Flat Screen versus CRT

[tonysmith]

I am still using a CRT because I read this was better for color and calibration. Is this (still) true?

I would prefer to save space by switching to flat screen

Would appreciate advice.

[PeterAit]

I am still using a CRT because I read this was better for color and calibration. Is this (still) true?

I would prefer to save space by switching to flat screen

Would appreciate advice.

Flat screens have come a long way. I can't speak to whether they equal (or surpass) the best CRTs, but there are reasonably priced flat screen monitors available that can display almost the entire Adobe RGB gamut, such as the NEC 2690WUxi, which I use (and love).

Peter

[01af]

It used to be true a few years ago but isn't anymore. Do yourself a favour and get rid of the CRT! However steer clear from cheap LCD screens; buy something from the middle to upper class. And make sure to use the latest update of your graphics card's driver. If your graphics card is as old as your CRT monitor then consider tossing it out and replacing it with a recent one. Do not use a VGA cable to connect the monitor; use a DVI cable instead. If your graphics card has no DVI output then you *must* replace it.

And one more thing---as Peter has already mentioned, most of the better LCD screens these days are capable of displaying all or most of the Adobe RGB gamut. This means you *must* employ proper colour management in your image-processing workflow, or your colours will go haywire. With a screen that displays basically sRGB you can get away with no colour management. With a wide-gamut screen, you cannot.

-- Olaf

[tonysmith]

I am still using a CRT because I read this was better for color and calibration. Is this (still) true?

I would prefer to save space by switching to flat screen

Would appreciate advice.

I am using a new computer, it's graphics card does have DVI output, and I have a GretaMacbeth Eye-One that I have been using on the CRT.

I guess it's time for me to get completely up to date!

Many thanks for your good advice

Tony

[Lisa Nikodym]

I switched from an old, failing (but great in its day) CRT about a year ago to a new LCD (one of the great new NEC ones), and was amazed by how much sharper the images look on the screen now.  CRTs, no matter how great when new, appear to lose substantial sharpness over time.  (That's in addition to losing their brightness over time, which you're probably also aware of.)

It's past time for a new one.

Lisa

[digitaldog]

I am still using a CRT because I read this was better for color and calibration. Is this (still) true?

To some degree yes since we had more control over the calibration process. But can anyone still even buy those old CRTs?

That said, LCD's have gotten a lot better in the last couple of years, assuming you've got a good panel and one that allows higher bit internal calibration using a dedicated system (software, hardware and colorimeter), just as we found with the better CRTs (Sony Artisan, Barco Reference V, PressViews). Such integrated units are available in more expensive LCDs from Eizo and NEC. They also conduct all the alterations electronically instead of the user pushing some buttons on the OSD, hoping to hit the target calibration aim points.