LCD vs CRT Pros and Cons

[Hazaro]

Eh... I have to post this since I'm going to be getting a 8800 soon.
Here's what I've come up with so far.

CRT:

Pros:
Cheaper
Higher res
Faster refresh rate
Can be calibrated

Cons:
Heavy
High power consumption
Noise
Big

LCD:

Pros:
Thin
Light
Low Power consumption

Cons:
More expensive
Lower res/price
Less calibration available
Ghosting
Dead pixels

Size, weight and power draw aren't an issue for me.

I'm running a 1280x1024 17" 8ms LCD right now, and am wondering what many people though of this because my friend is always saying that CRT is better than LCD (He has a CRT monitor and a CRT HDTV[accepts 720p]).

Cheers. :beer:

[Thund3rball]

All comes down to preference. You already know the arguments for both sides. I don't agree that you get "higher" resolution from a CRT. Laptops can have 1920x1200 on a 17" screen. I agree that CRTs can look "crisper".

I do design work on both LCD & CRT. Dual 21" Lacie CRTs @ work (1600x1200 each) and a 20" 2007WFP LCD @ home (1680x1050). I prefer the LCD for size, weight, power. But yes, the CRTs are slightly crisper. But not enough that it matters to me or my clients. If work would buy me a 24"+ LCD, I'd rather have that than the 2 CRTs.

Also, you can calibrate LCDs very well. But you need to buy a good LCD.

Gaming on a good LCD looks fantastic. In all honesty, I am not going back to CRT, at least not under the conditions I am using monitors right now.

[RollingThunder]

Eh... I have to post this since I'm going to be getting a 8800 soon.
Here's what I've come up with so far.

CRT:

Pros:
Cheaper
Higher res
Faster refresh rate
Can be calibrated

Cons:
Heavy
High power consumption
Noise
Big

LCD:

Pros:
Thin
Light
Low Power consumption

Cons:
More expensive
Lower res/price
Less calibration available
Ghosting

Size, weight and power draw aren't an issue for me.

I'm running a 1280x1024 17" 8ms LCD right now, and am wondering what many people though of this because my friend is always saying that CRT is better than LCD (He has a CRT monitor and a CRT HDTV[accepts 720p]).

Cheers. :beer:

Hazaro,

I went through the same thing this year. I used CRTs the whole time but they were only 17." It was time to upgrade and I had some of the same thoughts you did. I was shaky the whole time wondering if I'm gonna be sorry with an LCD.

For the most part, I agree with Thunderball, he has been a big help along with the other guys here when I was shopping, but the 17" CRTs I have (had) don't match up to this Dell for crispness or in any other way.

What really turned me off on CRTs was the size and weight of a good 20-21 CRT, they are monsters so I tread easy and bought my first LCD: NEC 90GX2 19, lower end NEC but nice. Pretty good!! I was nearly sold 100% but not quite so I bought this Dell 2007fp from many recommendations here and baby, it's all over! No more CRTs, this Dell rocks!

The Dell is better than the NEC, at least this model NEC. I've seen higher end NECs and WOW!

The text on the Dell is better than any CRT I have ever owned, I'm not a gamer so I keep quiet on that, and there ain't no ghosting on this Dell at all!

However, I would suggest to buy a good LCD and I'm not gonna hurt anyone's feelings by saying what I think is junk from what I have seen. Spend the bucks on a better than average LCD and baby, there ain't no lookin' back! If you get a good one, man, you'll say "What what I thinking?" I'm still convinced you get what you pay for.

[Hazaro]

$450? That's what everyone has been spending on those!? Geez and even with a 16 ms response time? I'm running 8ms now... As for resolution I meant per dollar. $350 for a 1600x1200 LCD for a $200 18" 1600x1200 CRT. While the LCD has lower response time and is much more expensive.

As thunderball said, the CRT is slightly crisper, and since he compares them about the same, the CRT is way cheaper. Money is an issue for me.

