Large CRT monitor reviews
 

Why is it so difficult to find reviews on large CRT's? My monitor is on the fritz and I want to replace it with at least a 21", non-Sony tube, preferably one with Invar Shadow Mask. The problem is, LCD's have have become so cheap, everyone is selling them like hotcakes! I like my Samsung LCD's for normal windows work, but for gaming, CRT is still king. ANyway, I didn't think it would be so difficult to find a good CRT, so anyone with some recent reviews, I would be much appreciative of them if they can supply a link!

-S

PS. This one looks decent, but I'm willing to spend up to $700 to $800 if need be for something bigger - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824116121 - Not sure I want to hit the $1000 range though, but I will if there is something that I just can't pass up. Hitachi I think still makes larger Invar Shadowmask CRT's as OEM parts, but I'm not sure. I don't want Sony (nor Mitsubishi either) because their color is not so hot (looks washed out pastel like), and I can see the wires in the monitor, which really bugs me. As I type this, I have 2x Sony 21" on this very desk, and I am looking at the two wires in the screen!

PPS. I know, I'm demanding! But I can still hope someone has an answer, no?

You may find some stuff in here:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...light=monitors

Just noticed, many comments are regarding LCDs.

RDP

Yep - most are LCD, and no real good review sites that I can read (one in German only). LCD's can only produce about 30% of the color spectrum for your eyes, while a CRT, depending on qaulity, can produce 70% to 80%. I look at my expensive Samsungs, which have the best image quality and color quality I can find in LCD, but my CRT outclasses it by quite a margin when it comes to color reproduction. I'd demostrate for you if you were here. Thanks though for trying.

That Viewsonic is my only choice so far. :-?

-S

PS. I bought a rather large desk too, with a deep monitor corner, so large CRT's 70 to 100 lbs, don't bother me. I have the room for it.

I have this SONY 20 inch LED which I picked up a few years ago and I'm very happy with it. It allows both the nine pin and the DVI connection. I'd recommend SONY without reservation.

Yep, I've had great luck with Veiwsonic too. And you can't beat the price on the big CRT's now. But I have a big desk too, so space doesn't matter to me either.

My brother was moving house last summer. only two streets over, but I had to carry the 20-inch CRT.

I'll never forgive him :lol:

They can be heavy. I think 21" adds another 15 lbs though. I'm currently running a 19" LG 995E as my main monitor at home, with a 20" IBM as a secondary monitor (I usually have Media Center running on this secondary monitor if I am not using it for video processing) on my main system. The Vista system has 2x 21" but they are Sony tubes and clearly not as colorful as the 19" LG. I am wondering if I should just have that LG fixed??? I love that thing. Most colorful contrasty monitor I have ever seen. It is night and day, even over the IBM monitor sitting next to it.

-S

IIYAMA Vision master pro513 MA203\DT 22inch CRT, is my favorite monitor,
my other 3 Samsung syncmaster 306bw are 2 ms, but lesser color and lesser deep black. :yep:

Very nice:up: This is a good thread as I am looking at upgrading my monitor in the next few months.

RDP

Yep - I'm almost stuck going LCD. :-?

I got my calculator out (yes you can say - oh no!). After all my math, I figured out that 1680x1050 is a really bad resolution for a LCD monitor!!!! Like, what were they thinking? However, I figured out that LCD's that support 1920x1200 aren't half bad! So I am thinking a Samsung 24" if I get stuck going LCD:

http://www.samsung.com/Products/Moni...?page=Features

This should give me a 4:3 aspect ratio equal to 20" viewable, or about the same size as a 21" CRT monitor, with the added bonus of widescreen capability and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The Samsung 24” supports a Native resolution of 1600x1200 (using 1 pixel per on screen per pixel native) and 800x600 (Using 4 pixels per on screen per pixel native). This 1600x1200 and 800x600 is a true 4:3 aspect ratio, and the 1920x1200 is a true 16:10 aspect ratio. Whomever came up with 1680x1050 is a weirdo since it doesn’t match anything natively. Understanding my logic yet? I can run normal resolutions natively on the monitor when I can’t on the 22” Samsung. The 1680x1050 Samsung 22” would support only a resolution of 1400x1050 for a 4:3 aspect ratio as its only native resolution, and that doesn’t match anything native in normal monitor land, so all my old games, or very few of my old games would support something like this. Some did support this, but most not.

Now when running off resolutions, more logic comes into play – the 1920x1200 will be smaller pixels than the 1680x1050 pixel res, so in theory, it will look sharper in off res non native resolutions. 1280x960 is a 4:3 res, so that matches up mathematically to a fairly close .8x.8 off pixel res which should lend itself OK to interpolation and a decent picture. 1024x768 comes out to to a slightly less desirable .64x.64, but should still look OK since they are still matched.

Anyway, that is my thinking.

Some quick calcs for common resolutions on 1680x1050 – 1280x960 - .9142857x.9142857 – this one won’t work well interpolation style. Probably a better res might be 1280x1024 even though it is not a 4:3 res - .9142857x.975238 – that might look better. 1024x768 - .7314285x.7314285. This one also won’t look too good interpolated. Basically – the Samsung 22” is out based on these numbers alone. If I am going LCD, I might as well make it look good and as close to CRT as possible. That is I am trying to emulate the capability of a CRT as close as possble here and I think I can get close with a LCD that is capable of 1920x1200.

Hopefully this logic can help someone else out who is in the monitor market.

-S

PS. I forgot to mention a 1680x1050 monitor can't even do the standard 4:3 resolution of 1600x1200!

I was embarressed to post until I saw and read this thread as Ithought everyone had lcd


I have a 20" IBM P200 1996 MODEL

I put off lcd as I have room for crt and as you said the colors and clarity look good to me.

19" CRT here, no plan to get an LCD, of the same reasons the rest of you have. Picture quality.

Could never find a laptop with built-in CRT, but this one's OK. 17-inch, 1440x900

I got this (<- link) recently and it disappointed me after hearing so much hype about LCDs.

It doesn't ghost, it just looses one notch of "sharpness". It's extremely bright, which should make it last long enough to be worth the price, I hope, but I still prefer my CRTs because they just look better.

Is the 226BW a cheap, crappy, outdated LCD or something?

It looks good to me as far as the specs go. Faster than its larger cousin that i am looking at. Your post though disturbs me in that you lose sharpness with fast action.

Now you just made me want a CRT again! Maybe I'll just bite the bullet and buy that Viewsonic.

-S