Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with lcd

Needing a new useful remote.

actionpact — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:47:52 -0800

Help us find a replacement remote for a TV/DVD combo, or else a good universal remote with an eject button! My mother is trying to replace a remote for a LCD-TV/DVD she has, a Sylvania 6615LDF she got two years ago. The remote has since kicked the bucket and when searching for a new replacement, we're finding a remote with the same model number (NE204UD) but clearly meant for a DVR instead of a DVD. So we're not sure exactly what to do.

I'm wondering two things:
1) Is there a well-recommended site for buying replacement remotes for your systems? A lot of the sites I saw are either really generic or don't have photos for everything so I'm a little wary I'll get the wrong remote.
2) Can you recommend a universal remote that also has an eject feature? All the ones we saw at Target and other stores seem to lack an eject option, which is kind of important since the tv has a built in dvd player. Would prefer one that is not more than $40, but am open to suggestions anyway.

Thanks, hivemind!

Best HDMI switch?

matteo — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:12:45 -0800

Best HDMI switcher out there? (plasma TV only has one port) I'd like at least three, maybe four ports. Remote control not really necessary, I'd like to have maximum image quality though and I can spend, within reason, to obtain it. I see they're all between 50 and 100 dollars, maybe there are some known lemons out there? Maybe there's a kickass brand? Thanks.

Are these things just a big scam?

fvox13 — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:37:21 -0800

Where does one buy an HDTV these days? (Rochester, NY if that helps) So, I'm looking to get at least a 50 incher, and I'd like to spend under $1500 (I'd go slightly higher, depending on the set). I don't like Plasma, since I've seen a lot of burnt-in sets. Maybe LCD or DLP?

I've seen *SO* much variation of price... I've looked at NewEgg, Best Buy, Circuit City, and a smaller local retailer (Charlotte Appliance).

Where's the best place to go? I know enough to avoid those $50 HDMI cables, but I don't know where to go to get the best deal / what to look for.

LCDs without bezels.

godidog — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:11:21 -0800

Could an LCD display be made without a bezel ? Could an LCD be manufactured without a bezel, even along only one side, which would mean we could buy smaller, cheaper ones and stick them together ?

I suspect they could ( and the manufacturers don't produce them like this because they would make less profit ), but maybe there is a technical reason they could not.

Help me pick out a LCD HDTV and accoutrements!

ebellicosa — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:07:49 -0800

Help me pick out a LCD HDTV and accoutrements wiithout falling prey to techno-hype! Budget is $2-3k for a ten-year techno-leap. Need to watch NHL hockey. AVphiles of MeFi: Help me pick out a LCD HDTV and paraphernalia!

Requirements:
1. I'd like to set up NHL Center Ice in HD for my husband this coming season. He's so cute sitting there with a bottle of beer, and his eyes glued to the screen. I like to call it The Immobilizer.
2. I'd like an LCD HDTV so I can hang it on the wall. After some research, I'm thinking a Samsung 46" 1080p 120Hz from Amazon's warehousedeals.com . I may have fallen into the trap of what they call "future-proofing".
3. I can wait a few more weeks. I hear the price is going to drop. But I'm not made of steel.
4. We have a nice Yamaha receiver and speakers from about 10 years ago that does Dolby surround.
5. I have a Wii to hook up to it.

More details
1. I am reasonably technical and handy with hooking things up, but I have been out of the AV loop for a decade or so.
2. Budget is about $2-3k.

Questions:
1. Aside from the HDTV, what else will I need? Is a Blu-ray DVD player worth it?
2. Which satellite network (DirecTV or DishNetworks) should I go with? Is their internet service any good?
3. Do I really need a professional installer? If so, how and where to find one?
4. How much of "future-proofing" is unnecessary features? Is 720p just dandy?

