Looking for help in selecting a monitor and vidio card.

HC
Posted By
Hurley_Campbell
Jan 27, 2004
Views
154
Replies
5
Status
Closed
I have a P4 2.4 gig processor w/I gig RAm, Ge Force4 ti 4200 (64 meg) video card, and a Samsung SyncMaster 192N LCD monitor. I understand that the video card is great for gaming (3D) but might not be very good in 2D mode for work in PE2. I have also been told that a LCD monitor is not the best selection for image editing (wish I had been told before asking Santa for one). While I will not be using PS2 as a profession, I do intend to use it a lot and want to do good work. Your suggestions for a good video and a reasonable priced CRT with good adjustments for color management for use will be appreciated. Some of the Sony CRT’s are in the $1700.00 range. Is this necessary?

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G
garyheaton
Jan 28, 2004
IMHO your video card is just fine. Unless you make a living with digital photos, or scans, I see no reason to change it. (And many pros use this same video card as well.) It will render an image as good as any other card in that price range..and as good as many that cost much more in fact.
The LCD monitors I have seen do have some short comings when it comes to reproducing proper colors and contrasts however. Again, that is just MHO. But I know many that agree with it as well. As for spending $1700 for a monitor, I truly do not see the point to it. Samsung and Sony both makes some fine CRT monitors in the $800 or below range that produce outstanding picture quality. and a CRT is really your best bet for the most accurate and adjustable color correction.
Most people are mainly concerned with the colors they see matching up to what they print out, this can be adjusted in many different ways. Others worry that what THEY see on THEIR video monitors are not what OTHERS will see on their web site, when viewed on a different monitor. (If they post their photos on a web site that is.) This is best compensated for by the use of one of the many commercial color correction software products, that adjust all the monitors that use it, to see the same colors. One such software is called Colorific ©, which was at one time packaged with many Samsung monitors. (It was, and maybe still is, sold on line from their own web site. They used to have some pretty good samples of what I am talking about posted there as well.) But the key to this is that the people looking at your web photos would need to calibrate their monitors with the same software that you use to calibrate yours.
I am sure if you choose a good quality CRT monitor, such as one made by Samsung, or Sony, and many others I am sure. One with a small dot pitch, (The smaller the better) and a fast refresh rate, that you will be more than happy with the image quality you get with both it, and your video card. I know I am anyway.
Good luck to you.
HC
Hurley_Campbell
Jan 28, 2004
Thank you for taking the time to answer my post. Your advise is greatly appreciated.
JH
Jim_Hess
Jan 28, 2004
I don’t know, maybe my eyes are just getting too old, but I enjoy working with my LCD monitor. A lot of people have indicated that they are not well-suited for editing photographs. And, they have said that the Adobe Gamma utility should not be used to set up LCD monitors. Well, I guess I have broken both rules, and I’m very satisfied with my results.

I didn’t turn the contrast all the way up as instructed in the Gamma set up, but I adjusted everything else until it looked good to me. Then I opened Elements and printed a photograph that I knew would print the way I wanted it to. The print didn’t match my monitor exactly, so I left Elements open with the photograph loaded, and I ran Adobe Gamma again and adjusted things until the monitor matched the print to my satisfaction. I have been satisfied with the results now for several months.
CS
Chuck_Snyder
Jan 29, 2004
Gary, thanks so very much for your detailed and cogent reply. I’ve saved this one in both my Tips files: online and printed. This should be a help to lots of forum participants!

🙂

Chuck
G
garyheaton
Jan 29, 2004
Glad I could be of some help.
BTW..I am not knocking LCD monitors Jim, I am simply stating what is considered to be common knowledge in the pro level of digital imaging, and what I have found to be the case in my own personal experience.
I know many that are happy with their LCD monitors, and many that are not, and have returned to their CRT screens. Like anything else, it is simply a matter of what YOU prefer.<smile> Many find the LCDs easier on the eyes than the CRTs, especially after staring at them for 8 to 12 hours a day.
I would suggest however to Hurley, that if after using your new LCD for a while, if you find you like it, and it does what you need your monitor to do. Then I see no point in replacing it.<smile>

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