Well, i am not sure if i am off topic for this forum completely. But the thing is, i worked with an old screen untill yesterday. I am in a contest, and now i can see my pics are much lighter. I had to buy a new screen Samsung 22" LCD Wide Screen, 5ms 3000:1 - it's very big i think, but i am amazed how different the pics looks like.

If i make a darker version of a picture with this screen, (i have a new grapich card too) then it will look way to dark on old screens. It's only
laziness, or just too much to do who have prevented me to buy a flat screen. But now i had too.

I suppose most people nowadays have flatscreens for their PC's. Cause i didn't work on a newer screen before, it has definately affected my pictures/pixels way too much!

It's not only the grapich card who is the issue, i have a good one now, after my older one broke down. What screens do you use? older or newer, i ask cause i have no idea, people have different economy and not everybody is
up to date.

So guys, what do you think about pictures and screens, are the screens
too different? Some pics i thought looked nice on my old screen, i think look like crap on this one. But other pics look still nice, just lighter. Anyone else with the same experience? I use 70% in light, and 80% in contrast, i still struggle to figure out how to configure the screen. Auto configuration is horrible, then i get 100% light and 80% contrast, which give me headache.

If anyone have some advices for Light/Contrast for me, i would preciate it very much.

I noticed exactly the same thing when I got my LCD flatscreen! I can remember being in a contest where we had to make a picture of our sim coming out of the shadows and some peoples entries looked totally black to me on my old monitor, I commented on this and was accused of being really rude! I can't help you with settings, I've just got used to mine as they are, but I even notice a difference when I'm looking at it at night as compared to during the day.

I think it's different from screen to screen too... even if it's LCD. I made a picture for a contest and submitted it completely happy and then I was checking the thread on another computer and you could barely see it cause it looked so dark. I just keep that in mind now

sakrayami: actually related to the same contest I was checking out the contest on my brother's computer and he has an LCD flatscreen and I noticed my pictures looked really bright on his computer. I have an older monitor and on my computer, the pictures look fine. It definitely causes some variability because you never know what kind of monitor someone else has. I personally think the LCD is too bright but I guess it's something I could get used to.

Actually LCD screens tend to be overly bright. LCD monitors also cannot see the full range of colors that CRT monitors can. LCD monitors contrast are inferior to CRTs too, Especially when we're talking consumer grade screen. I have a photo of a young boy with a black knit cap on this computer. On the CRT the stitching is well defined. On almost every LCD monitor I've tried it on it just looks like one big black blob.. no definition at all. Even the best have vastly less. The only true way a LCD beats a CRT as far as picture quality (the size and weight component not taken into account just picture quality) is of course that CRT will not show you true flatness. If you're into to real precise digital photography type stuff (or you're just crazy picky like I am :D) I recommend getting yourself a calibrator like an eyeone or spyder. Otherwise if you're just messing around in things where color brightness and contrast accuracy isn't important, it's really just a matter of what you like to look at. If you’re really picky about your monitors (like I am!) take a look at Eizo’s flexscan series. Arguably the two best manufacturers, and the most chosen by graphics professionals, are Eizo Nano and LaCie. Eizo’s Coloredge series is designed for graphics pros but they have lower response times and aren’t really suitable for gamers or someone who wants to watch video without ghosting. LaCie is the same. They are specifically designed for still image graphics professionals. If the Eizo flexscan are out of your price range, consider the Viewsonic Pro series LCDs.

Personally, I use a NEC FE772 CRT because the Eizo is out of my price range and this monitor looks so much better than any other LCD I've seen anyway. Viewsonic and LG are the two I could prob tolerate if I had to, otherwise. This is the LG I'm talking about: http://shop2.outpost.com/product/51...CH:MAIN_RSLT_PG but I really would get it callibrated.. LG tends to be overly bright too. Here are the viewsonics: http://viewsonic.com/products/lcddisplays/ Take a look at the "Pro Series" monitors. Neither compare to the Eizo but they are more budget friendly, and I think both LG and Viewsonic are vastly superior to Samsung. I couldn't tolerate the Samsung screens I tried out. I literally went through dozens of screens in my home trying to find a LCD in an affordable price range that were ok and LG and Viewsonic get my vote lol *stops ranting*

Callistra If I ever have any computer problems/questions/ whatever I'm so PMing you lol I hope that's ok? You always give the best answers (in what almost looks like English!) to people who, for the most part, have no idea what they're talking about when it comes to computers

LMAO aww I'm flattered I'm such a computer geek.. I could sit online and give my opinions on things all day..

