CRT monitors?

[Judahnator]

i have a dual CRT monitor setup on my rig (monitors are about 18in thick, and weigh about 30lb each, but still love them), both are old DELL monitors i got for $15. i like CRT's because there is no motion blur, and they have a pretty ridiculous response time.

so, are there any company's that make good CRT monitors? or has everyone switched to making LCD only?

[xaeleep]

Everyone has switched to LED ^^ As far as I'm concerned, CRT monitors are not being made any more. But don't fret, the response time of "flat-screens" was only an issue maybe 3+ years ago.

[firewist]

If you really worry about monitor response time, consider getting a really high refresh rate monitor.

The VG278HE from Asus is a great example. Very low response time, and a really high refresh rate.

[GoodBytes]

If you want,

- The 178 degree view angles in all directions

- The rich colors with image that just "pop".

- The full true 8-bit colors per channel (red, green and blue are each a channel) properly with no trickery)

- The image sharpness

- The build quality.

Warning the following is information heavy, you may need to read it twice, as it contains terms that you might not be familiar with.

Important Terminology to understand my post

- AFRC / FRC. AFRC means "Advance Frame Rate Control" and FRC means "Frame Rate Control". Both are pretty much the same technology. Its a system that tries to emulate a color that it can't produce. The way it works, is that if you ask the monitor to display a color that it can't do, it picks 2 colors that it thinks it can produce, and switch between them at rapid rate (up to the refresh rate speed of the monitor) in order to trick your eyes in seeing the correct color. The difference between Advance, and the non-Advance. is that the Advance has a color processor to pick the color it can't produce, by basing its decision on your monitor settings, while the non-advance one is "hard coded" circuit design. Obviously, the one with a color process does a better job.

- xx-bit panel. When referring a panel as a 6-bit or 8-bit or 10-bit, etc.. panel, we are talking about how many colors the panel can produce per channel. Red, Green and Blue are what is refereed as channels. The more bits the panel have, the better the color is expected to be (if the manufacture decided to jam the color, let's say red to the max... well obviously everything will be red'ish, but you get the idea). CRTs are 8-bit panels. While they are exceptions, its generaly as followed for LCDs, IPS (except eIPS), and PVA are 8-bit panels or higher, and eIPS, MVA, and TN are all 6-bit panels. Obviously, the more colors the panel has, the more expensive it is and there is a jump in price, at least currently.

- input lag. The time it takes from you moving your mouse or typing a key on your keyboard, and the image appearing on your screen. These results varies based on your peripherial, how busy the CPU and USB controllers are, and the length of your monitor display cable and your peripheral. Excluding hardcore FPS players with twitch reflexes that are so fast that it put the speed of the humming bird wing flap to shame, a 30-40ms input lag is fine. Obviously, lower is better. Reviewers tries heir best to exclude the other factor that adds input lag, but as we are talking about ms, the factor of error is usually 5-10ms.

- Professional grade monitor. These monitors are monitor targeted to professionals who seek color accuracy over anything. These monitor are 8-bit panel minimum, has a color processor, programmable Look UP Table, uniform back light, and everything is focused on color reproduction and not speed.

- CFL vs White LED vs RGB LED. These are backlight technologies. High-grade CFL are compact fluorescent light bulb, they consume a lot more power than LEDs, but they are brighter, and provides you with a true rich nice white. Which gives you a great base for your colors to display correctly. White-LED back light is now the most common technology, and these monitor are wrongly refereed as "LED monitors". While like anything in technology, you have different grades, they are known to provide a blue-tint on everything, as they are not true white, but rather a cold white or light-blue color (all depending on their grade). This makes whites look blu'ish, which is mostly visible on well whites and also gray scale pictures.

Finally, RGB LED, are Red, Green and Blue LED's put very close together to output a white color similarly to high-grade CFLs. However, this technology is currently expensive, and mostly used on LED back light professional grade monitors, to my knowledge. CFL's and RGB LED's output a wide gamut color spectrum (this used to be standard until the consumer decided to jump onto cheap white LED back light, due to their low price tag). White LED's output a standard gamut color spectrum. Wide and standard should not be an issue as a non-professional user who requires one of which, in his or her pin point color accuracy work.

Back to topic:

In order to get the above expectation from an LCD screen

You need to open your wallet, by getting a true 8-bit LCD panel. However, as these moniors are aimed more for work and colors rather than gaming, they have color processors, Look Up Table, and are focused on color reproduction rather than speed. So response time is still great, input lag might be an issue. They usually have a ~30ms input lag. As mentioned, this is not visible for most gamers. But, if you are a hardcore FPS player that plays competitively and not just for fun, you may not like these monitors, and you rather want a 120Hz LCD TN panel, and forget about colors and all that. TN panels are really fast.

So, how pricey these monitor are? Not very much. Their price are comparable to CRT monitors (well recently they are getting cheaper, slowly), ignoring the fact that you'll get a bigger, and higher resolution screen. And please, I am not talking about professional monitor here. These cost starting 800-1000$ Canadian/US for the base models and goes up from here for a 22-24inch monitor. I am not crazy, I know you are not getting that. But you can get a high-end consumer monitor.

