Big monitor debate!! LCD VS CRT!! come on in C64!!

bobert50

bobert50

bobert50

Soldato
Joined
1 Mar 2007
Posts
4,430
Right then!! I've been reading C64's posts especially lately and i must say i do see where hes coming from and a lot of what hes saying is true. I change monitors more often than..well you get the idea! i've tried most now and currently I try to have the best of both worlds which is a big 21" CRT capable of 800x600 @ 150hz for first person shooters and a dell 2407wfp which to me..is clearly as good at or in most cases better than the CRT at.

The way i see it currently is, i do truely find lcd's just NASTY for first person shooters, the 226bw is a good effort but compared to a CRT theres still a hell of a difference i guess.

I can't explain what it is, its not ghosting..it may or may not be input lag but its just when playing a game on a CRT set to high hz (unfortunately @ lower resolution naturally) it feels unbelievably smooth compared to LCD. I just feel i can't track properly and be very good at a game on an lcd :p and every time i miss i'm thinking "oh i'd of so had you on a CRT!!!" :D

Recently i felt that i was getting used to LCD's but it was only when i get back to a CRT and had a crack on a few games like the quakes / warsow etc that i realised just how much better CRT was for these type of games.

The reason i have an lcd too? I simply feel they are better for every other thing. Easier on the eyes, Bigger, brighter, far more vibrant colours , widescreen, perfectly responsive enough for all other games....the list could really go on.

So maybe unless your a hardcore first person shooter gamer, the time genuinely has come to move on? I think if money is no issue then possibly so.
 
What I dislike about lcds is their sharpness, games end up looking jagged on them compared to a crt at the same resolution. I also couldn't stand having a fixed resolution.
 
I have read a couple of these LCD v CRT discussions and have found them quite interesting. I have started doing a lot of photo editing and too have seen that LCDs are not neccesarily the best option for this either . I currently have a really nice 19" Viewsonic CRT that does everything I need in accuracy and no fading when not viewed centre on etc. I actually bought this after using an LCD as I just couldn't get it set correctly for viewing.

I want a second monitor and have found it difficult to get an acceptable (to me anyway) screen without spending huge money on the likes of Eizo etc.
My only other option is a second hand CRT off that well known auction site but of course I cannot guarantee exactly how much use they have had.

Come on manufacturers - there seems to be a call even now for good CRTs!

Andrew
 
I'd go for any flat screen that allows you to change resolution, CRT or not. That's a huge downside to LCD screens.

I agree with the CRT camp in some respects, but I feel it's very important to remember that they loose they're quality/sharpness/contrast after a couple of years use, much like any CRT TV. They're hard on the eyes too. Take my word for it, they'll damage your eyesight.

My old Mitsubishi Diamond Pro was a beauty, but it's lost it's sheen. I haven't got a great LCD, just a Samsung 913n 19", but the picture is a lot cleaner than the CRT's.

It's early days yet for flat panels, give it time and new technology will sort out the problems.

Edit: Just a bump on C64's comments. If you replace a half decent CRT with an LCD, don't throw out the CRT, they have their uses!
 
Last edited:
My thoughts on this are:

* For the 'average' user LCD's offer 'similar' performance to CRT, but with the added benefit of taking up less space.

* For the majority of people this makes LCD's a more popular choice than CRT.

* The people who will notice any (negative) difference (FPS gamers and other niche markets) fall into a very small minority.

* As CRT's become less popular, it becomes more and more expensive for anyone to manufacture them (mass production is usually much cheaper per unit) and so there is probably more money to be made for companies by selling LCD's than CRT's. Also, I would imagine the components needed to make an LCD are possibly cheaper than for a CRT and so offer better profits for manufacturers. But this is just my gut instinct, I don't actually know how the manufacturing costs compare.

* CRT's (as we know them) are not going to be making a come back. History tells us the Plasma/LCD will be improved over time and that it will eventually be replaced by something else. That something may include some of the positive features that CRT offered, but IMO there is no way we will see a move back to 'traditional' CRT. Projecting a beam of electrons from a point source onto a large/flat display is quite a 'bulky' process, and will need a major overhaul to compete with the size benefits of LCD.
 
Last edited:
Have to say I was a little shocked recently when I saw Bioshock running on my brothers CRT. Although the framerate was virtually the same as on my PC (I have a Dell 2007WFP), the motion in the game looked just miles smoother on a CRT. I also noticed the contrast was much higher and, no surprises here, the black depth was way better too and he could see detail in areas that were total black on my screen (even with the brightness adjusted as per instructions). Also the softness of the CRT screen made the game look less pixelated. And finally the colours were more convincing and more vibrant.

So in that gaming example the CRT won comfortably. Really wishing I hadn't sold my CRT now.

I'm also noticing a bit of lag when playing rFactor (1979 mod) on my LCD which reduces the time you have to catch slides and therefore makes the game harder.
 
I run dual screens - 19" LCD and 21" CRT

I use the LCD for browsing and such (it looks a little sharper using DVI)

I use the CRT for gaming (1280 x 1024 @ 120Hz is sooo smooth)

When 120Hz LCD's come along, it should be interesting. :cool:
 
C64, I don't know why you think you are a power on all things monitor related - you are not. CRTs will not be back. TFTs are not a stop-gap. SED may well be upon us by then but there will be no return of the Cathode Ray Tube.

You post large posts which all seem to detail your limited experience with LCD screens (well, one model in particular) and how your CRT is better.

If you want to be treated like the monitor god then you need to learn more about them and use more than just a few LCDs. Baddass is the monitor god, and we all know it.
 
C64 said:
Wtf are you talking about did i say i was a monitor expert ?
Click to expand...
Lets be honest, your posts have that manner about them.
and for your information flat crt's are on the way
Click to expand...
Lies. There is no such thing as a flat cathode ray tube, SED screens maybe, flat CRT, no.
as for everything else you have just spouted i don't really care
Click to expand...
That's useful to know
I am talking about my limited experience,
Click to expand...
Notice the addition
nowhere have i stated i am speaking for crt owners or anything else
Click to expand...
See my first point
The thought that you somehow think i am trying to come across as some SAGE of the monitor world does amuse me though.
Click to expand...
It amuses me too.
I do not wish to be admired or respected by you
Click to expand...
I'm fairly certain that you never will be :)
or anyone else on these forums thank you especially someone as rude and confrontational as you.
Click to expand...
:(
None of us are experts on these these forums we are all just end users giving our opinions.
Click to expand...

The thing is, there are a few experts on these forums. I've already named one, WJA96 is another that comes to mind.
 
well my eyes dont ache anymore just because i decided to read a few forums.....that reason alone puts the crt so far behind my 226bw that i wouldnt consider a crt even if it had a sharper picture/more vivid colours/larger screen than the tft.

i know some ppl may have had a bad experience with a certain samsung panel and thats unfortunate....but not all tft's are created equal even if you pay the same price.
 
apologies markyp23 i was wrong i thought they were going to introduce these flatter crt's i even saw it on the gadget show that they were around 2010 i guess they aren't now then.:(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom