How much better is LCD vs Flat CRT..

EliteLamer · November 2007

I have a 19 inch flat CRT made by Mitsubishi and room is not a concern. Nothing is wrong with the CRT but I was thinking about get a 22 inch wide screen today but only if it is that much better.

mausmalone · November 2007

EliteLamer wrote: »

I have a 19 inch flat CRT made by Mitsubishi and room is not a concern. Nothing is wrong with the CRT but I was thinking about get a 22 inch wide screen today but only if it is that much better.

It's not a blanket statement you can make. Go look at the 22 inch widescreen LCD and decide whether you like it better.

There are certain things you can expect to be different for sure ... but how different depends heavily on the monitors in question. A CRT will usually have a higher contrast ratio, be brighter overall, and have a faster response time. An LCD will have no cyclic refresh and more distinct pixel borders.

But in the end, you'll need to look at the new monitor yourself and decide whether you like it or not.

HarshLanguage · November 2007

The 22" LCD (I'm assuming it's widescreen and HDTV-capable) would be an improvement if you want to view games/movies/tv that are: 1) widescreen without letterboxing; or 2) High-definition. Drawbacks to an LCD (widescreen/HD or not) can be seeing the individual pixels too clearly, refresh time (for games esp.), and black levels. In terms of size, the 22" widescreen will be a step up from the 19" CRT.

It sounds like you're just hitting the tip of the HDTV iceberg. The options can be confusing, so you may want to go slow. Or at least make sure you can return the TV without penalty if it's not what you expected.

Wonder_Hippie · November 2007

For more practical concerns, I'm pretty sure LCD monitors draw less power. There's that whole weight thing too, but that's not really going to matter unless you attend LAN parties frequently.

EliteLamer · November 2007

HarshLanguage wrote: »

The 22" LCD (I'm assuming it's widescreen and HDTV-capable) would be an improvement if you want to view games/movies/tv that are: 1) widescreen without letterboxing; or 2) High-definition. Drawbacks to an LCD (widescreen/HD or not) can be seeing the individual pixels too clearly, refresh time (for games esp.), and black levels. In terms of size, the 22" widescreen will be a step up from the 19" CRT.

It sounds like you're just hitting the tip of the HDTV iceberg. The options can be confusing, so you may want to go slow. Or at least make sure you can return the TV without penalty if it's not what you expected.

So it is only worth the upgrade if I go for a high end HDTV LCD then?

Raslin · November 2007

Just want to say, unless you're really picky, a good LCD has fine contrast and response time.

TelMarine · November 2007

I'd say keep the CRT. Much higher refresh rates, no input lag, and no native res where everything but that looks like shit.

Big Dookie · November 2007

Wait... just so we're clear, is this an HD CRT, or just a plain old CRT?

Because if we're talking upgrading from an HD CRT, I'd say you're probably okay with what you have if space isn't an issue. If it's from a regular 4:3 SD CRT however, I'd go for the updgrade.

EliteLamer · November 2007

I dunno if it is HD CRT.. It is a flat CRT, I know that..

Big Dookie · November 2007

Is it a 16:9 widescreen ratio, or a standard 4:3 "box" ratio? If it's the latter, it's almost assuredly not an HD set. If it's widescreen, it doesn't necessarily mean it's an HD set either, but the chances go up at least.

In any case, you'd probably know if it were an HD set, so my guess is that it isn't. If that's the case, an upgrade is a good idea as long as you'll actually use the HD features on it. Do you have digital cable or satellite with the HD package, or can you get it? Do you have a game console that supports High Def resolutions, or do you have an HD/BR-DVD player (or at least a regular DVD that can upscale)? If you have, or are planning to get, any of these anytime soon, then I'd say the HD set is worth getting.

Otherwise, if you're just going to be running a standard def signal into it, you're better off just keeping the CRT you have now.

EliteLamer · November 2007

I only use it for PC games and nothing else. This is what I have....

The DP93SB and DP2070SB monitors use the Mitsubishi DIAMONDTRON NF Natural Flat Aperture Grille (AG) picture tube (CRT). Unlike conventional shadow mask picture tubes, AG tubes use vertical wires to prevent the beams of electrons fired from the back of the CRT from hitting the wrong coloured phosphor at the front.

Shadow mask CRTs use a horizontally and vertically curved sheet of metal with precisely positioned holes for the same purpose. That curvature results in significant amounts of image distortion.

The major advantages of Aperture Grille are:

1. The CRTs are perfectly flat, minimising image distortion

2. The phosphor is placed in continuous vertical stripes from the top of the CRT
to the bottom. This means that there is more phosphor on the screen than in other types of picture tube, resulting in higher image brightness and contrast than that available from shadow mask tubes.

It is for these reasons that AG CRTs, such as the Mitsubishi DIAMONDTRON and Sony Trinitron, are the standard for the professional graphics industry.

Big Dookie · November 2007

Oh man, I thought we were talking about televisions. I'm an idiot, nevermind.

mausmalone · November 2007

EliteLamer wrote: »

I only use it for PC games and nothing else. This is what I have....

The DP93SB and DP2070SB monitors use the Mitsubishi DIAMONDTRON NF Natural Flat Aperture Grille (AG) picture tube (CRT). Unlike conventional shadow mask picture tubes, AG tubes use vertical wires to prevent the beams of electrons fired from the back of the CRT from hitting the wrong coloured phosphor at the front.

