What makes one monitor better than another?

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Jim Miller

Jim Miller

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We need a new 23" (or so) monitor for our newest & strongest office computer, an Intel Core i5, Win 7 machine with plenty of RAM and an upgraded video card. Gail uses it for QuickBooksPro and needs to be able to read large screens full of small numbers. I use it for Corel designs & photo editing, so I need a good view of small details, too.

I've been comparing prices and specifications, and there are gazillions of variations, but I can't make sense of the choices. Response time, contrast ratio, brightness, viewing angle range, and other specifications do not seem to be related to prices, which range from $129 to about $300. So, why would anyone buy anything other than the cheapest monitor?

Recommendations are welcome, but I'd really like to know why you would recommend a particular model.
 
The main things I look for in a monitor (or TV) is that it is made by Samsung (they win awards year after year), and is LED backlit. (brighter, uses less power, will last a lot longer)

The speed, contrast ratio, inputs, etc are among the things to compare.

We were also shopping for a new set (for the house, which is in the middle of a complete renovation), and it gets delivered tomorrow. We opted for a 65" Samsung smart TV.

http://www.sears.com/samsung-65inch...p-05771792000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1


These are some decent ones:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001546

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001550 (slightly bigger, faster, $50 more)

Happy shopping!
 
for office type work, or even corel stuff

almost any monitor with a dvi input will be fine, ideally for office work you want bright white background and good contrast

for photo editing (serious editing) its a whole diff ballgame, u need much lower brightness and colour accuracy (this is where the money goes)

and $300 isnt much for a high quality monitor for accurate colour
 
The majority of large screen monitors are now sized for HD (1920x1080).

They used to be sized larger (1920x1200), about 11 % larger.

If you want the maximum screen resolution, look for a 1920x1200 monitor. Downsizing the max to a HD resolution never made sense to me as you can still watch a HD video on 1920x1200.

In the stores, almost all monitors are 1920x1080. On newegg, there are currently 135 1920x1080 monitors in the 23-24" size and 20 in the 1920x1200 size

The 1920x1200 are becoming more expensive. On newegg, they start at $259 for a 24" while the 1920x1080 24" start at $119.

I would still go for the 1920x1200.

The next step up in resolution (2560x1440) and size (27") are still a bit pricey (starting at $548)

I've been using the 1920x1200 for years on my main monitor. One of my side monitors is 1920x1080. I much prefer the larger.
 
My laptop has an hdmi output jack. I have been thinking about getting a 32" or bigger hd tv to use as a monitor. They're pretty inexpensive and the audio goes out the hdmi cable. My question is why is a dedicated monitor a better option than a good tv?
 
Bob Doyle said:
My laptop has an hdmi output jack. I have been thinking about getting a 32" or bigger hd tv to use as a monitor. They're pretty inexpensive and the audio goes out the hdmi cable. My question is why is a dedicated monitor a better option than a good tv?
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One thing to beware of with most 32" TVs is that they have a lower resolution of 720P which is 1280x720.
 
most tv panels cant display anywhere near enough colour gamut for decent colour editing

as long as it says full HD then it will do 1920*1080 res, but i would suggest spending the money on a dedicated monitor
 
video card/chip is the key

For what it is worth:

Look at the settings for your video card/chip set. What is the maximum resolution that it will support? If you buy a 1900x1200 display and the card/chip cant support that resolution then you have wasted your time and money. I and my wife use Samsung SyncMaster T260HD TV/monitors. My wife uses it for QB all day long. I do all of the CAD drawings for all of the CMC parts that I make, plus software development, and image editing for web pages, magazine ads, and manuals.

Most cheap TVs have a max resolution of 1366x768 (720). Most computer graphics cards/chips do not support this resolution.

The "crispness" of the image is related to total size vs resolution. Example: a 55" monitor/tv at 1920x1080 (Full HD) has a dpi (dot pitch) of 0.53mm where a 32" monitor/tv at the same resolution will have a dpi of 0.31mm. The pixels are closer together yielding a smoother image.