*edit
I'm stupid. I have a Sony 19" multiscan g410 I have had lying on the floor for 3 months. I'm going to stick it in.
Now lets see if I can hook up dual monitors...

[BossBorot]

$450? That's what everyone has been spending on those!? Geez and even with a 16 ms response time? I'm running 8ms now... As for resolution I meant per dollar. $350 for a 1600x1200 LCD for a $200 18" 1600x1200 CRT. While the LCD has lower response time and is much more expensive.

As thunderball said, the CRT is slightly crisper, and since he compares them about the same, the CRT is way cheaper. Money is an issue for me.

*edit
I'm stupid. I have a Sony 19" multiscan g410 I have had lying on the floor for 3 months. I'm going to stick it in.
Now lets see if I can hook up dual monitors...

dell measures responce time differently then most other companies. Basically a 16ms dell monitor is about the same as an 8ms display from another company.

IMHO each has its own place. Some favor crt others lcd just get what you think would serve your needs best.

I personally have an LCD for browsing, writing papers, etc; and just got a 93 pound FW900 24" trinitron for $235 that I use for all my gaming and movie needs.

[Neuromancer]

I run both on a single computer a 19" flat screen CRT (1600x1200 with 85Hz refresh) and a 1680x1050 HDCP capable widescreen LCD...)

For gaming... I take the LCD.. its wide and if you arent staring at the CRT you dont notice its not as bright (i Turned dow nteh brightness of my CRT to equal them out...)

For watching videos... it depends.. if its widesdcren I throw it on the LCD if its SDTV I prefer watching it on the CRT the colors are better and the picture is clearer...

Gaming wise, I have heard the arguments about ghosting and stuff I have a 5ms (not GTG) monitor so I havent had a problem, or I just dont notice it.. one or the other.. unless you are uber picky I would say LCD the less desk space alone is worth it.. for gerneal PC usage the LCD wins for watching video... it depends.. if you have black bars on the video go CRT there is no BLACK on a lcd....

EDIT: If you dont actually physically power down your monitor the LCD is not more eneergy efficient... the LCD drops to 50% consumption at idle the CRT drops to 5%

That may have changed... but regardless I turn mine OFF when not using them

[Hazaro]

Ok so I hooked up the g410 and it has a res. of 1920x1440 (fix?). Everything on it is pretty damn small. It had a greenish tint, but I ran simple gamma fox for that. The problem now is to figure out how to make the dual screens work properly and compare them! The LCD is sharper by far, but the CRT is huge. I'll see.

Anyone got any good dual monitor guides? I just need simple things like this on goes on the left and windows bar goes over here...

[EmAn]

just set it up through you nvidia utilieties it is very simple imho


lcd>crt's i love lcd's and i will NEVER go back


but you forgot one problem with lcd's...

take a guess...
.
..
...
....
.....
......
.......
........
.........
..........
.........
........
.......
......
.....
....
...
..
.
dead pixels!!!!!!!!

[Hazaro]

Well I switched them around, but the icons are still way too small... and it makes the ones on the LCD bigger when I set the size bigger.

In all of the 4 various LCD's I have not one of them has a dead pixel, so I guess it slipped my mind.

Looking back, what's the real practical point of having a higher resolution, what now currently needs something like this if it just squeezes it into a 18" screen. It just makes everything tiny.

Everything is like 5 point font. :(

[RollingThunder]

$450? That's what everyone has been spending on those!? Geez and even with a 16 ms response time? I'm running 8ms now... As for resolution I meant per dollar. $350 for a 1600x1200 LCD for a $200 18" 1600x1200 CRT. While the LCD has lower response time and is much more expensive.

As thunderball said, the CRT is slightly crisper, and since he compares them about the same, the CRT is way cheaper. Money is an issue for me.

*edit
I'm stupid. I have a Sony 19" multiscan g410 I have had lying on the floor for 3 months. I'm going to stick it in.
Now lets see if I can hook up dual monitors...

Hazaro,

I bought my Dell from their "reburbished" site: $309 delivered to my home. No dead pixels, no damage, full 3 yr warranty, it's perfect. I wasn't paying $450 either. WFP is even cheaper by $20.

