Topic Title

which do you use and which do you like better?

Hello:

I use two LCD's, and I think overall, LCD's are much better suited to use in DataCAD.

LCD pros:
truely flat surface for better geometry accuracy, and much lower glare
no flicker, no buzzing, and no magnetic emmisions
smaller "footprint" on your desk, and much lower weight
much lower power use for a lower cost to operate

LCD cons:
higher cost for a give image size
some models have ghosting due to slower response times
some models have fairly narrow viewing angles, though some are quite wide -- none as wide as a CRT

CRT pros:
lower cost to purchase
very fast response times with no ghosting
wide angle of viewing, limited only by the flatness of the image

CRT cons:
they are large and quite heavy for any given image size
they are not truely flat, and almost by definition, they distort the image geometry, and they have more glare
higher power use, with a lot more heat produced, along with possible buzzing and/or magnetic field leakage
some models will have visible flicker and all also depend on the quality of the video card to be able to increase the refresh rate high enough to minimize this

Another issue to consider is that both CRT's and LCD's using analog signal (RGB) from a typical video card, are going to have image quality that is limited by the quality of (or lack thereof) the video card's filter circuit. With the better LCD's you can use a DVI (digital) signal for the best possible image quality -- though you may have to buy a new video card to take advantage of this.

I would add two "pros" for CRTs:
Higher resolution and, at the upper end, better color rendition.

While color rendition is not an issue with DataCAD, it might matter to you if you are doing rendering or Photoshop work that requires a high degree of color accuracy. My impression is that the cost differences between LCDs and CRTs diverge more greatly when this is taken into consideration.

The resolution issue is a significant one. I'm running 1600 x 1200 on a 19" CRT and have a hard time thinking about moving down in resolution.

Hello Philip:

You're right about the resolution, in a way: a typical 19" LCD (which has an image size that is very similar to a 21" CRT) is 1280x1024, but some models are 1600x1200; and almost all 20" LCD's are 1600x1200 -- which again have an image size of a CRT that is about 1"-2" larger.

OTOH, my 17" LCD's (which are in between a 17" and a 19" CRT for image size) are also 1280x1024 which right on par with the resolution that you would use on a CRT of this size. So, the resolution is pretty darn close -- and if you are using a DVI input model, then the actual image quality of the LCD makes up for the deficit, if there is one.

Your point of color accuracy is well taken, but those calibrated CRT's are certainly much more money than even the LCD's of the same size -- so the cost advantage probably goes to the LCD's, in this case. And, the color accuracy of the best LCD's is better than your average (or typical) CRT.

I have just switched over to LCD, Dell had a good deal on monitors going so i bought one to get rid of my old Gateway2000 (yes Gateway2000)monitor. I though I'd be disappointed, but I am mot in the least.

I do a lot of graphics work, probably more than CAD work unfortunately. However, most of my work is brochure, rendering or ad work, nothing that requires 100% color accuracy.