DescentBB

I'm running two Samsung SyncMaster 931bf lcd monitors. I've currently got them connected to my gtx260 with the analog cords that came with the monitors. I have to use a converter to plug them into the video card.
Is it worth it to get the digital connectors and forget about the analog?

If so, where would I get them? Radio shack? newegg or amazon?

In theory, the digital connection is the way to go since you avoid the D/A conversion at the video card and the A/D conversion at the monitor end. In reality though, different monitors process the analogue signal differently and produce differing results. All the monitors I've worked with look noticably better using the digital connection over the analogue but it must be said they were all of the cheaper variety without extensive analogue processing smarts.

If you want to go DVI then you should be able to get the cables at any place that sells computer cables. Those same monitors I mentioned before sall came with DVI cables in the box so I've never had to buy one but they're easy enough to find.

I would probably go with Newegg. usually have a better selection. Best Buy or Circuit City would also probably carry them.

Digital

Grendel wrote:Digital

x2

heh, OK digital it is!
Gotta find a digital cable with the right end. The monitors only came with the analog cables.

I got this one for only ~$10 (shipped) on NewEgg.

Digital

For anything cables, monoprice.com usually has it for a good price:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/subde ... p_id=10209

I called radio shack and they wanted $35 for one cable! that was the cheapest one they had....unreal.
Guess I'll have to order it online (even with shipping, it's still cheaper than one at RS).

Thanks for the links!

That's a good cable from newegg I got the same one at the time it was 20 but better then the rip off 35-100

Hell its like HDMI cables I got a 15' Rosewill for 34.99 from newegg when every where els is fricken 180 for it. Wtf

Well everyone has to have their super high quality cables for perfect digital transmission...

Best advice you can give anyone when shopping for digital (not analog) cables: good enough is literally every BIT as good as perfection.

Krom wrote:Well everyone has to have their super high quality cables for perfect digital transmission...

Best advice you can give anyone when shopping for digital (not analog) cables: good enough is literally every BIT as good as perfection.

I agree thy allways go that cable look better then that one but I but u of u switch it when there not looking they will never notice

I bought a couple of cables at a local electronics store (same price as shipping it from newegg).
First time they sold me cables that were missing some prongs in the connectors...they didnt work.

Second trip got me the right amount of prongs on the connectors, but my second monitor has some wierd graphical issues. For instance, the bold subject lines of unread email has a slight red shadow around the words. However, the emails not in bold look fine...
I dont see this in word, or in the main body of the text of my email, just in the subject/sender/date lines
I havent experimented around with it all yet, but I havent seen this in any other program.

They tried to tell me when I first bought the cables that I need a special cable to hook up two monitors with digital cables....

anyone have two lcd monitors working in digital? Do I need a special cable? Do you have any graphical gliches?

IIM, I am running at native resolution of 1200 x 1024 on 2 samsung 931bf monitors.

thanks!
RM

Sounds like cleartype might be set up wrong, use the cleartype tuner wizard to make sure everything is set right.

That didnt help. Same problem (not that it's a problem, it's more of an irritation...).

Interestingly, my display properties wont let me go above 60hz refresh rate.
I used to be able to do 72hz.

Is this a digital thing? (whereas analog allows better refresh rates?)

Digital is limited to 60 Hz unless you get a dual-link. But its irrelevant anyway since 72 and 75 Hz refresh rates on LCDs just skip displaying every 7th frame so you will only ever see 60 Hz. Also because the backlight on a LCD is always lit, there is no 60 Hz flicker to cause eyestrain regardless of the screen refresh rate.

Did you check the LCD screen striping on the advanced tab of the cleartype tuner (also enable font smoothing and set to cleartype)? It is one of the more likely causes of a funny colored border around text. If it isn't that, then hell if I know, try changing your windows theme and see if it goes away.

Yes, I went through all of the cleartype tuner (font smoothing and cleartype were enabled).
I tried changing the theme to the original xp theme, and the blurred red changed to blurred green (only around the bold type letters).

I think this has to do with the graphics card...or the digital cables.

Other than this, I havent noticed any difference after changing from analog to digital. Is there anything in particular that I should notice? (clearer or more vivid colors, etc?)

I dont know if this will work, but I'm tempted to have my main monitor in front of me on the digital cable, and the monitor to my right using the analog cable.

May be a side effect of ClearType (subpixel rendering) -- try turning it off (w/ the tuner AND in IE: Tools -> Internet Options -> Advanced -> Multimedia -> Always use ClearType for HTML) and check if it's gone.

Are you sure the one on the new cable is running digital? DVI comes in both flavors.

If it's running an analog signal, that could explain the blurriness. I've had the same thing happen with an analog connection, and ended up having to replace it with a better-shielded cable.

Make sure your “bold” fonts are installed correctly.