What's important to look at when buying a screen?

Hi, I had no idea where to put this, but, I'm really just wondering what things you need to look at(from the stats/specs/w/e) when buying a screen?

Can anybody explain what makes a good screen, what to look out for, what type of screen is best and so on. What does the 100000:1(for example) mean specific?

I plan on buying a 27''. And short said I just want a screen that gives good pictures, so to speak I'm not planning on playing in 3D.

If I put this in the wrong forum, please move it!

Thank you.

It's going to depend on your budget,

I am going with the Dell U2711 27" , its one of the best 27" monitors you can get,

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...odid=MO-041-DE

The above link is just to show you the monitor,

The problem with a 27" monitor is you are going to need a fairly powerful GFX card to run it at its native res, or its not going to look as good as it should.

I think the min card needed to run that native res on the Dell ( 2560x1440 ) is a GTX580 or the ATI equivalent.

BTW, how far will this monitor be from you, and is it only going to be used for PC gaming, or you planning on plugging a Console into it.

Let's just say that, it must be between 1$ to 2000$.
PC gaming only. And It will be sitting maybe some centimeters away? Ehm, I'm not sure. I can messure when I get back home ^^

And thanks for answer!

Totally agree with the Dell - notice that a 3 inch upgrade to the U3011 doubles the price to £1249. Crazy world...

In general one of the things to look for is the type of panel they use. Panels are night and day in some instaces. Most mass produced monitors use TN panels. TN panels are good for gaming because they have a faster response time, but not so good for movies etc. IPS and the one's in between have much nicer blacks and are better for movies and stuff. IPS panels cost more, but could be worth it if you use it enough to notice.

I have both types on 2 different samgsungs (22"/23") and side by side it is really noticeable. Blacks are not as dark and there is more backlight bleeding on the TN panel. Still works great and I got a good deal on it... Google the monitor you decide to get for reviews. You may be able to go down to a store and check different panels. Also, always research what panels they are currently using in their monitors, because every so often, it will change. Meaning they look like the same monitor, but the lcd/led are different.

Here in the US, dell always has sales or coupons for their stuff. So if you decide on dell and can wait for deal, you could save a fair amount. Usually 20-45% off every few months. Check slickdeals techbargains, or fatwallet to see if theres anything that works for you.

Thanks alot Showtime, for such a good reply! I'll definitly look out for those things. Even if I game I'm not a hardcore gamer, and I don't play much FPS, I usually play RPG, Sims(lol) and such.

I just really really care about the picture, how well it looks. That matters ALOT. thanks ~

Unfortunately, because there are no real measurement standards for LCD monitors, specs like "response time", "dynamic contrast", etc., are practically useless.
Overall, the best way to choose a monitor is to read reviews of specific models and to physically assess them at a store. Given that there are only a few manufacturers of the actual display panels, there isn't really a whole lot of difference between various models, in spite of the way that various brands will spin the specs. The main differences between brands come down to driver electronics, case and stand design, software/menu layout, etc. It's as important to be concerned about how well the unit tilts and swivels and how user-friendly the controls are.
About the only significant difference is choice between TN and IPS panels, and even then, as Showtime says, you have to see them side by side to notice.
Also, the main difference between LED and CCFL backlighting is the thickness of the display - LEDs are thinner.

You may want to get a 24" if you are going to be a mere "some centimeters" away from it. Most people will get a headache with a 27" lcd on their desk... you won't be able to see it all at once that's for sure. something to consider....

The 10000:1 contrast ratio is supposed to mean the brightness of all white to the darkness of all black. It's also bullshit. When you see numbers like "10000:1" it's *dynamic* contrast which is a marketing term. There are only a handful of actual lcd panel manufacturers in the world and all the various monitor makers are just placing these panels in their monitors. I used to have a bookmark to a very nice website with a searchable database of almost every monitor ever made with what panel type (TN,IPS,MVA,etc) and who manufactured the panel in it, etc. So you could quickly and easily see which monitors use the exact same panels.

I just searched google and found this: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/panelsearch.htm

Which is okay but not as detailed as that old bookmark. Wish I still had that. Oh well.

Also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrast_ratio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TFT_LCD

I agree: Unless you plan to mount the 27" some 2-3 feet away from the desk, 24" is likely the limit in terms of size for desktop viewing.

This image has been passed around the Internet for a while, but you'll get an idea of what the monitor size vs desk/table: http://walyou.com/hardcore-gaming-girl/)

Alright, well, we will see. Is there really anything else but a headache you can get from using a screen that is 'too big'? Because I don't have alot of issues with headaches regardless even thought I watch a screen almost the whole day. (School + Home)

I will check out the 24'' ones. Thanks

If I were in the market, this is the one I'd have bought.
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...67998-3610467-
24" is ideal for most people.
IPS is currently the best panel (there will be better, but not at this price for a while).
16:10 ratio is good for gaming and movies/better than 16:9.
1920 x 1200 resolution is the standard for this size. They have some monitors with higher rez and monitors that are lower/1080.
You don't really need the higher resolutions since most games don't use much more and the 1080/ 16:9 panels are limited/too short imo.

Last deal was for $450.
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthr...8904&t=2654037

One thing to look at is the response time. For most panels it is listed as Gray to Gray, 5ms is average, the dell listed by Showtime is a slow 6ms Gray to Gray, which is too slow for serious games. However you stated you are more concerned about image quality, there I have to give it to that Dell, it is one of the best. I do agree with Showtime and the others about 27" being too big unless you are sitting at least a meter away or are building a full imersion system.