Hello fellow simmers, well today is the day that I have decided to upgrade from a 17" to a 19" monitor. I've had my 17" ViewSonic monitor for about 5 years now and I still love it, been a great piece of hardware but it's now time to upgrade. So after doing some looking around (BestBuy, CompUSA) a 19" ViewSonic CRT is about $249 whereas a 19" ViewSonic LCD is $399. This is where I need your help on trying to decide if to take the plunge and go with LCD.I can see the advantages of an LCD, but I was wondering how it performs when it comes to FS9.Your input is greatly appreciated.ThanksCarlos

Carlos, I resisted the change to an LCD until last month. I was given an LCD as a Birthday gift and discovered I liked it. In my case, it also drove me to upgrade my video card from an ATI 9600Xt to an ATI X800XT PE to get the same FS9 speed. I ran the old one in a 1024x768 mode and this LCD uses a 1280X1024 as its native mode. That does take a bit more video card to do its job.The answer is you can get by with a lower quality video card with a CRT vs an LCD for the same visual effects in my opinion and based on my experience.I do love having this lovely LCD on my desk instead of that hugh CRT.

I won't go back to CRT (mainly because they bug my eyes) . Some people are concerned with ghosting (like say in spot view, rotate the view quickly and might be able to see a ghosting colour along the edge of white wings especially ... my LCD is like 3 years old and response time is probably the worst you can get LOL) so getting a small response time is a good idea (12ms or lower)Of course a 19" LCD will have a larger screen than a 19" CRT since a CRT covers over some of the tube edge while a 19" LCD is really 19" (19" CRT is closer to a 17" LCD)

John, thanks for your reply. I'm leaning towards LCD and about video card, well just purchased the X850XT 3 weeks ago and fell in love with it, so I guess I'm all right on the video hardware side. John, How does the visual aspect compared to the CRT when looking at panels, cockpit in general? Is is crisp anough?CarlosWindows Home SP217" ViewSonicAsus A7N8X-E Delux mobo AMD XP 3200+Corsair 2x512 Dual ChannelATI X850XT @ 540/580 Cat 5.8Audigy 2 ZS3DMark 2005 (6150)

"so getting a small response time is a good idea (12ms or lower)"....agreed, but you will be fine if you choose a unit capable of 20ms or better and you will save some cash. I know, I have one :) Just make sure you do your homework first before deciding. A great resource is Google - search for reviews for your chosen LCD model.MikeP4 2.4GHz (400FSB), 1Gig PC2100 DDR Crucial, ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB (Omega 2.6.53 / Catalyst 5.7), SB Audigy (5.12.0001.0443), Hyundai ImageQuest Q17 17" TFT LCD 20ms Monitor (1280x1024x32), Gigabyte GA-8IRXP MoBo, Hitachi Deskstar 7K250 (160GB) + IBM Deskstar 120GXP UDMA100 (40 GB), Ultra-Quiet PSU 400W, Logitech MX1000 Laser Mouse, WinXP Home (SP2), DirectX 9.0c, AGP Aperture = 128MB

I recently bought an LCD and appreciate the crispness and colour. Disadvantages: Gauges are distorted with the native resolution of 1280x 1024 (which is best to use to avoid lack of crispness) and the night flying is not nearly as good (for me) as the darkest brightness level of the LCD is much brighter (in a dark room) than my CRT was.There's other threads on this forum which have discussed this issue.Jon

Hey Guys,Have just posted similar request for help on the hardware forum, but read this - I too am looking at swapping my 19"CRT for LCD or TFT, but am baffled by the difference and the prices. Whats the difference please ??I have

... and an aside: I had planned to use the LCD as a second monitor for design work to complement my 19" CRT. The more workspace the better. But looking back and forth from my convex CRT screen to the flat LCD created major headaches, and I've turned the CRT off. My brain can't handle visually correcting the convex warp for a few seconds, then uncorrecting when I look at the flat screen.Jon

>Hey Guys,>>Have just posted similar request for help on the hardware>forum, but read this - I too am looking at swapping my 19"CRT>for LCD or TFT, but am baffled by the difference and the>prices. Whats the difference please ??>So have I and I'm to considering replacing my old 17" CRT witha 17" or 19" TFT. But I have also spent some consideration for a 19" CRT. I have heard that a CRT gives a more distinct and sharper image. Also a 19" CRT is considerable cheaper than a TFT.

Most non-CRTs I've seen other than plasmas tend to compress black somewhat. Since I'm also into the digital darkroom (I scan negatives) I decided to stay with CRTs.CRTs are more flexible with resolution and refresh rates. I believe gamma settings have a better response as well to your card settings.With FS, these are concerns with me for night flying and odd-ball screen settings I wish to try.

I bought this NEC MultiSync LCD 1830 18" LCD monitor soon after they came out 4 years ago. I paid almost 3 times what they sell for now but I have no regrets. I would NOT go back to a CRT.The only drawback is they won't do black black and are unsuitable for digital image manipulation (i.e. Photoshop). For that same reason, anyone contemplating replacing their CRT TV set with wide-screen, go Plasma.Incidentally, mention was made of distorted gauges in 1280 X 1024 res. If you don't use full-screen mode, the gauges will be okay.Cal (CYXX)

My .02 cents...............I bought the Viewsonic VP201b about 8 months ago,and I really like it.Look for a monitor's response time,generally under 25ms is good,a lower number is better.Mine is rated @16ms,and it is very good with FS9.The only thing I don't like about it(like most LCD's)is the way it handles black,as another poster has stated.The backlight tends to wash out true black.So,I just don't fly to much at night!Most LCD's now are all pretty good,just stick with a name brand,and you should be fine.Also,the Dell LCD's are very good,one in particular,the FP2001(I think that's the model number)is a good choice.If you don't do alot of photoshopping,CAD,etc. an LCD is the way to go.Plus you don't need a crane to hoist it onto your desk:) Another BIG plus,is the deskspace you gain with an LCD.....Stan

Here's a tip that'll help you with LCDs and their lack of blacks:Never, ever use an LCD in a dark room.Might sound weird at first, but it's true. Since LCDs are backlit, even the darkest black they can produce will look lighter than the unlit wall behind your monitor in a completely dark room. This will make the LCD's colors look pale.What I've done is install a desk lamp with a swivelling arm, clamped to the rear edge of my computer table and twisted so that it lights the wall behind my LCD. This makes the LCD's colors look much better, and blacks much darker (a mid-grey wall will work the best but if you have to choose between a lighter wall or a darker wall, go for the lighter one). Of course, this trick does not help with the fact that the RANGE of shades of black / dark grey colors on LCDs is usually lower than that of CRTs. It only makes dark colors look darker.Originally I used this same method behind my TV - if you like to watch TV in a dark room, it's advisable to light the wall behind the TV. This helps your eyes immensily.

Interesting stuff. ]Owen

Some months ago I bought a Viewsonic 19 inch monitor, I loved it but it didn't work for the projects that I have to do.. Long story short, I ended up buying a Envision 19 inch CRT and giving the Viewsonic to my dad, but after he started using it he decided it didn't work for him... I ended up getting it back, now I run a two monitor system.