_ Monitors for 3D applications

[cody]

Okay. Trying to learn computer technical terms are like trying to learn new language for me, may be someone here is able to help me out. I'm looking for a monitor for 3D applications, but I just don't know what to look for. What are some of the specifications of quality monitor? What the heck is Dot Pitch, and what is the recommended measurement? Finally, how is the MHz related to the screen resolution?

[nlawalker]

I'm no expert but I'll try to help.

Dot Pitch: the distance between pixels on a screen. You'll hear lots of numbers like .25, .27, .28, etc. The most important one, as far as I know, is "diagonal dot pitch." I've heard you want it lower than .30mm, some say lower than .28. I have a .28 DP diagonal monitor and it's perfectly crisp and fine. Most decent monitors you can buy on the market today (sony, samsung, viewsonic, etc) will have a good DP.

As for hertz (you said mhz, I'll assume you meant hz. If you DO mean mhz, as in the processor speed, it doesn't have anything to do with screen resolution, at least not directly), that's the refresh rate. A hertz is defined as "one cycle per second" of pretty much anything; in this case, it's the redraw rate of the monitor. Every monitor has approved refresh rates for each resolution that it supports, for example, I've got 85 hz at 1024x768, which is pretty common, as are 70 and 75. If your refresh is way too low, you start to see flicker, especially if you've got very sensitive eyes (or a really sharp optic nerve... lucky you). With today's monitors, I'd try to stay at above 60 hz, and depending on the size, probably 1024x768 resolution (pretty much standard, along with 800x600).

One other term that gets tossed around a lot is Trinitron. Trinitron is a technology by Sony that allows for clear, sharp images on a flat screen monitor (not flat panel, flat screen). It uses two barely visible stabilizer wires with magnetic charge right behind the screen. Typically very high quality, but some people complain about the visible wires. I don't even see them unless I look really hard =)

Generally, buying monitors by brand is a good idea. Viewsonic is excellent. I'd also recommend buying it in person: newegg.com and others have stellar deals, but you just can't see it in person.

Hope I answered more questions than I created

NW

[Cricket]

For 3D work, I hear Hitachi and Mitsubishi monitors are popular because of the quality of the image they provide.

You want the dot pitch as small as possible...like .22mm or even .20mm for finer imaging on screen. Most higher end monitors will have a dot pitch of less than .25mm and will be able to handle refresh rates well above 100Hz.

Cricket

[nlawalker]

Wow, I must be behind on the times.

[cody]

Thank you both. It's the answers I've been looking for.