Iria

Faster LCD pixel response time is supposed to make scrolling, video, and games move more smoothly. Unfortunately, the response time figures that vendors quote aren't particularly useful for comparison shoppers.

The lack of standard specifications for measuring pixel response time means that vendors can choose from different ways of reporting -- or not reporting -- response time. "For the consumer who's trying to make sense of this, it's really a case of buyer beware," says Rhoda Alexander, director of monitor research at the electronics-industry research firm ISuppli.

The LCD industry has traditionally defined response time as rise-and-fall -- the time it takes a pixel to change from black to white (rise) and then back to black (fall). This is often depicted as a line graph with black at the bottom of the slope and white at the peak. But some vendors are now reporting response time as the time it takes to change from one shade of gray to another, termed gray-to-gray.

"There is an incredible degree of confusion in the general public about these specs. Terms are used almost interchangeably," says Ian Miller, chair of the board of directors of the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), a display-industry association. Miller is also director of technology at Samsung Information Systems America.
__________
Read More / Source: SBC Yahoo! News

mike2h

if you want top quality IQ then crt is it for now & until new technology comes out.
i get a kic kout of people that say crt is dead. we have very responsive, great iq panels at work(surgery/carth lab) but when you line them up against crts 1/3 of their price.. well the only reason they(flat panels) are used is becuase of space limitations & 'medical expenses'. when it really comes down to it we still have crts for mission critical needs.
& they are paying $5-10,000 for some of those panels.

__________________

Zardon

Im sorry I dont agree with the first comment at all, and really Ive used and played with so many monitors I do feel I can make a subjective honest statement to that. The best LCDs far outclass any CRT in regards to 2d clarity and defination, while this response-time debate is a moot point. The best LCD technology currently available is more than capable of delivering responses which do not cause the human eye to see ghosting or shimmering. 10k panels are really into specialist fields so im not sure its relevant for "joe public".

Of course the price of the best LCD technology is still high so I agree with that point and the colour is still not 100% accurate (as I do design work ive seen some minor colour issues but its not a problem for 99% of the work). One thing that is overlooked with debates on LCD technology is the fact CRT technology is far from perfect either, the clarity and defination is by top LCD standards way below par.

Im not directing this to you Mike as im sure you have experience with both however I feel everyone just jumps on the LCD "response time sucks" bandwagon even when they havent tried or seen a high end LCD.

mike2h

whlie i am not so sure that response time is 'moot' i tend to agree with you generally, which is why i did not bring that up.
i partially agree with you about the awsome picture quality that can be had with some of these panels, i was stunned by the quality of our new ones in cvor & cath lab. problem is you can get as good ,& i beleive better overall iq in crts, for 1/3 - 1/2 the price. of course the downside is a 21" crt takes up a lot of space & is just plain heavy.
bottom line is you are right in that most people do not realise how good the pix quality can be on the better panels(part of this is most people can not come close to affording them) but the cost to performance ratio just does not make them that attractive to me.
& 'smearing' is a problem in 3d gaming(to varying degrees) in most mainstream panels. though, as you said, this fast becoming moot.
bty people would be a lot happier with their iq if they would just adjust their monitors correctly. can not beleive how many people get this wrong. & think that is the way it is supposed to look.

__________________