Need monitor recommendation

[Fushigi]

I'm looking for a decent 19"ish (well, 19+) monitor at a reasonable price. Specs have to include 1600x1200 at 80+Hz. I'm fairly open to considering pretty much any brand. Ideally it should be <US$400 but I will go over for the right unit.

Any suggestions?

Merc, I looked at Comdisco but they are now saying you need a $2K minimum purchase.

Thanks,

- Fushigi

 

[Tea]

A little dear, but the higher-end Mitsubishis are always superb. Well, not dear realy: for what they are, they are excellent value.

 

[Mercutio]

Yeah, bankruptcy does that sort of thing. I've only been there once in the last three months, myself.

I know a couple of other monitor resellers. I'll see what they've got.

 

[Handruin]

Check out iiyama. I've seen them sold at CDW

Their vision master series uses the mitsubishi diamondtron tubes. I have the VM pro 450 19" and love it. It does 85 Hz @ 1600x1200. I run it daily at 1280x1024 @ 100 Hz.

 

[Fushigi]

Thanks guys. Any more suggestions while I look these up?

- Fushigi

 

[Handruin]

Thanks guys. Any more suggestions while I look these up?

- Fushigi

Vision Master pro 454 (latest model)
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.asp?EDC=339040

$399 + S&H (only looked at once place... might be able to find a better price elsewhere.)

Max Resolution :1920 x 1440 @85 Hz
Max Refresh rate :1600 x 1200 @90 Hz

Model Number: HM903DT
19" Diamondtron M2-CRT(TM)
( High Brightness TrueFlat CRT)
0.25mm AG pitch
New Desgin
1w x 2 speakers & USB equipped
PC and MAC compatible
2 x D-Sub input switchable
sRGB International Standard Compliant
TCO '99


CRT


19" Diamondtron M2-CRT(TM) TrueFlat CRT
Aperture Grille Pitch :0.25mm,0.27mm(corner)
Anti-static, Anti-reflection coating
P22 Med-Short phosphor
Viewable Area: 18"

OPTIMUM PICTURE FOR THE OPQ(=Optimize Picture Quality) FUNCTION


Text mode Word processor and spreadsheet

Picture mode Still picture

Movie mode Moving picture (DVD / TV)



VIDEO


Bandwidth:345MHz
Horizontal Frequency: 30-130KHz
Vertical Frequency: 50-160Hz
Signal Input: D-SUB mini 15pin
( 5 BNC - D-sub cable available for your BNC output system as option)

POWER


Input voltage: AC90-240V 50/60Hz
Consumption: MAX 138w (Normal),10w(Stand by),3w(Off mode)
Energy Saving: EPA/VESA DPMS
REGULATION


TCO'99/FCC-B,UL/C-UL
RESOLUTION


Max Resolution :1920 x 1440 @85 Hz
Max Refresh rate :1600 x 1200 @90 Hz
OTHER


VESA DDC 2B(TM)

Speakers: 1W x 2 with amplifier


USB connector: REV.1.1 compatible(self-powered hub)Upstream: seriesB Downstream:series A1Upstream(PCside) 4Downstream(Peripheral side)

sRGB International Standard Compliant

DIMENSION


W17.7" x H17.6" x D17.6"
WEIGHT


52.8 Lbs (inc. Stand)
WARRANTY


3 YearsParts and labor

 

[Tea]

Based on vast experience totaling one unit, I'd avoid low-end NEC monitors. Yes, they are owned by Mitsubishi, and their high-end ones are well regarded, but that single example I sold was grainy at lower resolutions and has failed twice in two months. At higher resolutions, though, it stands up remarkably well. Actually, that's probably a pretty good general rule: the low-end monitors of the big-name makers are often poor. Low-end Phillips units are appalling! If you are going cheap, look for a "good ordinary" maker, such as Delta or Lite-On, who specialise in high-volume production of decent, everyday product.

Up the scale a little, I keep hearing nice things about Illyama but have never seen their products here in Oz (maybe sold under a different name?), but for mine, a Mitsubishi DP92 is just the best thing around. These are out of production now, and I am hoping that the new, slightly cheaper DP93 will be just as good as the DP92 and the immortal 19NF before that.

 

[Prof.Wizard]

A little dear, but the higher-end Mitsubishis are always superb..

NEC/Mitsubishi are the best monitors after EIZO which are unreasonably expensive...

 

[Fushigi]

Well, I'd love this ViewSonic LCD unit: http://www.viewsonic.com/products/lcd_vp2290b.htm but it's a bit out of my price range.

