TFT Recommendations

[Blackstar]

Hi all,

I'm looking at getting a 17" TFT at around the ?30-350 mark (could possibly streach to ?400.) I'm currently considering the Benq FP767. Any thoughts on that one, or any other that people can recommend would be really helpful.

Cheers

[BirdofPrey]

1 word, DELL!

Or the lg flatrons look sweeet!

[SlyDave]

I'm getting a TFT soon aswell :D got payed for building a PC so I now have the money. 19" Mon and a 17" TFT, weeeeeee :D (I might actually try and get a 18.1", just to be smug)

Dells response times don't make them the best for gaming,

Flatron do some aswome TFT's and they arn't as bulky as dells.

For response time anything below 20ms is what you are looking for really. (Dell are normaly 25ms, and Flatron is 16ms), Bear in mind that just if you with use it for gaming, as a 25ms or even a 40ms response is fine to watch a DVD by.

Also brightness is an important factor, you want 200 to 250 cd/m?, anything less and it'll look darkish

A uber guide to TFT's can be found here: http://www6.tomshardware.com/display/19990624/

[BirdofPrey]

My brothers dell qoutes at 16ms response time which isnt bad, but the latest herculese prophet view is qoutes as a 10ms response time. Unfortunatly its not out till next year! but the ones out atm are 16ms, but have strange aspect ratios!

[SlyDave]

The raito is ok as long as its better than 300 : 1, of course higher the better (to a point) Hercules are quite possible the best TFT's you can get for style/build and proformance, but they come with a price. If I could afford a Hercs I would get one.

Your dells 16ms? ah didn't know that I thought dell was still on 25-20ms... Well in that case, if you want something thats built well and is quite sturdy (and you don't mind an inch or 2 or border) then get a dell, if you want slimline and sleek design get a faltron :D

[BirdofPrey]

Yeah a herculese prophet view is about ?350 but it sooo rules. Im getting a tft soon, either a flatron, or if i wait a while a herculese.

[putty_thing]

samsung.

[welshbloke]

Recommendation: Do not buy one... Get a good monitor instead unless you actually need a TFT for space reasons then forget it.

Why not spend the money on a awesome 19" monitor instead and leave the hype behind and go down the pub for a bender with the change.

[tuBBymAN]

as great as they are for space i am quite happy with my 17" flat screen CRT which does a great job and was only ?128 when i bought it and last i saw is at about ?99 now

A TFT is on my shopping list but its way down

[BirdofPrey]

lol my desk is tiny, and my monitor is hugeeeee so i need a tft soon, teh keys are ballanced on the edge of me desk using gaffer tape. Also tft's are alot better now, theres not that much diff, as ur eye can see the difference after 100fps (or 15ms ish) and thats what alot of tfts offer!

[SlyDave]

as ur eye can see the difference after 100fps (or 15ms ish) and thats what alot of tfts offer!

Thats Ubran Myth. Your eyes can see well above 100fps at times, we are not machines ;) The Response time isn't a problem, its the brightness that is, TFT's cannot produce a natural brightness like CRT's can. also contrast ratio is a pain, manily due to the inabitiy to digital interopel resalutions, this is why you should run games and your desktop at the TFT's native res/refresh.

Read that guide, it explains all this in better detial than I can :)

[Blackstar]

Yeah a herculese prophet view is about ?350 but it sooo rules.
That was another one that I was looking at. Of course I'd like to stay with my huge CRT, but i'm in uni and its such a pain in the arse to cart back and forth during the holidays, also my desk at home is tiny so i end up balancing a keyboard 2!

Samsung
jim, elaborate please, i'm inclined to listen to what you have to say as you've been right lots of times in the past...thats not to say I don't wants lots of opinions from other people :)

[Blackstar]

Ok just a couple more questions:


Contrast, is 500:1 better or worse than 300:1?
Brightness, 260 cd/m2 is good, i think?
Response time,(tr/tf), 16 (4+12) means?

[SlyDave]

Contrast, 500:1 is better than 300:1, 500:1 is near photo realistic.

Brightness of 260 cd/m2 is a little pointless and offers no advantage over 200-250 (in fact it might appear a little to bright)

Response time. As each TFT pixel is made up of 3 cells the response times across the vertical are slower than the horizontal, hence the two values, all you need to look at is the total response time (16ms in your example) which is perfect, anything 20ms down is what you want to get for use with gaming. (the tr should be a multipule of 3 of the tf, it its not there is a problem, odd response times )

Edit: "the response times across the vertical are slower than the horizontal" should read "the response times across the horizontal are slower than the vertical" Got them the wrong way around :)

[putty_thing]

also,

don't believe everything you read on spec sheets - my tft is rated at 25ms response, and noone has complained yet - the point being that manufacturers may overspec or underspec their products (higher quality stuff will have lower claimed specifications).

as for the samsung connection, they tend to make decent tfts, and dell did an excellent rebranded model (samsung quality meets dell prices) - addz and jim have them, nice thin bezel, fine for gaming and generally sharp. the only weekness is the lack of dvi input.

unfortunatly i can't seem to find it on dell's site anymore. i think it was the 1701fp..

