ghostly lcd problems

Ghosting is an issue with all LCD screens, but on the better ones it's less noticable. It comes down to the response time of the screen; <20ms is okay for most things.

If you're using a standard anologue VGA cable with an LCD screen then you'll get some blurriness. TBH I wouldn't consider using an LCD screen without a DVI link for this reason.

I would suggest you try plugging the cable directly into the computer. The ghosting effect you describe, one where the on screen image appears to be shifted (i.e. nothing is moving on the screen, but you see an after image), is normally caused by signal loss. I can produce the same thing by connecting a 17" monitor to a switch box and then connecting the switchbox to the PC with a standard 6' VGA cable. There is a very good reason why there are regulations on how long the cable is supposed to be. The amount of bandwidth being sent through is huge, and so it has to be tightly wrapped to prevent signal loss and interference. If it works fine when properly connected then you will either have to have it connected that way, or buy a superior quality VGA extension cable (look for one specifically designed for use with switch boxes and monitors greater then 15")

Thanks, I tested the screen connected directly to my laptop and it did look better. The extension I have is very cheap looking, I'll go get another one. Thanks again.