Perfect LCD Size for FSX?

[vgbaron 3,614]

I have the 28" HannsG monitor along with a 22" Viewsonic side by side on my desk - absolutely incredible. I run the 28" at 1920x1200 with no problems at all.VicQ6600 G0 CPU 2.4 o/c 3.65Evga 680i A1 with P31 BIOS 2G XP2-8500 DDR2 1066FSB Mushkin 996535 RAM 5-5-4-12-2T320G 7200 HD partitioned for XP/Vista/Programs 2 - 74G Raptors in RAID0 500G 7200 HD for backup SATA DVD burner Evga 8800GTS 640 PCIx XG 174.74 702/1620/792Kandalf LCS case w/ built in liquid cooling 850W Thermaltake power supplyHannsG 28" & Viewsonic 22" LCDVisit the Virtual Pilot's Centerwww.flightadventures.comhttp://www.hifisim.com/banners/hifi-supporter-sigbanner.jpg

[ABE 0]

There is NO WAY you can convince me that OBTRUSIVE, multi-bezel separations scenes are more pleasant to the eyes than a ONE LARGE CONTINUOUS FLAWLESS scene, just like the windshield of my car UNINTERRUPTED. Right now I am using a 37" for my primary display and a second monitor of 27" as my odds and ends. I am betting that my future setup with a 47" would be still more exciting."Once you've used multi mons for both simming AND many other tasks there's no going back!!"This is true. Bear in mind, LARGE real estate can be subdivided into MANY things.Abe

[january 19]

Abe- Flight Sim main view forward has a field of view of only 45

[doc1956 0]

>Paul- May I offer a quite contrarian opinion!>Consider the possibility of three modest sized LCD monitors>side by side. Alex,Thanks for the suggestion, it would certainly be ideal, but my Samsung 19" is still very usable and I intend on keeping it as a 2nd monitor. The real 'agony' is wondering if it's really worth spending $50-100 more for 1.5 inches of screen-space going from a 24" to a 25.5" (listed as 26")?I have never used such a large monitor so was wondering how current users of these size monitors have found them. Unfortunately, the Hardware Forums are not very helpful at times as there are often as many users for a particular monitor, or size, as there are against. Also, most PC orientated stores only have Monitors on display up to 24" that I have found so far where I live.Paul

[january 19]

Paul I'm with you on "use it up". I'm running two 8yr old, 19" CRTs and a third, more recent 17" LCD to save a bit of space. I found that it's quite practical to partly overlap an LCD bezel on a CRT bezel. All three monitors colour match perfectly and different sizes of mons are easily adapted with appropriate ZOOM.The result with this trio is a 48" wide "monitor"- all 3 views are synched in roll and pitch via simple bezel corrections to the view angles. The bezels are no more annoying than auto windshield pillars.Sure beats single view "tunnel vision"!Alex ReidPS I'm now just looking at a photo of a real 747 flight deck and I can see 3 pillars which each appear to be about 5" wide!

[ABE 0]

Alex, I have no doubt that you got the MATH and EXPLANATION on your side. What I think is, it's a matter of PREFERENCE. I do realize that multi-monitors has that beautiful cineramic view. But it also, IMHO, has its distractions....the separations between monitors. The closest thing to a perfect marriage (LOL), between your setup and mine is a demo I have seen in January at CES (Consumer Electronic Show) in Las Vegas. It was a Large monitor, forgot the specs, that curved around giving an almost 180

[january 19]

Abe- ALWAYS on speaking terms to a fellow simmer! I'm keen to hear about your new 47. I'm especially curious to know if it's possible/practical to display three side by side views on one large monitor- that would solve the bezel problem. I've tried this on one of my 19 CRTs but the results were not sufficiently practical to make a judgement.In the meantime, I soldier on with a zero Flight Sim budget for 2008- until I see what lies beyond FSX!Cheers Alex Reid

[ABE 0]

Alex, good to hear that camaraderie should exist between us simmers.I should have explained early on how I use my monitors. I never had less than 2 monitors for a very long time. I started with two 19", progressed to two 21" then added a 3rd smaller, 17". Now I have the 37" and the 27".My flight scenarios vary. Long and short scenic trips, adventures, difficult landings, challenging mountains....etc.... I've been a geography buff ever since I was a little boy and that continued onto my adulthood. Got my private pilot license many moons ago. My aspirations to be an airline pilot were dashed because my eyes could not qualify. So, for the best thing I could do, was join TWA as a purser then Service Manager on mostly L1011's and 747SP's. That allowed me to fly where the airline pilots fly.Back to earth and simming. I use the larger monitor (now 37" progressing to a 47") essentially for one view only my aircraft in spot view, I add the panel view to it at the same time, or display each separately. Of course I do other views depending on my whims.On my 2nd monitor, I put a potpourri of things. An essential map, mappoint or streets, linked to FSX with xconnect, I like to see my exact location at all times. I add a full panel or parts of a panel. Sometimes I add navigational charts, or even look at some old charts that were discarded and given to me during my flying days. As you can see that the 2nd monitor should have lots of real estate to accept all that JUNK (nice junk, though).Going back to the main monitor, I always enjoy a simple panoramic scenery view and nothing else, zooming in and out....slowly and hopefully gracefully.I hope that would give you an idea why I like my setup the way it is. But, Alex, I always maintain an open mind.Thanks for listening.Abe

