Contrast Ratio on LCDs

[Charan Kumar]

I am looking to buy a 32"-40" monitor for my sim and I would prefer it be a 1080p as that provides a higher resolution. Also trying to stay within $400 strictly so I can spend money on a new GPU if need be, I had been putting away a lot of deals which I have seen. Mostly I was concentrating on the resolution and the contrast ratio as 10000:1 seemed too less compared to the LCD's we look to buy for our regular television at 200000:1. Only yesterday I realized that my current VW223 has a contrast ratio of 3000:1 and it's display is pretty darn good for my simming purposes.

 

Now to the Qn: What should I be looking for in terms of contrast ration at the low-end and/or the high end so that it doesn't seem too bad at the same times my eyes don't bleed from the excessive brightness and sharpness , well so to speak.

 

Thanks in advance for the answers!!

[Garry Morris 920567]

I could be wrong, but last I heard, there was no "standard" for contrast ratio. This means that between manufacturers, you can not compare two monitors' contrast ratios apples to apples. In short, you have to look around for what you think looks good, and buy that one.

[Charan Kumar]

Hmmm...that makes it complicated now . I was trying to buy something online...guess I will have to do research some online reviews and go from there.

[Richard Gerrish]

best was to do monitor shopping is in person then find it online for cheaper

[Charan Kumar]

that's what I am thinking of doing, but gotta wait for the weekend. hopefully the deals wait too...

[Charan Kumar]

What about the screen refresh rate? Does this matter if it is only 60 or do I need higher? I am not sure what my sim monitor's rate is atm, but my office comp is at 75hz. I know, I probably should go look in the store, but they won't let me run the sim and test it . Appreciate the help!!

[Jordan Krushen 1135174]

What about the screen refresh rate? Does this matter if it is only 60 or do I need higher? I am not sure what my sim monitor's rate is atm, but my office comp is at 75hz. I know, I probably should go look in the store, but they won't let me run the sim and test it . Appreciate the help!!

LCDs don't flicker the way CRTs do, so refresh rates aren't as important as they are for CRTs. What you should be paying the most attention to is response time.

 

See http://www.tweakguides.com/Graphics_8.html for a brief explanation, as well as the following page on VSync. If you have time, give the rest of it a read, too

[Charan Kumar]

Tks for the link Jordan, this one had a response time of 6ms, but not sure about VSync. I will read up the article.

[Richard Gerrish]

if you're not interested in being uptodate on the latest 3D gear they have available(theory is good but nowhere near IMAX yet) then i wouldn't worry about ther refresh rate. if you're looking for the 3D then you need to pay close attention to required specs

[Jordan Krushen 1135174]

Tks for the link Jordan, this one had a response time of 6ms, but not sure about VSync. I will read up the article.

VSync isn't really a feature of the monitor, it's an OS/driver option as to how fast the GPU will feed the display with data. I mentioned it because if you are running framerates higher than the typical 60Hz, as you mentioned, VSync can come into play. The article should make it all clear.

 

Since you're ordering online, I strongly recommend keeping an eye on the return policy for displays—manufacturers vary greatly in their dead pixel policies. It's nice to be able to give it back if it isn't up to your requirements.

 

Also note that what you linked to is a TV, not a monitor

[Richard Gerrish]

Also note that what you linked to is a TV, not a monitor

 

most are interchangeable now with very little difference. personally I love flying and controlling on my 42" LED TV

[bernard tremblay]

/me takes notes.

This is great stuff. I have a decent 19" Dell and a decent 17" NEC on my game box, with a big old 1400X1050 Panasonic as 2nd on my laptop. (15" no-name on my venerable old ToughBook ... not sure what I'm gonna do with that ... prolly get it running Linux as some sorta server.)

So next purchase (X52 was like 10 days ago) is for sure monitor.

 

Addendum - My fantasy? Get another 19" Dell or 17" NEC, they're available and cheap, and use them portrait on either side of a new thing ... haven't explored triple monitor support on this Sapphire GPU.

[Charan Kumar]

Also note that what you linked to is a TV, not a monitor

Right, it is FS and so I keep referring to it as a Monitor. What I linked to is what I intend to do. Buy a LCD/LED TV for gaming, but also use it to see some movies when I can (gross misuse, I know, sim h/w should be dedicated, but I can't tell the missus that she has to watch cable on a 29" CRT when I have a 32" LCD/LED sitting next to it, maybe watch cable in my gl[Mod - Happy Thoughts] cockpit using PIP )

 

That is why I keep going back to the refresh rate. Since the article u referenced was for a monitor, will that info still apply or should I look up the one for the TV and start worrying about refresh rates.

 

personally I love flying and controlling on my 42" LED TV

*envy* I'm getting there, I'm getting there...slowly, got one LED in my shortlist

 

Addendum - My fantasy? Get another 19" Dell or 17" NEC, they're available and cheap, and use them portrait on either side of a new thing ... haven't explored triple monitor support on this Sapphire GPU.

Bernard, look up "Maxtrox triple head togo", it goes on one VGA/DVI port and splits the display to 3 monitors...something to look for when u have enuf displays around

 

Cheers and thx for the help/info!!

