The right computer monitor for dark games

[Yuhaney]

Aah... Sorry! I read your post again and realized that you probably mean something like this?

[Jakob Rosenblatt]

Aah... Sorry! I read your post again and realized that you probably mean something like this?

Exactly! I know that this is a general downside of today's TFT-LCDs (I loved the good old giant CRTs [1]). What I am searching for is a TFT-LCD with minimal background lighting. In Austria we call it "Schwarzwert". That is the ability of a monitor to display real black.

[1] http://www.pcretro.com/files/product_photos/17crtb.jpg

[SHODANFreeman]

Exactly! I know that this is a general downside of today's TFT-LCDs (I loved the good old giant CRTs [1]). What I am searching for is a TFT-LCD with minimal background lighting. In Austria we call it "Schwarzwert". That is the ability of a monitor to display real black.

[1] http://www.pcretro.com/files/product_photos/17crtb.jpg

Old monitors did have great contrast ratio, but the scan-lines are far more irritating than a bad contrast ratio, for me.

[Kedjane]

Aah... Sorry! I read your post again and realized that you probably mean something like this?

Yeah.

[Jakob Rosenblatt]

I did some research: At the moment LCDs can`t display "black" properly if viewed in a dark environment (Detail: PVA and S-PVA offer the best black depth of any LCD type). However CRTs can display perfect black in a dark room.

So if you want to play a game like penumbra etc. in a completely dark environment you have to go for a CRT. Look at this video:

http://cm-partner.eu/services/know-how/s...splatz.htm

Left monitor: CRT / Right monitor: LCD. The same screensaver is running on both monitors!

[jens]

I think, but could very well be wrong, that one of the advantages of new LED LCD monitors is that they are better at black than traditional LCD. So maybe look into those!

[nofsky]

I guess I'm lucky that I'm still on a CRT. Just as I was about to cave in and buy a new TFT because my older monitor was dying, I found a Philips Brilliance 109P flat screen CRT monitor that was left abandoned in my apartment building's basement (next to some trash cans). Fortunately, it worked fine and the picture is great. It's a professional grade monitor that apparently cost over $500 when it came out, so I'm happy. I can live on in glorious CRT land a while longer, where black is black and the screen flickers just a little bit.