Well, my old Samsung 15" tube monitor was on its last legs, and the new game I was playing at the time (Tribes 2) was REALLY dark, so I went and stretched my credit once again with what I considered a really healthy purchase.

First off, ANY LCD is WAY better than any CRT monitor. Period. They're lighter, they use less power, they're generally as bright or brighter, and best of all, there is little or no radiation, be it ELF, EM, or X-rays.

Have you seen the inside of a monitor casing after several years of use ? It looks like an atomic bomb test room, with "blast damage" all over the case. Add-on the toxic lead content, and you've got "ancient" technology that's not good for you or your environment.

Did you know that there's more radiation coming out the back of an old tube monitor than there is in the front ? The glass actually acts to deflect the radiation. That's good for the average user, but horrible for the person in the next cubicle with their body dangerously close to the back of your tube monitor.

Just like one day we'll smack ourselves for using filthy, poisonous nuclear fission for power generation, we'll also one day be amazed to recall the days when our houses were filled with these tube-based power-sucking radiation generators.

Well, enough about my justification for spending the extra money. Now let's discuss the specific benefits of the Samsung 570V TFT monitor.

First of all, it's bright, incredibly sharp, and easy to control. It's not only amazing for text, but as a gamer I can tell you that the myths about LCD vs. tube for gaming or graphic arts are exactly that -- myths.

If you're a tech-head you might be disappointed to hear that most of the LCD's on the market only have analog VGA capabilities -- but don't worry, there is no interference at all and web sites have even done side-by-side comparisons and have found digital vs. analog outputs produce identical results.

Now, about those myths. Graphic-intensive games are supposed to benefit from high refresh rates, now even up to 110 hz on tube-based monitors. However, just like LCD's, tubes suffer from persistence -- the last image is still holding in the phospher. However the LCD effect is a lot LESS lasting and after you get used to the differences you won't ever complain. Especially since your gaming has now become incredibly sharp and more colourful.

However, if you like to watch DVDs or VCDs on your computer screen, you'll notice the persistence a lot more -- but 60 bucks will get your a video card with TV out, and TV is the best place to watch these things anyway.

Now, as far as graphic design, it has been said that tubes still rule. I think this is utter nonsense. The colour accuracy cannot be beat on an LCD, but can fade over time on a tube. The corners of the image are not prone to distortion (like on CRT-based monitors). The images are incredibly sharp. The brightness and contrast cannot be beat.

As for negatives, the power brick is annoyingly external, but at least it's inline and not one of those power bar hangers-on that tend to flop about, cover the other sockets, and electrocute your pets. The unit overall is a lot heavier than I expected, but it's still incredibly light compared to a tube monitor. And at over 500 bucks Canadian, it was pricey compared to what I could have got if I went "tube". I could have snagged a used 21" tube for a lot less. But it's important to know that although it's marketed as a 15" display, it actually has as much viewable area as an average 17" CRT. I rarely if ever wish it was bigger.

The last negative I can think of is the strict requirements for resolution settings -- the maximum is 1024x768, at 72hz. It will display lower resolutions fine (and even at full screen I might add), but it won't even try to do higher resolutions. However, it looks great at 1024 and with a Geforce 2GTS every game I've tried so far runs well at 1024x768 on my PC.

Finally, although another reviewer mentioned consistency problems, my 570V TFT has absolutely no distortions, no inconsistent brightness, and not even a dead pixel. I would say that anything other than a perfect picture means that your unit is defective. Always try the AUTO button as it does a great job sensing the incoming signal and automatically adjusts to it.

Overall, just like my other reviewed product here (the Equator 3600CEE Clothes Processor) I went into credit for this unit and I don't regret it. And now that I've heard that the TFT market is facing a shortage situation in 2002, I am happy to know that my investment in ergonomics will even hold its value.

After an hour or so of use or gaming, my eyes don't burn anymore. My arms don't feel like they're getting suntanned. And my graphics have never looked so vibrant. Given the choice, I'll never use a CRT-based monitor again.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 350
Operating System: Windows