My monitor finally died! So now what?

[daveoggy]

Woke up this morning and found my monitor has finally fired its last electron. That’s great news as I can finally buy a TFT model but I have a problem. I run, or at least ran, my current 21" monitor in a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768 due to the distance I have to sit from it. Any higher than that and I strain to read the text.

Now the 20" TFT replacement I want has a native resolution of 1600 x 1200 which would be way to high. I realise I could run the display at 1024 x 768 and let it interpolate the image but I'm loathed to do this as it inevitably blurs the image.

So my question is this: Is there a way to 'zoom' by a factor to make everything appear 1024 x 768 sized but run natively at 1600 x 1200?

[Dr. DOS]

Woke up this morning and found my monitor has finally fired its last electron. That’s great news as I can finally buy a TFT model but I have a problem. I run, or at least ran, my current 21" monitor in a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768 due to the distance I have to sit from it. Any higher than that and I strain to read the text.

Sucks getting old doesn't it

Now the 20" TFT replacement I want has a native resolution of 1600 x 1200 which would be way to high. I realise I could run the display at 1024 x 768 and let it interpolate the image but I'm loathed to do this as it inevitably blurs the image.

It won't blur the image -- but for 20" I would not go lower that 1280x1024 or 1280 x 720. But, at work, I have a 21" monitor that I run at 1600x1200 and it's not bad even with my 40+ yo eyes.

So my question is this: Is there a way to 'zoom' by a factor to make everything appear 1024 x 768 sized but run natively at 1600 x 1200?

Any software or hardware zooming would pixelate the image worse than using the system configuration at 1kx768. Try 1280x1024... you will be surprised on how well it looks.

[Cobra]

Why can't you just pull the monitor closer? TFTs are very light.

[Faustus]

Good luck. This is why I keep telling my mom she doesn't want a TFT. Its also why I don't use them now, they suck.

[daveoggy]

Why can't you just pull the monitor closer? TFTs are very light.

I have to lay on my bed and use the monitor at the end of it. i don't have enough space to fit a computer desk in and I don't want the monitor to my side for the sake of my neck.

Sucks getting old doesn't it

Maybe when I get older I'll be able to afford a bigger room :D

Good luck. This is why I keep telling my mom she doesn't want a TFT. Its also why I don't use them now, they suck.

Maybe I should just buy another CRT :(

What do you think of this as an alternative: Buy one of those large widescreen LCD TV's, as they have resolutions of about 1280 x 768, and plug my PC into that?

[Capmaster]

Why can't you just pull the monitor closer? TFTs are very light.

I have to lay on my bed and use the monitor at the end of it. i don't have enough space to fit a computer desk in and I don't want the monitor to my side for the sake of my neck.

Sucks getting old doesn't it

Maybe when I get older I'll be able to afford a bigger room

Good luck. This is why I keep telling my mom she doesn't want a TFT. Its also why I don't use them now, they suck.

Maybe I should just buy another CRT

What do you think of this as an alternative: Buy one of those large widescreen LCD TV's, as they have resolutions of about 1280 x 768, and plug my PC into that?

Make sure you can plug your PC into that. If it doesn't have a "D" type monitor connector, or the square digital one to match your PC video card's output, you'll have to get into buying an inline converter to modulate it as a TV signal, and in my experience, those usually end up providing a horrible picture.

[rallynavvie]

If it's just a matter of having a hard time reading it at that distance why not enable larger fonts from within the OS?

[ViRaL1]

Get a 42" Plasma with DVI. :P

[daveoggy]

If it's just a matter of having a hard time reading it at that distance why not enable larger fonts from within the OS?

Thats what I though initially but the problem is less obvious that that I think. For example increasing font size will do little for web pages, the start menu, non-standard programs... Or will it I'm not sure?

About LCD TV's again, what are the response time like, are they on par with the LCD monitors?

[daveoggy]

Get a 42" Plasma with DVI. :P

It would be cheaper to get a bigger room in that case! :D

[rallynavvie]

It should adjust font sizes for most every program that includes font information. So if there is text in a picture or something you'll have to blow up the picture to read the font as the OS doesn't see that as text.

[thecoalman]

There's also a maginifier..... start>accessories>magnifier

[daveoggy]

In case anyone is interested I've decided to buy the Dell 2000FP and a pair of binoculars