Widescreen Gaming Forum

Hello ppl, well this is my first post im surprised there is a whole website dedicated just to cover widescreen gaming lol. I thought i was the only one who cared about this. Anyway, i'm buying a screen this week so i need your advice. I dont have the money to buy a 24' so im getting a 20/22 screen

(im between samsung's 206bw and 226bw specificaly, crossing fingers to get a S panel, though im in southamerica so its probably a crappy C)

Please post all the facts, pros and cons you have to which one is the better monitor.
20 inches: Sharper display (smaller pixels), more display in less viewing angle (dont have to move your eyes alot)

22 inches: Easier on your eyes (text bigger), "more immersive gaiming experience" (ok i stole that one from another forum)

I dont know if i will have to move my eyes alot when playing. Im currently on a 22' monitor (not mine), and i have to say that its pretty massive (17' crt veteran here).

Currently, i feel i have to move my eyes a lot... dont know if its normal because of the big change form 17 to 22 or i have a problem tho... but it may become an issue when you are at counterstrike and didnt notice that sniper on the upper left corner... or microing those marines in starcraft moving your eyes 10 times a second can get pretty tiring.

Please argument thoughly and not jtu type lolz the bigger skreen off kurse as ive seen in some posts... take into consideration viewing angles, image sharpness, overall experience, etc...+

thanks

Always go bigger with a WS vs 4:3 because you're basically getting the same view with some added FOV side to side. I'll refer you to the 1024x768 vs 1024x640 screenshots I posted on this forum to exemplify what I mean.
http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/9076

In reality a 22" WS is about the same as a 19" 4:3 with a slight amount of added peripheral (or roughly 20" CRT with 19" viewable). You should also account for some growing out of the smaller monitors you've been used to. Most that go bigger get used to it and like it. You may need to make some adjustments though if you're the type that's a screen hugger preferring to sit with your face very close to the display.

I doubt the pixel pitch would be a problem with the 22", at .282 (vs .256), it's still well within comfortable desktop clarity with the advantage of text size that's more readable. The 22" also has overdrive whereas the 20" doesn't, which can help for gaming.
http://prad.de/en/guide/ergebnis_vergleich.html?pradid=2255537a64fc2b77202580a933f2d688&7[]=0&8[]=0&10[]=0&12[]=0&13[]=0&14[]=0&15[]=0&16[]=0&17[]=0&18[]=0&19[]=0&20[]=3594&21[]=0&22[]=0&22[]=3593&23[]=0&24[]=0&26[]=0&27[]=0&28[]=0&29[]=0&30[]=0&32[]=0&37[]=0&40[]=0&42[]=0&45[]=0&46[]=0&47[]=0&50[]=0&52[]=0&55[]=0&57[]=0&65[]=0&70[]=0&order_by=price&order_order=asc&Submit=compare

There are other new 22" Samsung models but since you only mentioned the 226BW I figured your choices in SA are limited.

Always go bigger with a WS vs 4:3 because you're basically getting the same view with some added FOV side to side. I'll refer you to the 1024x768 vs 1024x640 screenshots I posted on this forum to exemplify what I mean.
http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/9076

In reality a 22" WS is about the same as a 19" 4:3 with a slight amount of added peripheral (or roughly 20" CRT with 19" viewable). You should also account for some growing out of the smaller monitors you've been used to. Most that go bigger get used to it and like it. You may need to make some adjustments though if you're the type that's a screen hugger preferring to sit with your face very close to the display.

I doubt the pixel pitch would be a problem with the 22", at .282 (vs .256), it's still well within comfortable desktop clarity with the advantage of text size that's more readable. The 22" also has overdrive whereas the 20" doesn't, which can help for gaming.
http://prad.de/en/guide/ergebnis_vergleich.html?pradid=2255537a64fc2b77202580a933f2d688&7[]=0&8[]=0&10[]=0&12[]=0&13[]=0&14[]=0&15[]=0&16[]=0&17[]=0&18[]=0&19[]=0&20[]=3594&21[]=0&22[]=0&22[]=3593&23[]=0&24[]=0&26[]=0&27[]=0&28[]=0&29[]=0&30[]=0&32[]=0&37[]=0&40[]=0&42[]=0&45[]=0&46[]=0&47[]=0&50[]=0&52[]=0&55[]=0&57[]=0&65[]=0&70[]=0&order_by=price&order_order=asc&Submit=compare

There are other new 22" Samsung models but since you only mentioned the 226BW I figured your choices in SA are limited.

great post and great link thanks, can you explain these concpets please
-Override
-FOV (Field of view im guessing) <-- so bigger is always better even with the same resolution??

