Monitor troubles...

[nootch]

*sigh*

Okay, I bought a 17" KDS AV-7TF (Trinitron flat screen tube) a coupe days ago and I'm thinking/hoping I got a defective monitor. The screen is quite fuzzy, and the colors are very dull (even after I've adjusted everything as per Adobe's Gamma wizard [which worked wonders on my old cheapo KDS]). But if that weren't bad enough, there's a curved vertical "line" of ghosting that you can only see on darker screens (plus the two horizontal trinitron tension wires seem more noticeable than they did in the display model, but maybe I'm just being paranoid with that one). So anyway, I purchased the monitor from staples.com and I'm planning on taking it back to my local Staples tomorrow. I can't decide if I should give it another chance and exchange it for the same monitor (though I use Photoshop a lot and I'm beginning to think that those tension lines would really annoy me), or if I should exchange it for the Samsung 753DF (which has a Diamondtron NF tube, the same specs, and also claims to be perfectly flat). I'm on a budget, so that's why I'm only looking at $200 and less monitors. Both of these monitors get great reviews, but I was wondering if anyone has any personal experience with either? I don't know much about the Diamondtron (Mitsubishi I believe) tube, am I dumb to pay almost the same price for a non-Trinitron monitor?

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"May those who love us love us. And those who don't love us-- may God turn their hearts. And if He cannot turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles, so that we may know them by their limping." -- Keeping the Faith

 

[WaterB]

personally i'd go w/ the diamondtron... i've stared at my friends for long periods of time and really liked it.. but if you're on a budget and the diamondtron costs more.. try to get another KDS and see if you still don't like it.. you got like 30days to exchange don't you?

 

[Diesel]

nootch> The 753DF does not have a Natural Flat Diamondtron tube. That is part of Samsung's DynaFlat series, and they have a NF (Natural Flat) series. The NF series is the one with the Diamondtron tubes.
I have a 955DF, and it most definitely does not have any sort of Trinitron tube.

However, the DynaFlat's are pretty nice, and they are flat. The NaturalFlat's are supposed to be significantly nicer, but I don't know if they're worth the price premium.

I know you're on a budget, but the monitor is the one place on a computer you really shouldn't skimp. It's the single most important physical interface you have with your PC.
I've used really good monitors, and really bad ones. The really bad ones leave your eyes feeling fatigued, your head pounding with blinding headaches, and generally make your computing exerience less than optimal. The really good ones alleviate all of these "phantom" symptops.

From the specs you seem to be looking for, you should probably be looking at Samsung's 700NF or 700IFT. They do cost more than $200, but are significantly better quality than the 753DF.

BTW, KDS is a low-end brand, so chances are that you did get a defective monitor. They have some of the lowest QA standards in the industry.


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"It's always funny until someone gets hurt, and then it's just hilarious."