LCD v.s. CRT

S

Sedonafilmer

Active member
I was planning on getting a 19" lcd panel for my editing setup. but people are telling be that CRTs are better for editing and cheaper.

I already know CRT's are cheaper but are they better?
 
They're more accurate in terms of color and brightness reproduction compared to a regular CRT TV. That becomes important if you're trying to tweak a final look out of your film through color correction and whatnot. If you color correct to the LCD, then it's gonna look super dark and over saturated on a regular TV. Still, a CRT monitor is not exactly the same as a TV monitor but it's closer.
 
Are you talking about a computer CRT monitor, or a dedicated monitor for doing color correction?

If it's just for editing on a timeline, you don't need accurate colors at all. Any LCD should work great. They're cheap, and thin, and use up less energy than CRT computer monitors. You can easily get a dual 17" LCD monitor setup for less than $500, and it'll give you plenty of editing room.

Color correction is a whole other beast. You should color correct with a professional NTSC Broadcast CRT monitor, so you know exactly what it looks like on a properly calibrated TV. If you don't have a pro NTSC monitor, use a regular, cheap TV. DO NOT use an LCD for color correction. DO NOT use a CRT computer monitor for color correction, either. It won't look right. I don't know the technicalities of it, but it has something to do with different gammas. You need a TV or NTSC monitor hooked up to your NLE via component or BNC cables.

You can use a computer monitor (LCD or CRT) for color correction if you're going to distribute via the internet only. But for TV, you really shouldn't use a computer monitor.
 
yeah, i was wanting to get a LCD cause there sleek and sexy. i had friend who was spouting some crap about CRT's displaying action better than LCD's. I also know for color correction you gotta have a NTSC monitor
 
I think LCDs are better for most people. If you need accuracy, just buy a good LCD. E.g. Tomshardware reviews many, so you should be able to find some that are pretty accurate. LCDs are better for your eyes since they don´t flicker and they consume less electricity.

I reccommend 17" instead of 19" since 19" are more expensive and don´t have more resolution.

I´m now using the built in LCD in my iMac G5 and I love it, even though it isn´t the best LCD around. I´m not turning back to CRT.

A more expensive alternative for video pros could be using a plasma monitor. I understand they are pretty accurate and I think they have enough resolution for SD.
 
I have an LCD, and a CRT. Editing is done on the LCD, and the CRT is used for previewing. Final colour correction is done through firewire on a (PAL) television. Very convenient.

My computer can handle up to 5 monitors (six with the firewire TV), but that was waaaaaay too much!
 
I like CRT's because not all programs allow you to preview on an NTSC/ PAL monitor. (IE, Photoshop, Maya, etc.)

Point of interest, products like the ColorVision Spyder2 Pro help out ALOT when keeping your monitors calibrated is important.
 
Sedonafilmer said:
yeah i had friend who was spouting some crap about CRT's displaying action better than LCD's.
Click to expand...

There is some lag in LCD displays. You can get ghosting. Just gotta know about it, so you don't spend spend too much time trying to correct things that aren't there. :)
 
Sedonafilmer said:
i had friend who was spouting some crap about CRT's displaying action better than LCD's.
Click to expand...


Actually your friend is telling you the truth. While CRTs have Refresh Rates, LCDs have Response Time. It's the LCDs version of refresh rate. Response time is the time it takes for each pixel to reach a full illuminated state from a non-illuminated state. Since the pixels aren't illuminated 100% of the time, this Response time will cause ghosting during action sequences in video games. Or, you can easily see this if you open a Word Document, scale it down so it's about 3 inches by 3 inches then grab a hold of the window with your mouse, and shake it back and forth on the desktop. The window will leave a trail. It's not very distracting and since I don't play video games I never see it. Also, the smaller the Response Time number, the quicker the pixel illumination, the less ghosting. I have an LCD monitor with 25ms. I love it. For what I do, I never have a problem and the screen is clear and bright. Nowadays, you can find monitors with 12ms all the time.

Now what does this mean in terms of editing? Absolutely NOTHING. With editing, it's all about the screen real estate. You want a decent sized monitor to handle the timeline of your editing software. And at this day and age, 19" LCDs are quite affordable. Or, 21" CRTs. Either choice, you will be very happy.

Think big. Since you already know that you can't accurately color correct on either the LCD or the CRT, you have one MAIN factor to consider. The Biggest Screen you can afford.

Rick

PS I have an AG Neovo. I like the performance VERY much. But you want sexy, you need to check out this brand. They have great customer service and their monitors have a thin piece of clear treated glass over the screen to help enhance sharpness and detail. For less than $300.00 bucks you can invest in this 19" monitor with 12ms, 500:1 contrast ratio for a monitor you won't be disappointed in. My .02 cents. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824163129

PS Having said all that, if you get a good 21" Viewsonic CRT, I think you'll be just as pleased with it.
 
TC said:
I like CRT's because not all programs allow you to preview on an NTSC/ PAL monitor. (IE, Photoshop, Maya, etc.)

Point of interest, products like the ColorVision Spyder2 Pro help out ALOT when keeping your monitors calibrated is important.
Click to expand...

Matrox display cards (like APVe) actually let you see the photoshop document on your monitor, just like the video in NLEs is displayed on the monitor.
This feature is available for photoshop, after effects, 3ds max and lightwave 3d (maya isn't listed on their site)

This card also supports output to HD monitors, so it's "future safe", should work great with the HVX...

I just ordered mine (cost me a little over 300$) so I don't have first hand experience with it, but it looks good on paper

Matrox APVe
 
Just another question on LCDS .. I have a 21" crt and a 17" widescreen LCD the thing that concerns me most is colour calabration on the LCD.. anyone got a good method of doing it? Im using Premier Pro RGB colour profile.
 
TC said:
That being the exact reason that I haven't bought one.

Hope you enjoy your new card! :beer:
Click to expand...
thanks, I hope so too...

I wonder why they don't support it, it is a plug-in architecture so they might add support for maya in the future.
My needs are mostly color correction on an external monitor, which I do with the NLE or after effects, so it's good enough for me
 
FWIW . . .

I have two 19" Sharp LCD flat panel displays for my PC, and a 14" CRT right next to them. I can't tell diddly what I'm doing, color correction-wise, until I see it on the CRT. No matter what, video just doesn't look "right" on LCDs or plasmas. As for the LCDs, bigger is always better, so that you have more screen real estate to spread your timelines/bins and other application's windows out on.
 
Id go CRT over LCD anyday.

Well untill they build faster LCD response times. LCD monitors dont run in real time and have a slow delay that is just noticable.

CRT's are faster, cleaner and cheaper and lets face it have better reselotion and color. If all you are doing is editing then two LCD would be nice but lets face it. Who edits without touching color correction? So string 2 CRT side by side..... Why do you think ILM still use CRT monitors and not LCD's ;0)
 
My displays have a 16ms response time. Newer displays have 8ms response times. I've never noticed any video latency at all.
 
You dont have ghosting on your curser when you move it around?

Maybe its not that technology need to catch up... Maybe its me who has too.....

Thanks NBCshooter
 
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