for those that find it to read on higher settings, do check out the DPI setting and see if its set low. All that does is change your fonts relative size, normally only CRT that's a problem with... man I couldn't live without my TFT now.

Recommended system upgrade is a flatpanel. Even a small illyama

my main pc has 2 monitors both running @1152x864
my 2nd pc runs @1280x1024
i would run higher but only have 17" monitors (and they not new) and is the highest i can go running at a decent refresh rate.....

I still do not like TFT, just never looks right to me. Plus with so many ppl and kids running around here how long would it really last before getting a whacking?

tak, not looking right? You sure your not just used to things looking wrong?

Things looks crystal clear on my TFT, whereas if i drag across onto my CRT, its CRTs that are all blurry and crappy, relatively... if you use a proper one, and I'm sure I'll get 100% agreement from anyone else with a TFT on this one, you really will only use a CRT again if its against your will or your TFT sucks (slow response) and you have to use it for games/movies My CRT got moved into 2ndry monitor immediately, if i had another TFT, i'd take it round back with a shotgun.

Also, I'd point out that actually, TFTs can take more of a battering, its plastic and solid panel vs. glass. I wouldn't dropping recommend either or anything, but TFTs actually move around and position if you got a good stand, since the panels don't weight a ton . If you have a good stand, the base will be very heavy and you'll mount the TFT on it and be able to pivot it around. Get a wall mount, if being on a desk is a problem.

I can't see any reason to fault a good TFT:

Positives
1) Superior clarity of image, particularly text.
2) Absense of notable flicker
3) Vastly smaller, huge increase in space, wall mountable, etc.
4) Normally a high native resolution
5) Better brightness and illumination, less strain on the eye looking at blurry images
6) Advanced features, video-in-video, multiple inputs -> composite, S-VHS, DVI, CRT, usb extensions, speakers, etc.
7) Extemely low power consumption
Stronger build, lighter; good monitors have scratch resistance
9) Positioning and movability

Negatives (Relative):
1) Poor monitors have poor response rates, CRTs are faster at refreshing, but theses days its hardly an issue, nearly all 17 to 20 inch are <15ms response rate.
2) If you get a poor panel, dead pixels are an annoyance, particularly if its a low native resolution, high resolution quality panels and its not really an issue
3) Not very responsive in other non-native resolutions, but see above about it being high
4) Poorer monitors don't have a great viewing angle, but once again, only if you cheap out and for some strange reason view across from somewhere at the other side of the room (maybe xvid viewing?). Still modern monitors have 170 degree viewing angle.
5) Obviously, more expensive than CRTs

All the negatives come from cheaping out I've found, but just for visual, functionality, space and power improvements, not much point in CRTs these days.

If your still on a poor display, next system upgrade you might want to consider the monitor (I over looked doing it for far too long cos I always saw the monitor as a bit of kit you just use, and update your box).

Recommended if you get the cash to look into them

Bollox

I don't see #3 as an advantage TBH, 'specially not if you get burgled.

I'd like to see someone try and make off with my sony 21" monitor

lol, maybe that should be in the negatives, "because it looks cooler and cost more money, its likely to increase your chances of being burgled". So what;s bollocks? The clearer image? absense of notable flicker? capable or more accurate colour information and brightness? Because I don't think you can argue them one down, particularly the latter two.

3 definitely is an advantage though, because I have a lot of desk space compared to not a mm of free space, so that definitely was an improvement for me. Plus I can swivel the panel round with one hand, with a CRT, you can move it a couple of degrees and that's it.

You can keep your 21" sony btw, would only be a downgrade

btw, is that 21" visible screen, or that the CRT size with a slice of your display under a border? another plus i forgot for TFTs btw

Come on, the only real thing that CRTs have over TFTs is pixel reaction times, and as said with modern TFTs this isn't an issue!

#3 is bollox, small and light. hah! It'll never catch on

I'm not a fan of LCDs either, although the one I use @ work is ok I guess.

The premium for a <15 ms 21" LCD is fucking ridiculous BTW the best I can find is an apple one (16ms) for ?1200 (!)

Also, and this is a HUGE point for me, I run alot of emulators and games that I don't run @1600x1200 (which would have to be the native resolution of any LCD I bought) and I hate the piss poor way that LCD monitors deal with (or don't) resloutions that are non native.

I still don't see how 90% smaller depth and lighter weight is a negative though but... er anyway... rock on!

Just to point out, I got a DELL (NEC Panel) 20.1" (visible screen) 15ms pixel response TFT over a year ago for ?600, so your not looking hard enough Mr


Handles 800x600 to 1600x1200 with very fast response rates (native is the full whack, 1600x1200, so you get high response on the lower settings too than you would with a lower native), resolution switching is fast and fill the screen; in my experience CRTS normally f*ckup and you have to fiddle with the width/height and positioning settings for more than 3 stored resolutions. Very annoying.