[betelgeuse 41]

>Abe- Flight Sim main view forward has a field of view of only>45

[Krister 51]

What distance to the monitor do you guys have that use 30" and up? I currently have a 22" widescreen which is positioned some 50 cm from my eyes. I tried a 26" and to me that felt as about as big as I could cope with at that distance. I really don't see the point in moving further away from the screen either! :) I do all my flying in VC with TrackIR and with my current hardware setup the 26" also seems like the maximum size when you are moving your head around and the computer has to keep up with rendering the views. To me nothing beats VC when it comes to creating a sense of being there and the spatial awareness, and Alex, I've seen your screenies of your setup. Fortunately we all have different taste and nothing is right or wrong!Anyway, I have to move the flight sim computer to the living room and hook it up with my 47" LCD TV just to see what it lookes like. I've already tried Ship simulator 2008 on that set and it was wonderful! Almost got me dizzy riding those waves...

[january 19]

First to ABE- it's exchanges of ideas like this that make Simming such a great hobby! Thanks for posting. Now to JOHN- Monitors are 2 very old KDS 19" CRTs plus a more recent 17" Acer LCD to save a bit of space. This latter mon is angled toward me at about 45

[betelgeuse 41]

Thanks, Alex. That's a great looking setup. I think you would get even better performance with WideFS. It isn't free but great value at around 20 USD from simMarket. The second PC can be a fairly old dog because it is just used to run applications like FSNav, Radio Contact, vmsfmc, etc. You do not need to install FS2004 on this PC. I think you can even run it in Win98 but I am not sure about that. Using WideFS would take some of the load off your main CPU and let it concentrate on actually flying and getting all those pixels up there on those screens fast! You wouldn't have to change much I think, still the same basic concept. BTW, bearing in mind the title of this thread, WideFS is now available for FSX.

[january 19]

Hi John- thanks for responding. You mention using a second "old dog" PC with wide FS. Do you mean even older than my 5 Yr AMD 1.8? This machine isn't far removed from an abacus!!!!!!!!!!:)------------More seriously- I've studied Frame Rate vs Quality of Image quite a bit and with my triple mon config, I honestly cannot see any real difference in quality between 16-20 FPS and say 30+. That is, triple views vs all horsepower devoted to a single view.My thinking is that the purpose of a good Frame Rate is NOT for better image quality but rather to ensure that FPS does not fall below the point at which flickers/stutters occur. In effect, your skating performance doesn't change with the thickness of ice- unless it's too thin!!!One of the real quirks of 3 views on one processor, is that in complex, high density sceneries, FPS can dip as low as 12,10 and even lower momentarily. But the motion continues completely smoothly, although nearby objects such as blue runway lights will have a "chatter" as they flash past your wingtips. As FPS drops as low as 7-8, objects further away will chatter but the aircraft is completely flyable/controllable down to 6FPS- at which point, finally the fit hits the shan! So with performance like this, my inclination to upgrade is minimal. I'll pass on FSX and wait to see what FSXI is like.Cheers Alex Reid

[betelgeuse 41]

Alex, thanks. Most folks start to see stutters at around 23 fps. I hate even a hint of this so I aim for 30 fps and am happy with that. Setting the frame rate to higher than this is pointless as the average human eye cannot detect a difference between say 30 fps and 100 fps. So setting very high frame rates diverts processing power to a useless task.Maybe I did not make it clear that with WideFS you still would have 3 views on one processor. The second processor - the old dog - is only used to run applications like FSNav, RC, Roger Wilco etc. All you need to install on the old dog, apart from Win98 or XP, is FSUIPC and WideFS. I do not know on which of your three screens you display FSNav etc on at the moment but with a second PC you could use an old monitor to display these applications in synchrony as though they were running on your main processor. It is win-win, but of course there is the hassle of doing it, and it probably will take a bit of tweaking to get running well, or running at all! So, if you're happy with what you've got, that's great! Like you, I've resisted FSX so far but I am curious about it. Will there be an FSXI? Eventually, yes. But MS must be mighty disappointed with the take-up of FSX. Two years down the line and I reckon at least 50 percent of hardcore flightsimmers have stayed with FS9. The payware guys must be tearing their hair out. I hope I'm wrong but I reckon FSXI is a very long way down the line.

[january 19]

John- the MS FlightSim gurus will only get paid out of sales proceeds from the sim. I'm pretty sure Bill Gates won't subsidize them from other parts of the MS empire. Since FSX sales are clearly below target- I'd look for a replacement to hype revenues (& payroll) -SOONER rather than later. "Create your own payroll or look for alternative employment!"-----FS9 is the only thing I have running- just the three views plus 2D panel and most popups open. If I had the horsepower to run a fourth mon, I would add an LCD to the right of mon#2- at right angles to me- to display View Right-as if looking across the flight deck, in front of the first Officer.(I exist in the poverty of old age! - no FSNav, RC, RWilco., nor FSUIPC --- But a 150