LCD Comparison Help

o_dragonjojo · 09-22-2006, 08:10 PM

I'm saving up to get a new system. Right now i've got like a 5 year old one with a busted crt monitor that i got from bestbuy a long time ago.

I think I want to pick up a new LCD first before I get my system since I dont want to upgrade my actual cpu until some games are out that i really wanna get into (ff, nwn2 and some others).

Anyhow I'm looking at 19 inch LCD's and I tried reading online and trying to understand the different things involved but it's pretty confusing. I gathered that companies post different response times and all kinds of other crap. So far though I've been looking at these two LCD's: Samsung 931C & Samsung 971-P.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001085

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001086

Now can someone either A.) Help compare the 2 for me and help decide which to go with or B.) Help me find a different LCD.

From what I can gather the 931 is considerably cheaper, has a better contrast ratio and response time but has no height/pivot/swivel adjustments at all. The 931 says 2ms response grey to grey, the 971-P just says 6ms doesnt say whether it's grey to grey or something different (isn't there like black to black?). The 971-P apparently has awesome height/pivot/swivel adjustments meaning if i put it on my desk i'd have no problem getting it at an angle that i like. On the other hand the 931 seems like it might be better for gaming but i could put it on my desk and have neck problems cause it doesnt view right for me and i cant adjust it.

Can anyone help?

o_puppychow · 09-22-2006, 08:33 PM

i'm confused b/c the cheaper one has a better contrast ratio and faster response time (better display and better for gaming) the only diff i can see is the cheaper one has a a-si TFT/TN panel and the other one has a SPVA panel - but i don't know what that means.

o_caesium · 09-22-2006, 08:48 PM

Iiyama and ViewSonic are by far the best if you want a truly decent TFT for graphics.

o_nalf · 09-22-2006, 10:19 PM

Viewsonic VX922 19" LCD Monitor

check that one out

o_puppychow · 09-22-2006, 11:20 PM

rong. samsung is well known as having some of the best lcd tv's/monitors. better than viewsonic.

why not answer the op question between the two?

o_dragonjojo · 09-23-2006, 04:28 AM

That Viewsonic VX922
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824116375

Is even cheaper then the others. Has good response time of 2ms, a ton of awesome reviews but the contrast ratio is only 650:1 and I'm wondering how big of a difference that would be as compared to the Samsungs with 2000:1 and 1500:1

Also anyone know if the type of Panel means anything?

o_puppychow · 09-23-2006, 05:55 AM

the contrast ratio does make a big diff - just presents a better picture.

o_caesium · 09-23-2006, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puppychow

rong. samsung is well known as having some of the best lcd tv's/monitors. better than viewsonic.

why not answer the op question between the two?

It's not all about specs. Sure Samsung have a reasonable reputation, but imo (from hands on experience and most reputable reviews) their image quality is fairly poor compared to the Iiyama and ViewSonic alternatives.

I don't have the time to look up specifics of the Samsung monitors in question, but I've done a lot of research into this area for myself and others recently, and so am just trying to convey my findings (that if you want a high quality TFT for graphics, and don't want to spend a fortune on the really pro models, then Iiyama and ViewSonic are an excellent choice)! And yeah, what nalF said (VX922 is a very nice gaming monitor).

o_puppychow · 09-23-2006, 02:10 PM

Viewsonics typically have inferior contrast ratios, and thats very important for color depth and picture quality - although ADMITTEDLY it's more important for a LCD TV versus a computer monitor (of course some do both). Samsung LCD's are known as having one of the best dispaly engines and always come out near the top for comtrast ratios.

o_dragonjojo · 09-24-2006, 12:13 AM

I'm wondering how big a difference 6ms compared to 2ms would be gaming wise. Then i'm wondering how big of a difference 2000:1 contrast ratio is to 1500:1. I mean 6ms is good, 2ms is better right? 1500:1 contrast ratio is good, 2000:1 is better right? But is the difference that much that I should sacrifice height/swivel/pitch adjustment for it? The one is cheaper has better stats but you cant adjust the lcd at all so however it is on my desk is how it's gonna be. The other one I could move around and adjust until I like how it is but i'm paying more for that and it's 6ms not 2ms and 1500:1 not 2000:1.

