Member Avatar for wbwell

I recently purchased a KDS Rad-5c 15in monitor. I thought the contrast ratio was 400:1 but it's actually 300:1. It's a nice monitor but words seem to be blurry. Im thinking about taking it back and getting a KDS Rad-7c 17in monitor with a contrast ratio of 400:1. Would this solve my blurry problems?

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Short answer: a 300:1 static contrast rating is common for consumer LCDs of that era and affects black depth and color "punch" rather than text sharpness. As explained, contrast = brightest white vs darkest black. Blurry text is usually caused by pixel mapping, signal or scaling issues, not the contrast number itself.

Common causes that were not fully spelled out above include native-pixel mapping (LCDs look best at their one true resolution), analog signal timing/phase or cable noise (VGA can introduce soft edges), font smoothing/subpixel order mismatches (ClearType and similar), anti‑glare coatings or panel optics that soften edges, and simple panel variation or a defective unit.

Quick checks and troubleshooting to isolate the problem:

  • Confirm the monitor is running at its native pixel count listed for the model (check specs) and that the graphics driver is using a 1:1 mapping (no software scaling).
  • Use a digital connection if available (DVI on older gear) instead of analog VGA to remove signal jitter.
  • Run the monitor OSD's auto/position/sharpness controls and look for a 1:1 or "native" scaling option.
  • Switch cables or try the monitor on a different PC to separate PC/driver vs panel problems.
  • Tweak OS font-smoothing or subpixel settings (ClearType) and check subpixel order.
  • If everything else fails, compare another unit of the same model in-store — manufacturing variance happens.

Recommendation: swapping to a 17" with a higher native pixel count and a digital input is likely to improve text clarity, but only if the new panel actually has a higher pixel density and a digital connection. Contrast increase alone (300:1 -> 400:1) will change perceived contrast, not fix soft or fuzzy text. This ties back to 's native-resolution point and 's comment: a new monitor should not be blurry if set up correctly.

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Member Avatar for Dani

Contrast ratio is the measurement of the difference in light intensity between the brightest white and the darkest black. The highest the contrast ratio, the better the color representation.

Rather, you want to be concerned with dot pitch on a CRT monitor and with resolution on an LCD monitor. You also want to be concerned with refresh rate.

Member Avatar for wbwell

Contrast ratio is the measurement of the difference in light intensity between the brightest white and the darkest black. The highest the contrast ratio, the better the color representation.

Rather, you want to be concerned with dot pitch on a CRT monitor and with resolution on an LCD monitor. You also want to be concerned with refresh rate.

so its the dot pitch making it blurry?

Member Avatar for caperjack

Regardles of what causes it ,a new monitor shouldn't be blurry!
Maybe It's dirty .LOL

Member Avatar for TallCool1

so its the dot pitch making it blurry?

In a sense, yes. The likely problem is that the screen resolution that the computer is set to does not match that of the LCD. One of the major drawbacks of an LC display (and a deal breaker for me) is its fixed resolution. At any setting other than its built-in resolution, the signal pixels map poorly to the physical display. This will make text (especially) look 'jaggy" and wierd.

Check your KDS documentation for the correct physical resolution, then change your display to match.

Member Avatar for wbwell


Check your KDS documentation for the correct physical resolution, then change your display to match.

How do I do that? In my instruction manual it gives "preset modes timing charts" but doesnt tell how to set them up properly.

Member Avatar for caperjack

should be ,righ click on the desktop/properties /settings / here you can adjust the color quality ans screen resaloution /the click on advanced /monitor and adjust the refresh rate .

Member Avatar for TallCool1

How do I do that? In my instruction manual it gives "preset modes timing charts" but doesnt tell how to set them up properly.

Again, I stress: check your KDS documentation for the exact physical resolution, then change your display settings to match. Timing charts are way less important than the actual pixel count, which is 1024x768 @ 75 Hz (actually, refresh rate doesn't matter, as long as you don't exceed 75 Hz).

An excellent utility for this purpose is MultiRes: http://www.EntechTaiwan.com. It allows you to switch resolutions and refresh rates on-the-fly, and it's free.

One last question. Does the monitor have a DVI input? Does the video card have a DVI output? If so, you should be using that interface, rather than VGA.

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