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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: lorddef on January 27, 2003, 09:51:23 PM
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Uh, My monitor blew up last year and since then I've been using an old one that only does 60Hz refresh in 1024x786. My eyes feel screwed at the end of each day, and I have decided to spend the little money I have on a decent monitor seeing as I spend around 7 hours a day at my PC for my degree. Any advice on decent but cheep monitors would go down a treat.
How good are LCD monitors? I'm a bit of a jackass so my main reason not to go for one is that I expect them to be quite delicate, I mean if I nocked it over when I'm pissed I'll surly break it, wouldn't I?
Anybody know of any good deals on CRT monitors in the UK, that do at least 70Hz in a good resoloution?
My eyes ache and my brain feels funny.
def
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Hi,
You don`t say wether you have an Amiga or a PC (or a MAC for that matter).
You also don`t state whether you wish to puchase via the internet or high street shop.
You might like to try these UK based internet shops, They have a good reputation and may have what you want.
EBuyer (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/home/index.html?PX_Session=81f4a547ef37fc7dd23bd8ce4b2cc7c4)
Aria (http://www.aria.co.uk/)
Hope this helps.
Trooper
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How good are LCD monitors? I'm a bit of a jackass so my main reason not to go for one is that I expect them to be quite delicate, I mean if I nocked it over when I'm pissed I'll surly break it, wouldn't I?
Depends how hard you hit it...
They seem OK as far as I see.
Anybody know of any good deals on CRT monitors in the UK, that do at least 70Hz in a good resoloution?
Try Dabs, they usually have a good selection at a resonable price.
Forget 70Hz Go for 85Hz, it'll hurt (possibly quite badly) for the first few days but you'll be able to sit in front of the computer for hours and hours.
My eyes ache and my brain feels funny.
Yes, I've had that. I think it's called being sober. :-D
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It's for my PC. I'll check out those shops you stated, I usually buy from scan.co.uk or dabs.com, so I'll so I'll check yours out.
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minator said:
Try Dabs, they usually have a good selection at a resonable price.
Forget 70Hz Go for 85Hz, it'll hurt (possibly quite badly) for the first few days but you'll be able to sit in front of the computer for hours and hours.
Hmm, you dont actually need anything over 70Hz, as your eyes only refresh at 70, anything over that is overkill.
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Aren`t LCD monitors a little bit jerky when it comes to scrolling? (browser pages, games etc)
Are there any good LCD monitors out there just as good as the normal monitors from this point of view?
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@ dragon
good point!
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Hmm, you dont actually need anything over 70Hz, as your eyes only refresh at 70, anything over that is overkill.
Tell that to my eyes, If I go below 85Hz I'll notice the flicker and get sore eyes, I can get used to it but I'll not be able to sit in front of the monitor for so long.
Weirdly If I go up to 90Hz I get uncomfortable again, 85Hz seems to be the sweet spot for me at least.
One advantage of LCDs does seem to be you can sit in front of them for longer.
BTW I wasn't aware human eyes did refresh - you a cyborg or something :-P
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My husband bought 2 Belinea monitors online HERE (http://www.monitors-online.co.uk).
We were happy with their service and would use them again.
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@ Edit-Chick
I tried the site but it seems to be unavailable, I will try agin later though.
@minator
Maybe its mind over matter or something :-D
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This is the URL http://www.monitors-online.co.uk/ (http://www.monitors-online.co.uk/)
Seems to be working our end ...
We're running Win2kpro & IE6.. I'll just check it with Opera
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Look into TFT and plasma monitors. TFT is like LCD but better, and plasma is the best you get - and the most expensive.
There's no flicker at all on these monitors. Not even a little.
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Works on Opera !!
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KennyR wrote:
Look into TFT and plasma monitors. TFT is like LCD but better, and plasma is the best you get - and the most expensive.
TFT is LCD, but it has a transistor connected to each pixel that forces the crystals to change faster so you don't get the bluring which used to effect the old laptop LCDs (DSTN type)
Plasma is all well and good, but is very expensive and also chucks out the same sort of radiation that a CRT does, which can have an effect on the eyes.
I would say go for an LCD
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My Iiyama S900MT1 is a 19" CRT monitor, which I use to do 1280x1024 @ 85Hz (it can do higher, but not at that refresh rate) , is a few years old now, and no degradation in image output. It's a very nice monitor, and it is cheap. I got mine for £180 from Dabs.
I've had very good experiences with Iiyama monitors and Iiyama tech support (when old monitors need maintenance), I whole-heartedly recommend them.
An example of the good support is with a 17" monitor that was out of guarantee. Iiyama paid for P&P both ways and no cost for the maintenance to tweak the slightly scewed display. Nice attitude as well.
The other thing I should mention is that refresh rates < 72Hz are very bad for your eyes and brain.
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@ lorddef
Hmm, you dont actually need anything over 70Hz, as your eyes only refresh at 70, anything over that is overkill.
That's strange, considering I can tell what refresh rate a monitor is running at most settings up to 90Hz.
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Hi,
Have a look at this LCD Monitor (http://www.t3.co.uk/review.asp?rev_id=2491&category=VIS), This has to be the dogs dooberies of monitors.
I want one, I want one.
But at £7000 :-o, Maybe i`ll wait a while.
Trooper
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@ trooper
I'd sell a family member for that! (Joking :-D )
@edit-chick
Yeh it works now, mostlikely a prob on my end.
