Recommended monitor resolution?

  • Thread starter Thread starter notCardio
  • Start date Start date
N

notCardio

I walk the line
I'm looking at monitors (CRT, not speakers) to use in building a new PC primarily for recording. Can anyone tell me what resolution I'm likely to need, as in what resolution is recommended by some of the major software packages? I'm considering a dual-monitor setup. Someone has a really good deal on a 19", but it only goes to 1280 x 1024, vs. another one that will do 1600 x 1200. Am I likely to need the higher resolution of the two? I haven't decided on a software package yet, but I want to be sure that whatever I build can handle whatever I might settle on. I know this is kind of a vague question, but I figure that if people tell me what res they find most useful for their application, I'll have a better idea of what I need.

Thanks for any replies.
 
Be leary of 19" monitors that only do 1280x1024. While it's true that 1280 is the highest resolution you might run, it might only do it at 65hz or so, and there may be lots of visual problems (esp. moire).

Most monitors that do 1600x1200 can typically do 1280x1024 with refresh rates of at least 75 - 85hz. This isn't a rule though, always check the specs. Typically monitors that can do a higher resolution will also have fewer defects at lower-than-maximum resolutions as well.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Thanks, Slack!

Which leads me to the question: What would be the cutoff for an acceptable refresh rate?
 
Many people will find 70 or 72 acceptable but if you'll be spending a lot of time behind the screen you should aim for at least 75. Anything over 85 will IMO not give a noticable improvement and will only stress the monitor more than necessary.
 
Cool!

Timely, direct answers to the actual questions I asked. You guys are the best.

Much appreciation directed your way.:)
 
I just bought a second hand Viewsonic 19" using a trinitron tube. Bought for my recording PC but wound up liking it so much I put it on my "everything else" PC. It does 1600x1200 and actually looks pretty good, and looks great at 1280. I think the same monitor new can be found on sale for about $225.

I also have 2 other 19" brand X monitors bought on sale. One (which I swapped with the Viewsonic) actually looks quite good. I think it was a Proview. The other is pretty much as Slackmaster described, weak and fuzzy at 1280, but a pretty good game monitor for $99.
 
So, is 1280 x 1024 what you run your recording apps at (and what would those be) ?
 
I run Cakewalk, soon to be switching to Sonar, and Sound Forge. I find that if I want to keep both the Track and Console view open in cakewalk, 1280 is the smallest resolution that will let me see everything I need on screen. 1600 gives more room, but then text can be pretty hard to read.

Another choice would be to use 2 monitors, but I really don't have space for 2 monitors where I record.
 
Cardioidpotent said:
I'm looking at monitors (CRT, not speakers) to use in building a new PC primarily for recording. Can anyone tell me what resolution I'm likely to need, as in what resolution is recommended by some of the major software packages? I'm considering a dual-monitor setup. Someone has a really good deal on a 19", but it only goes to 1280 x 1024, vs. another one that will do 1600 x 1200. Am I likely to need the higher resolution of the two? I haven't decided on a software package yet, but I want to be sure that whatever I build can handle whatever I might settle on. I know this is kind of a vague question, but I figure that if people tell me what res they find most useful for their application, I'll have a better idea of what I need.

Thanks for any replies.
Click to expand...


You might try eBay for those monitors. There's a guy from Houston that sells relatively new (2-3 years old) monitors for a good price. I bought two 22" monitors for $285 and $310 respectively, and paid $120 to have them shipped.

They are identical models, and the strange thing is that they only work right with a really low refresh rate. So low, that a warning comes up when I first fire them up. The res is 1600 x 1200, but I can't imagine using that resolution. I would never be able to read anything. I leave 'em at 800 x 600 and they serve me well... and my main gig with the system is video!

Once you work with dual monitors, you'll never go back.
 
Oh man, you run at 800x600 on a 22" monitor???????

Are you blind? :)

1600x1200 should be a *very* reasonable resolution on a 22" monitor! 800x600 on a monitor that size wastes a whole lot of real estate!

Slackmaster 2000
 
Yeah, I'm pretty blind!:cool:

Luckily, I still have my ears!:D

With two 22's, you have so much real estate, it's not funny.

Come to think of it, I might have the resolution set a little higher, as I seem to remember webpages coming up smaller than my 20"...

I do know that anything above 1200 makes the text too small for me. I even bought a set of diopter glasses just for using while watching a crt.

Like I said, with two 22's... you really do have an awful lot of real estate to play with!
 
I just took a look out the window, and I can see everything on your monitors from way over here!

The thing is, though, that 800x600 is 800x600 no matter the size of the monitor. As the monitor size increases, 800x600 just appears to be larger...you don't get any extra room.

I'm glad my eyes are good because I always feel cramped no matter how high I set the resolution...I usually have things as small as I can get em so I can get as many windows up at once as possible.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Yeah, my girlfriend warned me about the eyes at 40:confused:

One month after my 40th birthday, I couldn't read the newspaper...

Even if my resolution is set at 800 x 600, it's really 1600 x 600 with the second monitor, but I agree... most media programs nowadays are made for multiple monitors, as you can't get all the tools and pallettes and timelines on one screen.

You're right, I must have the resolution a little higher for there to be a difference in the appearance of a web page. Probably 1024, I guess.

I'd still recommend checking out the big monitors on eBay. :p
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top