LCD Buyer's Guide

[theslug]

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx
2) The display looks really grainy. I don't know if it's because the drivers are missing or if it's because I'm using a POS AGP video card. I'm running AGP to DVI. Could this be the problem???

Do you mean VGA to DVI? If so, purely DVI to DVI is the best because the signal stays digital. Running from a VGA port to DVI (or with an adapter) can cause a grainy picture.

The monitor almost looks like it has dust on it. Is this known as the "screen door" effect that people talk about on TN panels?

Screen door effect occurs on any LCD, but on some it is more noticable than on others. It's when you look at the screen close up and can see the grid, or black lines between each pixel. It looks like a screen door, hence the name. Usually by sitting at the right distance you won't even notice.

 

[rxblitzrx]

Originally posted by: theslug

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx
2) The display looks really grainy. I don't know if it's because the drivers are missing or if it's because I'm using a POS AGP video card. I'm running AGP to DVI. Could this be the problem???

Do you mean VGA to DVI? If so, purely DVI to DVI is the best because the signal stays digital. Running from a VGA port to DVI (or with an adapter) can cause a grainy picture.

Great. I was afraid of this which means I'll have to wait until I can put together a new computer to get the most out of my new display.

Is there a way I can confirm this panel is SIPS?

What do you guys normally put the contrast and brightness settings to?

 

[rxblitzrx]

Another question: My desk is up against the window and the sun gets through the blinds from 8am to 12pm, producing spider web patterns. Is this bad for the monitor if the sun is shining on the back of it?

 

[theslug]

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx
Great. I was afraid of this which means I'll have to wait until I can put together a new computer to get the most out of my new display.

Is there a way I can confirm this panel is SIPS?

What do you guys normally put the contrast and brightness settings to?

What monitor is it?

 

[Mystiqq]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Mystiqq
Got my HP LP2065 (DOA) replacement yesterday, which i returned back today, and it had same problem as the previous but in the other corner. Both had severe problems with the backlight. I tested and "twisted" the monitor lightly and 80% of the backlight bleed disappeared. I bet anyone with half a brain could fix this problem themselfs with the "Dell fix", but it will likely void the warranty though...

Well, I hope you receive one from a better batch next time. That's odd as S-IPS panels are usually the best in uniformity, by far. The S-IPS Dell 2007FP (same panel) I've seen was excellent. But they're using PVAs occasionally now, so I can't recommend that. That's the problem with LCDs. You never really know what you're getting when you open the box. Dead pixels, poor uniformity, etc... quality control is very difficult and you can only choose the LCDs that seem to have less prevalence of these issues...but then there's bad batches and what not to complicate that.

I hope too, as the monitor itself is quite good. Though, i wouldnt not recommend it for anything else besides for things like CAD or such. For serious FPS gaming, it is a definite no. Image quality is awesome, high resolution images are just so crisp and detailed that it just blows you away.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx
2) The display looks really grainy. I don't know if it's because the drivers are missing or if it's because I'm using a POS AGP video card. I'm running AGP to DVI. Could this be the problem??? The monitor almost looks like it has dust on it. Is this known as the "screen door" effect that people talk about on TN panels? This thing is SIPS right? Is there any way I can verify this???

I'm not sure I would say it causes graininess, but it causes blurriness, loss of clarity and contrast, and waviness across your screen from maladjusted VGA phase/clock settings.

3) I plan on reinstalling XP. I'm on Vista right now and the hardware support blows.

Why is that? I would have thought Vista had a larger driver database.

 

[rxblitzrx]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx
2) The display looks really grainy. I don't know if it's because the drivers are missing or if it's because I'm using a POS AGP video card. I'm running AGP to DVI. Could this be the problem??? The monitor almost looks like it has dust on it. Is this known as the "screen door" effect that people talk about on TN panels? This thing is SIPS right? Is there any way I can verify this???

I'm not sure I would say it causes graininess, but it causes blurriness, loss of clarity and contrast, and waviness across your screen from maladjusted VGA phase/clock settings.

3) I plan on reinstalling XP. I'm on Vista right now and the hardware support blows.

Why is that? I would have thought Vista had a larger driver database.

Maybe my computer is too old, but I've had issues with the sound card and video card drivers. Here are some key points:

1. SoundBlaster has some beta drivers out for the Audigy series which got my sound card working.
2. I don't think video was ever resolved.
3. Networking is AWESOME.
4. The only antivirus software that I could get working is Nod32. No Kaspersky. No PCcillin.


Thanks for the tip on the VGA to DVI. Honestly, right now this display looks terrible because I see the blurriness and it's really annoying. I'll post back once I get a new 'puter built with a PCIe card.

QUESTION: What's the minimum I can get (video card wise) without suffering image quality for simple web surfing and office 2007??

 

[rxblitzrx]

Originally posted by: theslug

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx
Great. I was afraid of this which means I'll have to wait until I can put together a new computer to get the most out of my new display.