They aren't "used" or repaired, read Dell's rules on them, helluva bargain.

I had an IBM, MAG and a Dell (Sony) 17" CRTs. This Dell 2007fp LCD puts them all to shame. I kept the Dell CRT as a backup, the other two are recycled!

[imposter]

Sony FD tubing guys, I have yet to see a monitor that compares to the color of my P1130. yes this thing is huge and takes 1/2 my desk it was 183 bucks and well worth every penny my dad paid =) ( i have yet to pay him back :D)

[Neuromancer]

When you go into a higher resultion you are cramming more pixels into the same amount of screen real esatae.

So you desktop icons and such are going to get smaller

there are tweaks you can do to make them larger (like 96x96 pixs or even larger) for instance if you set you task bar to "unlocked" and right click exactly on the slider between hte start button and the quick launch it brings up a mneu select view "large icons" and pow you quick launch icons are larger..

too many prgroams to list to do this in XP for everything else

look for any tweak XP prgorams and you will find it...

or run a lower resolution if your eyes are that bad
i run 1680x1050 and read the text and fonts fine at 4' away and use my monitor for video at 12'

[Thund3rball]

For gaming... I take the LCD.. its wide and if you arent staring at the CRT you dont notice its not as bright (i Turned dow nteh brightness of my CRT to equal them out...)

Are you sure? LCDs offer twice the brightness of a CRT, hands down. That's one reason why they are not liked by print designers and prepress techs. You will NEVER get the same vibrant image on paper as you see on a LCD. Maybe you mean contrast?

if you have black bars on the video go CRT there is no BLACK on a lcd....

On a good LCD that has been calibrated properly, black IS black. Like anything, you get what you pay for and some adjustment can make a big difference.

dell measures responce time differently then most other companies. Basically a 16ms dell monitor is about the same as an 8ms display from another company.

Yup. I believe Dell measures gray to gray. Where a 2ms response time by other manufacturers is simply black to white (or vice versa). An 8ms response time is probably black to white to black.

Well I switched them around, but the icons are still way too small... and it makes the ones on the LCD bigger when I set the size bigger.

In all of the 4 various LCD's I have not one of them has a dead pixel, so I guess it slipped my mind.

Looking back, what's the real practical point of having a higher resolution, what now currently needs something like this if it just squeezes it into a 18" screen. It just makes everything tiny.

Everything is like 5 point font.

At 1680x1050 my icons are perfect. I can read websites with 10px fonts np from ~2 feet away from my monitor, which is where I sit usually. Preference I guess? MAke sure you run the ClearType tuner to sharpen those fonts. Get it here >> http://www.microsoft.com/typography/ClearType/tuner/Step1.aspx

[BossBorot]

running 1920x1440 is not really a good idea on a monitor that size the pixel pitch would be so small it would strain most peoples eyes. There is no reason to run that res outside of games on that size monitor.

[imposter]

Are you sure? LCDs offer twice the brightness of a CRT, hands down. That's one reason why they are not liked by print designers and prepress techs. You will NEVER get the same vibrant image on paper as you see on a LCD. Maybe you mean contrast?



On a good LCD that has been calibrated properly, black IS black. Like anything, you get what you pay for and some adjustment can make a big difference.



Yup. I believe Dell measures gray to gray. Where a 2ms response time by other manufacturers is simply black to white (or vice versa). An 8ms response time is probably black to white to black.



At 1680x1050 my icons are perfect. I can read websites with 10px fonts np from ~2 feet away from my monitor, which is where I sit usually. Preference I guess? MAke sure you run the ClearType tuner to sharpen those fonts. Get it here >> http://www.microsoft.com/typography/ClearType/tuner/Step1.aspx
See for better response time, color, contrast, you have to sacrifice color quality. that is why for gaming a prefer my CRT. Though in terms of movies, i would surely get a LCD, I am thinking about either a 24 incher or 2x22" m

[Thund3rball]

See for better response time, color, contrast, you have to sacrifice color quality. that is why for gaming a prefer my CRT. Though in terms of movies, i would surely get a LCD, I am thinking about either a 24 incher or 2x22" m

Yes LCDs can require a bigger investment in money and even time to get the best colour and contrast. Response time is a non-issue in my book. Vague reporting by manufacturers means nothing to me. Never had a ghosting issue on my 16ms Dell while gaming. It's hype aimed at gamers who might not know better. I would prefer if manufacturers would focus on colour reproduction rather than response times.

