- Like Apples and Oranges
- Taking it to the Mat: LCD vs. CRT
- Entertain me
- To LCD or not to LCD: Is that a question?
Taking it to the Mat: LCD vs. CRT
So what are some of the pros and cons for LCDs?
LCD's pros include no flicker even at a 60 Hz refresh rate. My CRT flickered at anything under 85 Hz, and after a while I had to bump it up to 100 Hz to keep the "sparkles" away. LCDs also have far fewer geometry problems than CRTs. Most CRTs I've seen have wavy edges and distortion near the corners, while LCDs have a crisper picture and display sharper text. LCDs also have more uniform color and lighting across the display.
Of course, you also get a huge amount of screen real estate with an LCD. Even a 20.1" LCD has more screen area than a 21" or 22" CRT. Since replacing my CRT I've also regained my desktop real estate. The smaller bezel around most modern LCD displays allows for better dual monitor placement, with less gap between desktops. My particular model also has picture in picture, a 16:10 widescreen aspect display, is HD (high definition) ready, and can even be rotated 90 degrees.
There are some cons for purchasing LCDs too, though, including the fact that while CRTs handle any resolution gracefully, non-native resolutions look blocky and blurry on LCDs. There are other things you should consider too: you may need to purchase a new video card if you intend to run your LCD at its native resolution, especially with dual monitors. Also, you have to choose wisely, as some LCDs have a slow 25 millisecond response time, which isn't suitable for gaming or video playback. 19" LCDs have a native resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels, which may not be satisfactory for a monitor of that size. Finally, some LCDs don't display blacks or colors with the same depth or richness of CRTs. The 2405FPW holds its own when displaying colors, but I have to admit that it's not quite as good as my Sony was at displaying blacks and shadow areas.