Your help, be it basic pointers or specific suggestions, is much appreciated!

audiovox D1730

raphael19 — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:14:59 -0800

how do i use audiovox D1730 as a pc monitor? this device have 3.5mm audio and video plugs at the back along with an in/out switch. the problem is that i don't know any 3.5 video jacks, except the ones used with ipods/video-cameras, etc. (the 3.5mm jack with 3 rca output). do i use that cable, or any other cable which i am not aware of? (i will take the video input from the vga port of the pc with the audiovox's back switch at out position, so as to have a very light lcd monitor)

Can the LCD screen on the Canon Rebel XTi be used to preview a shot before taking a picture?

stlboi — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:03:36 -0800

Can the LCD screen on the Canon Rebel XTi be used to preview a shot before taking a picture like on most standard digital cameras? I heard you can do it on manual mode, but can't figure it out.

DIY Transflective Panel?

bone.eater — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:31:00 -0800

Where can I find reasonably priced transflecive displays and laptops? Can I DIY and modify a panel myself? I'm building an outdoor office due to flourescent lighting induced fatigue. I have problems with CRTs as well. I need a reasonably priced transflective/reflective display or, better yet, a laptop with a transflective display. Is it possible to remove or augment the backlight of an ordinary LCD panel?

Serious glare reduction needed.

magnoliasouth — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:55:03 -0800

What is the best (and cheapest) way to reduce outdoor sunlight glare on the LCD screen of my point and shoot camera? I'm aware of hoods/visors and some have suggested anti-glare sheets that cover PDAs, but which is better or should I do both? Perhaps there is an even better suggestion.

We're leaving tomorrow on a trip for the 4th and I'd really like to see for a change when we're taking pictures.

Any advice is appreciated.

Will it make it intact?

QuantumMeruit — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:16:26 -0800

I have a 42-inch LCD TV in its original box that needs to make its way cross-country. Can we just drop it off at FedEx/UPS, or does prudence and shipping policy require us to find a larger exterior box with more cushioning?

How do I display 6 slide shows on 6 LCD displays?

MrBobaFett — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:06:43 -0800

We are building a video display wall for our new office and I need to figure out the best way to do it, with out spending too much. The output source are 22 LCD displays, there are 6 of them all showing different slide shows. DVD? PC? Any help would be appreciated. More details of what has been tried are inside. We started with the idea of 6 LCDs hooked up 6 DVD players, with slide show CDs in them. Turns out it's a huge pain in the ass to get computer monitor LCDs (1680x1050) to play an HD (720p or 1080p) video signal. (The method I have been using is an HDMI to DVI cable going into the digital in on the LCD, also the DVD player is a Philips DVP5982)

I had two Acers (AL2216Wbd) from my desktop I used in the prototype which worked and displayed 720p fine. Then I ordered six of the same model to use in the wall and Acer changed something in the manufacturing in the last year so none of them will display 720p or higher, and Acer doesn't want to help unless I am plugging them into a computer.

So I went out and got a Samsung (2253BW) monitor that looks great and I can sent it 1080p video signal, for up to 1 minute. Then the monitor tells me this is not the optimum video mode and turns it self off.

I don't have the time and money to keep getting LCDs and testing them to see if they will work with a DVD player. Also because of budget I am focusing on the $200-300 range.

The other obvious answer would be to use a computer to drive the displays. But I don't want to buy 6 shuttle PCs, I'd rather just get 3 dual head video cards and run all of the monitors off one machine, but I haven't found any slide show software that will display different slide shows at full screen on different displays.

Am I going about this all wrong? I thought I was fairly competent but so far this project is proving otherwise.

How jarring is a glossy/matte combo with dual monitors?

10ch — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:21:16 -0800

For those of you with glossy laptop screens, do you use glossy external monitors, too? I'm about to buy a MacBook (only comes in glossy) and an external monitor (which come in matte or glossy). Is it jarring to go back and forth between glossy and matte when sharing screen real estate? Thanks.

What are the best display settings for a PS3?

Effigy2000 — Sat, 31 May 2008 23:31:25 -0800

What are the best display settings for a Playstation 3 to ensure I get the best possible picture quality when watching Bluray discs and standard DVDs? I just bought a Playstation 3. I bought it pretty much for the sole purpose of playing Bluray discs and upscaling my existing DVD collection.; games are pretty much an added bonus here, as far as I'm concerned.

