Dell 2407WFP or BenQ FP241W

[Dannyboyayyo]

I've been trying to decide which i should get for a while. Now I'm finally moving my computer to another room and i have space for a bigger monitor. I was going to go with the 2407WFP w/o any questions asked but then I heard about the banding issue. I don't know if I'd notice it even but still...

I'm mostly going to be using the monitor for watching movies and playing video games (console and PC) some photoshop work nothing too crazy.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Raider1284]

I really like the dell since it has a ton of input connections, the usb ports, and the memory card reader! I have the dell though, so maybe im a biased

 

[KBTuning]

i got the BENQ FP202W and im happy with it... and it was a great deal for a LCD at this size.

 

[Dannyboyayyo]

split decision so far kinda lol

I want a 24in only, yes I'm greedy haha.

 

[IdBuRnS]

I'm in the same boat, but the benq is a little rich for my blood. To add some more fire to the pit take a look at the Acer AL2423Wdr. I'm trying to decide between the Acer and the Dell.

 

[xtknight]

I advise that no one bother with the Dell anymore. Get the BenQ. It's worth the extra. You get better image quality (no banding, better color tracking, better backlight uniformity, faster response time) and an HDMI connector. The only problem is that it has no 1:1 pixel mapping feature in its DSP, so that means no centered mode (with ATI cards).

 

[Dannyboyayyo]

argh the choices >< lol

Edit:

Just compared the BenQ to the NEC and the BenQ seems better. More inputs which i'd need for consoles(i think) only thing the NEC has got going is the built in speakers.

 

[IdBuRnS]

Originally posted by: xtknightI advise that no one bother with the Dell anymore. Get the BenQ. It's worth the extra. You get better image quality (no banding, better color tracking, better backlight uniformity, faster response time) and an HDMI connector.

A buddy has the 2407 and WoW looks amazing on it. As for HDMI, I could personally care less. I have a Sony 34XBR910 for watching movies with a comfy couch in front of it. Sitting in my computer chair at my desk is not my idea of a good movie experience.

 

[CreepieDeCrapper]

I have the Dell 2407 (rev. A02) and there are still banding issues. It's not terrible, mind you, and if you have the settings adjusted properly you can get the banding down to say a 2 out of 10 (where 0 is no banding and 10 is severe banding).

For gaming and movie watching, I've not noticed ANY banding (yet). For my web design work using Photoshop, I do notice the banding there. Keep in mind, though, that I only see it when I layout a pretty big gradient (doesn't have to be a gradient from one extreme shade to another, it just has to take up a lot of surface area on the screen for the banding to be noticed).

That said, if gaming and movie watching are your primary objectives, then for price and other features, the Dell is a GREAT buy. The sharpness and overall image quality is outstanding. And being a web/graphic designer/programmer, I'm very picky about this. The banding, though, will have me dumping this LCD in a couple years.

 

[Dannyboyayyo]

hmm idk if i would want to get another LCD in a couple of years. these 24in cost like 700-800ish and i'd want the monitor to last as long as possible. right now i have a dell 1702FP and its great but i just want a bigger screen.

 

[CreepieDeCrapper]

I understand. All my computer gear is tax-deductible because I work from home. So replacing parts frequently is not a problem for me. Remember, though, that my only hesitation with the Dell is the slight banding that only affects me when I do gradients in Photoshop. For gaming and movie watching, it's a superb display. So unless you're a full-time graphic designer, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Dannyboyayyo]

:/ so confused lol

the BenQ is $800 while the Dell is $720. If BenQ is far more superior $80 more should be worth it, right?

 

[CreepieDeCrapper]

If it's far superior, and you intend to keep it for a while, then yes, the BenQ would be a better choice and worth the extra $80. I don't know anything about it, however, so make sure you're comparing apples to apples in your research and are weighing what's important to you, etc.

 

[Dannyboyayyo]

what are some problems wiht the BenQ? (if there are any) what about dead pixels, which site has a better policy newegg or dell?

 

[xtknight]

The BenQ doesn't have 1:1 pixel mapping (centered mode) on its DSP. Dell has a better return policy (return repeatedly for any reason within 21 days), but you're probably less likely to get dead pixels with the BenQ (AU Optronics panels are great in that regard). The much better grayscale reproduction and uniformity on the FP241W is reason enough for me to get it over the Dell.

