The BEST LCD Monitor's to buy for Design

[chriscrooz]

OK I thought it would be a great conversation to start. I am looking to buy 2 19" or 20" LCD Monitors for my home / office system. I want the best color that accurately represents true color. I am looking that the following monitor right now and would like to hear from the rest of you.

Viewsonic 19" LCD - V922 Monitor -355.00 (newegg.com)

USE:
- Print work via Desktop Publishing (InDesign), branding / identity (Illustrator) and web interface design (Photoshop/Dreamweaver/Flash).

[cjoe]

I always recommend LaCie monitors with their blue-eye calibrating device. i've seen some pretty good colour-matching with proofs.

[Ned]

I have brown eyes. How would I calibrate to that? :confused:

[cjoe]

I have brown eyes. How would I calibrate to that? :confused:

magic

[rockem]

for that price you can find some apples from a coulpe years ago

but if color is a huge concern just invest in something to calibrate your monitor to represent pms colors better,

[Rocketpig]

Don't do it!

If you check Dell's website for a few months, they often put up their 20" widescreen LCD for about the price you're paying for that Viewsonic.

The kicker? The LCD in the Dell is the very same screen Apple uses in their 20" cinema display and 20" iMacs. It's good stuff.

These things come up on sale pretty often... I have three friends who bought them for the same price at different times.

Hell, right now it's on sale for $439. If you shop around, you can probably find a few Dell coupons to cut that price.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=20053YR&category_id=4009

[Rocketpig]

BTW, I'm a big fan of that Dell monitor. I've seen it in use on two different systems. It's the same monitor as the Apple Cinema for $250 less.

What do you sacrifice for that price? A nice shiny aluminum case with an Apple logo on it.

[rockem]

i have heard a few good things about the dell ones, a few of our production people have the new ones at work, 24 in and a 30 in, I can see a little difference in the dell and apple but they are still pretty good, the price is damn near the same as apple so I have always went with apple

[Rocketpig]

i have heard a few good things about the dell ones, a few of our production people have the new ones at work, 24 in and a 30 in, I can see a little difference in the dell and apple but they are still pretty good, the price is damn near the same as apple so I have always went with apple

Er? I love the Apple monitors but I fail to see how a $439 Dell monitor and a $799 Apple monitor have a "price damn near the same".

They're the same unit with different cases.

[rockem]

dell 30 inch 2199
apple 30 inch 2299

24 inch dell 1000
24 inch apple 1200

I dont mind the dells I think apple seems a little more well designed and built, and when i am spending that kind of money 1 or 2 hundred bucks isnt much IMO

[rockem]

and when the 220 inch dell isnt on sale it is what 150 bucks cheaper

[Silence04]

i agree with rockem "if your gonna go, go all out"
plus the viewing angle on the screen is worth it alone, its like a freaking picture on the wall. 178° horizontal; 178° vertical

[Rocketpig]

i agree with rockem "if your gonna go, go all out"
plus the viewing angle on the screen is worth it alone, its like a freaking picture on the wall. 178° horizontal; 178° vertical

I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but they're the same screen! They have the same viewing angle!

[Rocketpig]

dell 30 inch 2199
apple 30 inch 2299

24 inch dell 1000
24 inch apple 1200

I dont mind the dells I think apple seems a little more well designed and built, and when i am spending that kind of money 1 or 2 hundred bucks isnt much IMO

True, the larger screens are more similarly priced. And for a $100 or $200 difference on a $2000+ screen, I'd go with the Apple.

But when you're talking $440 vs. $800 for the same materials, the choice is pretty obvious IMO.

[Rocketpig]

and when the 220 inch dell isnt on sale it is what 150 bucks cheaper

Actually it's still $250 bucks cheaper. Personally I don't feel the nice aluminum case and shiny Apple logo are worth that kind of price increase on a $550 monitor.

[Rocketpig]

Anyway, back to the topic. This thread wasn't about getting into a pissing contest whether you prefer to pay more money for an Apple-branded monitor, it was about the original poster asking about the Viewsonic.

Personally I've heard mixed reviews of Viewsonic's LCDs (I've only owned their CRTs) but if you can afford it, the Dell is a nice option. I've heard that they sometimes come with dead pixels (probably due to Dell's less rigorous product testing compared to Apple) but they have a 3 year warranty (compared to one year for Apple I'd like to add) and you can return the monitor if it's defective.

One of my close friends has owned one for almost a year and so far, so good. It's a great monitor. I am very impressed with it, especially considering the price.

[Rocketpig]

BTW, if you don't believe me, here's a review of both monitors head to head:

http://www.anandtech.com/displays/showdoc.aspx?i=2400

Believe it or not but the Dell actually wins in color coordination, brightness, and the ability to display the broadest range of color.

[Ned]

I have used and seen many Dell screens, and the color is very nice.

I'm using a Flatscreen CRT, so color's always true, but I would like to get an LCD for other reasons. At the moment though, I can't budget it.