Is there a way I can confirm this panel is SIPS?

What do you guys normally put the contrast and brightness settings to?

What monitor is it?

HP LP2065

According to this review it's a SIPS panel. But is there any way to confirm??

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx
QUESTION: What's the minimum I can get (video card wise) without suffering image quality for simple web surfing and office 2007??

The cheapest DVI card you can find. It'll have the same 2D quality as the most expensive DVI card you can find (for all practical purposes). There could be small 5 MHz differences in the quality of the TMDS encoder but I believe the only difference there is the max resolution it supports.

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx
Great. I was afraid of this which means I'll have to wait until I can put together a new computer to get the most out of my new display.

Is there a way I can confirm this panel is SIPS?

What do you guys normally put the contrast and brightness settings to?

About the graininess you see, it could be because of your brightness/contrast or color temperature. A pale color settings can look grainy. But it could also be because of the LCD's coating (standard 'hard coating'). The LP2065 does not have OptiClear (AR coating).

Ideal brightness/contrast settings are purely preference and also vary widely among LCDs. And yes, the HP LP2065 is an S-IPS panel. Display a black screen and look from a diagonal angle. If it turn's violet at all it's an S-IPS.

I'd certainly like to know if HP starting using PVA panels or anything, but is there any reason why you don't think it would be S-IPS? Are you happy with the image quality and viewing angle?

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx
Another question: My desk is up against the window and the sun gets through the blinds from 8am to 12pm, producing spider web patterns. Is this bad for the monitor if the sun is shining on the back of it?

Maybe for thermal reasons. Just make sure the LCD isn't getting too hot. Generally this isn't a problem. LCDs perform best in warm conditions (especially with regards to response time).

Originally posted by: Mystiqq
I hope too, as the monitor itself is quite good. Though, i wouldnt not recommend it for anything else besides for things like CAD or such. For serious FPS gaming, it is a definite no. Image quality is awesome, high resolution images are just so crisp and detailed that it just blows you away.

For some people that may be true. Is there really that much ghosting on it? IIRC it tested at about 22 ms. The Hydis TN panel was always around 20 ms and it was the flagship gaming panel back in the day. I'm just not sure of any 20" TNs panels that would be faster. They all test slower than the S-IPS ones so choices are very limited (sometimes nonexistent) for gamers at 20" 4:3.

If you could provide any other info about this LCD that would be great. I trust forum users more than PC World, especially if they don't say there is "no ghosting".

 

[rxblitzrx]

Man I forgot how much fun technology can be. All I've been keeping up with for the past 2 years are organic reactions and drug metabolism. While that's fun for me in its own special way, this stuff is 'funner' !!

xtknight: Thank you again for the tips!

 

[Kindjal]

I've been using my 20WMX2 for a week now and I'm very impressed.

I've replayed some Half Life levels to see how my GPU's are holding up - so far they seem to handle the new resolution without a problem.

Are there any suggestions regarding the correct settings/optimizations that should be made with this monitor? I am using the monitor with its default settings.

By the way, I can't live without PIP on the desktop after using this monitor.

And I'm constanty checking for stuck/dead pixels - so far so good - a few lint scares that's all.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Kindjal
I've been using my 20WMX2 for a week now and I'm very impressed.

I've replayed some Half Life levels to see how my GPU's are holding up - so far they seem to handle the new resolution without a problem.

Are there any suggestions regarding the correct settings/optimizations that should be made with this monitor? I am using the monitor with its default settings.

By the way, I can't live without PIP on the desktop after using this monitor.

And I'm constanty checking for stuck/dead pixels - so far so good - a few lint scares that's all.

I have some calibrated settings for the 20WMGX2 if you want those, but they won't look the same on every unit due to variations.

brightness: 12.5
contrast: 97.0
advanced dvm: off
dv mode: standard
color: native

For it to look decent you also need the calibrated profile.

Download my profile here: http://xtknight.atothosting.com/tools/20wgx2_200_native.icm

Then use xcalib (win32/linux) to apply it. The NVIDIA control panel color correction won't import the profile correctly if you try to use that.

http://www.etg.e-technik.uni-erlangen.de/web/doe/xcalib/

 

[Chiapensis]

Well I've been reading this discussion with great interest as I am in the same position as many of the posters, that is I'm looking to replace an aging CRT with that perfect monitor for my particular needs.
I do page layout and image editing for my garden center business using Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. In addition, I use this system to keep the books using Quick Books and for online web surfing/email as well as database and spreadsheet work (Access & Excel).
The system is a Dell 4550 with an NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 420 with TV Out graphics card which lists a maximum resolution is 1920 x 1200 at 76Hz (analog monitor), AGP 4X Configuration-64MB DDR SDRAM and 350MHz RAMDAC. Do you think I'll have any problems with this graphics card and any of these monitors?

I've read the recomendations for desktop publishing/photo editing and have been following the conversation and now would like some sage advice on a few issues.