 

[Dannyboyayyo]

is 1:1 important? i should go read up on it lol

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Dannyboyayyo
is 1:1 important? i should go read up on it lol

Well, if you have an NVIDIA card it doesn't even matter since you can use 1:1 with the card itself. People with ATI cards aren't so lucky. Future ATI cards or ATI drivers should do it. PowerStrip may have some options to do 1:1, but I'm not sure about that. 1:1 is just another name for centered mode. LCDs have a native resolution that they must always completely fill. 1:1 fills the borders with black so the center contains an image with a lower resolution. Other forms of scaling include just one set of black bars with some image scaling. And, there is conventional scaling which tries to fill the whole screen with the lower resolution image. All reduce image quality in some way (except 1:1 which just removes part of the picture).

 

[BroadbandGamer]

I was going to buy the Dell but now I'm thinking about the BenQ.

Is newegg the best place to buy this monitor? Will they take it back if there are dead pixels?

 

[imported_Crusader]

Originally posted by: xtknight
The BenQ doesn't have 1:1 pixel mapping (centered mode) on its DSP. Dell has a better return policy (return repeatedly for any reason within 21 days), but you're probably less likely to get dead pixels with the BenQ (AU Optronics panels are great in that regard). The much better grayscale reproduction and uniformity on the FP241W is reason enough for me to get it over the Dell.

They're not all AUO. Samsung PVA as well.
Text

If he gets the Samsung panel, then its the same as the Dell 2407.

I'd save the cash and just get the 2407 myself, since you have no way of telling what panel you're going to get on the BenQ. Unless you want the HDMI.

 

[Dannyboyayyo]

wow Crusader you just made everything complicated!!!!!!!!!!

HDMI might as well get it just in case things will move over to that type of connection.

 

[Bootstrap]

Several folks at hardforum have received replies from BenQ support saying that 1:1 pixel mapping will be added via a firmware update sometime in December. It's not clear whether this affects all inputs and all resolutions, but it seems at the very least that this should prevent 16:9 pictures from being stretched to 16:10. This upgrade will require shipping the monitor back to BenQ, but a few of the support people have stated that they will honor this upgrade as part of the warranty.

Take all this with a grain of salt, as nothing has been "officially" confirmed, but it seems to me that unless you need a new monitor today, it might be worth waiting a month to see if the new revision of this monitor fixes this problem. I would guess that yet-to-be released fp241wz model would also feature 1:1 pixel mapping, as this is supposed to be released before the end of the year.

 

[CreepieDeCrapper]

Honestly, I see no reason not to buy the Dell. It's (currently) over $100 cheaper and has a couple built-in card readers (one less device to have to plug into your main box). I use this display 8-12 hours a day for both work and gaming and it truly is beautiful. Remember I am a graphic and web designer and I'm even saying that the banding isn't that big of an issue, I think most folks are blowing it out of proportion. Unless you are literally laying out a big gradient in Photoshop, you won't ever see it. (I've yet to see the banding while gaming.)

That's my 2 cents worth. Ultimately, just go with your gut. You should feel good about what you're spending your money on so trust your instincts and you'll be happy. Remember with all purchases there's the 'I want it' factor that no spec sheet can talk you into or out of.

 

[Dannyboyayyo]

wow this is so difficult lol. ok lets look at other things.

can you flip the benq vertically?
how is neweggs dead pixel policy?

 

[imported_Crusader]

Yes you can rotate the BenQ.
I'd base your decision off of if you want HDMI or not, and if its worth the extra money for you. Theres also a 50/50 chance you'll get the AOQ panel in your BenQ.

The way I think through things.. I have a 50/50 chance to get a better panel if I buy the BenQ.. but I have a 100% chance of paying $100+ more to get that panel.
I prefer sure bets, and the man above said the Dell is fine and hes a graphic design artist. I for one am not that picky on my LCD, my 2005FPW has some backlight bleeding and I think one would have to be a real picky nerd to let that bother them to the point of frustration. So some banding that I'll apparantly never notice (according to the guy above)? I laugh in its face! Give me my 100+ dollars that I'm going to save with the 2407!! To me, HDMI means nothing.. the PC adoption of that connection is going to be very slow..

Anyway hope I helped more than I hurt by letting you know not all BenQs use that panel

 

[Dannyboyayyo]

hmmmmmmmm so if i get the AOQ panel its going to be the same as the dell 2407?