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Are CRTs History?
DreamWheezer asks: "I work on a medical imaging program that uses CrystalEyes for high resolution true color stereoscopy. This program requires high resolution high frequency true color CRTs. Very recently, a vendor trend has developed: almost all are dropping out of the CRT market in favor of LCDs. Unfortunately, LCDs cannot render high resolution page sequential stereoscopy. The vendors have said that autostereo LCDs are on the way in 12 to 18 months, but what can I do in the meantime? Furthermore, does this mean the end is near for CRTs?" While there does still seem to be a market for CRTs, it seems to be dwindling to a narrow niche. Are LCDs ready to take over as the primary computer display or is the retirement of CRTs, premature?
I just get tired of hearing these same criticisms of LCD's that we've heard for the last 10 years - "their colors suck", "they're not fast enough", "their black level is bad", "they're expensive". I mean, do you go around criticizing DVD-ROM drives because they cost more than CD-ROM drives and only read at 1X? This is 2005, man. We're past all that and have been for years.
Ummm are we really past all that? I remember the only good LCD screen I've ever bought cost me $1,500. It was a 20", forgot the company, was the best LCD they had in the store (going by the numbers, fastest LCD, highest resolutions, highest contrast ratio, all that good stuff.) I bought that last August. That was at Fry's, and the monitor still didn't come close to the picture quality, resolutions, or price of the $450 viewsonic they had on display. When they make a 21" LCD with the picture quality of a high end CRT, that only costs 25% more than the CRT, I'll buy it. Until then, I'll complain that LCDs are still worse than CRTs.