I've seen a really nice monitor on dabs for £105, it has some really good reviews so I'll go for that if I don't see anything on this monitors-online site.
I'm sure the 70Hz thing is true, as I've been told it a few times from friends and even from the odd mulitmedia prof at uni. But never believe what you're told :-D so it could be a pile of lies.
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Hmm, you dont actually need anything over 70Hz, as your eyes only refresh at 70, anything over that is overkill.
BS!
I need at least 85 or my eyes would kill me.
On the other hand, on an LCD 60 Hz is enough...
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I use a fifteen inch flat panel monitor.
There are good and bad points.
The good are the picture clarity is extremely crisp, the colour definition excellent, and most come with an auto refresh button that will clear up any fuzzyness that may appear from time to time.
Also due to the monitor being a flat screen, you truly get the 15" screen size (as opposed to 14.x on a standard 15" etc).
So the screen feels closer to a 17" standard screen.
This may also be true of flat screen CRT monitors - I don't know.
The down side is that scroll effect people talk about.
If you are overly sensitive to such things, then you will be annoyed by it.
Also the refresh rate is much lower than a standard screen, and the screen resolution is restricted to reality - in that a 15" screen will not display beyond 1024x768 in most cases.
Actually this resolution looks pretty good on a 15" or 17" flat panel.
If you are truly well endowed in the wallet area then the 19" screens are awesome.
The average cost of a 15" screen is around $300 - cheaper with mail in rebates etc.
The average cost of a 17" about $500, and the 19" models don't give much change out of a grand.
Obviously this is several times more expensive than CRT screens, even flat screen CRT monitors are much less expensive than flat panel monitors.
One last plus is the footprint. Or to translate into plain english - they take up a fraction of the desk space the equivalent CRT monitor needs.
Hope that helps.
BTW as flat panel monitors are digital they are also equate to a flat panel digital TV (called high definition in the US). The only thing they lack is the tuning circuitry - which by itself doesn't account for the huge difference in price between a monitor and it's equivalent tv model - for instance 19" flat panel TV's cost close to $2000.
There is no reason for that, and as most digital TV is delivered via a set top box of some kind (mostly to give scrambling/de-scrambling options to the cable/satelite provider) there is absolutely no need for them to be able to tune into different channels.
In fact a decent video capture card, such as the ATI Radeon's or the TV Wonder, etc make far superior tuners, with the added advantage of turning your PC into a simplified Tivo system.
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I've been using a Philips 19" mon itor for about 2 years and it's a dream with a screen res of 1280 x 1024 and refresh of 85hz. I paid just over AUD$1000 back then, but around here 19" monitors go to as low as $500 brand new. 17" monitors can be found for a lot less (as low as AUD$300). The cheapest LCD/TFT monitor I have seen is AUD$550 for a 15" one. I also have a TFT monitor which I paid $640 brand new about 6 months ago. It's quite a pleasent display and I don't get much eye strain with it or the 19". The only disadvantage of a TFT display is that some displays don't like fast movement (eg in games etc) They aren't that fragile (don't drop them), because I lugged my TFT around everywhere (lighter than a 19" to carry) and it's got a few bumps and scratches, but the screen is still flawless ;)
The only real expensive monitors around now are the 21" and up ones and the Flat screen versions of the normal 17" and 19" CRT monitors. Although some LG anbd Samsung monitors seem to cost way less than the Sony, Panasonic etc monitors from japan. Best to shop around though. If all else fails, I'm sure there are some sort of governement etc auctions in your part of the world (we have them here). You'd be able to score a very decent second monitor for way less than a new one. A friend of mine bought a 21" monitor at an auction once, about 3 years ago, and it's still working like a dream. Didn't cost more than a couple hundred dollars.
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cant you go < 1024x768?
its better than flicker!
:-)
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Hey my first post! ;)
I would suggest you have a look at:
http://www.digiuk.com/multi/ (http://www.digiuk.com/multi/)
They are the official reseller of Sony Refurbished monitors in the UK, mostly current models, and they all come with an official Sony 3yr Onsite Warranty..
I bought a refurbished 21" G520 about 4 months ago, for £350 less than the list price at dabs.com - its definately been a great buy... Infact no different from buying one new and I now have reems of screen space, 1600x1200 in 90hz is no problem - nor is 2048x1536 if I really wanted!
Anyhow they do a whole range in the refurbished section, eg a mid range Sony 19" (E430) for only £210 inc vat, and I think delivery is included as well!
Hope this is of some help... :)
(http://www.netcurtains.org/images/mon.jpg)
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@jumpship
"Plasma is all well and good, but is very expensive and also chucks out the same sort of radiation that a CRT does, which can have an effect on the eyes."
That a very important thing that people normally don't take enouph care. There are many reports about potential effects of standing in front of computers for too much time, but unfortunately they're not very well know. Probably convenience for the industry.
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well I'd just like to thank you guys (I'm well pissed) for the advice. I'm sitting in front of my new monitor, it's an AOC Dabs value monitor and it kicks ass! It cosst £89 plus dabs handling charge, and it is the best I've ever had.
def :-D
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I would go with the KDS Radius 7C lcd monitor, and get the wall mount for it (seeing as your afraid you may knock it over, plus it looks really nice) I love that monitor, perfect for PC
as for crt, well, otherthan it being a flat screen, I happen to think that are all the same.
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sorry, I didnt know you got one already, good luck with it, enjoy