I can't argue that CRTs can produce a crisper image. And a cheap LCD vs. a cheap CRT you will probably get more accurate colour & better contrast out of the CRT. But you can get a fantastic 20" refurb from Dell w/3 year warranty for an awesome deal. See RollingThunder's post. So why have an ugly behemoth on a desk when you can have sleek & sexy ;)

[imposter]

Hey, everyone has their own opinions, sorta like intel vs amd type thing heh. What ever works for you is the bottom line.

[Hazaro]

Well I think I got it figured out anyway, having ability to switch screens is very nice.

I have to switch my monitors around and clear off my entire desk now, but it's been long due for that. I like the colors more on the CRT, it's a nice warmer color and easier to watch video on.

As for gaming I blasted Oblivion at 1920x1440 with everything at max, and was able to stare at the pretty outside world and get my 1 fps. I'll set the monitors on clone and run some WC3, Farcry and such. Does displaying 2 separate screen cost a lot more GPU, CPU usage? What about "clone" mode where it's the same image?

Either way I have an extra screen and that's awesome! I just need a stand (more like plywood) for my LCD because it's 2 inches shorter :mad:

[sjvarley]

People actually buy a crt on purpose?

[MadMan007]

Hazaro,

I bought my Dell from their "reburbished" site: $309 delivered to my home. No dead pixels, no damage, full 3 yr warranty, it's perfect. I wasn't paying $450 either. WFP is even cheaper by $20.

They aren't "used" or repaired, read Dell's rules on them, helluva bargain.

I had an IBM, MAG and a Dell (Sony) 17" CRTs. This Dell 2007fp LCD puts them all to shame. I kept the Dell CRT as a backup, the other two are recycled!

You should verify the warranty as printed on your packing slip, it is listed as a line item in the itemized portion section. There was some confusion in another thread because even though the Dell Outlet monitor page (http://www.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/monitor?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh) clearly states 'All Refurbished Dell monitors come with a 90 day warranty' over on the right, on other pages for warranty information it's a bit muddled because it doesn't always specify refurb vs new. I think it would be good to verify this in order to prevent spreading any incorrect information.

[Procharger]

I think an LCDs screen is much more vibrant than my 19" inch CRT and would use either of my LCDs (22" ACER and 19" Samsung non-widescreen) over it for anything especially gaming...I've never noticed ghosting on either and do know what it looks like (yes I do play fps games, BF2, Fear etc).


Also I think you left out one. You can't buy CRTs in widescreen or if you can I haven't noticed any.

[RollingThunder]

You should verify the warranty as printed on your packing slip, it is listed as a line item in the itemized portion section. There was some confusion in another thread because even though the Dell Outlet monitor page (http://www.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/monitor?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh) clearly states 'All Refurbished Dell monitors come with a 90 day warranty' over on the right, on other pages for warranty information it's a bit muddled because it doesn't always specify refurb vs new. I think it would be good to verify this in order to prevent spreading any incorrect information.

Mad,

Absolutely nothing on the invoice or packing slip so I called them: "90 days on refurbished."

My apologies to all for bad information... :( but it still rocks!

[Scott9027]

I think the resolution thing is personal preference, and you should try it before you decide. I have a 15" laptop with 1920x1200 resolution and it doesn't bother me at all, I love it.

[terran2k]

Im done with CRTs, for PC and TVs. I wish SEDs would come out already, but I haven't heard anything about them so LCDs for me...for now

[Neuromancer]

Also I think you left out one. You can't buy CRTs in widescreen or if you can I haven't noticed any.

