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mark9939 · May 30, 2003, 02:31 PM

I'm finally in the market for a new monitor, and I will defiantely be getting an LCD. I was thinking of getting twin 15" Samsungs. There is a price difference between the digital and analog models, and I was wondering if its worth it to get the DVi model. I would like to get the best picture possible. but not have to pay through the mouth for it. Thanks, -M

icruise · May 30, 2003, 02:42 PM

If you are able to use a DVI connection, I would definitely get a monitor that supports it. Some people seem to think that VGA is terrible quality, but I use my Samsung 172T connected to my 12" powerbook via VGA and the quality is great. However, I imagine DVI might be even better, and you don't have to worry about properly adjusting the monitor, which can sometimes be a little bit of a pain (although you really should only have to do it once).

tooki · May 30, 2003, 02:46 PM

On a 15" monitor, you're not gonna see a big difference. In fact, if properly calibrated, it's unlikely you'll see any difference. It is true, a DVI connection will make it unnecessary to calibrate the screen, but once a VGA flat panel is calibrated (Samsungs usually do a good job of auto-calibrating), it'll look fine.

On big monitors, the difference becomes much more apparent.

tooki

-Q- · May 30, 2003, 03:24 PM

For kicks, I tried both VGA and DVI on my 18" Dell monitor (hooked to the Beige with a Radeon card) and there was definitely a noticeable difference in sharpness of lines and a mild shift in some color. The color didn't bother me so much as I could easily adjust that, but the sharpness really did bother me after awhile. I kept thinking my Lasik had gone bad.

The 18" was my first LCD so I can't say if it would be noticeable on a smaller screen.

dfiler · May 30, 2003, 08:54 PM

Some vga driven lcd displays exhibit ghosting. Its pretty minute so it really depends on whether you notice the ghosting. If you can't see it, you might want to choose your screen based upon some other criteria.

slimshady023 · Jun 1, 2003, 12:49 PM

There is a big difference... I live near a Fry's Electronics, and you can immediately tell which ones have vga connections. They look like a big fuzz ball came and invaded the screens like a bad case of Sars.

Because of the way this Fry's Electronics displays their computers, you can confirm the connections from the backside of their computers. The fuzziness isn't due *just* to a lousy LCD.

If you weren't looking at side-by-side comparisons, it might be acceptable... but not really!

- Slim

icruise · Jun 1, 2003, 02:27 PM

I've never been to Fry's but a lot of electronics stores split the same signal over dozens of monitors, and that might account for the fuzziness. Trust me me -- my Samsung LCD has *exceptional* image quality with a VGA connection.

michaelb · Jun 2, 2003, 12:31 AM

It really depends on the video card, the shielding of the cables, and a good dollop of the '?' factor.

My old Cube produced a very stable VGA signal on a 15" monitor, with just very slight shadowing noticeable on the Chicago font on the menubar. The Cube had an ATI Rage 128 card.

However, the SAME monitor when plugged into my PC of the that era, with its nVidia TNT2 card produced a horrendous image, with shimmering lines running through it, which no amount of coarse/fine adjustment could get rid of.

My most recent PC with a GeForce 4 Titanium works better. Still doesn't compare with the sharpness of the Cube though.

If possible, test the intended monitor with the computer it's going to be connected to.

Personally though, I wouldn't touch VGA, unless for using a video projector. DVI or ADC is where it's at.

I'd also strongly recommend looking at the Apple Cinema Display 20" before coming to a conclusion about what screen to get.

mark9939 · Jun 2, 2003, 04:01 PM

Thanks for all the input! I decided to buy a 15" Samsung 150N w/ VGA. I have a GeForce 4 MX, so I don't think my video card will be a problem. If I could afford an Apple,I would buy one, but my student's budget doesn't travel very far... I will buy an identical monitor once I have enough $$$, so that I can have that nice 2048x768 resolution. I will be recieving it later this week (bought it on eBay) and I will report on the image qualtity.

dfiler · Jun 2, 2003, 06:00 PM

I think you will be happy with the purchase! My LCD screen made my time in front of the computer MUCH more pleasant or even luxurious.

While DVI is better than VGA, it isn't the only consideration when choosing an LCD screen. When I bought this 18" Viewsonic I was disappointed not to get DVI. Yet, I wasn't disappointed that it was larger than comparably-priced DVI-driven displays.

Commence neurotically looking out the window for delivery man... now.