So with that in mind, what are the optimum settings for a PS3 in the display settings section of the PS3's setup menu, especially where upscaling is concerned? I'm running it through an HDMI cable and my TV is a Sony Bravia 40" LCD TV. Assume I'm not an AV guru when telling me. I've also updated the system software, so you know.

Thanks in advance!

Backlight or Inverter? How can you tell?

doomtop — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:54:28 -0800

Backlight or Inverter? How can you tell? Generally, when a laptop's LCD screen is functioning but extremely dim to the point of not really being able to see, this means that either the Backlight or the Inverter for the Backlight needs to be replaced.

Is there any way to determine whether the problem is due to the Backlight or due to the Inverter, without testing by replacing one or the other?

I am trying to avoid having to buy one part only to find out the problem is the other one.

Text Display on HDTVs

ThomThomThomThom — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:17:03 -0800

LCD vs Plasma displays for displaying text? What's the difference? So, my boss is thinking about getting two large (>30") monitors with digital inputs to display daily schedules behind the front desk of the Arts Center where I work. He insists that some LCD monitors display text strangely because the pixels are too large (I'm pretty clueless so far as this sort of thing goes.) Anyway, he was looking at Apple 30" displays and was dissatisfied with the size, but he seems pretty sure that a large LCD is what he's going for. I know that there are offices at the university that I attend that use Plasma screens to do much the same thing (though several of these have been burned out since they never turned them off and kept the same image on them for about a week.) I've looked around on google, but I can't find much of anything directly relating to the clarity of text on large-size HDTV screens (there isn't a difference between a display marketed as a monitor vs HDTV. right?) so I was hoping that someone here could spare me a few words?

Need Cleen Screen

imjustsaying — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:40:11 -0800

How can I safely get this glossy laptop LCD clean and free of dust without running the risk of damaging it? Dirty computer LCD screens drive me crazy.

My laptop is a Sony VGN-FE550G with a glossy screen. My acid test for a a really clean screen is to fill it with a black background and view it with bright light hitting it.

When I managed to get the dust off of it I invariably end up with streaks.

Quality of non-HD video sources when played on LCD HDTV?

jaimev — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:00:42 -0800

How do non-HD video sources look when displayed on a modern LCD HDTV? Is it comparable to what it looks like on a CRT-based TV? We have a 24 year old Sony 25" XBR CRT-based TV that has begun to make strange electronic sparking noises and display flickering lines on the screen. My first thought was to get it repaired, but I'm starting to consider replacing it with an inexpensive 42" Visio LCD-based HDTV from the local Costco.

Our primary viewing sources are analog cable TV input, and an old Tivo Basic box (which has component/composite/S-video outputs). I don't really foresee us getting upgraded HD service over cable, or buying an HD-based gaming console or Blue Ray disc player in the near future. We might get an indoor tv antenna to get the few local over-the-air ATSC signals that might reach us.

How will our non-HD video sources look like on a modern LCD HDTV? Can I expect picture quality comparable to our old CRT based TV?

Help me Portrait my Landscape monitors?

penciltopper — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:52:49 -0800

I want to make my Landscape monitors into Portrait monitors. Help me find a stand, and maybe software? So, hardware: 17" Planar LCD (PL1700) x2
The stands are built-in and only do landscape.
But there are 4 screws in the back for use with a mount (100mmx100mm).

Software, I dunno. Do I need UltraMon or something to make them go Portrait?

I work with document layouts enough that it makes more sense for me to have these be Portrait instead of Landscape. (Being able to switch back and forth would be a plus, tho.) And I just got these, so I don't think they'll spring for two more new monitors that are made to swivel btw. Portrait/Landscape.

I keep them far enough apart (long story) that a dual-monitor arm might not fit right or give me the angles I need. And I don't think my office cube will be able to accomodate two adjustable mounted arms, like an architect's lamp, bolted to the desk. So I'm looking for two independent STANDS to mount them to, not arms.

