Monitor recommendations?

[demalion]

I'm looking for a new monitor. If I could try them out side by side, I could probably be done with all this in half an hour. If I could find some comprehensive reviews of the models I'm considering, I'd feel more confident of making a selection...but monitor reviews are hard to find. Sure wish there was a storagereview equivalent for monitors.

Short of these options, I'll ask if anyone here has experience with any of these in particular. Comparisons of your experiences with different ones in the list would be especially helpful. Basically, if you have the time to offer an informed opinion on this, or other alternatives, I'd appreciate it if you'd share it.

Note: excluded Viewsonic because I don't like my current Viewsonic monitor so much, and I didn't note price advantage in the size range I'm looking at.

For brevity, all of these that I'm considering have some positive anecdotal commentary associated with them, and have the very best specifications in their class that I've been able to find. Some also have some extra features that I'm not looking for, but I could find use for, that I don't mention. My lists of points following each doesn't mean to indicate I'm not considering these things.

For reference, the highest paper spec of those listed is 390MHz bandwidth, 2048x1536@88Hz, 1600x1200@113Hz.

...

The Sony CPD-G520. As a cheaper, older, but very similar specification alternative, the CPD-G500.

• Price of the Sony brand name discourages me for the G520.
• A bit lower specifications than others that cost less (than the G520) new.
• Warranty for the G500 worries me, as I've only seen refurbished on price listings, as well as apparently lacking some new brightness and color features that might possibly be useful.

The Iiyama Visionmaster Pro 514 (Iiyama site).

• Best paper specs of all I've looked at, along with the richest set of features I'm not looking for, but could still use.
• Not listed as "flat", which is what I'm looking for. However, it is listed as using a Diamontron U2 tube, which is one that some flat monitors also list. They offer one "flat" model, but the specifications are lacking. Not sure about the whole picture on this one.
• Anecdotal report of not having the sharpest display.

The Samsung 1100DF.

• Good price.
• Anecdotal report of some lack of sharpness.
• Not quite as high specification as some others (tied with the Sony).
• Frustrated me by being my first find for a flat screen contender, but offering no option for a black case to match my computer.

The NEC/Mitsubishi FP2141SB. Seems to be the identical to the DP2070SB, with just a different emphasis on the brand name.

• Near perfect fit with what I set out to find.
• Steep price.

...

I'm leaning a bit towards a NEC/Mitsubishi model, at the moment.

Any comments?

 

[Captain Chickenpants]

Diamondtron is the Iiyama version of Trinitron (which I think is copyright of Sony) and should be a flatscreen (I THINK!)

I use a Visionmaster Pro 512 at work, and a 452 at home, and have always been quite happy with them. It may also be worth looking at what warranties they have, As I had a Viewsonic P817 at work which died within it's warrantly period (which was 3 years), and they took it back and fixed/replaced it.

I suspect that at the specification you are looking at that most of the monitors here will be fine. If you can see them in action before buying then all the better!

CC

 

[demalion]

The 514 situation is just so odd...

They list the 513 as a "flat DIAMONDTRON NF CRT" :
22" (55 cm) DIAMONDTRON NF-CRT, High-Contrast, Dynamic Focus, Dual Focus Gun, Anti-Reflect and Anti-Static Coating (ARASC)

They list the 514 as a "a new high-brightness tube with an ultra-fine 0.24 mm aperture grille" :
22" (55 cm) Diamondtron U2-CRT, High-Contrast, Dynamic Focus, Dual Focus Gun, Anti-Reflect and Anti-Static Coating (ARASC)


Further oddity:
"googling" on "Diamondtron U2" turns up many Russian sites with flat screen Mitsubishi monitors, the one of the same dimensions being being the alter ego of my current "picke", the DiamondPro 2070SB.

I don't see why the same tube designation would be used for different types of tubes. OTOH, I can't confirm the tube designation for the 2070SB at the necmitsubishi website.

If the several russian site U2 search result (like this one) are not in error:
This leaves me wondering whether there is some criteria Iiyama has for "flat" that no one else is applying, or if there is some really strange deal that doesn't let them call it flat or mention Diamontron outside of the spec sheet for this particular model. I'd expect them to take the marketing opportunity of badging it "flat" if they could.

Alternatively, all those sites could have gotten it wrong. Either way, strange stuff.

I could swear that some discussion I read at somewhere touched on something like this, but I can't recall where (searches in a few places have turned up empty, and Rage3D is down atm).

 

[Captain Chickenpants]

It does seem odd that they don't mention it being flat if it is. On the other hand the 513 is near flat, so perhaps at the larger screen size it is just that little bit more curved that they can't call it flat.

You could try e-mailing them, they seem quite responsive. I e-mailed them a few years back to ask for a load of monitor specs, and got them sent in the post a few days later.

Good luck!

CC

 

[horvendile]

I've been on the lookout for an iiyama vision master pro 514 myself, and I talked to them (iiyama) about it. They said it was flat, as does their site. Try www.iiyama.se (which is in English and will send you to the Dutch site, I believe).

CRT Type 100% Flat

 

[sir doris]

DiamondTron is Mitsubishi's screen technology, and iiyama use Mitsubishi Screens. My Bro has a Pro 450 (19") and it's a great monitor. I'm sure NF stands for "Natural Flat", which is a totally flat screen.