Someone told me that the panel makes a difference too. They said the SPVA panel that's on the 971-P is better for movies/graphics then the 931C's a-si TFT/TN panel but the 931C's a-si TFT/TN is better for gaming then the 971-P's SPVA.

I dunno, anything will be better then I've got now but i'd hate to get a new display only to have it be impossible to game due to something stupid like extreme blur/(ghosting?) and/or input lag making the screen display the mouse movement too slowly.

o_puppychow · 09-24-2006, 04:16 AM

1) the human eye cannot discern diffrences between 6ms and 2 ms - both monitors are A-OK in that regard, and neither will ghost.

2) contrast rations only really matter for LCD Televisions - and even there you can have models that range between 500:1 for a viewsonic to a 3000:1 for a samsung - this only REALLY matters if ur LCD will brodcast television - even so, 800:1 is totally fine.

Bottom line: 8ms and less response time = no ghosting and 800:1 contrast ratio as the base (1000:1 is better, and keep going up etc) is fine. From this point you start looking at astethics and warranties as deciding factors.

If you want a monitor that is both for PC display AND HD Television, look at Sharp or Samsung, if you're just looking for a PC LCD then go viewsonic.

o_dragonjojo · 09-24-2006, 05:52 AM

Well I live in a campus apartment and my room is pretty small. My CRT monitor now already takes up like all of my desk space and I currently dont have a t.v in my room or in the apartment either. I haven't watched t.v in like 2 months.

I'm thinking it'd be real nice to save space and consolidate my crt into an LCD for my comp and possibly t.v. If that's the case the extra $ might be worth it to get the 971-P because from what I read the adjustments for the monitor make it really easy to setup to your viewing pleasure and i'd like something to watch movies on atleast.

Can anyone tell me if it's possible to hook cable up to the 971-P and watch t.v on it?

o_dragonjojo · 09-26-2006, 03:48 AM

Are LCD's already considered HD? Because someone was tellin me that xbox 360's look their best on HDTV's and I was wondering if i could hook a 360 up to that display too and have it look its best.

Or is that not true about 360's and HDTV?

Sorry about all the dumb questions. After i get the monitor out of the way is when i'm gonna try buliding my first computer ever lol i'll have plenty more dumb questions then!

o_pussyhunter · 09-26-2006, 11:26 AM

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/selector.htm

o_dragonjojo · 09-26-2006, 08:32 PM

Thanks, that site had alot of useful stuff to read and gave me a better insight into all that LCD mumbojumbo.

09-22-2006, 08:10 PM	#1
o_dragonjojo Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	LCD Comparison Help I'm saving up to get a new system. Right now i've got like a 5 year old one with a busted crt monitor that i got from bestbuy a long time ago. I think I want to pick up a new LCD first before I get my system since I dont want to upgrade my actual cpu until some games are out that i really wanna get into (ff, nwn2 and some others). Anyhow I'm looking at 19 inch LCD's and I tried reading online and trying to understand the different things involved but it's pretty confusing. I gathered that companies post different response times and all kinds of other crap. So far though I've been looking at these two LCD's: Samsung 931C & Samsung 971-P. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001085 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001086 Now can someone either A.) Help compare the 2 for me and help decide which to go with or B.) Help me find a different LCD. From what I can gather the 931 is considerably cheaper, has a better contrast ratio and response time but has no height/pivot/swivel adjustments at all. The 931 says 2ms response grey to grey, the 971-P just says 6ms doesnt say whether it's grey to grey or something different (isn't there like black to black?). The 971-P apparently has awesome height/pivot/swivel adjustments meaning if i put it on my desk i'd have no problem getting it at an angle that i like. On the other hand the 931 seems like it might be better for gaming but i could put it on my desk and have neck problems cause it doesnt view right for me and i cant adjust it. Can anyone help?

09-22-2006, 08:33 PM	#2
o_puppychow Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Washington DC Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	i'm confused b/c the cheaper one has a better contrast ratio and faster response time (better display and better for gaming) the only diff i can see is the cheaper one has a a-si TFT/TN panel and the other one has a SPVA panel - but i don't know what that means.

09-22-2006, 08:48 PM	#3
o_caesium Join Date: May 2005 Location: Oxford, UK Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Iiyama and ViewSonic are by far the best if you want a truly decent TFT for graphics.

