Cheap Display

LunarMist

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The display for the H520s computer is dying. What do you recommend at around $200-250 for a 23-24 inch HD (1080) display that is readily available? High res is no good for the elderly, so please don't suggest that. The computer is about 3 years old with the integrated i5 video (HDMI) and will not be used for 3D or 4D. Thanks.
 

Stereodude

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Define readily available. Do you mean walk into Best Buy and pick it up, or easily ordered online?
 

CougTek

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What type of video outputs your H520s has? From pictures on a Google search, I guess there's a D-sub and an HDMI port.

A cheap LG IPS 23.6" monitor would probably do the job.

On a related note, I've recently installed a 27" FullHD monitor to a 60+ family member and that's one of the best gift I could give her.
 

LunarMist

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My parent have a 27" FHD 1920x1080 LCD. The big pixels work well for older people.

Thanks. Which of those 27' monitors are decently built and have the IPS? I can calibrate it just once.
I'm hoping to find a display that lasts longer than three years without being too expensive.
 

sedrosken

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It staggers me to think of $250 as "cheap" for a display. Certainly cheaper than higher end parts, but really cheap?

Puts that delectable 20" 1080p monitor for $150ish into perspective. Dad's got a 23" of the same brand (Asus, if you care) but I don't care for size at this time, I don't have much space as it is with the 17" Ultrasharp and the 19" SE198WFP that I'm wanting to replace. Going any lower than 20" means you have to settle for 1600x900 and I don't plan on doing that. I also don't particularly care about the type of display it is. IPS or TN I really can't tell much of a difference between in any area other than viewing angles. And I really only view my displays at one angle anyway.
 

LunarMist

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It staggers me to think of $250 as "cheap" for a display. Certainly cheaper than higher end parts, but really cheap?

Puts that delectable 20" 1080p monitor for $150ish into perspective. Dad's got a 23" of the same brand (Asus, if you care) but I don't care for size at this time, I don't have much space as it is with the 17" Ultrasharp and the 19" SE198WFP that I'm wanting to replace. Going any lower than 20" means you have to settle for 1600x900 and I don't plan on doing that. I also don't particularly care about the type of display it is. IPS or TN I really can't tell much of a difference between in any area other than viewing angles. And I really only view my displays at one angle anyway.

I think of a normal display as a $2-3K Eizo. I'm still trying to decide on a replacement for my aging 24" 1920x1200 CG245W. It's past the 5 year warranty and the right side is flaky for about 20 minutes, but still works. If the pixels are too small it will be nearly impossible to read the toolbar titles and palettes, etc. in many programs. :(
 

CougTek

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Something like this LG 27" monitor in big sale due to the cyber Monday would probably be ok. It's main drawback is that the blacks are dark grey. Otherwise, it's ok. And only 150$ for another few hours.
 

LunarMist

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Something like this LG 27" monitor in big sale due to the cyber Monday would probably be ok. It's main drawback is that the blacks are dark grey. Otherwise, it's ok. And only 150$ for another few hours.

There is probably a reason it is on sale. ;) I thought that monitors with the IPS should have a least a decent contrast. :(
 

CougTek

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You do realize that the colors and contrast ratio of all monitors in that price range will look like garbage compared to the 2K$ Eizo Nanao monitors you're used to, right? You also realize that an elder with a bad eyesight won't really notice those issues?
 

LunarMist

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You do realize that the colors and contrast ratio of all monitors in that price range will look like garbage compared to the 2K$ Eizo Nanao monitors you're used to, right? You also realize that an elder with a bad eyesight won't really notice those issues?

The wild part is that after the cataract surgery the vision was incredibly good, probably better than mine. Apparently some colors are exaggerated with excessive blue-violet though.
 

CougTek

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Dell describes the screen as glossy, with anti-glare. Now that's special.

Otherwise, in my experience, Dell monitors offer above-average picture quality, but below-average lifespan. Your mileage may vary.

I've never seen this particular model before.
 

Stereodude

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Thanks. Which of those 27' monitors are decently built and have the IPS? I can calibrate it just once.
I'm hoping to find a display that lasts longer than three years without being too expensive.
I bought this one for my parents. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009588&Tpk=24-009-588

It was $170 with free shipping at the time. It's not IPS, it's a VA panel with 3000:1 native contrast. It's got a wider viewing angle than a TN panel, but it's not IPS wide. I intentionally wanted the better contrast and gave up some viewing angle for it.

