"Monitor for under Ł200 for 360 and work PC"

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brockenheimer 17 Dec '08 14:30:40	Couldn't find an appropriate existing thread for this so here goes.. I want a 22-24" widescreen monitor to share between my 360 and my work laptop (will mostly be working from home soon). Don't really want to spend over Ł200, much less would be better if it'll get me a decent enough screen. How important is the response time? Ie. is there a noticeable difference between 2ms and 5ms? I don't think I need to go slower than 5ms for my budget. And relative to that, how important is the contrast ratio? Anything else to bear in mind? And finally, anyone seen any bargains recently that would fit the above? Cheers! send message \| log in to reply!
Dirtbox 17 Dec '08 14:32:50	Get one of Dabs' value monitors. Cheap as hell and excellent. here Edited by Dirtbox at 14:36:00 17-12-2008 send message \| log in to reply!
brockenheimer 17 Dec '08 14:36:09	This any good for Ł155? Contrast ratio only 1000:1 though - is that bad or reasonable? send message \| log in to reply!
brockenheimer 17 Dec '08 14:38:44	Dirtbox wrote: Get one of Dabs' value monitors. Cheap as hell and excellent. here Cheers, that is a good price. Specs are thin on the ground though! Eg. no mention of contrast ratio. Also 6ms - is that going to be noticeable? send message \| log in to reply!
Dirtbox 17 Dec '08 14:40:38	No, 6ms isn't noticable and contrast ratio is the same as the dell one iirc. There's also this LG one. Edited by Dirtbox at 14:41:04 17-12-2008 send message \| log in to reply!
kestral 17 Dec '08 14:40:54	Ł135 22 inch samsung vga/dvi: Samsung SM2243BW 22" TFT Monitor 1680x 8000:1 300cd/m2 5ms Response H/Adjust VGA/DVI Silver 3 Years On-Site Warranty Edited by kestral at 14:42:09 17-12-2008 send message \| log in to reply!
brockenheimer 17 Dec '08 14:45:19	So unless you're a real stickler for perfection, it's not worth paying the extra for 2ms response time then? send message \| log in to reply!
brockenheimer 17 Dec '08 14:45:21	Post deleted by brockenheimer on 14:45:24 17-12-2008 send message \| log in to reply!
mmmmmm 17 Dec '08 14:47:27	Response time does not mean input lag; it means the amount of time a pixel takes to go from black to white to black again. I dunno what a lower response time actually makes a difference to, though. send message \| log in to reply!
kestral 17 Dec '08 14:49:03	quick calculation: 5ms responsetime allows for 200 responses per second do you need any more? http://www.overclock.net/faqs/94872-info-explanation-lcd-... for loads of info on subject. Quick summary: responsetimes given are black/white change but grey response is much more useful for gaming but are rarely given in specifications. IMHO anything lower than 8ms should be fine Edited by kestral at 14:50:57 17-12-2008 send message \| log in to reply!
brockenheimer 17 Dec '08 15:01:14	Great, thanks. OK, so the difference between 1000:1 contrast ratio and 8000:1 - worth paying for? send message \| log in to reply!
HarryB 17 Dec '08 15:17:28	just make sure you are comparing like for like specs i.e. not comparing an actual contrast ratio to a dynamic contrast ratio... be careful. send message \| log in to reply!
Dirtbox 17 Dec '08 15:22:08	brockenheimer wrote: Great, thanks. OK, so the difference between 1000:1 contrast ratio and 8000:1 - worth paying for? You can always look it up yourself, but it's the ratio between black and white. The higher the ratio, the crisper the image, although anything over 1000 is apples. send message \| log in to reply!
kestral 17 Dec '08 15:23:00	yeah the samsung i linked to says this in the ebuyer specs (although it's always worth looking up the specs at the manufacterer website to avoid errors): Contrast Ratio: DC 8000:1 (1000:1) (Typ.) so 8000 dynamic, 1000 not-dynamic. whatever it is, the 20inch version that I have can act as a wall lamp in a dark room lol send message \| log in to reply!
brockenheimer 17 Dec '08 15:24:02	Could you explain the difference HarryB? Which would this be: Contrast Ratio 10000:1 DFC (Original 700:1) (from this LG, which looks pretty good for Ł145 to me?) send message \| log in to reply!
sanctusmortis 17 Dec '08 15:35:04	24" for under Ł200 with great spec 5ms, 3000:1, 1920x1200 (so fully capable of full-on 1080p). If you're wanting to see how big you can go for Ł200, I would suggest it as a start for looking. send message \| log in to reply!
brockenheimer 17 Dec '08 15:42:53	Good spec definitely (but now I'm all confused about contrast ratio!). But is Acer a decent make? I would have thought Samsung or LG would be a safer bet..? send message \| log in to reply!
