1280x1024 won't look exactly as intended but hey the tv's that used to run those old consoles probably werent all exactly 4:3 anyway.

The monitors look ok to me. I dont know where u live but check out komplett first for prices, I think they have L550 for £225. They operate in holland too.

On scaling again, 1600x1200 is clearly 4:3 ratio and this is supported by all 21inch monitors (unless its really rubbish), so 400x300 would scale nicely to it (multiple of 4)

Personally I have played Mame on my 21inch and I run at 1600x1200 with filtering and it looks pretty cool. Problem is its 550-600quid!

[Butcher]

The main reason people run their videocards higher than 60Hz vertical is because on fast monitors the short persistence phosphorus will allow the eye to actually see flicker because the refresh rate is too slow. At 70Hz or higher it is impossible for the eye to see the refresh flicker. This is not the case with even the fastest LCD monitors. You will not be able to see flicker even at 60Hz refresh because the LCD is so slow. I usually run mine at 70Hz but it's not necessary. So if you run 60Hz you should be styling. No need to buy a 21 inch monitor (although they are quite nice).

TFTs aren't slow so you can't see it, they just don't flicker. CRTs flicker because they work by exciting phosphors on the screen by firing a beam of electrons at them, the glow only lasts a few ms so it has to be rescanned quickly or you see them fading and get flicker. By contrast TFTs will stay on the same colour as long as power is applied unless you set them to something else, so there is no flicker.

[tom deloford]

Yea, you're right.

I think by slow he means the "response time to change the colour of the pixel" which is inherently slow compared to crt because as u say the CRT changes the pixel on every pass (scan) of the electron gun (i.e 60-120hz).

TFT also attempts to change pixel at monitor refresh rate (i.e 60-120hz) but the extra delay of the 3 rgb transistors changing state (look up mosfet transistor on google) gives rise to the famous (slow) response time.

Ghosting will be more pronounced when pixels are rapidly being changed colour i.e turning 360 degrees in 3dshooter) you will see the lag of each pixel as it changes from one colour to another colour.