Buying a CRT monitor

[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.