Monitors - where have all the 4:3's gone?

[Rivette]

I run 2 19" LCD monitors side by side on my desk and one is dying. They are LG monitors with high contrast ratios, a 2ms latency rating and a 4:3 aspect ratio. I love them almost unnaturally and now have to replace one or maybe both.

I've been looking at wide screen monitors because the market is plastered with them. It seems that the 4:3 monitors have fallen from grace and I'm not excited by what I'm seeing. In order to get the same vertical size screen I will have to go to a 22" widescreen format. 22" sounds big, but when you compare it to the 19" 4:3, it has about the same usable area - just configured differently.

I always figured when I had to replace my current set up, I would go to a 20 or 21" 4:3 but now this isn't looking likely as I can't find any that have decent specs.

Does anyone know where I can buy a decent larger 4:3 monitor or alternatively help me understand why i should switch to a widescreen format?

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Switching to widescreen can give you slightly more workspace... I have a 32inch widescreen lcd tv, and a 32inch floor tv from 95, and the 32inch lcd isn't much bigger, but it is just a little bigger over all, but if you have to go with a 16:9 format lcd make sure your video card can play that resolution...

 

[objecterror]

Well, to break it down, 16:9 (as charles stated) does not increase the height of your workspace, rather the aspect ratio of the landscape.

Do you know the widescreen editions of movies you often by with the bars on top but the extra inch and a half of space to the right and left? That's the extra space your getting.

You sound like you do a lot of multi-tasking, and I couldn't agree more, two 4:3 screens work wonders.

22'' Isn't going to change in terms of work space, only a little bit. If you want, you could replace them with a large format LCD screen to cover the overall work space you have with one monitor.

Those monitors go up to 27'' of wide screen space which, in my opinion on a desktop would make a world of difference.

Other things you would keep in mind is the response time and contrast ratio on the monitor you choose in leu to your video cards maximum recommended resolution. Wide screen monitors handle your 1024's differently so, do the research.

As a final question, what we're you looking at and what did you have in mind in terms of monitors? I'd say newegg.com to start, that is the only place I do my search for any computer hardware.

 

[Apokalipse]

I run 2 19" LCD monitors side by side on my desk and one is dying. They are LG monitors with high contrast ratios, a 2ms latency rating and a 4:3 aspect ratio. I love them almost unnaturally and now have to replace one or maybe both.

I've been looking at wide screen monitors because the market is plastered with them. It seems that the 4:3 monitors have fallen from grace and I'm not excited by what I'm seeing. In order to get the same vertical size screen I will have to go to a 22" widescreen format. 22" sounds big, but when you compare it to the 19" 4:3, it has about the same usable area - just configured differently.

I always figured when I had to replace my current set up, I would go to a 20 or 21" 4:3 but now this isn't looking likely as I can't find any that have decent specs.

Does anyone know where I can buy a decent larger 4:3 monitor or alternatively help me understand why i should switch to a widescreen format?

a 22" widescreen monitor will give you more screen real estate. It's just that most of it is horizontal space.

 

[Rivette]

Answers to questions:
I am running a Dell 690 workstation. The specs can be read here

My daily use needs are fairly diverse. I am a musician and write and arrange scores (all on the computer) think: major documents here. I admin some internet forums and have lots of face time with monitors. I also publish some websites and do a substantial amount of graphics work. I don't game (no time).

What have I looked at? There's not much out there. Samsung makes an xL20, nec has some old models still available and there is an LGL2000cp. All these monitors are in the 5 hundred dollar range and I need 2. There are a lot of models for pro use in the $1200 price range - but I just can't spend that kind of coin.

Yesterday I borrowed a friends 22' widescreens and did a test run and decided that I really don't want wide screen, but instead want larger versions of what I have.

One of the issues I am running into is that these larger monitors all seem to have slooooow response times. Going from 2 ms to 16 ms seems like a big step backwards. Sigh....

 

[KSoD]

I have a 22" WS Monitor with 2MS response time. It cost me like $230 for it. 1680x1050 Resolution.

I also have a 19" 4:3 LCD. The max resolution on there is 1280x1024.

WS - 1680x1050
4:3 - 1280x1024

The Wide Screen has more retail both ways with my setup. I dont know what resolution you run your 19" at but if they are 1280x1024 like mine is. Then there are 22" Eide Screen monitors with low response time and higher resolution.

 

[CrazeD]

I'm not sure why you wouldn't want widescreen, as it is perfect for your description. 4:3's are very expensive compared to 16:9's. For example, the cheapest 21.3" (biggest I could find) 4:3 on Newegg is just over $600. You could get a nice 24" or 26" 16:9 for that much money.

As long as you get at least 22", you'll have the same amount of work space you have now, but just a little more horizontally. If you go 24" or something, you can do 1920x1200 and that is significantly more space than you have now.

 

[Rivette]

Just wanted to circle back here - I caved and ordered LG L227WTG 22" widescreens. 24" just wouldn't fit in my workspace. They should be here in a day or so. At this point I just want a second monitor - any monitor! Losing my sanity with a single screen....

Thanks for your input, it was helpful.

 

[Poizen22]

Just wanted to circle back here - I caved and ordered LG L227WTG 22" widescreens. 24" just wouldn't fit in my workspace. They should be here in a day or so. At this point I just want a second monitor - any monitor! Losing my sanity with a single screen....

Thanks for your input, it was helpful.

they do not need to be matching to do duel monitors hook the working 19 up with yoru 22. alsp i plan on goign to triple monitors with 2 19 inch lg's exacly the same as yours but 8ms response time, and a nice 24 in the midle. im doing alot of photography and vector art lately, and i very much would like 3 monitors.