Widescreen LCD monitor

Right now, I have two bulky CRT at my Photoshop station. One is quite old and the adjustments don't crank far enough to get it into calibration. No big deal, I just use it as a place to put PS palettes, etc. The other monitor is calibrated, but it looks like it's drifting away too. That combined with the bulk and weight of these relics makes me want to leave the vacuum tube behind and move to a single, widescreen-LCD monitor.

There is a topic elsewhere in this forum that offers a few suggestions, but such things change quickly.

I'm more interested in what specs are important to consider than I am in specific recommendations.

Pete D.

Not sure why you are set on the widescreen version, because the non-widescreen is better to display horizontal 3x2 ratio images including the headers and toolbars for the programs. The non-widescreen version also has more pixel count.

Try the Dell 3007 if it's in your budget - it's an amazing monitor. I use the Dell 2007FP and pretty happy with it.

I'm interested in the widscreen monitors because I could display my images at their original aspect ratio, but still have space on the side to put all the other PS windows.

Pete D.

Hi Pete. I have a Samsung 245 24" widescreen that has a native resolution of 1920x1200 plus I use a Dell 2007FP at work and I disagree with Ashutosh on two counts. First of all, My screen has quite a bit larger pixel count than the 2007FP (which is as high a resolution that you will get for a standard ratio display unless you want to spend a few thousand). I also disagree that the standard dimension is better for displaying and working with 3x2 ratio images. The widescreen isn't a problem when displaying a 3x2 ratio image at maximum resolution because the screen is so dark black that you don't even notice the image isn't filling the screen. On the other hand, while you are working on that image you can have a lot more tools and dialog boxes open in your application and still have more of your image to work with than on a standard screen. Shoot...I can have exactly what Ashutosh is displaying and still have room for outlook so that i can monitor my emails! On the other hand, I agree wholeheartedly with Ashutosh on his recommendation. If I could afford the luxury I would buy the Dell 3007 also. The resolution of that monitor is 2560x1600. Unfortunately you may have to upgrade your graphics card also (there is a note that explains it on Dell's site when you're looking at the specs for the monitor). Other than resolution (which is critical in my opinion for working on photographs) there is color accuracy and contrast. Most of the newer LCDs have plenty of contrast so I wouldn't worry about that too much. There are two parts to the color requirement. First it must display accurate colors and be adjustable for calibration. Second it needs to be viewable from a wider angle without distorting the colors. That is where my Samsung doesn't do as well as the Dell monitors (unfortuneately I didn't find out until I bought the Samsung). Dell adds a surface coating (or additional surface) that prevents glare and also seems to stop a lot of the color distortion from wider viewing angles. The Samsung has a lot more color controls than the Dell but I had to use those controls quite a bit to get it calibrated. The Dell I have at work has fewer controls but was right on the money when I plugged it in and I have heard that is a pretty normal experience. If you can't afford the $1,500 for the Dell 3007WFP plus a new graphics card then my recommendation is the Dell 2407WFP for $570 (right now).

Good luck! I know you won't regret the switch from CRT to LCD.

Gary