Have a look at the Dell U2410, U2711, U3011, U2713HM, U2713M. All these monitors are using LG H-IPS or AH-IPS panels, and are all true 8-bit panels, with the exception of the U3011 which uses a true 10-bit panel (true 1.07 billion colors support). The U2410, U2711, and U2713H can display 1.07 billion colors with the help of AFRC.

Please note,

In order to enjoy 10-bit colors (1.07 bullion colors, and not limited to 16.7 million colors), you require the following,

- A graphic card that support 10-bit colors (All GeForce 200 series and up support it.. I don't know about AMD's I forgot, but they should be)

- Use DisplayPort connector on both the graphic card and monitor with no adapter or converters.

- Compatible drivers and OS (Windows 7 and up are, natively)

- And of course, most importantly, content. Right now, all games, and content on the web, and the great majority of digital camera JPG picture format are all in 8-bit colors.

So, as you can see, its not a feature to jump onto, unless you really need it.

If you want,

- Speed

- Don't care about anything else

Get a TN panel, preferable a 120Hz monitor.

For me, I like to enjoy my games, I don't play competitively, just for fun, and I want to enjoy the hard work of the graphic artist(s) in the my games, and see movies just appear awesome. So, I got an IPS panel. Personally, I have the Dell U2410 on my desk. I love it, and I think its worth every penny. The colors are so awesome, and build quality is just as impressive. The stand is in full metal, including the arm, and mechanical system to adjust it (black parts are on plastic.. but they are covers over metal), so the monitor doesn't wobbles like crazy when you breath, or something, it's not going anywhere. The colors are just stunning. Like the U2711, U3011, U2713HM, it comes with 2x pre-color calibrated profiles at the factory: Adobe RGB and sRGB with report. So basically, you install the monitor, and go to its menu and pick Adobe RGB or sRGB based on your liking, and then, if you come from an old TN panel, you'll get seizure by the awesomeness of the colors....ok ok FINE! I am now exaggerating, you won't get a seizure. But my point is that it is a really nice monitor, it might even be better, in term of colors than your current CRTs.

Hope this helps a bit.

[GoodBytes]

Everyone has switched to LED ^^ As far as I'm concerned' date=' CRT monitors are not being made any more. But don't fret, the response time of "flat-screens" was only an issue maybe 3+ years ago.[/quote']

No, everyone has switch to LCD.

LED monitors are these bad boys:

I don't think you meant those :)

It's ok, I don't blame you with this mistake. Thank to Apple aggressive marketing in pushing "LED monitor", as "the wave of the future", and people interpreting as "spacey", "futuristic", even though its appearance are from the 60's, and that it was simply chosen due to the low cost over image quality. Mix with that, due to teh demand by the consumer in calling them "LED monitor" or "LED display", monitor manufactor marketing decidded to follow suit and calling their monitor "LED's". Even though they really mean: white LED backlight. Everyone does the mistake.

And if you don't believe me, get in front of an "LED monitor", and press on it, you'll see the screen liquid spread. Do the same on your computer power on LED, see how solid and no liquid spreads. :)

BTW, if anyone is interested in having a brief understanding on how LCD monitor (with white LED's) works:

jiejNAUwcQ8

[GoodBytes]

Sorry here is the video (I can't edit my post, my post just clears):

[Art Vandelay]

I'd love a Sony FW900, but they are pretty much impossible to get these days, unless you get really lucky and find a guy selling it who lives in your city. I'm planning on getting a BenQ XL2420T; I want something with good color, but the input lag on a lot of the high color monitors is too much for me.

[crocski]

i just threw mine out.. it was a Dell

[Alex]

Everyone has switched to LED ^^ As far as I'm concerned' date=' CRT monitors are not being made any more. But don't fret, the response time of "flat-screens" was only an issue maybe 3+ years ago.[/quote'] No, everyone has switch to LCD. LED monitors are these bad boys: I don't think you meant those :) It's ok, I don't blame you with this mistake. Thank to Apple aggressive marketing in pushing "LED monitor", as "the wave of the future", and people interpreting as "spacey", "futuristic", even though its appearance are from the 60's, and that it was simply chosen due to the low cost over image quality. Mix with that, due to teh demand by the consumer in calling them "LED monitor" or "LED display", monitor manufactor marketing decidded to follow suit and calling their monitor "LED's". Even though they really mean: white LED backlight. Everyone does the mistake. And if you don't believe me, get in front of an "LED monitor", and press on it, you'll see the screen liquid spread. Do the same on your computer power on LED, see how solid and no liquid spreads. :) BTW, if anyone is interested in having a brief understanding on how LCD monitor (with white LED's) works: jiejNAUwcQ8

i lol'ed so much to your comment and your ring on the side on CRT's, theres no point when you can get LCD monitors so cheep now.

[SammichThyme]

Yeah CRT is gone, get something with a 5ms response time and you'll be golden. 2ms is a gimmick

[orangecat]

I got a very nice 17 inch CRT and I love it but I ahve upgraded to LCD long ago there are no CRTs left that are brand new unless you can find one on ebay unopened and working but just dont invest in one