I need some advice. After years of trudging along with my old 15" Gateway monitor despite two new computers, I need to upgrade to take advantage of Poser 5 and my slowly improving skills. I am looking for a 19 to 21" model with special emphasis on graphic work and animation. I'm pretty sure I dont want a flat panel display as I have heard they are not yet as good as the aperture grill models and space is not a problem. Price is a consideration but I dont want to limit myself to bargain basement units. Quality is far more important. What would the gurus of the artform suggest or recommend? What do you use that you are very happy with? Scarab<-(getting old and my eyesight aint what it used to be, sonny.....)

I like the HP monitors (though I'm a bit partial). I have experience with, and enjoy both the 21" HP Ergo 1600 (my home) and the 21" HP P1100 (office). Evo

Attached Link: http://listings.ebay.com/pool2/plistings/list/all/category3696/index.html?from=R4

Here's a handy eBay link for ya. I see a 24" Sony Triniton monitor on there for ~ $700.00 that is mighty tempting. I don't think my desk could fit another gigantic monitor like that though... Evo

CTX makes good, durable, inexpensive monitors. I've got one at home that's at least 5 years old and still works very well. Heck, I'm using one at work, too.

I won't mention brands, but certain features to look for. FPDs are very nice, but there are some caveats:

• Maximum resolution is recommended resolution - other resolutions may not be as clear and crisp.
• Dead pixels - higher quality FPDs may have few or none, lower quality ones may have too many. Once a pixel goes, the only solution is to replace the monitor. Apple Studio Display FPDs are truly amazing (but also truly expensive).
• Viewing angles are narrow
• More expensive
• For best image, requires DVI out on video card (ADC for Mac FPD and systems)
• Do not support 3D stereoscopic shutter glasses - this is more of a personal quip, but I use them alot for stills and, soon, animations.

As for CRTs, one thing is to get one with a good dot pitch (0.25 or smaller). Another thing is resolutions and refresh rates. The bigger the display, the higher the max resolution and the better the refresh rates. IMHO, 19" and 21" are great. The 24" Sony mentioned above might be amazing, but do you have room and a sturdy enough desk for it? :) My Sony 21" weighs in at 68 lbs. Flat screen CRTs are sooo sweet that anything else is rubbish. I have a Sony G520 and Samsung SyncMaster 763MB, both flat screens and very nice to view because of it. Even my main (Sony VEGA) and computer office (Emerson) TVs are flat screen. You do get a slightly longer monitor (front to back), but the lack of distortion because of a rounded screen make up for it. So far, I like the Sony monitors and their customer service. Was able to discuss the different models and features live with a salesperson who was extremely helpful and responsive. Still, don't take any of this on faith. Check out online reviews, do comparisons, go to a computer store with a good monitor selection and compare features, quality, price, and so on. Good luck and take your time. A good monitor can last for years. BYS

I use, and am very happy with a pair of Gateway 15" flat screens. I do not now have a problem of where to put all the floating menus. Works well with Photoshop too.

Eizo make very good, "Professional" monitors, (they come with glare hoods and all manner of other gadgets) they consistently come top in "image quality" polls, where they use photometry aparatus to measure the actual screen output, to a reference signal. I've got a Sun Premium 21" (a badged Sony "flatron") which is very nice. But it'll do 1600x1200 max, newer stuff will upwards of 2048x1600 Personally I've never seen an LCD that's as good as a CRT, (and I've used the Sun 18" and the SGI 21" models) they're good, but only at one resolution, then there is the matter of dead pixels... At 21" you're not really going to get a "bad" monitor. I bought a "cheap" 38" TV, and it has far more gadgets than I have a use for. The same is true of CRT's, even the cheapest 21" will blow away anything less than a 19" model. The best thing to do if you're serious is take a laptop with you, that way you can compare like for like, what it looks like at home, on the LCD and on the CRT. You can also take your own reference images. If you are buying a 21" model they'll humour you... :) The only real problem with large monitors is just that, they're huge, mine barely fits on the table, the computer, keyboard and mouse hang off the edges... For playing games however, there realy is nothing like it! :P later jb

I've been using LCD's for about 2 years now. I have very little real estate on my desk. I have a 6X9 wacom tablet on my desk so a 21" CRT/heater won't do (I had a 21" Sony Trinitron) . I would never go back to a CRT though. I just ordered a 19" LCD and think I am just gonna hang it on the wall.