How long it will last, I'm not sure.
 

Mercutio

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Otherwise, in my experience, Dell monitors offer above-average picture quality, but below-average lifespan. Your mileage may vary.

Speaking to that, my 24, 27 and 30" Ultrasharp displays all failed at least once in their warranty period and the 24" and 27" both failed after the warranty ended as well. I could NOT find service manuals for anything. I can swap the TCon board on a TV just fine and I figured the monitors wouldn't be that different but on the 24" screen I wound up needing to get a full time electronics guy to help me out. For anything less than what I paid for those screens, there's no way I would've bothered.

Of course now I can go buy pretty damned good 24" Asus IPS displays any day of the week for $150, but that definitely wasn't true five years ago.
 

mubs

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This may be a more recent phenomenon with Dell. I bought my first Dell monitor in 2006 locally direct through Dell and used it till ~ 2009 when it became a hand-me-down for my daughter (her CRT developed problems). At that time I bought a Dell 2209WA for myself. It's been used about 14 hours every weekend; about 2 hours every weekday till March 2012 and thereafter about 12 hours every single day. Still fine, no breakdowns. The first one is stored away in its box.
 

ddrueding

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I'm running about 30x 24" Ultrasharps, 2x 27", 2x 30", and 1x 32". Average age 3 years. No failures yet, but the 32" 4k isn't behaving as it should.
 

sedrosken

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Dell describes the screen as glossy, with anti-glare. Now that's special.

Otherwise, in my experience, Dell monitors offer above-average picture quality, but below-average lifespan. Your mileage may vary.

I've never seen this particular model before.

Apparently your mileage DOES vary. I must have extremely good luck with monitors because my two Dells are going on seven years old each and they're going strong. I've never had them open and personally have not been very comfortable with the idea. If something goes wrong though and its an easy fix there is no reason why I wouldn't go in them if I had to, now. The only reason I want to replace the SE198WFP is because it has some scratching that can make it hard to read (my fault, we were moving and I wasn't as careful with it as I ought to have been) and I want something with a higher resolution. Not for the better picture necessarily, moreso for the ability to read smaller text clearly and thus fit more on the screen before I can't read it.

I also have a couple even older 1024x768 panels (not Dell though, HP and AOC respectively) that, again, still work fantastically after at least ten years of service. The picture is a bit washed out (as LCD monitors were back then) though. None of these monitors cost more than $200 new, except perhaps the Ultrasharp, and I didn't get the Ultrasharp new. Well, maybe the old 1024x768 panels did. Machines were still sold with CRTs back then after all.
 

LunarMist

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Apparently your mileage DOES vary. I must have extremely good luck with monitors because my two Dells are going on seven years old each and they're going strong. I've never had them open and personally have not been very comfortable with the idea. If something goes wrong though and its an easy fix there is no reason why I wouldn't go in them if I had to, now. The only reason I want to replace the SE198WFP is because it has some scratching that can make it hard to read (my fault, we were moving and I wasn't as careful with it as I ought to have been) and I want something with a higher resolution. Not for the better picture necessarily, moreso for the ability to read smaller text clearly and thus fit more on the screen before I can't read it.

I also have a couple even older 1024x768 panels (not Dell though, HP and AOC respectively) that, again, still work fantastically after at least ten years of service. The picture is a bit washed out (as LCD monitors were back then) though. None of these monitors cost more than $200 new, except perhaps the Ultrasharp, and I didn't get the Ultrasharp new. Well, maybe the old 1024x768 panels did. Machines were still sold with CRTs back then after all.

The longevity of monitors manufactured many years ago has limited relevance today.
 

blakerwry

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At work we've bought 100+ dell LCD displays over the course of the last ~10 years. I believe we've had 1 fail within the (3 yr) warranty. Most make it 5+ years. After 7 years they seem to start giving up the ghost in various ways. I would personally recommend a Dell display over most other brands because I trust that it will generally be a decent product at a decent price with a warranty. One (or more) of those three criteria may be missing in a generic brand.
 
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