Buying a CRT monitor

[Matthew Rolfe]

Hello all,

I'm on a bit of a budget and I'm looking to buy a good CRT monitor. I'm looking to spend no more than £100.

Any suggestions of models?...is Trinitron a must? Any makes to avoid?

Is refurbished an absolute must?

Thanks

[Bruce Watson]

AFAIK, CRTs are no longer manufactured.

[IanG]

Matthew I have two 21" monitors with Trinitron tubes. One's RGB the other SVGA.

The RGB one would be free, I used the other until a year ago so would need to test it again first but it would be well under your budget if OK :D

Ian

[tgtaylor]

Lacie "Electron Blue."

An excellent monitor designed specifically for the creative artist and used by many photographers and pro labs.

[Matthew Rolfe]

Thanks for responses

[SamReeves]

LOL, you can probably get one for free at your local recycler.

I don't miss how CRT's made my eyes tired though.

[tgtaylor]

LOL, you can probably get one for free at your local recycler.

I don't miss how CRT's made my eyes tired though.

Yedah, picking oned up shopuld cost very little bucks if any at all. Shoot, most folks would let you have it for free if only you would (please) haul it out! But a good lightly used one is still good. The only problem is that they take up space and weigh a TON!

[paulr]

The trick is finding a good one. If you can get one of the better Sonys or LaCies with a couple of years of life left, they are great monitors. For photography I much prefer them to lower end LCDs. Until recently I prefered them to all but the highest end LCDs (Eizo, etc.).

The issue is that they are dying all the time, and the further we get from the last date of manufacture, the harder it's going to be to find one with some life left. The issue is that they lose brightness; every time you calibrate, you'll find yourself adjusting the hardware brightness a bit higher. Eventually you won't be able to calibrate with the monitor at you brightness target. Then you got some decisions to make.

FWIW, I'm using a 19" LaCie electron blu III that I got for FREE on craigslist. It's going strong after 2 years. But it replaced a succession of electron blue iv monitors that died prematurely for unknown power supply reasons ,and both cost quite a bit more than free. So, expect your mileage to vary ...

[Bill Burk]

A CRT will add to your montly electric bill so it might be false economy.

[Matthew Rolfe]

It's only for a short period until I can invest in a good high end LCD. I'm on a tight budget at the moment and I'm sure that for £100 and under a CRT is the way to go....I dread to think of the LCD quality for under than £100.

[Matus Kalisky]

It's only for a short period until I can invest in a good high end LCD. I'm on a tight budget at the moment and I'm sure that for £100 and under a CRT is the way to go....I dread to think of the LCD quality for under than £100.

Under 100 probably not, but I got a refurbished NEC LCD 2170NX (IPS panel) for around 170 euro cca 2 years ago. After calibration (Spyder 3) it is better than I need.

So if you would search first which IPS (S-IPS) panels were available new some 2 years ago than you could search for refurbs and may get lucky. Nothing wrong though with good CRT if it comes for free ;)

[Bill Burk]

I was using a Sony Artisan until last summer when I thought it might have become a fire hazard. My electric bill went down $50.

My Optometrist bill went up by as much as I saved. So even getting rid of it was false economy.

[Leonard Evens]

CRT monitors are obsolescent. You can get and inexpensive LCD monitor, which should suffice for most purposes. The only problem is the inexpensive ones have a color response which varies by the vertical viewing angle. So you have to set the monitor up so you view the screen always from the same position. You can solve this problem by getting a more expensive monitor. Mine is a Samsung which uses LED backlighting. But if you are on a budget, that may not be an option.

[erie patsellis]

CRT monitors are obsolescent. <snip>

Uh, like LF film cameras, analog photography/film in general, etc. Preaching to the Luddites a bit here, aren't you?

Within the OP's budget, the likelihood of his obtaining a serviceable alternative (i.e. LCD) is slightly lower than zero. I'd accept Ian's generous offer, if need be, you can find a VGA to RGB cable inexpensively, if Ian doesn't already have one.

[domaz]

CRT may be bigger and heavier than LCDs but the quality is usually just as good if not better than most LCDs. Oh and there is one thing that a CRT can do that an LCD never can- get ridiculosuly high resolutions on smaller screens. My 19" CRT can do 1600x1200, try doing that on your 19" LCD.

[Kirk Gittings]

CRT may be bigger and heavier than LCDs but the quality is usually just as good if not better than most LCDs. Oh and there is one thing that a CRT can do that an LCD never can- get ridiculosuly high resolutions on smaller screens. My 19" CRT can do 1600x1200, try doing that on your 19" LCD.

I agree but......................these are not like an antique view camera that has a life as long as you can get film to fit it. These have a definite life span. I used my CRT Lacies until they simply would not calibrate anymore. Then I shopped for months looking for some used ones with some life in them and finally bought some used ones that I got another year out of......and then it was LCDs. I suspect 99% of the photo quality CRTs out there are past their usable life span, because everyone did like I did.