I would look at the Dell, myself, when I'm in the market. $439 for a 20" widescreen LCD sounds fantastic... That's only about $1200 in Canadian dollars. ;)

[Rocketpig]

I would look at the Dell, myself, when I'm in the market. $439 for a 20" widescreen LCD sounds fantastic... That's only about $1200 in Canadian dollars. ;)

Only if exchange rates improve... Isn't it about $135,438 in US dollars today?

Or am I converting the rate wrong again? :D

[Ned]

That was yesterday's rate. It's up 12% today.

[Silence04]

The dells are 89deg viewing angle

[rockem]

The dells are 89deg viewing angle

yep, type dell viewing angle into google and see what you get, mostly a bunch of topics on the narrow viewing angle.

[lkw]

The dells are 89deg viewing angle


I have a 20" dell lcd monitor and it is definitely not 89 degree viewing angle.

[rockem]

its got a plus or minus ratio of like 89 degrees, its rated at like 170 but plus or minus 89 degrees. Sit it next to an apple and there is no comparision.

[lkw]

oops sorry i didn't know you guys meant +/- 89 degrees. But, who views their monitor when working at such an awkward angle? saying that, i still recommend the Dell 20" monitor. For that price when is ON SALE, i think it is probably one of the better monitors out there. I would get two of that than to have 1 24" or 30".

[rockem]

if you move a left and right or slouch in your chair or sit up to high you will see a big difference in colors

[chriscrooz]

Yea that is my biggest concern with the LCD monitors. I know the better the Contrast Ratio (650:1 or 750:1) the better the picture will be. Also I hate it that at different angles the colors will change, thus why I'm looking for some quality gear.

Any other products out there that anyone might suggest?

[chriscrooz]

Is the DEPTH on the 20" dell really 9 INCHES??!!! Man that's pretty deep for a LCD isn't it?

[Rocketpig]

yep, type dell viewing angle into google and see what you get, mostly a bunch of topics on the narrow viewing angle.

Grrrr... Read the review! The Dell advertises a 176/176 viewing angle while Apple advertises a 170/170 viewing angle!

I can't seem to make this clear enough...

THEY'RE THE SAME SCREEN! THEY HAVE THE SAME VIEWING ANGLE!

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

*faints*

As Yoda would say, "Create a different viewing angle aluminum cases do not."

[Silence04]

actually the dell advertises 170/170 and the apple advertises 178/178...so HA!

j/k :)

[Rocketpig]

actually the dell advertises 170/170 and the apple advertises 178/178...so HA!

j/k :)

*head explodes*

You guys are killing me... :D

[rockem]

*head explodes*

You guys are killing me... :D

well your wrong they are not the same

;)

[clairabelle]

i have just bought a dell for home and find it clear, crisp and the colour is magnificent......the whole thing (not only the monitor) cost £820 but then a week after i bought mine it went on sale for almost half price, you can buy just the monitors for as little as £150 but they are often quite small and you may not get the colour quality as you are needing. just look around and ask people you know who have similar monitors to tell you what they think.

[clairabelle]

p.s the screen size i got with my computer was 19" and you can buy them for £250 and as was stated earlier if you pick up coupons you can cut the price even more!

[shadepics]

I got a 20" widescreen with the computer i ordered for just £272 (DELL). However, it is currently a month late so i think i'm paying for the cheap price in poor service :(

[chriscrooz]

I am working on the Dell 20" Widescreen (2005FP) right now in the testing lab at work and it's freakin' amazing. I'm not too happy that the refresh rate is 12ms instead of 2ms like most 19" monitors but hey... I can't complain.. this thing is so cool. And I just think what 2 of these side by side would look like mounted to my wall as my PC setup... I'm sold!

[Tyger]

I just ordered the Dell 24" Ultrasharp 2405, should be here some time next week. I also looked at the HP L2335 and the Apple 23" but the Dell had more to offer and was less in price.

Some have said though for design that it isn't the greatest, but I have a feeling that those people don't really know how to calibrate properly. It is said that this Dell is quite bright and the colors can seem washed out. I guess I'll have to see for myself.

[Silver1126]

I was checking around and would be getting a really good deal on a 20' Samsung SyncMaster 204B. Basically it works out to about $620 cdn.

Does anyone know anything about this monitor. The max res is 1680 x 1200, 5 ms response time and a 800:1 contrast ratio.

Has anyone who deals with a lot of graphics used this monitor or have any complaints about it!

Why oh why do they complicate these things!!!:eek:

[chriscrooz]

Some have said though for design that the Dell 24" LCD Monitor isn't the greatest, but I have a feeling that those people don't really know how to calibrate properly. It is said that this Dell is quite bright and the colors can seem washed out. I guess I'll have to see for myself.

Maybe this should be it's own thread since it's an important topic, but how do you ACCURATELY calibrate your LCD monitor(s)? I myself just adjust the settings to what seems correct... is there some fool proof way to make sure it's setup accurately? Tips are appreciated.