I usually sit 2 feet away from the screen, although when im playing the distance may be shorter.

I think they are selling another model... 2232BW and 225UW, are they any better?
Unfourtunately they are not selling the 226CW which is basically a 226BW
with a winning lottery ticket for S panel.

PS: My bro bought the 226BW, i think its a C panel cause it felt blueish.
Also, i got into the secret menu and they removed the panel information lol.

Override is a common name for accelerating the response time of a LCD panel. The 226BW is by default a 5ms response panel but measures 2ms when the override feature is enabled.

FOV or Field of View is the angular extent of the observable world that is seen at any given moment. In laymen's terms it means your scope of view left to right. With 4:3 you don't see as far left to right.

The more you browse this forum the more you'll see the term FOV used in asking if a game supports widescreen well. Those that don't crop the image in such a way that you don't get more view left to right than you would on a 4:3 display.

Here's an example using a 4:3 crop on that 16:9 screenshot I linked to earlier of WALL-E.


What you are essentially getting with proper widescreen support is a little more view left to right than the area within the crop lines would show in a typical 4:3 display. To achieve this the FOV has to be different for WS than it is for 4:3. Basically it means a wider angle of view is shown by moving the point of perception (game's camera position) farther away. If you were to put the screenshots I showed above side by side and look at one right after the other you would easily see that the 4:3 one has a closer view and the WS one has a slightly more distant view. In other words on a 4:3 display you'd see the area within the crop lines in the pic above, but at a slightly closer view and a HUD adjusted for 4:3.

On viewing distance, much of it is personal preference, which is why I usually stress a "comfortable" distance. Two feet is about the norm for a typical 30" depth desk that has no KB pullout tray and a CRT display. I have a 30" depth desk with a KB pullout tray so I sit with my eyes about 3' away from my 21" CRT screen (20" viewable). Keep in mind though if you're using a CRT now you'll have more room to set the thinner LCD panel farther away. It depends on the game though too. If I'm playing a game where I'm making distant shots I often sit closer. Conversely if I'm playing a game like Area 51 that has a very close FOV, I sit farther away or it will bother my eyes.

If you combine all of the above facts that a 22" 16:9 roughly equals a 19" 4:3, that 16:9 games that support widescreen well (and most do) have farther views (FOVs) and that you can put a panel display farther back on your desk than a CRT, the worry about size becomes a non issue. These are the reasons I think many when going from a 4:3 CRT to a widescreen panel often make the mistake of not going big enough, rather than going too big.

Override is a common name for accelerating the response time of a LCD panel. The 226BW is by default a 5ms response panel but measures 2ms when the override feature is enabled.

FOV or Field of View is the angular extent of the observable world that is seen at any given moment. In laymen's terms it means your scope of view left to right. With 4:3 you don't see as far left to right.

The more you browse this forum the more you'll see the term FOV used in asking if a game supports widescreen well. Those that don't crop the image in such a way that you don't get more view left to right than you would on a 4:3 display.

Here's an example using a 4:3 crop on that 16:9 screenshot I linked to earlier of WALL-E.


What you are essentially getting with proper widescreen support is a little more view left to right than the area within the crop lines would show in a typical 4:3 display. To achieve this the FOV has to be different for WS than it is for 4:3. Basically it means a wider angle of view is shown by moving the point of perception (game's camera position) farther away. If you were to put the screenshots I showed above side by side and look at one right after the other you would easily see that the 4:3 one has a closer view and the WS one has a slightly more distant view. In other words on a 4:3 display you'd see the area within the crop lines in the pic above, but at a slightly closer view and a HUD adjusted for 4:3.

On viewing distance, much of it is personal preference, which is why I usually stress a "comfortable" distance. Two feet is about the norm for a typical 30" depth desk that has no KB pullout tray and a CRT display. I have a 30" depth desk with a KB pullout tray so I sit with my eyes about 3' away from my 21" CRT screen (20" viewable). Keep in mind though if you're using a CRT now you'll have more room to set the thinner LCD panel farther away. It depends on the game though too. If I'm playing a game where I'm making distant shots I often sit closer. Conversely if I'm playing a game like Area 51 that has a very close FOV, I sit farther away or it will bother my eyes.