Looks like I want VESA 100x100 mounts, but all I'm seeing when I search for that are arms, single or dual. I want a base/stand, not an arm. Anyone?

a wireless digital photo frame with proper viewing angle?

-harlequin- — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:40:26 -0800

Digital Photo Frame (DPF) with wireless and wide viewing angle? I had my heart set on a Sungale 15” DPF with wifi, but when I viewed one in-store, the screen was far more sensitive to viewer head position than the norm (both height and sideways angle), which is terrible for a DPF. Is there anything similar which uses a non-sucky screen, and how can I know, given that I can’t view it personally before buying? Many DPFs have good viewing angle, and most are better than the one I wanted to buy. I would like one with a large screen, (but am reluctant to pay too much for it). Is viewing angle tied inexorably to price?
Sometimes you can find specs on the viewing angle, do these reliably correlate to viewing experience, and what sort of values should I be looking for?

Is DPF wireless usually useful? The Sungale included software to allow it to grab from flickr, for example, which sounds very useful. (If a DPF can only wirelessly grab from folders on machines in the LAN, that's not so useful).

Makeshift production monitor from a computer LCD?

UnnotciedTypo — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:12:52 -0800

Can I use my computer monitor as an HD production monitor? I'm putting together a camera package with a Sony PMW-EX1 camera and a 35mm lens adapter. My budget, however, cannot support a decent professional production monitor (yet). My interim solution (which will be used for focusing, not color/exposure evaluation) is to use my LCD computer monitor instead. Obviously not an ideal solution, but could this possibly work?

It's an older model with only VGA inputs, and I'm using a DVI-to-VGA adapter on it now, as I'm using a newer video card.
The camera (which has yet to arrive) has analog component outputs. The most detailed information I've found states the following:

The EX1 uses the same micro-D-shell connector used by most Sony HDV cameras for analog component outputs, and another micro connector carries stereo analog audio and composite video. Y/C is not provided.

The camera also has an HD-SDI output. My background is in film, so I don't have a good enough handle on video signals to figure this out. Can I convert an HD analog component signal to DVI somehow (which would then be adapted to VGA)? My fear is that this will take an expensive converter box that costs just as much as a real production monitor. Does anyone know if this is true?
Thanks so much, in advance.

Flat TV's behind one-way mirrors?

monkeybutt — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:24:19 -0800

Flat TV's behind two-way mirrors? Good idea or no? Does anybody out there have any firsthand experience with LCD's or Plasma TV's situation behind two-way mirrors so that they "disappear" when they turn off?

We are renovating our house (on a budget!) and the designer suggested this scenario to my wife as a way to de-clutter our home. I'm open to it but know from experience (i work in the film biz and visual effects) that ANYTHING you put in front of a light source (or tv) will knock down the gain. my question is how bad of a hit will i take on the luminance of the TV? I have seen the commercially available flats that offer the tv-to-mirror feature, but they are WAY out of my price range. What I was hoping for is a resource for the right type of glass that will achieve what we want with a minimal light loss (if there is such a thing).

thanks for any help

Where can I find high-quality LCD monitors in LA?

DoomGerbil — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:53:30 -0800

CRT-Quality LCD monitors: do they exist? Where can I see them in person? My fiancee is looking to replace her aging CRT monitor with an LCD, due to the CRT's habit of flickering and shutting itself off. The problem is that with every LCD she's used , she's hated the color quality and accuracy.

Are there LCD monitors out there that approach the color accuracy of quality CRTs? If so, is there a place in the greater Los Angeles area where we could go see them in person to judge? Since color reproduction and quality is the number one issue here, all of the standard electronics stores (Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's) are out, since all of them that we've been to have been using analog VGA over massive multiplex splitters to display their monitors (result: every monitor looks really really bad).