Doug, the Vision Master Pro 454 was one I selected when I checked the iiyama web site. Very nice for a 19"er.

The other current contender is the ViewSonic P95f+ ( http://www.viewsonic.com/products/crt_p95fplus.htm ).

If the budget were higher, the iiyama Vision Master Pro 512 would be my choice: 22", 2048x1536 @ 85Hz. It's about $700.

I've always had mixed opinions of NEC monitors. They seemed to have decent quality (business models) but lousy specs like supported resolutions. I tend to favor the Mitsu brand name -- I drive a Mitsu Galant -- but again, their higher-end monitors will likely exceed my budget this time around.

CDW, while not the cheapest, would work for me. They're about 35 miles away so I can do a pickup & save the delivery expense, which is high for a monitor. Downside: Sales tax.

- Fushigi

 

[Handruin]

Well, I'd love this ViewSonic LCD unit: http://www.viewsonic.com/products/lcd_vp2290b.htm but it's a bit out of my price range.

Doug, the Vision Master Pro 454 was one I selected when I checked the iiyama web site. Very nice for a 19"er.

The other current contender is the ViewSonic P95f+ ( http://www.viewsonic.com/products/crt_p95fplus.htm ).

If the budget were higher, the iiyama Vision Master Pro 512 would be my choice: 22", 2048x1536 @ 85Hz. It's about $700.

I've always had mixed opinions of NEC monitors. They seemed to have decent quality (business models) but lousy specs like supported resolutions. I tend to favor the Mitsu brand name -- I drive a Mitsu Galant -- but again, their higher-end monitors will likely exceed my budget this time around.

CDW, while not the cheapest, would work for me. They're about 35 miles away so I can do a pickup & save the delivery expense, which is high for a monitor. Downside: Sales tax.

- Fushigi

It's a tough call to buy a monitor you haven't seen. I did it with this iiyama and lucked out big time. When I need to buy a new monitor, I will either get the VM 454 as I suggested, or spring for the VM Pro 512 as you also mentioned!

My experience has only been with one iiyama. I know others have the same monitor as me and I've never heard anyone say anything bad.

The good thing for you is that you can pick the monitor up. Now I know you get stung with tax, but for the sake of UPS or FedEx not destroying it (which happened to another iiyama monitor I ordered for a friend) I'd say it's worth it. Unless you can find a monitor you want, at a cheaper price, picking up the unit would be my first choice.

This way you can inspect it during delivery for signs of damage. The monitor I got from FedEx actually had the plastic casing around the tube cracked all the way through. Someone clearly dropped it...

 

[Buck]

The Samsung 957p is nice.

 

[Fushigi]

It's a tough call to buy a monitor you haven't seen. I did it with this iiyama and lucked out big time. When I need to buy a new monitor, I will either get the VM 454 as I suggested, or spring for the VM Pro 512 as you also mentioned!

My experience has only been with one iiyama. I know others have the same monitor as me and I've never heard anyone say anything bad.

The good thing for you is that you can pick the monitor up. Now I know you get stung with tax, but for the sake of UPS or FedEx not destroying it (which happened to another iiyama monitor I ordered for a friend) I'd say it's worth it. Unless you can find a monitor you want, at a cheaper price, picking up the unit would be my first choice.

This way you can inspect it during delivery for signs of damage. The monitor I got from FedEx actually had the plastic casing around the tube cracked all the way through. Someone clearly dropped it...

The general word on iiyama does seem to be favorable and the specs are just what I was looking for. I would prefer to see it in person first, but then again most store demos run at something like 800x600, maybe 1024x768, so they don't exactly push the monitor the way I do. I drive monitors at the highest resolution I can get away with.

Considering shipping on monitors is usually $35-60, paying tax is actually cheaper. And I certainly don't trust delivery services, especially with anything fragile. I've seen monitors shipped and obviously dropped before .. it ain't pretty.

Buck - The 957p does sound nice, but if I ever wanted to try the highest resolution, 1920x1440, it maxes at 64Hz. The iiyama 454 can do the same res @ 85Hz. I haven't checked the price difference, but I'll keep the Samsung on my short list.

Once again, thanks everyone. So far the iiyama 454 is in the lead. I'll make a final decision after this weekend when I've properly diagnosed my mother-in-law's failing monitor (she gets this 15"er I've been limping along with; I get the new one).