I beleive its sony that makes a 24" widescreen crt computer monitor.

Also there are Widescreen TVs that still use CRT.

[BossBorot]

yup Im running a widescreen CRT right now. I have the Sony 16:10 GDM-FW900 24" trinitron. It has a max res of 2304x1440 and comfortably runs 1920x1200 at 98hz. I got mine for $235 the only negative is that the thing weighs 93 pounds.

BTW both HP and Sun have rebranded forms of this same monitor. There is an active 154 page thread on this monitor over at [H]. It also has both BNC and vga connectors that you can easily use to connect any console with the right cables from monoprice (these cables cost less then 10bucks). Also unlike lcds it runs non natives resolutions very well which helps for running consoles with good picture quality.

[Hazaro]

Question... If I run my PS3 into my LCD TV, then output the S-video cable from the LCD into my 7900GS, can I make it show on my CRT? I got a 1080p game and HAVE to see it.

[Thund3rball]

Isn't the s-video on your GFCX card output only?

[Hazaro]

I have no idea.

[Thund3rball]

I have no idea.

I'm pretty sure it is ;)

I've gotta jet now but I'll look into this later and see if I can find a solution. It will probably require getting some kind of splitter and/or adaptor(s).

[Hazaro]

Oh, then don't bother. I was just wondering so I could hook it up and check it out.

[Thund3rball]

Oh, then don't bother. I was just wondering so I could hook it up and check it out.

okee doke

[JRW]

I own both a 24" Sony GDM-FW900 CRT and NEC 20WMGX2 LCD , While the LCD is brighter and slightly crisper the CRT has a much nicer overall picture with all other aspects considered especially when watching movies, the CRTs wider color gamut and MUCH better black levels comes through in a lot of scenes, The one major gripe Ive always had with LCDs is poor black levels, I dont care what anyone says there's not a single LCD on the planet that can get to a TRUE black like a CRT (its just not possible thanks to lcd's back lighting) Especially noticeable when comparing them at night time or in a darker room (I took this comparison pic here (http://ded.zenblue.net/crt_left_lcd_right_blacktest.jpg) and had the LCDs brightness control set at ZERO, LCD on the right)

Ive also always liked the ability to change resolutions without sacrificing image quality with CRTs, for example I recently installed Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia and run it at 1152x720 (16:10 aspect) with all gfx options enabled and it runs & looks great. This particular resolution looks awful on the LCD.

Then there's the motion blur, the NEC is pretty good about not having any blur but its still not nearly as fluid vs. my CRT especially when comparing a game running at a solid 60fps.

My LCD has a dead pixel in the bottom right corner but its hardly noticable, (another downer with owning an LCD) luckily the backlighting is fairly even on mine except for a very small patch in the left side.

Anyhow I basically use the CRT for movies & gaming and the LCD for web browsing (sometimes) although im thinking about selling the LCD soon.

edit: its also worth noting that ive calibrated my crt & adjusted the geometry & convergence through software which allows for much finer adjustments, for example with it you can adjust the convergence in a 128 differant areas of the screen (its basically PERFECT) , I did this by using a sony data service cable plugged into the monitor & PC (serial cable) & sony software called "WinDAS" , Although the CRT is nearly 6 years old now you would not be able to tell by looking at it ;)

[Neuromancer]

Yah there is a similar picture about the black levels with the new type of flat panel technolgy they were discussing. Its supposed to use a light gun, much like CRT, so that true black can be represented (no light shining when you want black) It was months ago so I doubt I could find it now..

