villeneuve wrote on 2021-06-13, 17:51:

Thanks for all the input. So the very cheap/free to get 5:4 displays are not an option for DOS machines if you care about correct aspect ratio etc. which is sad. I do have several CRTs but I wanted to use an LCD for a SVGA & Glide DOS sim/simcade steering wheel racing setup.

Regarding the Dell monitors: The model I have two examples of, the U2311H, does indeed offer 4:3 ratio, but it's always zoomed so that there are only black bars left and right instead of all around AFAIK. I still have to try a DOS PC connected to that display though, but my expectations are pretty low.
Btw I love the look of the bezel of the Dell U2311H and the U2410 has the same style. Just nice plain 90° angles 😀

Yeah, it's difficult to recommend an LCD display for DOS due to the typically lousy scaling and typical issues with non-60Hz refresh rates. I mean, if you're okay with the sacrifices then go right ahead... but finding an LCD that can mitigate those issues can be roughly as difficult as finding an old CRT...

When the resolution is less than 640x480 there's just this distinct CRT look that an LCD can never recreate. At low resolutions you can see the gaps between the scanned rows of a CRT and there's just nothing like it (although the CRT Royale shader in Retroarch is an impressive recreation). Personally I don't find the razor sharp integer scaled 'pixel perfect' look to be more attractive than the boring soft scaled blown up image you'd normally get when scaling 320x200 to say 1280x1024.

villeneuve wrote on 2021-06-13, 17:51:

Thanks for all the input. So the very cheap/free to get 5:4 displays are not an option for DOS machines if you care about correct aspect ratio etc. which is sad. I do have several CRTs but I wanted to use an LCD for a SVGA & Glide DOS sim/simcade steering wheel racing setup.

I agree with bZbZbZ. I use the iiyama 17" LS704UT (Vision Master 1403). It is a 2003 model so it is relatively easy to find, it not as heavy as those 19" models and can go up to 800x600 @ 85 Hz (or 1024x768 @ 75 Hz). It's (imho) a great choice for both later DOS gaming / early Windows in particular FPS games.

The cheapest 1600 x 1200 monitor that I could find anywhere was a Dell 2007FPb, but it's as heavy as a shipment of nuclear fuel rods.

bZbZbZ wrote on 2021-06-13, 20:04:

When the resolution is less than 640x480 there's just this distinct CRT look that an LCD can never recreate. At low resolutions you can see the gaps between the scanned rows of a CRT

I've never seen anything like that except in the mission briefings for, ironically, the Windows 95 port of C&C: Red Alert.

Eh I use a 19" dell lcd and is perfect even for early ega dos games, apart from the barely noticeable vertical scaling.

nd22 wrote on 2020-05-29, 14:14:

Recently I purchased for a very low price an EIZO S2100 with a 21.3 display and 1600*1200 resolution - the colors are amazing and look virtually identical to an CRT. 21.3 is the largest LCD display with and 4:3 aspect ratio.

Nah historically 22 and 23” existed

ViewSonic VP230mb

And apparently 26” but the thing has broken 2003 era display controls (no vertical size controls and terrible color controls, need to use a sync fixer to use the screen)

https://www.unico-usa.com/products/ulm26-unic … nt-lcd-monitors

Good luck finding one! Even 21.3 inches has become expensive and rare today let alone that Viewsonic which must be something of a unicorn!

While additional 1.3 inches are nice, the panel specs are worse than 20 inch.

Eizo flexscan s2133 is the best i found, 21.3 inches, ips led panel , 1600x1200 native, usb, d-sub, dvi, displayport and a great scaler. You can find it used for a decent price. I got mine for 70€.
https://www.eizoglobal.com/products/flexscan/s2133/#tab02

The samsung g8 oled supports 4:3 mode, vrr upto 175hz, no lag, great match with ossc.