09-22-2006, 10:19 PM	#4
o_nalf Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Viewsonic VX922 19" LCD Monitor check that one out

09-22-2006, 11:20 PM	#5
o_puppychow Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Washington DC Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	rong. samsung is well known as having some of the best lcd tv's/monitors. better than viewsonic. why not answer the op question between the two?

09-23-2006, 04:28 AM	#6
o_dragonjojo Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	That Viewsonic VX922 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824116375 Is even cheaper then the others. Has good response time of 2ms, a ton of awesome reviews but the contrast ratio is only 650:1 and I'm wondering how big of a difference that would be as compared to the Samsungs with 2000:1 and 1500:1 Also anyone know if the type of Panel means anything?

09-23-2006, 05:55 AM	#7
o_puppychow Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Washington DC Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	the contrast ratio does make a big diff - just presents a better picture.

09-23-2006, 02:10 PM	#9
o_puppychow Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Washington DC Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Viewsonics typically have inferior contrast ratios, and thats very important for color depth and picture quality - although ADMITTEDLY it's more important for a LCD TV versus a computer monitor (of course some do both). Samsung LCD's are known as having one of the best dispaly engines and always come out near the top for comtrast ratios.

09-24-2006, 12:13 AM	#10
o_dragonjojo Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	I'm wondering how big a difference 6ms compared to 2ms would be gaming wise. Then i'm wondering how big of a difference 2000:1 contrast ratio is to 1500:1. I mean 6ms is good, 2ms is better right? 1500:1 contrast ratio is good, 2000:1 is better right? But is the difference that much that I should sacrifice height/swivel/pitch adjustment for it? The one is cheaper has better stats but you cant adjust the lcd at all so however it is on my desk is how it's gonna be. The other one I could move around and adjust until I like how it is but i'm paying more for that and it's 6ms not 2ms and 1500:1 not 2000:1. Someone told me that the panel makes a difference too. They said the SPVA panel that's on the 971-P is better for movies/graphics then the 931C's a-si TFT/TN panel but the 931C's a-si TFT/TN is better for gaming then the 971-P's SPVA. I dunno, anything will be better then I've got now but i'd hate to get a new display only to have it be impossible to game due to something stupid like extreme blur/(ghosting?) and/or input lag making the screen display the mouse movement too slowly.

09-24-2006, 04:16 AM	#11
o_puppychow Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Washington DC Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	1) the human eye cannot discern diffrences between 6ms and 2 ms - both monitors are A-OK in that regard, and neither will ghost. 2) contrast rations only really matter for LCD Televisions - and even there you can have models that range between 500:1 for a viewsonic to a 3000:1 for a samsung - this only REALLY matters if ur LCD will brodcast television - even so, 800:1 is totally fine. Bottom line: 8ms and less response time = no ghosting and 800:1 contrast ratio as the base (1000:1 is better, and keep going up etc) is fine. From this point you start looking at astethics and warranties as deciding factors. If you want a monitor that is both for PC display AND HD Television, look at Sharp or Samsung, if you're just looking for a PC LCD then go viewsonic.

09-24-2006, 05:52 AM	#12
o_dragonjojo Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Well I live in a campus apartment and my room is pretty small. My CRT monitor now already takes up like all of my desk space and I currently dont have a t.v in my room or in the apartment either. I haven't watched t.v in like 2 months. I'm thinking it'd be real nice to save space and consolidate my crt into an LCD for my comp and possibly t.v. If that's the case the extra $ might be worth it to get the 971-P because from what I read the adjustments for the monitor make it really easy to setup to your viewing pleasure and i'd like something to watch movies on atleast. Can anyone tell me if it's possible to hook cable up to the 971-P and watch t.v on it?

09-26-2006, 03:48 AM	#13
o_dragonjojo Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Are LCD's already considered HD? Because someone was tellin me that xbox 360's look their best on HDTV's and I was wondering if i could hook a 360 up to that display too and have it look its best. Or is that not true about 360's and HDTV? Sorry about all the dumb questions. After i get the monitor out of the way is when i'm gonna try buliding my first computer ever lol i'll have plenty more dumb questions then!

09-26-2006, 11:26 AM	#14
o_pussyhunter Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Northampton, England Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/selector.htm

09-26-2006, 08:32 PM	#15
o_dragonjojo Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Thanks, that site had alot of useful stuff to read and gave me a better insight into all that LCD mumbojumbo.

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