Shadow mask CRTs use a horizontally and vertically curved sheet of metal with precisely positioned holes for the same purpose. That curvature results in significant amounts of image distortion.

The major advantages of Aperture Grille are:

1. The CRTs are perfectly flat, minimising image distortion

2. The phosphor is placed in continuous vertical stripes from the top of the CRT
to the bottom. This means that there is more phosphor on the screen than in other types of picture tube, resulting in higher image brightness and contrast than that available from shadow mask tubes.

It is for these reasons that AG CRTs, such as the Mitsubishi DIAMONDTRON and Sony Trinitron, are the standard for the professional graphics industry.

Aperture Grill monitors are absolutely fucking awesome. You're going to have to shell out considerable dough to get an LCD of comparable quality. And even then it's not just a matter of throwing money at the problem, you're gonna have to do a lot of research.

I stand by what I was saying before ... you're going to have to research the best display you can spec out, and then see it in person. There's no description better than an in-person viewing.

Jobastion · November 2007

Big Dookie wrote: »

Wait... just so we're clear, is this an HD CRT, or just a plain old CRT?

Because if we're talking upgrading from an HD CRT, I'd say you're probably okay with what you have if space isn't an issue. If it's from a regular 4:3 SD CRT however, I'd go for the updgrade.

FYI, since we're talking computer monitors, ignore that question. HD and SD are terms for TV purposes, and aren't really relevant when discussing use as a PC monitor, unless you're looking at buying a huege screen tv for that purpose. And you're not, so yeah...

Reasoning:
A 19 inch CRT probably goes to at least 1280Ã—1024 and might do 1600x1200 (but painfully, and with much squinting and a low refresh rate)
As you might guess, 1280 x 1024 is a higher resolution than 1280 x 720, which is what a 720p HD TV displays. So, at minimum, your 19 should have a higher res than the most common current HD standard)

All that said, get the LCD. I upgraded from a great 19in samsung syncmaster to a 22in acer. It was very much worth it in the screen real estate department. Cause it's bigger. And that's better

FreddyD · November 2007

I had to use an old CRT when my video card didn't recognize my HDTV right away. I was running in safe mode at 1024x768 and I was shocked at how crisp the picture was. CRTs scale a lot better, which is great if your video card isn't top of the line anymore.

EliteLamer · November 2007

lol the res on this CRT goes up to something crazy like 1900x

Azio · November 2007

After about 6 months with an LCD you will not be able to go back. They are simply more comfortable to use than CRTs.

KVW · November 2007

I upgraded from a 19" CRT to a 22" widescreen LCD and it's the best thing I ever did. The simple convience of being able to have two windows (say Word and Firefox or what have you) opened at the same time and both being pretty much full screen (on a square screen) side by side is something you can only know after using a widescreen monitor.

I also find everything much brighter and crisper looking in general, but my CRT was a couple years old and probably showing signs of wear and tear.

Um, you didnt really specify, but if you're talking TVs only, I wouldnt bother upgrading to a 22" LCD HDTV. It'll be like $300 or something and for another couple 100 you could upgrade to a 32-40" range, especially with Black Friday / X-Mas sales. 32" should be had for like $500ish. I'd just stick with the 19" CRT until you're ready to upgade to a bigger TV.

TM2 Rampage · November 2007

EliteLamer wrote: »

The major advantages of Aperture Grille are:

1. The CRTs are perfectly flat, minimising image distortion

Oh snap

Hmmm. So like, I have a flat-screen CRT monitor (not sure if it uses an aperture grille or not... prob not?) and I've noticed that images in the center of the monitor are thinner, while images that are put on the sides of the monitor get slightly stretched out. Do aperture grille monitors get this?

Daedalus · November 2007

Good CRTs are generally pretty hard to beat, really.

Cheap shitty CRTs are way worse than cheap LCDs, in my experience. Geometry problems, for instance, are a weakness that LCDs don't share. But really what it comes down to is if you like what you have, don't try and fix it.

EliteLamer · November 2007

Daedalus wrote: »

Good CRTs are generally pretty hard to beat, really.

Cheap shitty CRTs are way worse than cheap LCDs, in my experience. Geometry problems, for instance, are a weakness that LCDs don't share. But really what it comes down to is if you like what you have, don't try and fix it.

I was just wondering what all the craze was about and thought I was missing out on something. All my friends are going off and buying 22 inch wide screens from Wal-mart thinking they are the bomb. When my CRT was new it was about 350.00 bucks.

squirly · November 2007

I went from a decent (I think, anyway) LG 17" Flatron (Marketing name for their flat screen CRTs) to a AOC LCD 19" and the difference is amazing in regards to sharpness, colour (Seriously, massive, massive difference), etc.

And LCD screens look rad, take up less space, etc. I could never go back, especially so after having a nice HDTV in my room for awhile too.

Stormwatcher · November 2007

all LCDs suck at anything other than native resolution.... CRTs are much more versatile.

and there is no such marketing buzzword crap like "HD" in PC CRT monitors. We were using "768p" in 1997. Any modern PC monitor, regardless of being LCD or CRT can do a hell lot more than silly 720p and 1080p stuff.

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