Choosing a 24" monitor

[goodCat]

Hello everybody!

I am about to purchase a 24" monitor and after reading several topics here at anandtech I narrowed my list to the following 2 models: Benq FP241W and LG L245WP-BN.

I will be using it mostly for webdesign (coding and photoshop), office, browsing, movies and so on. I won't be playing any games on it.

After reading a lot about these two models I think that the benq is overall a better monitor, but has that elusive blackout problem that no one managed to solve it. I personally couldn't live with that. Some units don't have this problem though according to the users. Regarding the LG, I haven't found a really thorough review until now, but I heard that its gamma correction is rather poor. How will this affect the image quality I do not know.

any help will be welcome! thanks!

 

[ghitz]

Hi goodCat, may I suggest the Dell: S-PVA panel.

 

[goodCat]

Hey ghitz, thanks for your reply.
I actually have 2 main reasons why I didn't consider that dell:
- here in romania it is significantly more expensive (around $200) than the other two and I don't seem to find one with A01 revision
- it has an extended gamut which is a bit of a concern for me. I haven't seen one but I heard all sorts of negative things about it - like over saturated colors etc. Unfortunately I do not have a calibration tool either.

 

[thilanliyan]

I have the BenQ FP241 VW and I love it. Many connection options, uniform backlight, no dead pixels (on mine). I have no experience with the LG though.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Are you sure you can still find the BenQ?

 

[goodCat]

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp
Are you sure you can still find the BenQ?

Yes, I am sure. I actually called the store today and they have it. It's even cheaper than the LG.

@thilan: Is the FP241W the same with FP241VW ?

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: goodCat

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp
Are you sure you can still find the BenQ?

Yes, I am sure. I actually called the store today and they have it. It's even cheaper than the LG.

@thilan: Is the FP241W the same with FP241VW ?

Same panel different design, looks like a TV. I would jump on the FP241 if its a good deal.

FP 241VW

 

[goodCat]

well the price is great, but I am worried about that blackout problem. Also in my country the return policies are terrible. So even if I return the monitor for a full refund I still have to wait for a month or two to get my money back. And that would be really nasty.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

I don't know what your budget is but the HP below in my link is a IPS panel, something to look at if its in your price range.


HP

 

[ghitz]

Wow I knew Romania has bad return policy and above all the worst customer service in general but this is pretty ridiculous.
If you can get the FP241W at a decent price then I would go for it.
There is an insane thread on this monitor.

G.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Going by pure memory I am pretty sure the blackout issue was a firmware issue. Since this monitor is long out of production I am going to assume that the one you are looking to buy is a refurb, or I would also assume it has the firmware update and would be fine. Mine hasnt gave me any issue since owning it and never had the firmware updated.

 

[goodCat]

I read a lot about that HP and it seems great, but it is much more expensive than the two benq monitors (here it costs between 750 and 800 dollars).

Is there any difference regarding image quality between benq FP241VW and FP241W ? I am asking because the first one is advertised almost everywhere as a great gaming display...and I don't do any games. I think it is a very good alternative to the FP241W which was removed from The LCD Thread here at anandtech (that made me a bit suspicious). thanks for your help!

/edit
@WaTaGuMp: actually it is a new monitor, I do not know when it was manufactured though. In Romania people don't wanna spend much money on monitors (they rarely buy anything bigger than 22") so the stores have lots of unsold monitors.

 

[mcloud777]

what about

http://store.apple.com/us/prod...1NDA5OQ&mco=Mjc5MTYwMQ

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: goodCat
I read a lot about that HP and it seems great, but it is much more expensive than the two benq monitors (here it costs between 750 and 800 dollars).

Is there any difference regarding image quality between benq FP241VW and FP241W ? I am asking because the first one is advertised almost everywhere as a great gaming display...and I don't do any games. I think it is a very good alternative to the FP241W which was removed from The LCD Thread here at anandtech (that made me a bit suspicious). thanks for your help!

/edit
@WaTaGuMp: actually it is a new monitor, I do not know when it was manufactured though. In Romania people don't wanna spend much money on monitors (they rarely buy anything bigger than 22") so the stores have lots of unsold monitors.

The 2 models use the same panel so they should look the same. Thats really nice that its new, they are VERY hard to find.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: mcloud777
what about

http://store.apple.com/us/prod...1NDA5OQ&mco=Mjc5MTYwMQ

The Apple is more then the HP I linked, so doubt hes gonna spend that much.

 

[TidusZ]

I've been really happy with my BenQ fp241w. Really great picture quality without issues present in most monitors. Best I've seen in person but I haven't seen my friend's Dell 2408wfp in person yet. Can't really go wrong I don't think.

 

[goodCat]

Originally posted by: mcloud777
what about

http://store.apple.com/us/prod...1NDA5OQ&mco=Mjc5MTYwMQ

if I recall corectly, that display can only be connected to a macbook. I may be wrong.

@ghitz: that is the situation here, unfortunately. they will also try to find all sorts of stupid reasons to avoid refunding the money. that's why I want to be sure that I am buying the right monitor (hopefully without any dead pixels).

 

[goodCat]

so none of you guys had any issues with the blackout? that's a bit reassuring.

 

[thilanliyan]

The VW and W differ only in that the VW offers something called (EDIT: ) Perfectmotion I think...which supposedly helps with ghosting. Now it does give SOME minimal benefit BUT there's so much flicker introduced that it's unbearable for me and I NEVER use it whether I'm playing games or watching movies.

My monitor does have the blackout issue but it is very rare and happens mostly a little while after I first turn it on it but then it doesn't do it again. It doesn't happen every time after I turn it on though. Also, it was worse with the 8800GT I was using compared to the 4870 I'm using now.

 

[TidusZ]

Originally posted by: thilan29
The VW and W differ only in that the VW offers something called Senseye I think...which supposedly helps with ghosting. Now it does give SOME minimal benefit BUT there's so much flicker introduced that it's unbearable for me and I NEVER use it whether I'm playing games or watching movies.

My monitor does have the blackout issue but it is very rare and happens mostly a little while after I first turn it on it but then it doesn't do it again. It doesn't happen every time after I turn it on though. Also, it was worse with the 8800GT I was using compared to the 4870 I'm using now.

I have the FP241W without the V, and mine had advertising about senseye all over the place, so I dunno how accurate that is.

 

[thilanliyan]

Originally posted by: TidusZ
I have the FP241W without the V, and mine had advertising about senseye all over the place, so I dunno how accurate that is.

Sorry I think it was Perfectmotion not Senseye. It's the Black Frame Insertion tech. I think the WZ and VW have it but the W doesn't.

 

[goodCat]

thanks for the help, guys.
actually there's been some changes regarding my options. after calling several stores I have to choose between these two:

- LG L245WP-BN
- Dell 2408WFP (rev A01) - I can buy it at a lower price than the LG

which of these two would be more suitable for what I'm intending to use it? that is webdesign, office apps, movies, browsing etc. The LG seems to be a very good all rounder and so does the dell; I'm mainly concerned about the extended gamut of the dell since I'll be designing images for web and the majority of web browsers are not color managed. Is the srgb emulation any good on this dell?