Want advice for dual monitor setup

[DanFraser]

As my studies will involve a lot of programming (yeah, this one is not about an e-peen) I have been strongly advised to go dual monitor. In fact, after my first taste of dual at uni where I felt like a god using that computer I fully agree, it's just so much better!

My current monitor is a ProView 700P MA-782KC 17" monitor that has served me so well over the last two years, I'm keeping it. How important is it to match up monitors for the professional situation I want to achieve? Would it be best to get the same model, or just haul my current one round shops to see what works?

I can locate my current model at some stores, however, either they say there's none in stock, or no indication of if there is any at all.

[thideras]

Well, I run no monitors that are the same ;)

22" Westinghouse
17" crt philips
15" crt offbrand

The first two are on my main computer, the third, on an extra box.

If you want to span the monitors, then it is crucial that you have the exact same ones; otherwise it really messes with you. If you want to just do dualview then you can have two totally different monitors ;)

I'm sure you want to do dualview, where you can have one full size window open on each monitor.

[Mr. Roboto]

No real NEED to match monitors. I ran my 24" and my old 17" lcd together for a long time. Then I got my 2nd 24" and did away with the 17.

[Quick69GTO]

If you're into how it looks on your desk, buy two identical LCDs.
If you don't care how it looks, buy whatever LCD you want and add it to your 17".
I have a 19" Samsung and a 19" Viewsonic. Both are black but they physically look different.
One has an adjustable stand so I lined up the screens and didn't care about the slightly different sizes of the outer casings.

Have fun!

[DanFraser]

I got the same model :)

It looks fantastic having two monitors that are the same. It was fun getting the same model though. Here's the story!

I had been searching on the internet for somewhere that still stocked it, and at a reasonable price. Most places had it at over £100, which was too much, but Currys had it as a clearance item for £84.97. Unfortunately it turned out that very few stores had any, but I managed to track one down in Nottingham (30 miles away). I called up the Nottingham store and found out they did have one, but they couldn't 'save' it. So the next day I got the bus there, and walked in. It was nowhere on the shelf at all. Uh oh. I went over to the service desk and asked the guy there to look it up. Imagine my horrow when I see it being used as one of their service computers! The guy figures this out and says I can't have it. A few expletives enter my head. However I now have an idea, find the manager! I track him down and give him the best two line explanation ever. "I called yesterday to see if you had this particular monitor, and it turns out that your using it as a store computer monitor. It's a sale item and my company is desperate to have this as we cleaned out another supplier, but one got damaged in delivery and we would be very grateful if you would sell this monitor." He walked over, unplugged it, put it on the counter in front of me and got a lacky to put it through! I just managed to contain my hysterical laughter long enough to get out the store and disappear round the corner!

Now that's over (hehe), could different DVI->VGA connectors affect the video output? I have one monitor that just seems more 'vibrant' than the other, and since all settings have been matched everywhere, that's the only other thing I can think of. One is about 5-6 years old and came with my GF4 4600, the other with my 8800gts. The latter is the crystal clear one.

[Quick69GTO]

The Samsung I have is connected using the DVI output on my video card (nVidia 6200LE PCI-E) so it has very few adjustments available on the monitor itself.
The Veiwsonic is connected using the VGA output on the same video card.
I used the adjustments on the Veiwsonic to try and closely match the Samsung.
I managed to get them pretty close in image quality.

Good story. That type of luck doesn't happen very often.

Have fun!

[DanFraser]

I have noticed that the 'old' monitor has a purplish tinge when it has no signal, and the 'new' one is kinda green or yellow. Any ideas anyone?

[Illah]

For programming / productivity it really doesn't matter - if the information is legible then it's all good. For graphic design having two mismatched monitors can be a huge pain!

--Illah

[Illah]

I have noticed that the 'old' monitor has a purplish tinge when it has no signal, and the 'new' one is kinda green or yellow. Any ideas anyone?

Gotta color-calibrate it. The 'real' way to do it uses outside hardware and costs some money. You can ghetto it though with basic calibrations. First do this:

http://www.photofriday.com/calibrate.php

Then get a pic with lots of color and another pic of a face of someone you know well (family / friends) and arrange them so they're split between the two monitors. Then tweak the color until they mostly match. People you know are good because you can more accurately judge if they look 'wrong' as opposed to just using some random internet pic.

It's not perfect but it's damn close...good enough unless you're a serious print designer.

--Illah

[DanFraser]

Well that's frustrating. That link says technically my monitors are perfect as they are (exact same settings on both). But there's that purple and whatever colour tinge on either monitor!

[thideras]

Well that's frustrating. That link says technically my monitors are perfect as they are (exact same settings on both). But there's that purple and whatever colour tinge on either monitor!That color is probably there because the monitor is older.

I had a Hyundai L90D+ and a L91A. Same panel, same size. I bought them probably 2 years apart, the L90D+ had a yellow tint while the L91A look very good. It always threw colors off, but since I don't do anything that requires color precision, I just stopped worrying about it and the problem "went away" ;)

[DanFraser]

Yeah, I'm getting used to it. the proper looking monitor (the one I had before for two years) is best for looking at my code, and the 'new' one makes all the lame code websites look pretty.

[Quick69GTO]

Check the color tone of each monitor.
Yellow tint usually means it's set to "warm".

Have fun!

[Illah]

Yeah the link I posted is only a brightness/contrast optimizer, you still have to do the color tweaks. Most monitors have at least basic tweaks, good ones will have color temperature settings (choose daylight / 6500K) as well as full R-G-B controls so you can alter the tint precisely.

--Illah