New 21-inch Monitor Decision

[sharingan5]

Need to buy a new monitor for a home PC. It will be used for work more than multimedia. Spreadsheets, internet browsing etc.

The 2 choices I have narrowed it down to are:

1. Samsung LS22F350FHWXXL/LS22F355FHWXXL

2. Dell SE2216H

21.5" is the largest screen I can fit in my table, and these are the best/most recommended out of the various models available to me.

The price difference is minimal between the two and the warranties are similar also. The main difference I think I can spot is the panel type. Samsung has TN whereas Dell has VA.

Need to make a decision between the two.

The decision will be based on panel type and general brand value I guess. What is better for majority office work with some multimedia use - TN v/s. VA ?
What brand is better - Dell v/s. Samsung ?

 

[Aargh]

I'd say it depends on what you find more important: Response time or color quality.

TN screens have a better response time, which matters most for video games. The downside is that they tend to have worse color reproduction and worse viewing angles. VA screens are slower and can have some slight ghosting effects, so they're not quite as good for video games, but they tend to have better color reproduction. Personally I prefer VA or IPS screens, since I value the better colors more than the faster response time. VA screens can also have pretty good response times, so even when playing video games it's not usually a huge deal. Still, if you're an avid gamer, especially if you play games that require fast reactions like shooters or other action games, it's worth considering a TN screen. The viewing angle is not an issue for a gamer anyway, since you'll most likely be sitting right in front of your screen.

As for the brands, I personally prefer Samsung because of past experiences, but they're both good brands and you probably won't go wrong with either one.

 

[sharingan5]

I'd say it depends on what you find more important: Response time or color quality.

TN screens have a better response time, which matters most for video games. The downside is that they tend to have worse color reproduction and worse viewing angles. VA screens are slower and can have some slight ghosting effects, so they're not quite as good for video games, but they tend to have better color reproduction. Personally I prefer VA or IPS screens, since I value the better colors more than the faster response time. VA screens can also have pretty good response times, so even when playing video games it's not usually a huge deal. Still, if you're an avid gamer, especially if you play games that require fast reactions like shooters or other action games, it's worth considering a TN screen. The viewing angle is not an issue for a gamer anyway, since you'll most likely be sitting right in front of your screen.

As for the brands, I personally prefer Samsung because of past experiences, but they're both good brands and you probably won't go wrong with either one.

So, VA would be better for the eyes with sustained use? Staring at spreadsheets and such for hours on end for example. Viewing angles aren't a big issue since as you said,, I will be sitting in front of the screen anyways. It wont be used for
any games that I can tell. Most would be movies/videos/YouTube. Would VA be a big issue for videos? I am not an enthusiast or anything, so I don't expect top notch scenes.

 

[Aargh]

So, VA would be better for the eyes with sustained use? Staring at spreadsheets and such for hours on end for example. Viewing angles aren't a big issue since as you said,, I will be sitting in front of the screen anyways. It wont be used for
any games that I can tell. Most would be movies/videos/YouTube. Would VA be a big issue for videos? I am not an enthusiast or anything, so I don't expect top notch scenes.

As far as I know, there's no difference at all in which is easier on the eyes. That's more a matter of setting an appropriate brightness level and taking a break every now and then. There are all kinds of filters and special glasses that are supposed to help with eye strain, but I wouldn't be able to give any meaningful advice on those since I don't use them and they'd work the same for both monitors anyway.

If you won't be using your monitor for video games, I'd recommend a VA panel over a TN one. The Dell monitor doesn't have a blazing fast response time, but it's good enough that it won't have a noticeable impact on movies and videos. Both of the monitors you listed will do fine for watching movies, but the Dell has the edge here with the VA screen's better color reproduction. VA panels also tend to do well with blacks and dark colors, which might be relevant in movies with dark scenes.