I'm getting worried about my eyes

[3 of 7]

I'm not getting any younger, and I spend way too many hours in front of a CRT.....
Do you guys with LCDs find them any easier on the eyes.... in a non gaming enviroment that is?
Any good links to the differences health wise?

[KingTermite]

I have an LCD at home, and CRTs are still easier on the eyes in my opinion. There is a "sharpness" and intensity that LCDs don't quite mimick quite yet.

[pointreyes]

My vision improved upon switching to LCDs. Plus it's really nice to have the monitor so much farther away from your eyes. When I use a CRT, I have a hard time with the modulation that people use and the monitor being less than a foot from my face is now annoying.

[Hal6000]

LCD's do not produce the radiation that CRT's do. So that has to be better for you. I am looking at the Samsung 21.3" right now. Looking at the circuit city adds they have it for $800 this week. So tempting.

[Sentinel]

Originally Posted by 3 of 7

I'm not getting any younger, and I spend way too many hours in front of a CRT.....
Do you guys with LCDs find them any easier on the eyes.... in a non gaming enviroment that is?
Any good links to the differences health wise?

A good LCD monitor can be easier on your eyes. You don't get the radiation exposure associated with electron beams. However, I still find a quality CRT to be better for images and gaming (with a good Aperture Grille being my personal favorite). This is a subjective issue and many will debate this.

Note that not all monitors are created equally. Refresh rates is one of the features that distinguish high-end models and low-end models. You usually get what you pay for. Sadly, less and less quality CRTs are manufactured these days. NEC-Mitsubishi has just announced that, like Sony, they will no longer manufacture AG monitors. If your eyes are very sensitive to flickering, like mine are, a CRT with a vert. refresh rate of at least 100 Hz at the resolution you commonly use should make a big difference.

In the end, you need to try as many monitors as you can before you buy. Specs only tell half the story. Brightness, colour, blurriness and readability are all important. Generally, more expensive monitors have better components under the hood. Check how the pitch was calculated before you compare models (lower should be better). If you get an LCD monitor, check the manufacturers warranty and dead pixel policy. In this regard, you don't always get what you for.

Hope this helps. Just don't buy a monitor based on reviews or user opinions. Your own eyes should make the final decision...

[Pagladashu]

I guess you guys know about the Computer Vision Syndrome thing...still let me mention it briefly.

My doctor tells me that when somebody sits in front of a computer/monitor, his eye blinking rate goes down as he tends to stare at the screen. This happens even more while playing games. This deprives the eye of moisture (which blinking provides) and leads to red eyes. According to him, this is called computer vision syndrome. So blinking regularly and taking a break from time to time helps. Also artificial teardrops are useful.

Please coreect me if I have any confusions!

[3 of 7]

good stuff guys.... I have been thinking about the radiation thing and it makes sense to me...
I've looked at a bunch of LCDs and it gets rather confusing because there are so many different setups....
I'm thinking of this one
I can't find this exact model to look at for real, but I also haven't found a bad review on it, and the price seems reasonable (this is a CDN price BTW)
I can also get one of these through work with a 15% discount..I've seen this one up close and it seems pretty sharp and the brightess seems nice as well.. But it looks like this one isn't as fast as the Benq and it's more $$ so I dunno

Whats better.....600:1 or 450:1 contrast ratio?

[Hal6000]

Originally Posted by 3 of 7

I'm thinking of this one
I can't find this exact model to look at for real, but I also haven't found a bad review on it, and the price seems reasonable (this is a CDN price BTW)

That is not a bad price even for US. I just saw some 19's for $499 US at some stores.

Originally Posted by 3 of 7

I can also get one of these through work with a 15% discount..I've seen this one up close and it seems pretty sharp and the brightess seems nice as well.. But it looks like this one isn't as fast as the Benq and it's more $$ so I dunno

Whats better.....600:1 or 450:1 contrast ratio?

Higher contrast is better, but if it is brighter you can make due with less contrast.

[YoBoGo]

I wear contacts and sit in front of 2 screens for about 16 hours a day. I had 2 19" CRT's and by the end of the day, my eyes used to burn and itch like crazy. I switched to LCD's about 6 months ago (ViewSonic VP201b) and haven't had nearly the amount of eye irritiation since. The only time I get it now is if I am playing a game and staring at the screen too much without blinking.

[Mankal3]

Originally Posted by Pagladashu

I guess you guys know about the Computer Vision Syndrome thing...still let me mention it briefly.

My doctor tells me that when somebody sits in front of a computer/monitor, his eye blinking rate goes down as he tends to stare at the screen. This happens even more while playing games. This deprives the eye of moisture (which blinking provides) and leads to red eyes. According to him, this is called computer vision syndrome. So blinking regularly and taking a break from time to time helps. Also artificial teardrops are useful.

Please coreect me if I have any confusions!

You are absolutely right Pagladasu, eye strain from computer use is secondary to reduced rate of blinking that causes dryness and 'strain' It is a misconception that overuse of the CRT/LCD will damage your eyes. Taking a break, blinking or using over the counter tears are good solutions. Now eye strain in people older than 40 can be due to presbyopia, in which the eyes have trouble focusing on near objects (that's why older folks have reading glasses or bifocals) I may not know much about computers, but eyes are my thing

[TweakHound]

I'm using a Viewsonic A90f+ that lets you adjust the brightness with one click of a button and that seems to help.

Choose the brightness level you need with the convenient toggle button. Toggle to UltraBrite mode for graphics, video, movies and gaming, where vivid color and ultra-detailed viewing are critical. Toggle to normal mode for optimum viewing of text intensive applications like word processing, spreadsheets and e-mail.

[DCR]

Well...with no science involved, I can tell you I've screwed something up with my eyes.

I cannot sit in front of my CRT anymore without an ambient light on in the room as well...if the room is totally dark, and I sit in front of that thing, my eyes simply hurt.

[izibo]

Originally Posted by DCR

Well...with no science involved, I can tell you I've screwed something up with my eyes.

I cannot sit in front of my CRT anymore without an ambient light on in the room as well...if the room is totally dark, and I sit in front of that thing, my eyes simply hurt.

thats actually fairly common. while CRT's have a better picture, they are much harder on the eyes... im only 20 and i still have problems if i sit in front of a crt for 5 or 6 hours in low light or dark.

[keitaro-]

have u tried increasing refresh rates?

[epicbard]

i must agree... in my case LCDs are much more pleasant to look at than CRTs

hey anybody know how to get rid of the red veins that show up in my eyes? ... or are they permanent... im always surprised how clear the eyes of people who never use pc's are