Dirtbox 17 Dec '08 15:45:32	Acer is fine. The Dell you linked is the best screen on the page. send message \| log in to reply!
sanctusmortis 17 Dec '08 15:59:10	Acer are a damn fine make these days. I have to say, the Dell for the money's excellent. send message \| log in to reply!
brockenheimer 17 Dec '08 16:06:45	\o/ I win! Er, except I was on the verge of ordering kestral's 22" Samsung. Doh. Especially as it would have arrived tomorrow. Oh the impatience, do Dell deliver quickly in people's experience? Says "usually ships in 24-48 hours"... send message \| log in to reply!
Dirtbox 17 Dec '08 16:07:47	To be perfectly frank, Samsung aren't any better than LG or Acer since they're the same screen. send message \| log in to reply!
merkdot 17 Dec '08 16:08:45	I've used one Samsung and it was shit. "Movie Plus" is cancerous. send message \| log in to reply!
urban 17 Dec '08 16:30:37	SAMSUNGWILLRULETHEWORLD send message \| log in to reply!
brockenheimer 17 Dec '08 16:32:45	Just ordered the Dell. Thanks folks! Now, what's this DVI lark? Will it be best to connect the 360 via VGA or HDMI (if that's even possible, what do I know)? send message \| log in to reply!
sanctusmortis 17 Dec '08 17:15:53	DVI is just a convertor away from HDMI. Use that, and buy a DVI-HDMI cable (there are sound issues with non-official 360 HDMI cables apparently, but hey - the monitor doesn't HAVE speakers anyhow). send message \| log in to reply!
daz_john_smith 17 Dec '08 18:15:23	I must say that Dell looks very nice, and at Ł156 that seems like a pretty good price. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it it when you've had a chance to test it brockenheimer. brockenheimer wrote: Now, what's this DVI lark? Will it be best to connect the 360 via VGA or HDMI (if that's even possible, what do I know)? The Dell monitor doesn't appear to support HDMI, so you'd have to buy a HDMI to DVI converter to use your 360's HDMI output. I'm not 100% and hopefully someone else can give better and more knowledgable advice, but I'd think using the XBox VGA cable and hooking directly to the monitor without using a converter would be the best option and would also allow you to pick the best resolution to suit the monitor. sanctusmortis wrote: DVI is just a convertor away from HDMI. Use that, and buy a DVI-HDMI cable (there are sound issues with non-official 360 HDMI cables apparently, but hey - the monitor doesn't HAVE speakers anyhow). Is it better to covert to DVI, rather than use VGA? What about if you don't have HDMI on your XBox? Edited by daz_john_smith at 18:32:53 17-12-2008 send message \| log in to reply!
brockenheimer 18 Dec '08 09:58:24	Will do daz, if I remember - although Dell's website says the monitor usually ships within 24-48 hours, my estimated delivery date is on or before 9th Jan :-/ My limited understanding is that as the monitor supports true 1080p, it might be better to go the digital route ie. HDMI/DVI. Can anyone confirm this? Also I'll have the laptop connected via VGA so it'll save swapping the connections round all the time. Which leaves me the issue of sound. I have the AX360 headphones which connect to the optical out on the component/composite cable - but I understand that MS have kindly engineered it such that you can't fit in both the HDMI cable and component at the same time, so I might have to butcher it somewhat. Does anyone know if I have an alternative? Eg. Can you get a cable which is HDMI --> DVI + red and white audio cables? send message \| log in to reply!
THFourteen 18 Dec '08 10:00:50	for about 250 you can pick up a samsung 24" monitor with dual inputs. i use that for my PC and 360 when i can't get on the tele! send message \| log in to reply!
brockenheimer 18 Dec '08 10:05:20	Yeah the one I've ordered has dual inputs. I'm wondering if a) HDMI-DVI is the better bet for my 360, and b) what the sound options are for that route. send message \| log in to reply!
Bad Devotions 18 Dec '08 10:16:54	I have a Samsung 226bw and it's extremely good. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000MRVBF4/70007... i work from home 3 days a week so need something pin sharp and as it has dual inputs I can also plug my 360 into it and run at 1680x1050 which looks amazing! send message \| log in to reply!