Lookin at monitors

ElementalDragon

The One and Only
Joined
8 Aug 2002
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3,159
ok..... gettin kinda tired of my current LCD, which is a Samsung SyncMaster 175v (plus seems like it's slowly starting to die...... seems to be a slightly moderate amount of backlight seepage at the sides). for the longest time i've been looking at the Dell FPW line (2005FPW and 2405FPW).... but now i'm kinda drooling over the new Gateway FPD2185W 21" Widescreen High-Definition LCD Flat-Panel Display. seems like quite the sexy monitor if you ask me. anyone have any experience with it/been drooling over like i am? Was lookin at the thing at Best Buy again today....... GOD i LOVE the thing.... it's so freakin pretty.
 
Well you better get that drooling problem fixed before you buy a brand new monitor!
 
The specs on that Gateway look good, but I haven't heard much about it.
The Dell Ultrasharps, on the other hand, are selling like mad everywhere. I have the 1704FPT, and the picture is beautifully crisp. The 20" and 24" ones are even better. :)
 
I'd go with the 2405FPW 24", looks friggin amazing!
 
<<<<<< Is saving for the 2405FPW.

Arrival date, July 20th, 2006 (Happy Birthday to MEH!)
 
I definitely recommend getting something with an adjustable monitor stand. Sounds like a trivial thing but it makes a world of a difference.
 
That is a very good point Sazar. Nothing is worse than having a monitor you can't adjust the height on, like I have now :(

I didn't notice that when I bought it, I got a 19" for about $220 after rebates. Good monitor, but only has VGA and can't adjust the height. For the price, I guess it's worth it, but those are mistakes I won't repeat. I am about 6 foot 2 inches tall, and I like to have my monitors at more of an eye level.
 
I would recommend looking at some of the threads over at overclockers.co.uk, there's lots of info on the new crop of 20" TFT panels that's coming out recently, if you're looking for an lternative to the dell.

I'm currently looking at NEC's new one, if there's one monitor I'm going for soon, it's that :D

Edit: Forgot this nice site too: tft central
 
I absolutely love my NEC LCD1970GX with glossy finish.

However, you might consider holding off or at least trying to find an HDCP compliant monitor if you plan on watching HD-DVD or Blu-Ray on your computer. Without the HDCP, it's going to downsize the video from full HD resolution to 900xsomeother number (my memory is bad). That is a huge loss from 1920X1080.

Unfortunately mine isn't compliant, so I will probably be buying a new monitor sometime next year.
 
that's why i'm now kinda looking at the Gateway 21" widescreen flat panel than the Dell 2405FPW. the Gateway already has HDCP, High Definition support (is HD all that great to use for a computer monitor? would my 7800GT be able to play HD stuff rather easily?), anti-glare coating, height adjustable, landscape or portrait position (though i think that's now a rather common feature for flat panels.... or at least widescreen flat panels anyway)..... and all kinds of other stuff, for $599. The only difference between it and the Dell 2405FPW is a 3" size difference (and the max res to boot), think the Dell has a higher rated brightness, and i think that's about it..... might be somethin else, but don't think it's too major of a difference if i don't remember it. Still seems like a sweet freakin monitor for it's price (though some were kinda baffled since it didn't come with a DVI cable.... only VGA, which is what it's hooked up with at Best Buy... and STILL looks freakin sweet).

edit: oop.... the Gateway also has an 8ms response time, whereas the Dell has a 16ms response time.
 
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Dell will have HDCP version of their products out soon.

20/24/27 will be coming out soon. 30" is already HDCP.

DVI v/s vga quality is not that different in most cases. They look almost identical but I would never not run my monitor on a dvi cable :cool:
 
yeah, i know the quality difference isn't THAT great.... but it's running on VGA there.... so i know it could possibly look a TAD better.... and it already looks kickass.

not really sure how much i like the Dell's though..... i mean yeah they're pretty..... but they're also $750-800 for a 24".
 
You'd be surprised. :)

About the 2405, compare it, with ALL features and capabilities and you will see its good bang for the buck. However, it is a lot of green.

There are a lot of options out there and they are good options. You don't have to go over-board. You can either hang on for a couple of months for more HDCP releases, or you can dive in now. Your call.

Patience is sometimes a virtue.
 
the 2405 and the Gateway i'm lookin at are close to identical in specs..... only minor differences here and there.... some in favor of Dell... others in favor of Gateway.... but i think the Gateway seems to have more features overall.... unless i'm not reading the right stuff you're kinda pointing towards..
 
Not all the specs that seem better are actually discernible or anything other than marketing.

i.e. anything below 12ms response time means jackall since the human eye cannot discern anything below that. 90% of the time 16ms is fine.

Uniformity and color gamut are other small things. I dunno if the Gateway has an adjustable height stand, pbp/pip or a media card reader. The contrast and brightness on most good monitors also doesn't make THAT big a difference so if its only a little less on the gateway, that should not be help against it.

Can you re-post a link to the gateway display?

-edit-

Nm I found it.

If you are getting that monitor, why not consider the 2005 FPW?
 
Here's what I don't understand...

No video card to date is HDCP compliant by definition because until the keys are finalized and agreed on they can't be programmed.

So.....how does a monitor become HDCP compliant. Does the monitor simply have to complete a handshake and does not need the keys for HD-DVD and Blu-ray?
 
about the same price for both.... and as of right now the Gateway has HDCP, High Definition, etc...

Hopefully my friend buys the rest of my old computer parts this week or next week..... then i might be able to have the monitor next week.... if i get one that is.

edit: mfarley.... as far as i know, all HDCP really is... IS a handshake between computer and monitor.

edit #2: so..... IS using HD input to the monitor from my computer really that much of a difference, or will it only really be noticable with movies and such?
 
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think i'ma get the Gateway..... was lookin at the Dell 2005FPW and 2405FPW at the computer show today....... just don't look entirely that great picture wise to me.... dunno why... just think the Gateway looked better. Might have at the end of this coming week.... might have to try to get a tiny loan from my friend though to pay for the rest of it of what money i don't yet have for it (which'll be like.... maybe $150.... hopefully not much more than that....), and i'll pay him back the next weekend. i SOOO want a new freakin monitor..... this one is QUITE old.
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
Xie wrote on Electronic Punk's profile.
Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
hello peeps... is been some time since i last came here.
Electronic Punk wrote on Sazar's profile.
Rest in peace my friend, been trying to find you and finally did in the worst way imaginable.

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