LCD monitor reliability?

[jlgreer1]

I have a couple of CRT monitors that have outlived several computer boxes. A Gateway VX1120 and a really old Nokia 17".

The prices of LCD monitors are down significantly. Those of you that have had an LCD monitor for a while, how reliable have they been. I guess they are comparable to laptops. I have had several laptops. They have been pretty reliable but they get rough use. Three have had to have their screens replaced. An LCD on the desktop should last a lot longer.

Jeff

[techieMoe]

I've had two TFT monitors for a while now. One, a Samsung 151s 15-inch I bought about 2 or 3 years ago and it's still going strong. The other, a Samsung 191T+ 19-inch, I've had for about a year now and it's doing well too.

One thing I would like to get in the future is a TFT with a hard glass screen (they do exist). The only complaint I have with most TFT monitors is that they are too easily damaged by random pokes and prods at the thin sheet of plastic that covers the front, unlike their CRT brethren.

As far as reliability goes, I've killed many a CRT and Television and the first thing that goes for me is usually one of the color tubes. Since TFT monitors don't use those, that's one less thing to die. TFTs are also safer on the environment when they do die (although I haven't killed one yet).

[rat007]

I've never faced any problems with LCDs I'm using. I've got two at work, the last one is from Dell (don't know which brand their using) and at home I've very satfisfied with rather cheap Acer 17"LCD. And the difference between CRT and LCD is really significant, I can't use CRTs anylonger...

[Dolda2000]

I for one have never managed to find a TFT monitor that I've been satisfied with. I find that CRT monitors have far better color depth, luminescence and they don't suffer from the FOV problem that TFTs have.

In particular, it's also extremely hard to find a TFT monitor that can handle as high resolutions as CRTs can. I have been having extreme troubles with finding a TFT monitor that can handle even such relatively low resolutions as 1600x1200 and doesn't cost so much that I have to sell my eternal soul to afford it.

[nalg0rath]

I didn't have any problems with my 17" LCD until I accidentally threw a spoon at it and now it has a big white "crosshair"-like mark in it. So if you're going to have a spoon throwing contest close to your screen I advice you to move it.

[techieMoe]

I for one have never managed to find a TFT monitor that I've been satisfied with. I find that CRT monitors have far better color depth, luminescence and they don't suffer from the FOV problem that TFTs have.

Fonts smaller than about 9pt are fuzzy on some TFTs as well. I've not run into the FOV troubles you mention. Care to elaborate?

In particular, it's also extremely hard to find a TFT monitor that can handle as high resolutions as CRTs can. I have been having extreme troubles with finding a TFT monitor that can handle even such relatively low resolutions as 1600x1200 and doesn't cost so much that I have to sell my eternal soul to afford it.

1600x1200 isn't exactly a LOW resolution in my book. I do agree that comparable resolutions are cheaper in CRT. However the thing that overrides all the shortcomings of TFTs for me personally is my health. CRT monitors even on high refresh rates give me headaches from the flicker. That's not something I have to worry about with TFTs. Not to mention lugging around a 19 inch CRT is hell on my back.

[oz]

I have had several laptops. They have been pretty reliable but they get rough use. Three have had to have their screens replaced. An LCD on the desktop should last a lot longer.

Jeff

Laptops can take quite a beating throughout their lifetime. The LCD screen is taking that same beating, then it gets opened/closed repeatedly on top of that. It's a wonder they last as long as they do.

My desktop LCD is the best monitor I've ever had and I'm not likely to ever return to using a CRT.

[loft306]

I for one have never managed to find a TFT monitor that I've been satisfied with. I find that CRT monitors have far better color depth, luminescence and they don't suffer from the FOV problem that TFTs have.

the FOV problem has been taken care of for the most part in comparison to the monitors made even 3 years ago though the lack of even 1600 x xxxx res for less than a car still bugs me so off to the store to get me a few cheep pure flat crt's this weekend....though i do like the small depth of my cheepie 19" TFT that i can look at from just infront of the screen all the way to the side across the room

[Dolda2000]

Fonts smaller than about 9pt are fuzzy on some TFTs as well. I've not run into the FOV troubles you mention. Care to elaborate?

Well, admittedly, I haven't been looking to hard to find a good TFT monitor, but all that I've used have so severely limited FOV that the colors even look differently at the top and bottom of the monitor compared to the middle. I find that extremely annoying.

As loft306 says, that problem may have been fixed in the latest years, but then again, I really haven't been looking to hard for a "good" TFT monitor. Mainly because of the resolution problem, I'm just not interested.

1600x1200 isn't exactly a LOW resolution in my book. I do agree that comparable resolutions are cheaper in CRT. However the thing that overrides all the shortcomings of TFTs for me personally is my health. CRT monitors even on high refresh rates give me headaches from the flicker. That's not something I have to worry about with TFTs. Not to mention lugging around a 19 inch CRT is hell on my back.

While 1600x1200 isn't traditionally considered a low resolution, it has become baseline for me.
If I were to buy a new monitor today, I wouldn't even look at one that doesn't even handle 1920x1440. I probably wouldn't even buy it if it doesn't handle 2048x1536. There's nothing that beats high resolution.

As for the flicker problem, I don't experience that if I run at 75Hz or higher. I have a far larger problem than that, though... my current 20" CRT is nine years old, and it has a PWM voltage regulator for the tube heater, which is breaking down and causing the monitor to become dark and blurry. However, I'm using the monitor without cover, and if I knock on one of the circuit boards every once in a while, it freshens up.

[techieMoe]

While 1600x1200 isn't traditionally considered a low resolution, it has become baseline for me.
If I were to buy a new monitor today, I wouldn't even look at one that doesn't even handle 1920x1440. I probably wouldn't even buy it if it doesn't handle 2048x1536. There's nothing that beats high resolution.

Wow. Well, you've officially put yourself in the "extremely high-end" group as far as I'm concerned. Haha. Have you considered one of Apple's Cinema Displays? They're about the most high-end TFTs I've seen recently.