[sclug] Flat-screen monitors

[Will Dickson]

David Given wrote:
> Also on the subject of recommendations...
> 
> I've finally got sick of my 14" CRT monitor. I want a 17" flat-screen.
> Anything in particular I should look for / avoid? Brands, technologies, etc?
> (I do want TFT vs. LCD, don't I?)

FWIW, I recently got an Acer 17" for a server (a bit extravagant 
perhaps, but a CRT wouldn't have fit in the wardrobe^Wserver cabinet, 
and this server needs to run X from time to time). Haven't used it much 
so far, but it seems solidly built, the sharpness and contrast is at 
least as good as my main workstn monitor and overall I'm very happy with it.

If it isn't a

http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=9541&category_id=38&manufacturer_id=0

then it's almost certainly something very similar.

FWIW it uses an old-school VGA cable rather than DVI (hmmm - come to 
think of it, doesn't that interconnect spec have some kind of 
objectionable DRM hooks built into it, or am I thinking of something else?).

Pace other people's comments about DVI being clearer (I've never used it 
yet so I can't comment), in my experience the picture quality of a VGA 
interconnect is strongly dependent on the quality and length of the 
cable. If you use the cable which comes with the monitor, it's likely to 
be OK, but if you use extension cables or KVMs (esp. non-electronic 
ones) the picture sharpness degrades severely.

One point which is probably obvious but I'll mention it anyway: do make 
sure that you're happy to run at whatever the new monitor's native 
resolution is. If you need to run at a lower res for whatever reason 
(eg. a game your box is struggling with) the image quality will be 
sucktastic, unlike a CRT which won't care.

HTH

Will.