I’m not happy with the way my LCD displays pictures
What is it? Have you calibrated it?
There are flat screen monitors available nowadays that will out-perform CRTs.
Hey John,
When viewing photos they appear to have a bit of noise in them. Also, depending on your eye level to the screen the colors seem to be a bit stronger or weaker (washed out). The LCD is a 21" Acer displaying at 1480×900 (I think, not at the desktop at the moment).
Is that the native resolution of the monitor? If not, then set to whatever it should be.
Bob
Yes, that is the native resolution.
TN panel?
They should be avoided for all image making purposes. However, they’re good for word processing though.
Chris,
Until you cited TN panels as inadequate and I then Googled them, I had not realized the extent of their deficiencies for color work. I find it shocking that they use only 6 bits and only simulate 8-bit quality. Yet, I am editing my images with a TN panel and Costco is printing them with astounding quality, considering the sickly tone-depth of my monitor.
Terry,
Check out:
<
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=31&th readid=1745344&enterthread=y>
S-IPS (and I think also S-PVA) monitors are said to be the best for photo work. LaCIE, NEC, EIZO, APPLE and others sell monitors (usually thir higher end) that use these better technologies. Many folks complain of LCD monitors being too bright. Usually the ones preferred for photo work are not as bright as those intended for watching movies and/or playing video games.
I’m still using a Mitsubishi DP2040u and hope that LCD technology advances a bit more before I’m forced to switch. I have yet to find an LCD monitor (at any price) that I prefer to a high-end CRT for colour critical work.
Russell
Dell Ultrasharp is arguably the best flat panel on earth. Unless you include the Wacom Cintiq, but there’s $2,000 price difference.
Dell Ultrasharp is arguably the best flat panel on earth.
I’m a very big fan but I don’t think I’d go that far. They’re most certainly the best value.
Bob
Ditto on Ultrasharp, have three.
I do not think that it is possible to go CRT anymore, it’s been years that tube screens have not been manufactured.
I love my Eizo!
And my Dell.
Terry…
If you exercise patience and perseverance, you can find great CRTs with lots of usable life remaining on ebay and CraigsList. Just bide your time, and when you find a seller, try to get as much straight info from them as you can about how much the monitor was used, what kind of environment, etc.
They’re out there, and they can be had for a reasonable price. The real killer is shipping changes. Look for a seller within driving distance first.
I’m a very big fan but I don’t think I’d go that far.
Well, that’s why I said arguably. They are the best basic LCD I’ve had, but I also couldn’t calibrate 2 of them identically which drove me nuts.
If you so shop for a crt, get one that allow adjustments to each RGB gun, then open the control panel, set the guns to their optimum value at rated brightness, then examine how much of each gun is being used, expressed as a percentage. if you have 70% or less of each gun being used, you have pretty good life. My Mitsubishi is using 90% of the red gun to match the lower percentages of the others. If course, if you don’t mind less brightness, you can extend the life, but eventually non-linearity will set in and your crt is toast.
So, I am thinking maybe one more year. there is a way to "flash" the cathodes of the electron gun but….