 

[davefb]

The 514 tube seems to be "better" so i'd assume it's as flat as the NF ones, it certainly LOOKS as flat in the online images.. And they are very flat. i've just got a 2nd hand 19inch which is kinda an upgrade from my NearFlat 17inch iiyama vmpro410...... well it IS but it's also a flipping goldfish bowl ..

I'd always recommened iiyama's... though i suppose i've only compared with cheap monitors at work...

-dave-
oh and i agree with chickenpants.. check the warrenty details.. iiirc iiyama swap out.. ie they send you a new (refurbished!) monitor and take your's away.. A collegue once had to send his monitor back first,,, from manchester to london via courier ( to be refunded) , a guy with a bike turned up DOH!

 

[Captain Chickenpants]

a guy with a bike turned up DOH!

ROFL!

 

[demalion]

Thanks everyone! The Iiyama 514 seems to be pretty much my definitive choice. I'm going to get in contact with them to touch bases on a few things, and wait to buy it with the rest of the things to "finish" my computer upgrade.

I guess I'll just have to learn to live with the tacky color.

In the event of problems, I do hope bike serviced warranty pickup is precluded by my being on this side of the Atlantic...

 

[horvendile]

The Iiyama 514 seems to be pretty much my definitive choice.

Yay! Please report your experience with it when you have used it a little while, I'm probably going for one myself when I have accumulated enough cash (Provided that I don't sooner than that need an emergency replacement for my slowly decaying 17", something that is not all to improbable.).

 

[Dio]

Yeah, we standardised here on Iiyama for CRT in about 1997, and I've never been disappointed in either quality or price. I sit behind a Pro 510 right now, the other lads have Pro 512s and I also have a Pro 454 on the other office machine.

AFAIK the Pro 514 is to the Pro 512 what the 454 is to the 452, i.e. virtually the same with the high-brightness tube.

Another major plus point for Iiyama is their absolutely flawless 3yr warranty and repair procedure. Bang-flash -> ring Iiyama -> replacement monitor arrives following day. The first time they returned one (a 17") they'd upgraded it from 12x10 to 16x12 . We've had two or three fails I think, not too bad from about 20 monitors.

 

[Mariner]

I've been using a Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 2020u for a few years at work and I've got no complaints about it. This uses the Diamondtron NF totally flat screen and I expect all the new Mitsubishi/Iiyama screens use a more advanced version of this.

On the other hand, I've been using TFTs at home for over a year now and they are much sharper than CRTs - I do notice the difference quite a bit although, of course, colour fidelity is better on most CRTs.

FYI, if I remember correctly, the difference between Trinitron and Diamondtron is that Trinitron uses just one electron gun, whereas Diamondtron uses one each for RGB.

 

[demalion]

Even more good info!

And I'll make sure to pop back in to report on my impressions when I get it.

 

[PiNkY]

I'd discourage you going for the Sony. I used said model for a year and wasen't particularly happy with it (i had a 19" iiyama before and it was just a step back in most regards (sharpness & geometry...)). I might just have got an unlucky model tho.., but there are other things about that crt I disliked: Its too bulky, its joystick controls and osd layout plain suck, and it doesn't offer composite input (still a big no at the high video frequencies you'll be using it at).

 

[demalion]

OK, I received the monitor, and am starting to test it out a bit.

I'm already impressed with a marked and immediate improvement in brightness and sharpness, out of the box. Calibration to follow after I've evaluated exactly how bad my previous monitor had gotten.

This is in the "Text" mode (the lowest contrast ratio). I don't like Picture or Movie mode much. Before adjustments: "Picture" is a bit painful, and loses a bit of crispness for black on white at the 1600x1200 I'm experimenting with now, and "Movie" has so much ghosting it looks like a bad TV, though it isn't meant for desktop display (to put it mildly).

And, yes, it is quite decidely "flat".

 

[horvendile]

Interesting!
Are you comfortable with 16x12 on the 22"? Is 20x15 even nearly usable?
And, for reference, how big was your old monitor and which resolution did you use there?
(I have a friend who uses something like 800x600 on his 19" even though I've told him it's immoral, so obviously we are not all comfortable with the same amount of eye-squinting / moving windows around ratio )

 

[demalion]

I'm comfortable with the clarity at 1600x1200 (more defined signal than 1280x1024 on my old one), so I'd probably like it with some font size adjustments. Of course, the refresh rate is improved as well, though 60 Hz looks worse (this might be subjective, or it might be shorter persistence for contrast and clarity properties...or it might just be the increased brightness)

I had a 19" Viewsonic E-90.

Another comment:
I do note that reboot (low resolution) resynchronizations are much "noisier" on this model. Switches from within the OS are silent so far, however...it seems to get noisier as the resolution lowers. I believe 1280x and up are completely silent...anything lower has a quiet click, down to 800x600...below that is where I guess the "noisy" switching occurs.

 

[Dio]

I find the same with the image modes. Text is by far the most useful for desktop etc. work.

I find the 454 is quite slow to resync on resolution and refresh changes sometimes. I rarely get to see the boot screen, for example

 

[Sxotty]

Well I have a sony trinitron, but it is labled a compaq p110, it is older but looks nice is a 21", and the max res is some weird number like 1840x1400. I would reccomend you look into buying a dell/compaq/hp/IBM trinitron that they have as surplus b/c then you don't pay for the sony name. It is worth a shot and saves tons of money. Dell sells them sometimes direct from their site, but I just checked and it looks like they may have switched to a samsung monitor...