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  #1  
01-16-2011, 06:04 AM
Sossity Sossity is offline
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I am interested in an external monitor, as I will be taking some adobe classes this spring, & am getting into photography.

I dont know much about them or completely understand calibration.

I also read that one should avoid TN based monitors, & go for quality IPS panels What are these ?

my budget is about $400.00 or less, & big is nice but not too big, my desk space is a little tight, & read that one has to consider how far away they are sitting from the monitor, in my case, not that far.

I have read some bad stuff where the motor goes blank & makes the laptop monitor go blank, I have invested alot, so I want a tried & true monitor that will not cause problems.

I also am running paralells 5.0 with windows 7 64 bit pro, & may also be running windows xp pro, so I need it to work with these programs as well.

modern connections & backward compatibility connections would be good as well, also some usb ports would be nice too, but not absolutely needed. Might also like to watch TV or movies on it too.
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  #2  
01-16-2011, 06:59 AM
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kpmedia kpmedia is offline
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Buy this one: ACER X223WDbd 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor
Get it here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B0030CHH2O

It's only $139 + shipping (~$150 total) and is a gorgeous monitor. Color is excellent, it's huge, it has both VGA and DVI connections.
I use this with my new Mac mini, with HDMI output into HDMI > DVI adapter (came with the Mini) to DVI cable to Acer

I've bought four of these in the past 18 months, and I'm probably going to buy another one by the end of the month (need to check finances first, so if it's do-able in the budget this month).

I've had quite a few monitors in my life, all the way from the premium brands (Dell and HP) to the budgets (Samsung and no-names), and this is easily the best one I've used to date. Pixel-perfect, noise-free, clear, and not overly bright or vibrant (no false color issues like most LCDs have).

Quote:
I also read that one should avoid TN based monitors, & go for quality IPS panels What are these ?
--- UPDATE, March 2011: Text removed, see next post. ---

Quote:
big is nice but not too big, my desk space is a little tight, & read that one has to consider how far away they are sitting from the monitor, in my case, not that far.
This is why I use a 22" instead of a 24" monitor. I had a 24" and it was simply too large for my workspace. I found myself bobbing my head left and right a lot. On a 22" I can lean forward to see things closer, or sit back to watch something full screen (comparable optimum SMTPE viewing distance). To watch/preview anything full-monitor from optimum viewing distance, I had to scoot he chair back with a 24" LCD.

Quote:
some usb ports would be nice too,
Not really. I often find the cheap hubs built into monitors are inferior even to the cheap Chinese ones you can get for just a few bucks (approx $5 to $15 each + free shipping) from Meritline. So if you need a hub, just get a Meritline USB2 hub.

I'm actually in need of 1-2 more USB hubs myself, and I'll be getting those from Meritline in several weeks. You'll notice they have some pretty fun "cartoon character" type hubs, too -- like a robot man or a spider. Just read the reviews, as some of them don't work well with OS X. (You can ignore most other comments -- just look for "doesn't work with OS X" type comments.)

I think you'll love the Acer 22" LCD.

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  #3  
03-27-2011, 08:14 PM
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I need to re-visit the topic of TN vs IPS.

As it turns out, I was wrong. I had assumed both of my monitors were TN, and I guess that's what I get for assuming. (In my defense, this monitor was purchased about 6-7 years ago, so I had simply forgotten. Times does that.) The LG Flatron L1920P that I have is an early model S-IPS monitor, and I simply cannot imagine trying to do photo work on anything else.

I've also had time to compare it against several more Acer X223WDbd LCDs. There are actually several versions of this specific monitor, easily seen by changes in the menu structure. I own two of them. When I first replied to the above post, I was using Acer #2, purchased in December 2010. It's a really nice LCD screen, and I could not detect much in the way of poor viewing angles or serious/obvious color and gamut issues.

Now Acer #1 was purchased around March 2009, and is either aging badly, or was simply never as good as Acer #2. I'm more inclined to believe it's the latter of the two reasons. It has a slight hot spot in the center, and the top of the monitor is darker than the bottom. The transition from dark to light is a slow gradation. The LG, by comparison, is even from edge to edge, up to about 165-170 degrees.

Contrast is higher on the Acer, and gamut is definitely lower compared to the LG. But even after strict color matching, there's some leeway in the final prints (due to issues as small as the choice of paper), which make it a somewhat moot point.

I still stand firm by the advice to get this specific inexpensive $150 Acer model. At this late date, it's actually sold out at almost all stores, from Amazon to Newegg to Tigerdirect. (CDW still has some in stock.) If you did buy it, fear not, it's probably still a really good monitor for you. I own two and don't regret the decision.

For the sake of clarity, however, I'd suggest the Viewsonic VP2365wb is a better monitor. It's a 16x9 23" IPS LCD, although that comes with a pricetag double to the Acer, at around $300. I'm currently building a new mini studio, and this is the monitor of choice, attached to a Mac mini outfitted with Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5. It should also be noted that this will be a professional environment for shooting small-object commercial stock photos, so it's imperative that a top quality setup be in use.

And I will still suggest that there is a lot of hoopla surrounding the topic of TN vs IPS. Unless you're planning to do a lot of color-accurate work for professional output, the funding difference could be better put towards other endeavors. To a student, for example, $150 could seem like a small fortune -- the difference between a new camera lens or even some nice clothes. I would not buy IPS at the sacrifice of potentially more-important gear. If in a few years, IPS seems like a smart upgrade, and funds are available, do it then.

Some info for you to tuck away for a later day.

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  #4  
03-27-2011, 09:41 PM
Sossity Sossity is offline
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Thanks for the update, will keep this in mind

I have also read that the Apple cinema displays are IPS, although, I like the older smaller matt ones as opposed to the newer all shiny ones that are out right now.

Are the matt ones any good? I have seen some, it seems they came in 20 in, 23 in & 30 in.

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Cinema-2.../dp/B0002ILKMW I saw this on amazon.

or are they inferior to the others brands out there like the viewsonic you linked to?
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03-27-2011, 10:04 PM
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I'm not a fan of shiny monitors of any kind. I eagerly look forward to the day later this week when my anti-glare iPad filter arrives. Mac matte monitors have always been very nice, whether it was on a Macbook Pro or as a standalone LCD.

For the sake of accuracy, I would assume any monitor not labeled as an IPS is a TN panel. However, at 16ms and $300+, it's probably a safe bet that it is indeed an IPS display.

I would suggest a monitor from 2001 is inferior to one made in 2009, yes. LCD technology changed quite a bit. There are several current IPS monitors from LG, HP and Asus -- but the ViewSonic was proving less problematic for owners. No dead pixels, etc. I also liked how it had the option of rotation, as well as height adjustments that wouldn't give you a neck ache, or require pilfering of the local bookshelf (to put under it, to raise it to sane adult viewing angles).

The ViewSonic is not shiny, either for screen or bezel.

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