I am looking for a monitor in the low $200 class for my 17 pro project.

I was set on the L72s, but then I started to check out the other options.

L72s: 17, potential trouble with 1024x720p, 8ms, 700:1, no DVI
Samsung 740: 17, 8ms, 600:1, DVI and VGA.
Daewoo L1711MN: 17, 8ms, 700:1, DVI/VGA, a few dollars cheaper.

1. So how much difference is there between 600:1 and 700:1?
2. How important is the DVI input? I plan to use a HTPC (laptop for the moment and want the cool Projector To Be to not be obsolete in a few years because nothing uses vga (like trying to find a parallel printer...) Is the DVI more crisp? give a better picture?


rearden

the dvi is for digital input[not using an onboard analog to digital converter] the vga lcd uses an onboard digitizer. is one better than the other? dont know for sure. my pj has dvi and vga inputs and i use the dvi. it seems to be a little crisper image. i use the vga out on my pc and cant tell any real difference. it may show up if i use the pc lcd for my pj after magnification but i am not sure. most folks will tell you your video card using a dvi out to your pj will probably be the way to go. holp this helps

I would set my priority on finding a monitor that natively letterboxs 1280x720p so you can use a cheap transcoder for HD content (no need for an n6) The 100 bucks you save on the n6 (which isnt a good transcoder in the first place) can go towards finding a model with DVI.

I haven't heard any rumors about the standard VGA going out any time soon. I have used both, and I think DVI is a bit sharper. Any video card you buy will likely have adapters to turn a DVI out into VGA out, so you really don't have to worry about the input/output deal being obsolete.

Hi all

About the vga VS DVI, VGA is way better. ok it supposed to be digital, but the circuitry and the design of tft and tn lcd are made as it does a kind of fuzz. ( fourmillement.. ) You can go over : hardware.fr and they have made some test with professional screen test equipement and on all result , VGA tend to be better than dvi.

And with that in mind, go for the lcd that provide the highest contrast. Black will look like black, not grey.

* Also, note if you use a small hd15 cable, you will get a bad picture of course.. use good quality cable or if you don't know grab the bigger cable size , but not the one with the bigger price also..

- And for an even better quality, use a video scaler, like a centerstage ! very incredible!

Personally, I would base my purchasing decision on contrast (400:1 or higher) and response time (16ms or lower). DVI vs. VGA is a crap shoot, in my opinion. I have seen plenty of LCD monitors running on VGA signals that I cannot imagine being any sharper.

I would bet that in a blind "taste test" with one LCD on VGA and the other on DVI, most people would not be able to tell which monitor was which.

I think that the real factors in image quality are Contrast Ratio and Response Time. Panel transmisivity is a big one, too. But "shopping around" for that is nearly impossible.

wow, original question is over a year old now, but anyway,
I think the quality of the image is not dependant on only DVI vs VGA. Like Votey said, VGA can render results as good as DVI.
But, I would figure from some research that I've done that companies measure contrast (and other specs, for that matter) differently, in order to look statistically better than the competition. Probably the best way to go (same as with audio) is to go and look at them next to each other. Unfortunately, I can't imagine it being too easy to find alot of monitors we here would be interested in at the local Best Buy or anything. Maybe Googleing will find people who have been able to compare monitors firsthand.

I have a monitor that has a DVI and a VGA hooked to it and i can switch back and forth and honestly i can't tell the difference. But here are some other things that might help people decide.

1) How far do you need to run the cable, VGA cable at the longer lengths tends to be cheaper.
2) DVI should be better if you have alot of digital content because there is no conversion. This is debatable and probly a minor factor.
3) HDMI and DVI are backward compatible and only require a cable to make the switch.

Can get it here.
Im stuck with a VGA but im not complaining it looks great, just my thoughts.

something else to consider, on my dell 1503fp, when i am using the dvi connector (main reason i bought the monitor) i can't adjust some of the monitors settings, namely contrast.

if its on a vga cable i can

Possibly it depends mostly on the D/A converter on the vid card and the A/D converter in the LCD... There is something wrong with one of them in the path from my computer to my LCD, the most noticeable thing is a gray-ish black level. And I dont mean the backlight bleed, there is a 1:1 scaling option and when the comp resolution is lower and there is black around the screen, the black where there is no image is 'blacker' than the black of the computer screen area....if that makes sense. The computer screen area also shows noise in the blacks. Probably a cheap video card, it is integrated after all