Monitor Questions

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chris7811

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Hi guys,

I'm new to the forum, nice to meet you all :)

I've decided it's time to upgrade my crt monitor and want a flat screen item.

I've got a couple of things in mind:

I primarly want to watch DVD's and have a nice computer monitor, mayby play a few games. I also want to use it as a TV.

Do I...

Buy a 17" Widescreen LCD TV

or buy a 17" TFT monitor and install a TV Card.

My graphics card is terrible, it's some on board thing.

I've been looking at the Dell 17" tft monitors, and i've seen a Samsung SM730MW 17" Widescreen LCD TV/Monitor (Any good?).

Any idea's as to which would be better for my needs? I want something that will last because i'm tight!

Will I need to upgrade my graphics card to get a decent picture on these?

Any comments would be very useful, it's a sea of products! :(

Cheers
Chris Adams x
 
Widescreens are nice. Very nice. But expensive.

I wouldn't go with anything that says it is also a TV, as LCD TVs have a lower resolution than monitors.

Go with the biggest you can get. I have a 19" LCD, and I don't think I could ever go back to anything smaller.

Many harp on response rates, so look for something that you can live with. My monitor doesn't even list the response rate, but it shows DVDs without streaking or ghosting.

Will I need to upgrade my graphics card to get a decent picture on these?

Installing a graphics card is almost a have-to anymore, especially if you want to play more than basic games.

A TV tuner is nice if you plan on streaming TV to your monitor, or recording to your hard drive.
 
you could buy a 17-19" lcd monitor with a good res.
and aspect ratio.
then find a good all in one card like the ATI All-in-wonder,
their latest adition to the digital tuner world is actually pretty decent.
 
Some good information thanks

The reason I want to get a TV monitor is that I want an all in one multimedia centre.

I've got the sound sorted, just need some decent picture!

I'm a bit confused when it comes to responce rates, am I correct in saying the lower it is the better quality the picture?

Cheers

Chris Adams x
 
The reason I want to get a TV monitor is that I want an all in one multimedia centre.

Use your monitor as your TV, or use the compsite out found on many cards to stream to your TV.

My monitor is my media center.

I'm a bit confused when it comes to responce rates, am I correct in saying the lower it is the better quality the picture?

Not quality of picture, but the amount of time the manufacturer says it takes for the monitor to respond to signals. So, for movement, the smaller the response time the better.
 
If you are looking at gaming go with a 8ms "respond rate or less". I have a 8ms and it works great.
 
Lots of great information here, thank you.

Have been window shopping and have come across a monitor called:

Acer AL1916W

This monitor is a 19" Widescreen piece, it has an 8ms response time

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=98788

I have also found a Samsung SM913N 19" TFT, which according to reviews is very good.

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=83914

These are only two examples that have caught my eye and show's the price range i'm willing to spend.

Question is... are they any good?

A widescreen monitor for £175!? It does tickle my fancy!

I understand I will need to buy a new graphics card to get the full performance of any monitor. My current card is only an on-board one.

I'm not overly interested in games, although I'll probably buy some basic racing games and the SIMS ha ha. I will mainly use my new monitor for television, DVD's and surfing the internet.

:D

Any feedback would be of great help.

Thanks again,

Chris Adams X
 
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