[Thund3rball]

I own both a 24" Sony GDM-FW900 CRT and NEC 20WMGX2 LCD , While the LCD is brighter and slightly crisper the CRT has a much nicer overall picture with all other aspects considered especially when watching movies, the CRTs wider color gamut and MUCH better black levels comes through in a lot of scenes, The one major gripe Ive always had with LCDs is poor black levels, I dont care what anyone says there's not a single LCD on the planet that can get to a TRUE black like a CRT (its just not possible thanks to lcd's back lighting) Especially noticeable when comparing them at night time or in a darker room (I took this comparison pic here (http://ded.zenblue.net/crt_left_lcd_right_blacktest.jpg) and had the LCDs brightness control set at ZERO, LCD on the right)

Ive also always liked the ability to change resolutions without sacrificing image quality with CRTs, for example I recently installed Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia and run it at 1152x720 (16:10 aspect) with all gfx options enabled and it runs & looks great. This particular resolution looks awful on the LCD.

Then there's the motion blur, the NEC is pretty good about not having any blur but its still not nearly as fluid vs. my CRT especially when comparing a game running at a solid 60fps.

My LCD has a dead pixel in the bottom right corner but its hardly noticable, (another downer with owning an LCD) luckily the backlighting is fairly even on mine except for a very small patch in the left side.

Anyhow I basically use the CRT for movies & gaming and the LCD for web browsing (sometimes) although im thinking about selling the LCD soon.

edit: its also worth noting that ive calibrated my crt & adjusted the geometry & convergence through software which allows for much finer adjustments, for example with it you can adjust the convergence in a 128 differant areas of the screen (its basically PERFECT) , I did this by using a sony data service cable plugged into the monitor & PC (serial cable) & sony software called "WinDAS" , Although the CRT is nearly 6 years old now you would not be able to tell by looking at it ;)

Good post JRW.

You present all the arguments for CRT very well. Yes there are some drawbacks to LCDs. But there are drawbacks to CRTs too. Mainly, they are huge behemoths that generate a s**t load of heat and weigh a ton. Colour can shift across a CRT screen just like an LCD. Yes blacks can get squished and backlight bleeding is an issue but a good LCD will make all the difference in the world compared to a cheap one.

All comes down to your priorities. If you are a super pixel junkie that has to have the best of the best without compromise and are willing to sacrifice space (and your back carrying it in from the car) get a nice CRT. If you have the budget and like the idea of a clear bright image with excellent colour and contrast while saving space, your back and keeping your work area cooler... get an LCD :D

[Hazaro]

My LCD is hotter than my CRT, at least in places I can touch them...
The next thing I'm going to do is calibrate the CRT somehow.

[JRW]

Good post JRW.

You present all the arguments for CRT very well. Yes there are some drawbacks to LCDs. But there are drawbacks to CRTs too. Mainly, they are huge behemoths that generate a s**t load of heat and weigh a ton. Colour can shift across a CRT screen just like an LCD. Yes blacks can get squished and backlight bleeding is an issue but a good LCD will make all the difference in the world compared to a cheap one.

All comes down to your priorities. If you are a super pixel junkie that has to have the best of the best without compromise and are willing to sacrifice space (and your back carrying it in from the car) get a nice CRT. If you have the budget and like the idea of a clear bright image with excellent colour and contrast while saving space, your back and keeping your work area cooler... get an LCD :D

The heat issue is slightly exaggerated , my NEC LCD gets fairly warm as well ,just not quite as much as my CRT. also keep in mind the 20WMGX2 is considered one of the best PC LCD on the market in terms of image quality (and also has 1600:1 contrast ratio) so I certainly wasn't basing my comparisons on a "cheap one"

I havent seen this color shifting issue you speak of on my CRT, sounds like something related to an LCD's viewing angle which can cause color shifting depending on the angle you look at it.

The space / weight & size issue never concerned me either, I have no reason to take my monitors anywhere, unless Im moving to a new place.

But in the end I agree its all about priorities, I just happen to be very picky about overall image quality & resolution flexibility.

[Thund3rball]

The heat issue is slightly exaggerated , my NEC LCD gets fairly warm as well ,just not quite as much as my CRT. also keep in mind the 20WMGX2 is considered one of the best PC LCD on the market in terms of image quality (and also has 1600:1 contrast ratio) so I certainly wasn't basing my comparisons on a "cheap one"

I havent seen this color shifting issue you speak of on my CRT, sounds like something related to an LCD's viewing angle which can cause color shifting depending on the angle you look at it.