I have an LCD screen and I am constantly fiddling with the brightness, colour & contrast settings because my screen is either too bright or I can't see the detail in images well. And there I was thinking it was my eyesight that was the problem lol..

Unfortunately, there may not be a lot you can do to see the detail better on your LCD That's ultimately why I just couldn't justify going out and spending more on one. Calibrator is prob your best chance to get the best image you can out of it but most just don't have a high enough contrast ratio.. At least you know it’s not your eyes :D

Thanks callistra. I was going to fork out for a new (and bigger) screen, but if i'm just going to have the same issue's I might not bother and look into getting a calibrator instead (i'm picky too lol...)

What's your price range, and what screen do you have now? Calibrators can run upwards of $100, even for the lesser expensive ones, but I mean personally I would reccomend calibrating one you have first. Then if you decide you really can't live with it, you can try something better. Unless you have a really really crappy screen maybe lol..


I would read through these forums before choosing one: http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a?top...t%3eCalibration

Thanks for the advices callistra And Thanks for the confirmation Romyhorse. The pic i did with the fighters in the contest i was in, i couldn't see the horns on the old screen, but i saw them now. My minitask in the old screen looked fine, but with this new screen, it looks real bright and crappy. I have figured out the contrast and settings, i use 50 in light, and 60 in contrast, I use natural colors, so i think i am going to use that. Magnolia, your quality of the pics looked fine to me on the new screen.

I need to read your long post several times Callistra, english is not very easy to me - but it's a lot more i can see and do with a new big screen, and i use BMP's to work with, the quality will be better I can't buy another screen now, lol. I am going to throw the old CRT's away. But the other photos taken with my camera is fine, cause i don't work a lot on them in PS.

I am now back on my old screen, much smaller, my new screen went black! While i was downloading some stuff. Callistra, does LCD screens tolerate heat at all? I have
much the same settings on my old CRT as i had on LCD, well it's kinda close. but
it has never happend that my old screens have gone black. If any of you have a clue
what this all is about, i would preciate some advices.

There could be any number of reasons why your new screen has died..will it not turn on at all now? Personally if I were you I'd take it back, assuming you can. You already were bothered by the display quality and now this.. not acceptable on a new anything. Downloading things doesn't effect the screen or make it heat up.. and whatever the reason it went black that didn't cause it.. I’m not sure what you mean about tolerating heat. Does it feel overly hot or something? Generally speaking LCDs are much more energy efficient and put off a lot less heat than CRT monitors..

The power went out. I couldn't turn the screen on again. And yes, the screen was warm on the top. But i am not sure if it will work again, i will try. This is just damm weird. I can deliver it back, complaining, since our laws about righs are very strict when it comes to such shit, i will probably demand another screen. A Viewsonic.
I can pay more for a screen, but no Eizo on me yet, i need a screen to both photos,
3d design, and games. Of course everybody is asleep where i live, so i am happy you answered so quickly. I went desperate when my screen just turned itself off, and i couldnt turn it on again. I'll try again, but i will definately complain on this tomorrow.
Ehm, i have had it for 3-4 days or something. My first post in this thread
was right after i had got the screen. That was the 19th.

EDIT: IT works again, but i got the message that my screen was not optimazed like 1680 x 1050, 60 Hz. I had it on 85 Hz and 1380 x 1024 pixels.
Maybe this was the reason why it turned itself off? but i think i need a new
powersupply as well, yeah, a new computer.

It could be the resolution and refresh rate.. but Windows shouldn't be showing resolutions the monitor can't support.. However, the refresh rate you have to be careful of. You see next to the refresh rate there is a box .. something about not showing modes the monitor doesn't support? Check that. If you had the refresh rate too high that could have done it. But setting a lower resolution should not have. I would still really reccomend taking it back while you can.. I mean you don't want to think it's okay now and have it die in a month or a week when you're out of luck. Plus since you're not satisifed with it, that's a good excuse to take it back and get something you'd be more happy with. Samsung screens aren't that hot. Just my opinion/advice anyway.

These are precisely why I've got a CRT.

Actually, I'm due for a new monitor (mine is very, very old), and probably a new computer in general.

What may help you are freeware programs that you can install on your computer that can walk you through calibrating your image settings--they tend to be relatively small, and they can be a big help.

back to the original post, I have also bought a new samsung lately, a 19inch. I found it much brighter than my old monitor, even though that was a benq LCD flatscreen. Not to put down samsung monitors though, I am very impressed with it's quality overall. It is interesting what has been said about CRT vs LCD image quality, but personally I can't bear to think about putting a massive ugly CRT back on my desk.