I gave up TV. Now help me buy a TV. (...Or a humongous monitor for my computer/dvd player.)

jkl345 — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:43:11 -0800

A couple months ago, I sold my old Sony Trinitron and gave up TV. It's been fantastic and I haven't really looked back. But I *have* been missing watching movies on a screen bigger than my 15” laptop. I've also always wanted a bigger monitor for my laptop, so I can juggle more projects at once. So I'm starting to look around for a large LCD monitor or sizable HDTV to serve these needs. I've had a couple co-workers at previous jobs tell me they use an LCD TV as a monitor and they swear by it for cost savings and multi-functionality. I'm kinda clueless though and need your advice. I've read through some similar AskMeFi questions, but most of them were from 2005 and 2006, so (in theory) the technology should be getting better. I won't accept anything short of a 1920 x 1080 resolution, so that should help with the resolution issue... or maybe I just totally misunderstood the problem with using a TV.

My budget:
I'd be willing to pay around $500, up to $1500 for a perfect device, although I'd prefer to go cheaper. 40" is probably the perfect size for the room it'd be in. (I don't need a 60 inch monitor necessarily but I kinda feel more comfortable paying $1000+ for a 60” DLP HDtv with tons of hook ups and multiple HDMI inputs, than paying $1000+ for a 32” LCD computer monitor. Am I missing some huge advantage over the 32” monitor?)

My needs:
- Widescreen, HD resolution
- Over 30 inches, ideally (Uh, less than 60”, I think)
- Able to plug my laptop into it to use as a big monitor
- Able to plug my DVD player into it (so I don't have to keep using my laptop as a DVD player)
- Able to plug a possible future Blu-Ray or Xbox device into it and get full HD quality
- Cheaper is obviously better, but I don't mind splurging for something really cool or high quality that will last me forever (No plasmas! I don't want to derail things but I've had 3 friends with horrible experiences using Plasmas. So, no plasmas.)

Would be cool:
- Thin profile (LCD's are cool, but not mandatory)
- Having the whole TV tuner/remote/speakers option might be good for resale and useful in special cases (Superbowl or entertaining guests)
- The ability to rotate (from portrait to landscape) is cool too. (I realize this contradicts the previous request since I don't think any TV's can do this. But wouldn't it be cool?!)

Any specific recommendations on models, tutorials/guides that have been helpful to you or general real world anecdotal advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Is there a dpreview-like site for LCD monitors/TVs?

odinsdream — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:42:16 -0800

Is there a dpreview-like site for LCD televisions and monitors? Alternatively, suggest a good LCD television or monitor. I do not have cable. I currently use a standard CRT television with coaxial input hooked up to a DVD player, a computer, and a VCR. All of those get routed through a receiver whose output is then sent through a modulator before going to the TV.

I'd like to replace this with an LCD monitor or an LCD television. I'm leaning more towards a "computer" monitor since I don't need speakers and would be mostly viewing things sent from the computer. Getting an actual television would give me the tuner input, which would be nice, but here's where I have some questions.

Almost every LCD television I've seen in person has horrible picture quality. I'm not sure why - but it looks like there are severe differences in software or hardware that does the scaling and rendering in the TV when showing something from the tuner input.

What I can find online only goes as far as telling me which inputs a product has and other technical specifications. Most sites don't have anything about picture quality. Is there a site like dpreview for LCD monitors that would help me pick the correct model by providing actual metrics related to picture quality?

Also, should I look into getting something with a digital tuner in preparation for the nationwide move away from analog broadcast signals?

Solutions for LCD Projector Eye strain?

tonci — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 11:02:27 -0800

New LCD Projector: Feeling significant eye strain, what can I do? I'm very excited with my purchase of an Epson 720p LCD projector. I haven't gotten a screen yet, and have it projecting against a wall about 18 feet from the seating area, about 95 inches diagonal. I'm surprised to be feeling considerable eye strain and have been unable to find much guidance on the internet. The one notion I found was that projecting anything that is not it's native resolution may cause such strain. I guess I've noticed this most with the cable which is either Standard Def or High Def (1080p, I think). I have to do more testing with my upscaling DVD which should send exactly 720p to the projector. Do you have any experience or suggestions for this issue? Thanks for your help.