Contrast Ratio is the measure of the difference between the white-est white and the black-est black. The higher the number the better.

Many TVs can display up to 1.07 BILLION colors where most monitors are limited to 16.7 Million color. This can also be limited by the amount of video memory that you have in you PC/laptop. The more the better.

HDMI or DVI are going to provided better display quality than VGA. Again will your video card/ chip set support this.

If you are a gamer or watch a lot of sports then you want to pay attention to the refresh rate or response time. The lower the number the smoother fast motion images will appear. 5ms is about the best right now. 8ms is average.

Last avoid the (i) designation as in 720i or 1080i. The "i" stands for interlaced vs the "p" which stands for progressive. These designation refer to how the monitor is refreshed. Interlaced (i) monitors/tvs refresh ever other line of the image with each scan of the screen. Progressive (p) monitors refresh every line each time. Interlaced monitors (typically cheaper) will create eye fatigue.
 
MarkEatonLLC said:
Most cheap TVs have a max resolution of 1366x768 (720). Most computer graphics cards/chips do not support this resolution.

The "crispness" of the image is related to total size vs resolution. Example: a 55" monitor/tv at 1920x1080 (Full HD) has a dpi (dot pitch) of 0.53mm where a 32" monitor/tv at the same resolution will have a dpi of 0.31mm. The pixels are closer together yielding a smoother image.
Click to expand...


powerstrip will allow you to add almost any resolution to almost any graphics card. its a simple application to generate custom resolutions. in saying that if your connecting via a digital system either dvi or hdmi (which is basically the same thing) the card and monitor will communicate and sort the resolution out correctly

the crispness your describing is not relevant when measure by itself, you need to also specify a viewing distance. for example the massive outdoor screens used in stadiums etc have a huge dot pitch, but look fine when viewed in a stadium, same between say 50 inch tv screen and 24 inch monitor, if you view close yea they will look very different but view the tv across the room and it will look fine.
 
viewing distance

Yes, viewing distance is also a factor. Thank you for adding that factor. Since the application was "a computer monitor" I assumed a viewing distance of 30". I know - assumptions can be problematic.

PowerStrip looks like an interesting application. Has a rule I try to match native hardware specs as closely as possible. Adding an application into the mix creates troubleshooting problems and adds a drag on the system by using memory and processor time that can be avoided in new system build. However, If you are given a free monitor and have an old PC and you're trying to put together a working system for little or no money an application like this is a great solution.
 
One factor that makes a difference is In Plane Switching. It allows the monitor to be brighter, clearer and have a better wide viewing area. Once such monitor is the Apple Cinema Display, which is available in 23 and 27" sizes. It is an absolutely stunning display, and if you sit in front of a monitor all day (or even just half a day), IMO is worth every penny just due to reduced eye strain, never mind the pleasure of looking at it.
 
Pat Murphey said:
Most 32 inch and all the way down to 21 inch are now 1080p.
Click to expand...


Almost true. TVs less than 32" are mostly 1080p but the 32" TVs are almost all 720p. This morning I was in BestBuy, Sears, HHGregg and Walmart and looked at the TVs in all. In HHGregg and Walmart all the 32" TVs were 720P and in BestBuy and Sears only one or 2 out of about 15 were 1080p.

Online at newegg, 16 out of 17 were 720p, at bestbuy.com 72 out of 80 were 720p.

I'm currently shopping for a 32" for the kitchen and its frustrating that almost all are 720p and the few that are 1080p cost more than many 40" TVs (I don't have room for a 40" in the kitchen).
 
I got a 37" a few years back for pretty much that same reason. Well that and the 32" were a little more expensive.

