Since the image on an LCD is persistent, LCDs can have very low refresh rates without being choppy. They don't flicker like CTRs.
I had touble using anything below 100Hz on a good CRT, but I find 60Hz perfectly acceptable on an LCD. Even far lower refresh rates are acceptable for still images. I've seen some medical displays that were 20Hz, and they had no flicker at all. Again, LCDs are different from CRTs, the pixels on them do not fade, or even change, unles they are specifically told to (or you cut power).
More than 60Hz is only really useful if you really need to see all of what goes on at over 60 frames persecond, consistently.
Listed contrast ratios are almost always total BS. You can take 10 LCDs that state exactly the same contrast and they may all be totaly different in that respect. Be especially wary of dynamic contrast ratios, they are even more meaningless. Anyway, 1000:1 non-dynamic is a fairly good spec. That's not what it really is, but it at least hints that it should be alright.
Most people consider 5ms to be plenty low enough. However, I have owned several LCDs, and a good mix of both 5 and 2ms screens. The 5ms weren't bad, but 2ms is clearly more responsive. I have seen some ghosting on modern 5ms LCDs, but most people don't seem to notice.
I'd recommend seeing LCDs in operation, if at all possible, before deciding on what to buy.
If that's not possible, I'd recommend ASUS for a good, fairly inexpensive gaming panel. They are TN matrixes, so the view angles are not good (still as good as or better than other screens of similar cost however), nor is contrast exceptional (though again, it's good for a TN matrix). However, color reproduction is the best I've seen on TN screens, and they have the lowest number of RTC errors you will find on about any 2ms screen (meaning they maintain the best image in motion).
I had touble using anything below 100Hz on a good CRT, but I find 60Hz perfectly acceptable on an LCD. Even far lower refresh rates are acceptable for still images. I've seen some medical displays that were 20Hz, and they had no flicker at all. Again, LCDs are different from CRTs, the pixels on them do not fade, or even change, unles they are specifically told to (or you cut power).
More than 60Hz is only really useful if you really need to see all of what goes on at over 60 frames persecond, consistently.
Listed contrast ratios are almost always total BS. You can take 10 LCDs that state exactly the same contrast and they may all be totaly different in that respect. Be especially wary of dynamic contrast ratios, they are even more meaningless. Anyway, 1000:1 non-dynamic is a fairly good spec. That's not what it really is, but it at least hints that it should be alright.
Most people consider 5ms to be plenty low enough. However, I have owned several LCDs, and a good mix of both 5 and 2ms screens. The 5ms weren't bad, but 2ms is clearly more responsive. I have seen some ghosting on modern 5ms LCDs, but most people don't seem to notice.
I'd recommend seeing LCDs in operation, if at all possible, before deciding on what to buy.
If that's not possible, I'd recommend ASUS for a good, fairly inexpensive gaming panel. They are TN matrixes, so the view angles are not good (still as good as or better than other screens of similar cost however), nor is contrast exceptional (though again, it's good for a TN matrix). However, color reproduction is the best I've seen on TN screens, and they have the lowest number of RTC errors you will find on about any 2ms screen (meaning they maintain the best image in motion).