The space / weight & size issue never concerned me either, I have no reason to take my monitors anywhere, unless Im moving to a new place.

But in the end I agree its all about priorities, I just happen to be very picky about overall image quality & resolution flexibility.

Yup that NEC is a nice panel. AS-IPS!

Colour shifting happens on LCDs because of poor/uneven backlighting. Not sure why on CRTs but it happens on my Lacie electron19blueIV's :eh?: I get more green on the edges, but not always.

Ya space is a personal preference. I like a clean desk with room for a scratch pad between my KB and monitor. But I loved carrying my 27" LCD TV all by myself when I brought it home :D Weights less than my 20" CRT TV.

Yes some people just don't want to sacrifice anything for a little bit of quality. Each to his own.

:beer:

[Hazaro]

So, any tools out there to help me calibrate my CRT? Everything preferably!

[Thund3rball]

So, any tools out there to help me calibrate my CRT? Everything preferably!

For free tools... Have you tried googling monitor calibration? Here's a couple links to get you started.

http://epaperpress.com/monitorcal/

http://www.drycreekphoto.com/Learn/monitor_calibration.htm

[Hazaro]

I've seen both of those links, actually read all the way through the second one this time around, and there's another page to it with software on it.

I'm asking again because the CRT has many more options. The Nvidia display optimization does a decent job, but I'm looking for geometric and other CRT things if possible. Thanks so far. :santa2:

[Mathersalan]

I have a nice gaming system, but with an old Compaq 15inch CRT monitor. Have had for four years and its still in great shape.. I use LCDs at school, have a LCD screen on my gaming laptop, one in the dining room and I really do not like them. To me I see more visuals and bumps on a texture with CRT than an LCD..The ones that I use may be all crappy though..

I do have a 62inch Plasma HDTV in the living room that I like to hook up my pc to and games like Oblivion look tremendously great on it!

[Thund3rball]

I've seen both of those links, actually read all the way through the second one this time around, and there's another page to it with software on it.

I'm asking again because the CRT has many more options. The Nvidia display optimization does a decent job, but I'm looking for geometric and other CRT things if possible. Thanks so far. :santa2:

What model CRT do you have? By geometric do you mean making screen fit the viewable area, adjusting pincushion etc...?

[smokenjoe]

I think the biggest problem is that they dont make good CRT's like they used to. There is not money in it except for medical imaging or for high end grapic art. The CRT is better at everything except weaght and "cool factor". Advertising and image are a bigger part of LCD sales. The other factor is size few CRT's are over 20 inch those are still very expensive even used. I am getting a LCD but only for size. I wont bother trading IQ and adjustment for trendyness but a 30 inch LCD would make op for the hit in image quality.

[MadMan007]

It's too bad that right before CRTs died out the 'short-tube' ones were coming out which reduced the footprint and size but they never had a chance to compete with LCDs. Also interesting is that many of the improved LCD technologies emulate things in a way similar to CRTs.

[Hazaro]

What model CRT do you have? By geometric do you mean making screen fit the viewable area, adjusting pincushion etc...?

I just want it to look it's best. It's a Sony Trinitron MultiscanG410.

[Thund3rball]

I just want it to look it's best. It's a Sony Trinitron MultiscanG410.

I downloaded your manual from the Sony site. I think you are reffering to the size/position adjustments when you say geometry. I don't know of a calibration tool for this other than your eyes and a bit of playing with the controls to get it right. Don't worry too much if you can't get all four sides to be absolutely perfectly straight. Sometimes this can take a while to accomplish.

For colour tempereature 6500k is usually what you want on a CRT. I wouldn't use sRGB mode as it will not let you adjust brightness & contrast. I can't tell if you actually have RGB adjustments in any other mode. If you do, you can play with those too. Use the links I gave earlier to help with colour and gamma adjustments. You can do this from the nVidia control panel too. But you already knew that :beer:

[Brando]

21" Trinitron FTW!!!!!!
*puts dukes up*