Red gun died

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 9:11 pm

Yeah, the red gun died in my old CRT-style monitor, so I went to pick up a new monitor on my way home today after work.

And, lo and behold, there were no CRT's for sale at all at the local computer store. So, I bit the bullet and bought a new flatscreen.

Major differences, major indeed. Much brighter, but it doesn't seem as sharp, like the text as I type here seems a wee bit, well, almost fuzzy. The other thing that seemed odd is that there was no monitor.inf file included. It just used the default winblows plug & play monitor.inf file, which seemed odd.

But reading the user manual, it seems to imply that this is intended. Very odd indeed...

Any thoughts, my friends?

duncan · Post by **duncan** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 6:37 am

CRTs are still MUCH better than TFTs (for gaming), but the latters are improving fast...and they are available, finding a CRT nowadays is a matter of asking your local store to bring one to you. If you got the chance (and the space in your desk) to get CRT, get one of this ASAP.

If TFTs are the way to go, Viewsonic makes good 17" TFTs with a good gaming response at a fair price.

About the fuzziness, I was hesitant about getting a TFT because of this, the text looked fuzzy: I bought a Sony (mmmhhh...don't really know the model) and found out that I could take care of the fuzziness by toying with the monitor configuration buttons. Sony has an "automatic fit" feature that solved the fuzziness problem (except in RTW, for some reason). Also. you have to choose your native screen resolution for better viewing:

15" : 1024x768
17": 1280x1024
19": 1600x1200 (not so sure about this)

Refresh rate doesn't have a big impact in the quality when talking about TFTs, so just look for your native resolution.

Even with this, the screen will stil look fuzzier than in a CRT, but you get accustomed to it.

...I think my english is about to collapse , but I hope you can get some bits of info from this mess

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 1:13 am

Thanks, Duncan

I assume TFT = LCD?

I went to the manufacturer's website, and apparently the PnP monitor.inf file is as intended. Oddly enough, my NVidia video utility is working now, and it never did before.

Obviously the box and the monitor are communicating on some level, I suppose via PnP, because the monitor is listed by name in Device Manager, and I did zero software install.

Anyhow, thanks for the input. I am going to try to get my old monitor repaired. Viewsonics are usually very good about that, and last I checked they had a repair facility here in San Diego

Anyways, it's a fun new toy. All the old darkness problems with my Nvidia card are gone, and I can play games I haven't been able to for a year

Now, if I could just get Warhammer: Final Liberation to work again...

P.S. My new screen is a 17", but the manufacturer's website says 1024 x 768 is the way to go, not 1280x1024.

duncan · Post by **duncan** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 8:11 am

possum wrote:Thanks, Duncan

I assume TFT = LCD?

P.S. My new screen is a 17", but the manufacturer's website says 1024 x 768 is the way to go, not 1280x1024.

Eeeer...yes

, TFT=LCD, I thought for some reason that TFT was already in english (I don't even know what TFT means).

And with 17" LCD 1280x1024 resolution is the standard I have seen all this years, 1024 resolution is blurry in my 17 " LCD. Try 1280 resolution and compare, just in case...

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:23 am

But, but...what if the screen explodes, or my cat gets pregnant?

duncan · Post by **duncan** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:48 am

possum wrote:But, but...what if the screen explodes, or my cat gets pregnant?

I could take care of two or three kitties