LCD Monitor Choices ... New Buyer Open For Suggestions

[tombstone]

Hello All!!

I have a good amount of Staples Rewards Points that I'm planning on cashing in on an LCD Monitor. I have zero knowledge of these monitors and was looking for suggestions on the models that Staples carries. I do not play games on this PC. It's used primarily for web/graphic design and general PC tasks - possiblly some video work at some point in time. My video card does have a dvi output.

The models they carry can be found here.

http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=10979&catalogId=10051&firstlevelCategoryId=10087&secondlevelCatName=LCD+%28Flat+Panel%29+Monitors&prodCatType=1&langId=-1&pCategoryId=11938&secondlevelCategoryId=11938&storeId=10001&firstlevelCatName=Monitors+%26+Digital+Projectors

Thanks in advance for all suggestions!

tombstone

[YukonMaster]

Hi,

What size of a moniter are you looking for? Do you prefer wide screen (16:9) or Normal (4:3) aspect ratio? As far as staples I used to work there and I have found that the Samsung and HP moniters are the best sellers and we rarely got them back due to hardware failures.
**EDIT** Viewsonic's moniters are also very good IMO.

YukonMaster

[tombstone]

I was looking towards a 19" widescreen as I often need to have two documents open at the same time.

Thanks for the suggestion!

[tigstah]

i just bought a 22in viewsonic. upgraded from a 9yo 17in crt.
i love it. and its a widescreen too. now when i work with photoshop, i have more real estate to work in. no dead pixels.

[YukonMaster]

I would Suggest the Hewlett Packard Pavilion w22 LCD Monitor, 22", it is decently priced at 431.28$ USD, It allows you to have two documents open side by side and is a beautiful screen, HP has an awesome warrenty, I own the HP f2304 HD flat panel display and I accidentally scratched the screen and I called HP they said they would fix it for free. Mind you that was withing the 1 year Warrenty but, for 30.00 you get a 3 year extended warrenty and anything that happens to it, its covered.

Also if that is to much or too big there is the Samsung 940BW LCD Monitor, 19" Wide, 204.47$ at staples and is very good quality.

YukonMaster

[bd1886]

Checked out your link and seen some decent deals! (Boy the prices are getting good at retail)
I personally have both Samsung and Viewsonic. One is widescreen and the other standard. Will never go back to standard after getting used to the widescreen. Noticed a 20 inch there on ad. That extra inch does make a huge difference in the height of the screen. I enjoy my 19 ws (and won't upgrade) but as a new purchase I'd definitely cough up the few more dollars for the 20.

[YukonMaster]

Absolutely, I love wide screen, people ask me how I can play games with it being so stretched but, you get so used to it you don't notice and when I look at standard monitors I think they look squished. I do enjoy being able to fit more on a screen horizontally it make a big difference.

[tombstone]

What are some good specs to look for in general?

[bd1886]

Resolution of 700:1 or above(although 500 isn't bad). Response time below 12ms unless heavy gaming is going to be done(Then go with a lower response time). These two specs are probably the average found now and do the job well for most needs. The one other spec that could be important to you is digital input vs.analog. Many have both options. In my needs the difference is barely perceptible (although I do go ahead and run with digital). Check out Newegg's reviews to learn other opinions too!

[Alaron]

I think bd means contrast ratio instead of resolution. Resolution is set by the size of the LCD, 19" wides will be 1440x900.

You should also take a look at brightness. A 300 nits panel is noticably brighter then a 250. It is a personal preference but I would lean towards a higher brightness.

[bd1886]

Thanks for the correction,Alaron! Yeah..."what he said!"

[lipper]

I am pleased with my SAMSUNG 941BW widescreen, but I would like to mention that pictures sometimes look distorted, if you use the monitor for working with images it might be better to use a regular lcd monitor.

[XJBluto]

I just bought a Viewsonic 2035 Widescreen 20" widescreen. I love this (deleted). Awesome pic and refreshes fast. 5ns and 800:1 contrast. Crisp and clear. two thumbs up. Bought:) for 250 bucks at Office Max.

[glc]

Please watch the language here, Bluto. Thanks.

[nightsky]

I am pleased with my SAMSUNG 941BW widescreen, but I would like to mention that pictures sometimes look distorted, if you use the monitor for working with images it might be better to use a regular lcd monitor.
With prices so low I am inclined to upgrade from Samsung SyncMaster753df 15" to larger flatscreen. Love the look of that widescreen but am concerned about distortion effect on photo editing?

[glc]

Nightsky - now that you have started your own thread, let's keep all discussion pertaining to your specific needs in there. Thanks.