Hehe, on my desk, I have a 21" monitor, a 17" monitor, a printer, 2 keyboards/2 mice, a scanner, a joystick, and my speakers. then I have many cables crisscrossing back and forth between 2 PC's on each side... I have no room on my desk...may need to get an additional desk for writing/drawing space. I guess I could be using up to 4 monitors..but that'd be overkill I think. Evo

Well i'm the oppisite of EsnRedshirt i had a 19" CTX i paid 550 for and it blew after 14months so i bought 2 17" AOC's for less than 300 and still using them on old pcs after two years (the quality was superb too) but i now have a 17" TFT and will never go back to CRT....Steve

Thank you all so much, this is very reassuring, especially the news that the bigger it is, the better quality can be expected. For some reason I had the idea that the quality was likely to vary more widely with the larger screens. Are there any good sites on the web that do the types of comparisons mentioned? All i can find is "price war" stuff when I do searches. Scarab

Attached Link: http://computers.cnet.com/hardware/0-1041.html?tag=ont-mon

Try this one, cnet.com, fairly reputable for consumer tech reviews. Not sure if this is Mine, but Sun 21" monitors are usually very good, (with minimal bell's & whistles) this one is $270 http://shopper.cnet.com/shopping/resellers/1,10231,0-7085-311-1600356,00.html later jb

Attached Link: http://www.workstationsetc.com/sony/sun/x7121a.asp

I guarantee you you will not regret buying one of these... :) I may have to find out how much shipping to Europe is... later jb

I recently bought a 19 inch Visual Sensations at Wallmart for $200. Its clunky, but I'm like you, space isn't a problem. Its also not as sharp as the higher dollar ones so you get what you pay for. I'd suggest 21 inch if you have the bucks (and the sharpest resolution you can find), especially if you use any modeling programs. If you have a local store that sells used monitors, and if the price is right, that's one way to get bigger for cheaper. I'm not all that excited about the cheap prices on Ebay because there are very high shipping prices. I know someone who paid more for two 17 inch used monitors on ebaby (with shipping) than he would have paid new at the store.

Attached Link: http://www.workstationsetc.com/sony/sun/x7136a.asp

Well, after dismantling my desk to get to the back of the monitor, (it's pushed up against the wall for stability :) What I've got is one of these, (link) and for $350 you're not going to find a better monitor anywhere, it really is a thing of beauty. Now all I have to work out is why my state of the art video card won't drive it above 1600x1200 :( If you buy one, make sure you ask for a 13W3 to 15pin D converter cable, otherwise you'll only have one monitor input, and it's not the sort of thing you can pick up in a store... later jb

one word " Trinatron " I have tried many different monitors and nothing is better for true color. praxis22 link looked to be a pretty good deal i am consitering it myself. After a few years a new monitor is a good investment . Flat screes blow , big time for a good true color . Picture is washed out and very dull. Not good at all for any kind of graphic art.

Attached Link: http://www4.tomshardware.com/display/20020805/index.html

Here's a good comparison of 21" and 22" monitors. Mitsubishi and NEC come out on top.

I have Sonys in vairous sizes, like them but not as much as my Viewsonic 21". Bought it, had it almost 3 years, it started to go bad, spent $60 to send it to Viewsonic, (was 1 month short of the 3 year warranty). They didn't have the same monitor so they sent me a new one. I will only buy Viewsonic again with one exception. For my pdf's and such, i.e. tutorials I have a 17" "flatscreen", rats I can't think of what they are called, know it's not flatscreen, LED maybe? Anyway tasquah is right it's not good for graphics, and none that I've seen yet are. Knock on wood, bought my Sony 17" when they first came out, and it's still sharp as ever. My Sony's and Viewsonics are called flatscreens. Marque

How about a Trinitron flatscreen? My Sony display is a Trinitron (it's even marked on the frontispiece), is not washed out, and achieving true color was very easy. The Samsung required a lot more fiddling to remove the yellow-green tint, but that's what color correction is all about. Heck, they're not as sharp and crisp and bright as my 17" Apple Studio Display was, but then they cost less (together, about the same original price for the ASD) while also being able to display 1600x1200 - not remotely possible on the ASD. Look, there are professional-grade graphics monitors (like the one linked above for $350 - which normally costs over $1000 - might I add), but you'll pay (and pay and pay). A pro 21"+ graphics monitor, unless you get lucky as above, will cost you over $1000. That's what I found when looking. Marque, you may be referring to a Flat Panel Display which uses LCDs. The original poster said that he wants to avoid them. BYS

I've found that LCD's (flat panels :) suffer more from burn-in that a similar CRT (flat screen :) LCD's are also completly useless at playing fast first person shooter (FPS :) games, they tend to smear, as you simply can't update the whole screen at once with an LCD, it has to be staged, so one part is switching and by the time it's done so it has to switch to something else. They tend to artifact terribly if you try to run a fast GFX intensive game on them. Not tried this on an 21" Apple Cinema display though, and that does seem to be the best that $3,500 will get you :) But yeah, for $350 it's a steal, but they don't answer thier email, anyone phoned them? later jb

Thanks for so much great info....I am really starting to get interested in the Sony trinitron series. Scarab

Sony certainly has the name and reputation, but there are other good brands that offer more. Be objective and read the reviews, or go into a store and check some out using the same system (or two systems with the same video card and settings).

I say, go for the 24", heh, that would be the bomb. @! Evo