But for the record I did know enough to get a 1080p not a 720i :) Just wasn't sure, since the tvs were cheaper and larger and, in most consumer cases, crisper why a dedicated monitor was better, if it was. I use internet radio for listening in the shop, and had to replace the sound in the shop so I was also looking at a "home theater system" as a dedicated music system was less bang for more bucks. My thought was laptop video and music through hdmi into the tv audio out to the home theater for shop music.

laptop video and audio are "adequate" at best, so for a system not intended to do professional video editing just simple background noise and LifeSaver.... (oh and grumble..) thought a TV for $200 and a home theater for under $150 would go a long way in a 1200 sqft shop space.
 
Larry Peterson said:
Almost true. TVs less than 32" are mostly 1080p but the 32" TVs are almost all 720p. This morning I was in BestBuy, Sears, HHGregg and Walmart and looked at the TVs in all. In HHGregg and Walmart all the 32" TVs were 720P and in BestBuy and Sears only one or 2 out of about 15 were 1080p.

Online at newegg, 16 out of 17 were 720p, at bestbuy.com 72 out of 80 were 720p.

I'm currently shopping for a 32" for the kitchen and its frustrating that almost all are 720p and the few that are 1080p cost more than many 40" TVs (I don't have room for a 40" in the kitchen).
Click to expand...

Geez, Larry, I've had 4 excellent quality 1080p 32" TVs over the years, Sony and Sharp. I never compared prices to 40" because I had a size/fit issue. I recently went to 40" because of the newer thin bezels (and I like the 4 pixel color Sharp - yellows really pop). If you want a decent quality 32" TV, there are plenty out there in 1080p. If you want something for $300 or less in 32" 1080p, maybe you are out of luck.
 
Pat Murphey said:
Geez, Larry, I've had 4 excellent quality 1080p 32" TVs over the years, Sony and Sharp. I never compared prices to 40" because I had a size/fit issue. I recently went to 40" because of the newer thin bezels (and I like the 4 pixel color Sharp - yellows really pop). If you want a decent quality 32" TV, there are plenty out there in 1080p. If you want something for $300 or less in 32" 1080p, maybe you are out of luck.
Click to expand...

If they are out there, they are hiding. The numbers in my last post speak for themselves - none at hhGregg or walmart and only one or two a bestbuy and sears and just a few a newegg. Over 90% are 720p.

Let me know where they are hiding. :confused:

I just checked buy.com. 8 out of 9 32" TVs were 720p and the only 1080p one is sold out. same same at new egg - 3 1080p's and all sold out.
 
They had that size on line at best buy. In the 225-250 price range... But if you go up or down the options and prices are better.
 
Deal of the Day

If price is a big part of the decision, this is a decent basic monitor for a fair price. Good enough for POS and general use. We use a lot of Acers at one of my clients, and they have been pretty reliable. Some other brands, such as AOC, have NOT.


Acer S231HLbid 23in LED-Backlit LCD Monitor $149.99 Free Shipping

NewEgg has the Acer S231HLbid 23" LED-Backlit Widescreen LCD Monitor for $149.99 Free Shipping.
1920x1080; 5ms; 12million:1 dynamic contrast ratio; 250nits; HDMI/DVI/VGA




http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...hBargains-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16824009255

Mike
 
Larry Peterson said:
If they are out there, they are hiding. The numbers in my last post speak for themselves - none at hhGregg or walmart and only one or two a bestbuy and sears and just a few a newegg. Over 90% are 720p.

Let me know where they are hiding. :confused:

I just checked buy.com. 8 out of 9 32" TVs were 720p and the only 1080p one is sold out. same same at new egg - 3 1080p's and all sold out.
Click to expand...

One with good specs!

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...nment&dgc=ST&cid=72662&lid=1838884&acd=000025

I've found that if you look up model numbers from manufacturers and search for sellers, you'll find plenty of them.
 
good TV/monitor source

Manufacturers of TVs often make two that are very similar in specs except for resolution and briteness. I have found the retail locations like Walmart, Target, and similar always have the lower spec TVs and lower prices. You get what you pay for. I am usually able to find what I need from the web. I often use ecost.com.
 
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