If you combine all of the above facts that a 22" 16:9 roughly equals a 19" 4:3, that 16:9 games that support widescreen well (and most do) have farther views (FOVs) and that you can put a panel display farther back on your desk than a CRT, the worry about size becomes a non issue. These are the reasons I think many when going from a 4:3 CRT to a widescreen panel often make the mistake of not going big enough, rather than going too big.

ok i think you convinced me, but just to ask... 20' and 22' has the same FOV? 20' has 5ms although i read it had 2 ms.

last question, what about the models?:
-226BW
-2232BW
-225UW (comes with some crappy camera,mike and speakers)

I just played Age of empires 3 on a wide screen and everything felt so streteched it was ugly, specially the HUD it was simply huge lol...
will that happen often in games?

FOV is something in the game, not the display. Each game is written with it's own FOV and if the game supports widescreen well the FOV is adjusted for it. In some games you can change the FOV if the game does not properly support widescreen. Check the masterlist of games in the link below to see solutions for widescreen support on most games. If it says native that means the game supports it properly.

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php?title=Master_Games_List_-_A

Here's a handy FOV calculator:
http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/fovcalc.php

This can be used to get an idea of what to set the FOV to if the game doesn't support widescreen well and there are no suggested FOV values for it yet.

It's the 226BW that is 5ms by default, not the 206BW. They list it at 2ms because it has that capability with overdrive turned on.

Yeah i swore that aoe3 stretched the screen, and not expanded the FOV. I guess i was wrong, probably shocked by the ugly pixelated HUD.

Ok im getting the 22' thanx

I was a little confused because i asked between 22' and 20', and u said always go bigger because you get a little mor FOV, so i thought u got more FOV in the games with a 22' even if the 20' screen has same resolution.

nm im getting 22 thanx

I was a little confused because i asked between 22' and 20', and u said always go bigger because you get a little mor FOV, so i thought u got more FOV in the games with a 22' even if the 20' screen has same resolution.

Yeah if that's what you were thinking you misread what I said. This sentence in the above summary states it pretty clearly...

"...16:9 games that support widescreen well (and most do) have farther views (FOVs)."

...which obviously means FOV is related to aspect ratio, not monitor size.

The reason I didn't actually come out and say get the 22" is I tend to prefer pointing out the differences and let the person asking decide. I feel you are making a good choice to go with the 22" though. :wink:

Looks like Frag Maniac is on top of this already. :D

He did forget this though :P:
:welcome

Between 20" and 22", the differences are the size of the pixels (besides the model differences and what features/input selections they choose).

Both have 1680x1050 resolution. This means 1680 pixels wide x 1050 pixels high. The amount of information is the same, since the resolution is the same, so you get bigger pixels.

It "feels" different having a larger screen, though the pixel amount are the same.

When I went from 23" to 26" having the same amount of pixels, I had to push the screen further away from me since I wanted to keep the 23" pixel size and had to adjust with distance instead.

As Frag Maniac correctly pointed out, its something you should descide. It looks cooler with a larger screen, but the size needed depends on distance to screen.

I prefer to have a distance where I can read text comfortably and at the same time having a full view of the screen without turning my head when gaming. These are the major points I would use to select screen size for myself.

I usually am a stickler for pointing out pixel size differences, but in the case of 20 vs 22 inch it's not all that big a difference to worry about much, certainly not a deal breaker. For further clarification though I'll mention the actual pixel pitch for each. The 20" is going to have a .3373 pitch and the 22" a .371 pitch, a difference that results in only a 10% larger pixel diameter on the 22".

Where you really run into significant pixel size on monitors with the same res is 24" vs 27", where the pitch jumps from .2692 to .3029. There you're well over 10% increase at 12.5% larger. Both scenarios pale in comparison to the huge pixel differences of large 1920x1200 monitor and even a smaller size 1080p TV though, where it's typically .3029 vs .369, a difference of nearly 22%.

Here's a handy pitch calculator: http://www.thirdculture.com/joel/shumi/computer/hardware/ppicalc.html