- Fushigi

 

[Handruin]

There is a Samsung Syncmaster 950b 19" CRT $145 on bensbargains.net from Dell home:

http://www.bensbargains.net/ktalk/1033496676,34177,.shtml

Sounds like it isn't the best monitor in the world from the comments, but maybe it isn't so bad? It's not the same model that Buck mentioned, but it seemed close so I figured I'd mention it.

Here are the epinion reviews:
http://www.epinions.com/content_66732920452

Maximum resolution in Multi-scan is 1600 x 1200 at 68 Hz with a dot pitch of .26mm. Scanning Horizontal frequencies are 30-85 KHz and Vertical frequencies are 50-160 Hz with a a bandwidth of 185 MHz.

I would hate to see you have a bad experience with an iiyama if you decided to go with it. It has been roughly 3 years since I've had mine and I don't know if they've changed since then.

I think toms hardware had a comparision recently, lemme see if I can dig it up.

Ah ha! found it:

http://www4.tomshardware.com/display/02q1/020319/index.html

And a quick quote:

But three of them stand out. The Iiayama Vision Master Pro 454 turned out to be a really pleasant surprise, with outstanding image quality and stability. We are accustomed to this manufacturer providing an attractive quality/ price ratio, but sometimes to the detriment of quality. With the Vision Master Pro 454, they have combined a cost advantage with an intelligent adaptation of the Diamontron High Brightness tube. Right along side it is the ViewSonic P95f, at the same price and with the same outstanding image quality and stability. The third member of this group is the highly efficient Eizo T675, which has very few failings and stands out by the ergonomics of its settings, even though its high price is a bit sinful.

Then there are the other monitors in the test. All are satisfactory and distinguished by their own special features. The Sony A420, for instance, could easily take the place of a television in a living room. The performance of the FP955 speaks for itself, it's just a shame it is somewhat costlier than the others. And Samsung's SyncMaster 957DF is the champion money-saver at the lowest price in the test. Its quality is perfectly adequate and it could be a good choice for those who don't want to put too much strain on their wallet.


Comparison: Twelve 19" CRT Monitors


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Created:
March 19, 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By:
Philippe Ramelet

 

[Fushigi]

There is a Samsung Syncmaster 950b 19" CRT $145 on bensbargains.net from Dell home:

...

Maximum resolution in Multi-scan is 1600 x 1200 at 68 Hz with a dot pitch of .26mm. Scanning Horizontal frequencies are 30-85 KHz and Vertical frequencies are 50-160 Hz with a a bandwidth of 185 MHz.

My last good monitor did 1600x1200 @ 75Hz and I could just detect the flicker. 68Hz I don't think I could tolerate.

I would hate to see you have a bad experience with an iiyama if you decided to go with it. It has been roughly 3 years since I've had mine and I don't know if they've changed since then.

I think toms hardware had a comparision recently, lemme see if I can dig it up.

Thanks! I appreciate your poking around for me.

Ah ha! found it:

http://www4.tomshardware.com/display/02q1/020319/index.html

Hmm. Well, I have to say I don't put much stock in THG reviews .. I rarely even visit the site anymore. But it's nice to see a favorable review. Cnet doesn't have any iiyamas listed at all. PCWorld gives it only 3 stars: http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,86943,pg,14,00.asp although part of their dinging it was for the built-in speakers, which I wouldn't use. Another site in the UK ranked a CTX over it, but the CTX doesn't do the higher res & the CTX I had a few years ago didn't last as long as it should have (weak power supply) so I don't put much faith in the brand.

- Fushigi

 

[Pradeep]

UXGA on a 19" CRT monitor is going to look like crap no matter what it is. 1280*960 is prob optimum resolution.

 

[Fushigi]

UXGA on a 19" CRT monitor is going to look like crap no matter what it is. 1280*960 is prob optimum resolution.

I currently do 1600x1200 on my laptop's 15" LCD. Having the same res on an 18" (viewable) CRT should be a decent improvement. It's also not too big of a step down from the 21" (19.? viewable) GDM-500PS I used to have.

If it proves to be an issue, I'll do what I've been doing for years .. wait for a relative to need a monitor, do a hand-me-down, and get me a new one. By then I should be back to having the cash for a 21"+ unit.

Thanks,

- Fushigi

 

[Pradeep]

Yes I have UXGA on a 15" laptop LCD too. Looks great. The point being that an LCD has a fixed native resolution, and a number of pixels to match. Whereas a CRT tube does not have discrete pixels, when you run it at a higher resolution than it is physically capable of displaying you are going to degrade picture quality.

 

[Fushigi]

Oh, the temptation!

Dell's running 15% off + free shipping. Which would bring it to about $600US delivered.

- Fushigi