Switch res. all the time for software gui development as of late too

btw. apple suck (dunno what rebadged panel it will be), illyama's where its at.

Lower resolutions (non native) look fucking awful on an LCD, try running any MAME game at its native resolution, or an Amiga emulator etc. they look abysmal.

LCD's do have a place, and they are significantly better than they used to be, BUT for apps where resolution needs switching CRT has the lead by a country mile.

My monitor has stored every resolution I've ever run it had and it still does, I've not had to adjust it since the first time each res was run. Although I guess cheaper ones don't

That's a bit of aside of course, since that's a really selective negative you got there. I can't say that its really fairfor me to say "my old crappy software looks old and crappy on my TFT" when ranking monitor performance, because in that situation, you don't want all the pluses on such low resolutions.. Its old and crappy anyway, I just have to plug in my old crappy consoles, but I can't say I do that too often and when I do I don't want some crappy emulator, I'll use my snes or if for some weird reason I wish to play mame, I can setup a mame cab (not going to happen though, too much time and not enough space). Real thing is better than some rubbish emulation anyway, although maybe the odd curse of monkey island doesn't look to hot these days. I've used the odd piece of older pc software, but my monitor is extremely good at 800x600 (can't go lower cos of winxp), as you might have gathered, so its not an issue at all. Onwards and upwards most of the time though, I can't say it takes anything more than an innumeral percentage of computer usage for the modern geek

To do MAME on a TFT is kind of missing the whole point of TFTs and of MAME imo, but your right, if your really going to run some really old redundant stuff, your better off with a different barebones system, infact its pointless even wasting money on any expensive monitor at all, you get nothing out of using a massive modern, expensive monitor, CRT or TFT. Your better off with a sucky cheaper one, not like the res is over err... what is the res of those cabs?

With TFTs the problem is the + I mentioned, the picture is too clear, the image is too bright, but when your on a res that small, its better to approximate and use a less accurate image, which is the where the blurry CRT does indeed have a plus (just like it sucks at showing image detail on rips, which is only a plus if the rip isn't hot, anything reasonable though is great).

However, my monitor isn't too bad in bare bones minimum resolution if i ever suddenly could think of a need. I really don't have a need to go down that road, but as you say that really is selective negative I think you'll agree. Personally, I really don't play prehistoric software that would need such a low resolution on my system, that's like playing cards with a naked horny chick

Surely you've got a MAME box if your into that kind thing, unless you don't play mame on the box you built up just for that? Kind of pointless using an expensive monitor for something that only needs bargin bucket shit, same goes for the pc hardware.

So I don't really think that's much of a negative to be honest personally, I don't see how that can degrade a TFT beyond being superior than a TFT in every other field... just because you may want to play on something really old and crummy for some reason.



Its everything else that goes to TFT these days by a furlong though, its a little flaw, but its hardly significant for most of humanity.

Eventually CRTs are going to die, because as you say, its really a selective 'flaw', its relevance is twindling as I type

Oh another +, TFT don't give you cancer of the balls unlike radiation ommitting cathode rays

It's suitable for you.
Not me.

There's no argument here and I'm not saying that CRT's or LCD's are better, just that I prefer CRT ATM, I'll almost certainly go to LCD on my next monitor purchase, but I'm more than happy with the monitor I have.

okay, but next time when i say nero re-encoding is pathetic next to CCE, you got to take into account the Sauron "all-seeing" monitor, and sacrafice a puppy in its honour



results are looking pretty much what i expected in the poll btw

I wonder if m$ are going to do the proper thing, and drop 800x600 from Slonghourn? I've got a feeling they might like they did with 640x480 with XP.

LOL you guys gonna hit each other with ya handbags next?

Seriously tho, I wil admit that TFT can look cool, but the price is a real shitter. I have no need to run stupidly high resolutions, my res is perfect for me. To run any higher would require a bigger monitor, and that ='s higher cost. Remember, I got pretty shit eyesight.

I watch movies on my TV, aint never gonna get a 32inch widesreen monitor for a decent price, and games I run at 1024xwhatever cos I get real good frame rates, altho I do not really game much either.

Quick addition, like PCA I may go to LCD on my next major upgrade, but ATM the price is too high for me just so I can run a higher res.

projectors are coming down in price rapidly, there's an okay one with a free xbox on dabs for ~?550

Might be worth checking out. I'm either getting some new hardware or a projector, think its going to have to be the hardware though.

hmm projectors r ok but you really need a decent screen for them...and that can cost!!

yeah, that's why i'm probably not going to spend under a grand on one

ps. neat site:
http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk/project ... lator.htm#
http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk/project ... advice.htm