[Jordan Krushen 1135174]

Also note that what you linked to is a TV, not a monitor

most are interchangeable now with very little difference. personally I love flying and controlling on my 42" LED TV

The big difference is the viewing distance for which they're designed—and consequently their dot pitch. Sitting in front of a 42" 1080p display from 2 feet away would drive me crazy, the pixels would be so big. Also, in a TV, you're paying for analog inputs you probably won't use, speakers, the tuner...

 

It does sadden me that monitor manufacturers (in general, of course) seem so happy with just cranking out 1080p displays these days. From the distance you usually watch TV, 1080p is fine, but up close, when you're doing detail work, 1080 pixels vertically really isn't all that much. I don't want bigger pixels, I want more pixels.

 

Charan, while I get what you're saying about using the TV to do both, I've found that in practice, it's not quite as nice. I have an LCD TV in front of the couch, and a 24" iMac with a 23" Dell display next to it on my desk in the corner of the room. While my HDMI switch from Monoprice (whom I can't recommend enough—seriously, if you haven't checked them out, go there [1] now) lets me view TV on the Dell while I work, it's just not the same experience when you're right in front of the TV—pixellation and artifacting are much more noticeable, especially 'cause most HDTV is just 720p. It's just hard to find a position that works for you close up for, say, controlling, but also from far away, for watching TV.

 

Conversely, doing anything except viewing video using the TV as a monitor isn't quite up to snuff. For something with lots of full-screen motion, it's ok, but it really pains me to read text on the TV when used as a monitor, as the sub-pixel anti-aliasing that works so beautifully on the Mac just can't occur on the TV's display. I'll concede that it doesn't work as well on the Dell screen, either, which is why I do most of my reading on the primary display on the Mac, but it's just terrible on the TV. TVs often have different subpixel layouts than monitors, which can make a difference for fine detail like text.

 

Having said that, our HDMI switch lets me and my wife send either one of our Xbox360s to either display (Dell or TV). The TV does 720p from far away, the Dell does 1080p for up close, so it works out pretty well in the end. Whichever one of us is sniping usually takes the 1080p display

 

It's just really hard to find a good display that works for both, so again, I strongly recommend keeping an eye on their return policy. Everybody's room is different, their lighting is different, their eyes are different, their use cases are different. When it comes down to it, you're just gonna have to try one and see how it works for you. Just don't skimp on something you're going to be staring at for hours on end.

 

[1] http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp You'll never buy cables anywhere else again—truly excellent quality at a stunning price. HDMI switches there are ridiculously cheaper than many other places. Even in Canada, I receive shipments from them amazingly quickly. Really can't recommend them enough.

[Ross Carlson]

Also note that what you linked to is a TV, not a monitor

 

most are interchangeable now with very little difference. personally I love flying and controlling on my 42" LED TV

 

There's one rather significant difference ... a TV of equivalent size to a computer monitor will have much lower resolution (and cost much less).

[Charan Kumar]

Gr8 info Jordan, I will certainly check them out in the local shop before I start swiping.

 

I recently hooked up my iMac (not my primary gaming comp) to the 52" Samsung using HDMI (oh yeah, Monoprice cable...even my spare iphone recharge cable is from them) and boy did XPlane come to life, no stutters or fps loss..and the high point on this setup which lasted only an hr was seeing the opening screen on XPlane...truly impressed. I have to admit I didn't connect to VATSIM and see the text display, but I am going to check it tonight.

 

I see what you are saying about pixel size. I shall pay attn to that detail. Text size will matter to me as I am inclined to control more than to fly. But the LED I also looked at was 32" with 1080p and 1920x1080 res. Then again I sit about 2ft with a wall behind me, so that will drive me crazy I guess.

 

Cheers!!

[Ross Carlson]

But the LED I also looked at was 32" with 1080p and 1920x1080 res.

 

Just remember that with 1080 lines of vertical resolution on a 32" TV, the pixels will be much larger than, for example, a typical 20" monitor which would have 1200 lines of vertical resolution. (More lines packed into a smaller space.) Don't let all the "high def" TV marketing glitz get to ya ... a high def TV is still much lower def than a computer monitor of equivalent size. (Though they are much cheaper ...)

[Charan Kumar]

Thx Ross, I have my work cut-out for me now before I select checkout!!

[bernard tremblay]

Bernard, look up "Maxtrox triple head togo", it goes on one VGA/DVI port and splits the display to 3 monitors...something to look for when u have enuf displays around

Wilco.

That's the name that keeps coming up; confirmed. What I don't know is what my 5770 will think of that. And what it will do to temps. (No, not worried ... paying attention, is all.)

So it's on the horizon. And heh behind it is TrackIR. *wh00t!*

[Garry Morris 920567]

All the triple head does is take the monitors you plug into the TH2G module, and report them to the computer (on a single cable) as a single monitor at x by y resolution. Load wise, I would think you'd only picking up the extra load to render that much more image for a single monitor.

 

I've always wanted one, I just can't quite get the budget together to buy three of the same kind of monitor.