2 x 19" LCDs or 1 x 24" wide-screen LCD???

Tattoo wrote on 1/21/2007, 6:16 AM
It's finally time to upgrade from my 17" LCD monitor. I was originally planning on getting 2 x 19" screens, but I'm now seriously considering one of the 24" wide screens. My primary reason (okay, ... excuse) for wanting the extra space is for video editing. Which way should I go? Here's the pros & cons as I see it:

- 24" widescreen has fewer pixels/space overall, but doesn't have the split in the middle, either
- widescreen looks better when not in use (wife factor)
- widescreen has better secondary use as a TV/DVD display option
- 2 x normal LCDs have better support for moving windows around (easy to maximize one program on screen & another program on the other

Any thoughts on a great 24" widescreen monitor, too? I haven't seen any user reviews on it, but the Gateway FPD2485W sounds like a decent option for only $680. I think the new Dell 27" has better color accuracy, but would be an impossible sell to the wife given both the size and the price ($1400).

And yes, I realize that LCDs are not the optimal solution for video preview (color accuracy), but space dictates an LCD.

Thanks,
Brian

Comments

GaryAshorn wrote on 1/21/2007, 8:47 AM
Right now I am using my 21" flat screen CRT and that is fine for Vegas. But I would like two screens. I used two 17" on my FAST VM system and that works great. The middle split really is not noticed if you setup your screen areas right. I found it was just fine. As for video monitoring, that should only be done on a real monitor for color accuracy but that is another fight. But the two monitor setup is just fine. My two cents

Gary
UlfLaursen wrote on 1/21/2007, 9:16 AM
I have 2 19" on one workstation and I like it. You will of course need to get used to the two borders where the monitors meet, but if you f.ex. choose Samsung, the borders are quite thin.

I have never tried a 24" myself, only 22", but I think it will be nice, but also a bid more expencive.

Funny enough in the mac world a have never seen dual monitors, the tend to use 1 big screen.

/Ulf
stevengotts wrote on 1/21/2007, 10:28 AM
I have 2 widescreen 19" Lcds and love it. its quite a horizon to work with. And the shock and awe factor for clients is worth the price of admission. Next Id like to add another set of 2 above the other two on my tricaster computer. I find the need to calibrate the lcds as the tend to be to brite. and your brain learns to ignore the space between the moniters.
Cheers
Steven
ken c wrote on 1/21/2007, 11:24 AM
I have BOTH, and need them.. eg a 24" dell widescreen, flanked by 2 19" viewsonics.. it ROCKS with sony vegas, as I put vegas on the main timeline center widescreen by itself, video preview in the left monitor, and windows explorer (to grab media elements) in the right screen.

so I have:

19" on the left ----- 24" widescreen in center ---- 19" on the right


using a matrox parhelia to drive the 24" and 2 matrox g400 pcis, for the 2 19"s

the power! muhahah,

ken
teaktart wrote on 1/21/2007, 12:08 PM
I have 3 - 19" Samsungs all touching each other up on little pedestals so they are just the right height to avoid neck/eye strain.

I have digital connection on the right screen where I have my preview window (have two video cards but the digital connector is expensive, will upgrade from analog to digital on second screen soon)

Main Vegas workspace in center

Trimmer, explorer, forum, second Vegas, etc on left screen according to what I'm working on

Glad I made the investment, got them on sale at Circuit City about a year ago with big rebates, lots of diddly paper work but got back about $450 so that was worth it.

Keep your eyes peeled for good deals then jump in.

Teaktart
Coursedesign wrote on 1/21/2007, 12:50 PM
...the Gateway FPD2485W sounds like a decent option for only $680. I think the new Dell 27" has better color accuracy, but would be an impossible sell to the wife given both the size and the price ($1400).

I have the Gateway FPD2185W, and it great both for computer use and for SD and HD video, with all the inputs you could need, and with proper signal processing circuitry to handle also analog signals when needed, as well as superb DVI/HDMI digital. Still, the 2485W will have the usual LCD limitations in terms of color space, probably about the same 72% of NTSC's color space that Dell claims for their "previous generation" panels.