[Blackstar]

Cheers all for your comments and recommendations, it seems that the BenQ FP767 is the one that I'm considering getting. Avault (http://www.avault.com/hardware/getreview.asp?review=fp791)have done a review of it and its come out well. The specs are here (http://www.benq-eu.com/Products/LCD/index.cfm?product=182&page=specifications), any specific comments on this particular model?


Oh and one more thing, does running 16million colours really make any difference in games over 32 million? As the benQ only supports 16million...

[BirdofPrey]

im sure ebuyer do a samsung with a dvi imput, it costs about ?30 more though

[SlyDave]

Oh and one more thing, does running 16million colours really make any difference in games over 32 million? As the benQ only supports 16million...
Yes, 32bit allows you to see all them uber cool semi-tranparent gradients, it also helps bring out the leetness of pixel shaders, but you can live with out it, Unless sepical effects are heavily used (Like combat in Final Fanstay X or something) the diffience is very subtle and to the untrained eye you wont notice it, but like anything, If you are used to it going back to only 16bit is a pain.

Most games use 16bit/24bit textures regardless of the ablity to set 32bit, that just helps out with transparancy and a finer gradient, afaik.

[putty_thing]

i seem to remeber reading something about there being a batch of low response time tfts that only supported 16bit colour - ones to aviod.

i suggest you dig abit deeper.

[Blackstar]

Ok, well in that case the BenQ is out...what about the Hercules ProphetView 920 Pro 17" (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=51564)?

[BirdofPrey]

Sweet thats what i would buy!

[SlyDave]

*drools*

Herc monitors rock.

Not the fastest response time around (20ms) but then you also know its not making that figure up :D

But you could prolly get better for the same money (Hercs are expensive because they are very styled.)

[Blackstar]

*drools*

Herc monitors rock.

Not the fastest response time around (20ms) but then you also know its not making that figure up :D

But you could prolly get better for the same money (Hercs are expensive because they are very styled.)
Well I think i'd be willing to pay a little more and get a nicely styled one, I must admit I do also like the look of the Herc.
Hands up all those that think I should go for it?

[SlyDave]

o/

[Blackstar]

One final question, should I go for the one with DVI, I'm 80% sure that my Radeon 8500 has DVI, a rectangular white port with lots of square hole (can tell i go computer science can't ya!). Is the picture quality that much better...i've heard that it is but wanted some more opinions...

mmm....http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=51564

[putty_thing]

One final question, should I go for the one with DVI,

yes.

I'm 80% sure that my Radeon 8500 has DVI, a rectangular white port with lots of square hole

yes.

(can tell i go computer science can't ya!).

yes.

Is the picture quality that much better...i've heard that it is but wanted some more opinions...

ye... :p it is alot better, especially at higher resolutions

[BirdofPrey]

Me puts hand up!

ocuk sell a dvi version of the prophetview its ?350 and its found here (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_TFT_Monitors_112.html#amo_2d003_2 dhe)

Thats if u trust ocuk to deliver it without cocking up!

[tuBBymAN]

from Blackstar
(can tell i go computer science can't ya!).

can tell you don't "go" english!

[BirdofPrey]

This (http://www.tomshardware.com/display/20030626/lcd-05.html) article is interesting, saying making some good points about 16ms vs 20ms

[SlyDave]

Thats if u trust ocuk to deliver it without cocking up!
Off Topic: Whats wrong with OCUK's delivery? Never, EVER had a problem with them, I've had a problem with amtrak cocking up, but that was resovled in a single day and they gave me my ?18 next day delivery money back. Personly I love OCUK for puter shopping, they are compeative with there prices, there stock indicators rarely lie (unlike scan.) and the amount of stuff protecting the things they send is insane, the last thing I ordered was a retial Rad7500 for a PC I was building, Not only was the retial box padded, but the box the box was in was filled with air packaging and the box was wrapped in bubble wrap - ott really.

Leave OCUK Alone! Prrfff :mad:

As for that 16ms vs 20ms artical - intresting, but a little out of date now, Although im sure most of it is still relivent. I would still go for a 16ms if I could.

[BirdofPrey]

yeah ive had bad expernces with ocuk delevering faulty parts, and then being a bitch and not taking them back, so my next door neighbour (trading standards bloke) had a few oppurtune words with them!

[tuBBymAN]

my cousin does that, always very handy to know! oh and Bird i want my CD back!!

[BirdofPrey]

lol forgot, email me ur address :)

[Blackstar]

Sorry, final question,

Is this one (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X3NwZWNpZmljYXRp b25z&product_uid=51564)from ebuyer, the one with DVI, i think it is, just not 100%

[BirdofPrey]

yeah and a vga input

[Wedgeh]

On the OCUK issue, I've had some problems with them... they still owe me some artic silver they promised would be delivered real soon :/

I personally really miss the overclockingstore, they were always great to me, and their free delivery was excellent, though I was probably the one causing them to go out of business ordering 8 rubber grommits in an order :)

[(KKND)Solid Snake]

Try this link to stop any more tft faq's but it might be abit out of date now http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?threadid=17209584

[BirdofPrey]

The words "Badass TFT recomendations" dont inspire confidence in me.

[tuBBymAN]

sounds like it was written by a 15 yr old to me lol