Their new 27" claims 92% of NTSC colors, but at a very hefty premium for the moment.

Consider that Dell's very nice 30" screen is often available for $1200....

The 30" screen needs a graphics card that can output 2560x1600, but with that you're really in heaven... :O)

The choice between one large or two small LCDs is really a personal one, but for me I would never buy a 19" again (especially since 19" LCDs are not in a sweetspot price-wise right now either, that spot is at 20-22" currently).

Ideal, IMHO, is to start with a 24", which I find works really well on its own and is quite cost effective for the moment, and then add a second one should your future appetite for this coincide with a swollen wallet moment.

You're not saying what you're editing, but if you're now editing HDV or some flavor of HD or are thinking you might do it within the life span of this system, then it's not so hot to get a 19" screen that can only paint about half of a 1920x1080 frame.

The 24" size is the smallest that will give you a full frame, with a little bit extra room at the bottom (it's 1920x1200).
Tattoo wrote on 1/21/2007, 2:36 PM
At the moment I'm only editing SD, and probably will until HD delivery is more mainstream. I recently started shooting with the Sony HC1, so I may end up editing in HD and output to SD, but I haven't tried that yet.

Although I have twin 19" screens at my day job (office work, unfortunately - no editing :( ) and absolutely love'em, I'm leaning towards a widescreen mainly for asthetics as well as the possible benefits to HD editing.

I wanted to check with the guys to make sure I wasn't missing any major pros or cons to either setup. I also wanted to see if anyone had good or bad recommendations for a widescreen since I'm completely unfamilar with that.

Although the brand new 27" Dell sounds awesome, I'll think I'll have to go the (relatively) cheap route for this time around and look to upgrade in about three years or so. Hopefully LCDs will be even better for editing by then.

Ken- Quite the editing rig - that must be a sweet sight! Makes sense since your editing has meant a lot to your business - efficiently & speed are literally $$ to you. Since our computer desk has been forced into the living room in our current house, I can speak with authority that the little woman would never permit such a thing. I'll have to live vicariously through you!
Quryous wrote on 1/21/2007, 3:18 PM
I was VERY lucky. I have a friend who is a tech for Cox cable. He gets just about anything he wants. He currently has 6 HP 2335 (23") monitors, 3 on three, in his "computer room" at home. I convinced him to bring up a bunch of maps and arial photos before my wife and I visited one day.

She is a geographer and an architect, among other things. Couldn't keep her way from them.

We now have 3 HP 2335s sitting side by side. Once in a while life is good.

The price has dropped considerably since then, and there are other simiplar monitors, but I have never seen a BAD HP in that range for long. Had a line of bad pixels on one of them and 3 days after I reported it I had a replacement sitting on my doorstep. No questions asked. Perhaps you get what you pay for.
Yoyodyne wrote on 1/22/2007, 1:37 PM
This is an interesting thread - looks like people have tons of ways of skinning this cat.

I'm currently running 4 monitors off of 2 Nvidia geforce 6800 PCI cards. The set up is two 19"s together for Vegas, 1 Dell 2405 24" for preview and a 15" for odds and ends.

The biggest issue I have is how to place the monitors in relation to my speakers. I do a fair bit of surround work and need my center speaker....well in the center of my desk. This means that I have an open chunk of desk on the right - and an open chunk on the left. Right now I've got the two 19"s on the space on the right with the 24" right above the center speaker - the 15" is off on the left side.

I have yet to come up with a clever way to arrange the speakers and monitors so I am facing forward. Anybody have any ideas?
Soniclight wrote on 1/22/2007, 2:48 PM
A bit late to the party here and talking from a non-company-budget (read: what I could afford) stance: Had same basic dilemma when I build my new computer a year ago, but since the monitor real estate was way larger with 2 x19", I went for that.

Still occasionally cuss out at the in-between-monitors nuisance when dealing with open windows, but c'est la vie.

Two monitors also gives me a nice lo-ooong taskbar (I have toolbars with shortcuts in them to all kinds of system and apps necessities) since I have my desktop stretched over both.