I would ideally like to buy from a local store for fewer hassles should I want to return/exchange. I live in Rhode Island and we have most of the big chain stores nearby.
What online sources could you recomend that will work with you on return/exchange issues?

I'd like to keep the cost at $400.00 or less and would of course want to get every bit of bang for my buck as possible. This would seem to knock out the NEC MultiSync 20WMGX2 and the Samsung 215TW. So that leaves the HP LP2065 (currently offering a $40.00 rebate) which brings it into my price range (from online sources), and I've seen the Samsung 971p for $379.00 locally.
Are either the NEC or Samsung 215 really worth the extra dough?

Of these two, the LP2065 is 8 bit/S-IPS and the 791p is 6 bit/PVA if I've gotten things right.
Should I expect a better picture from the 20" vs. the 19" because of the resolution and pixel size?
Better color from the HP because of IPS?
Better text from one or the other?

Are there any quality issues with either of these two that you're aware of?

Are there any other candidates worth considering?

Thanks to you all for the time and energy you put into this, it's a big help.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Chiapensis
Well I've been reading this discussion with great interest as I am in the same position as many of the posters, that is I'm looking to replace an aging CRT with that perfect monitor for my particular needs.
I do page layout and image editing for my garden center business using Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. In addition, I use this system to keep the books using Quick Books and for online web surfing/email as well as database and spreadsheet work (Access & Excel).
The system is a Dell 4550 with an NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 420 with TV Out graphics card which lists a maximum resolution is 1920 x 1200 at 76Hz (analog monitor), AGP 4X Configuration-64MB DDR SDRAM and 350MHz RAMDAC. Do you think I'll have any problems with this graphics card and any of these monitors?

Welcome to the forums.

You may want a video card with DVI support. The analog VGA connector produces a lower quality picture. There are some AGP cards with DVI support. Just get the cheapest one you can find (DVI is DVI, and for 2D work the graphics chipset doesn't matter these days). Look at the low end of the GeForce 6xxx/7xxx line or Radeon x1300 series for a high-quality and low-price DVI card.

I've read the recomendations for desktop publishing/photo editing and have been following the conversation and now would like some sage advice on a few issues.

I would ideally like to buy from a local store for fewer hassles should I want to return/exchange. I live in Rhode Island and we have most of the big chain stores nearby.
What online sources could you recomend that will work with you on return/exchange issues?

That's really not my area of expertise. I have always bought from Newegg and they have very good service in general.

I'd like to keep the cost at $400.00 or less and would of course want to get every bit of bang for my buck as possible. This would seem to knock out the NEC MultiSync 20WMGX2 and the Samsung 215TW. So that leaves the HP LP2065 (currently offering a $40.00 rebate) which brings it into my price range (from online sources), and I've seen the Samsung 971p for $379.00 locally.
Are either the NEC or Samsung 215 really worth the extra dough?

For what you're doing the HP LP2065 sounds ideal. You don't seem like the widescreen type.

Of these two, the LP2065 is 8 bit/S-IPS and the 791p is 6 bit/PVA if I've gotten things right.
Should I expect a better picture from the 20" vs. the 19" because of the resolution and pixel size?

Yes, the 20" will produce a better image not only because of resolution/pixel size, but also because it uses a higher quality 8-bit S-IPS panel.

Better color from the HP because of IPS?

Indeed.

Better text from one or the other?

The difference would be negligible.

Are there any quality issues with either of these two that you're aware of?

The 971P seems to have a flimsy stand.

Are there any other candidates worth considering?

Nope, you seem to have done your research.

Thanks to you all for the time and energy you put into this, it's a big help.

Glad it helped.

 

[Chiapensis]

Thanks xt,
I'm gonna try to find the HP locally otherwise I'll try online.
I just saw an ad for Circuit City offering the LG L2047WT for $300.00. I've read a few good reviews but realize it's a 6 bit TN panel. Is it worth considering or not in the same league?
I'm curious where you find the detailed tech info on these panels anyway? All of the manufacturer's websites I've seen only list basic info...nothing about TN/PVA/IPS, 6 or 8 bit etc.

 

[rxblitzrx]

HP LP2065 Review

My DVI video card should arrive tomorrow and then I'll be able to see how well this monitor looks on a full digital signal. However, I've been very impressed with it so far. Here are some second impressions:

GOOD:
1. Even on vga - dvi conversion the picture is still better than my Thinkpad R40 screen.
2. 1600 x 1200 resolution is actually quite nice. I was a little worried at first that a NON-widescreen 20" screen would give me too much vertical real-estate but it's actually perfect for what I do. I'm a non business/technical student so my computer use is limited to reading articles, chatting online, surfing websites, watching divx movies at 600x300 res, creating word documents, and viewing power point presentations. I have my screen setup with an internet browser covering 60% of the desktop from top to bottom, my divx movies play on the other 40% of the screen, and my chat windows cover the space above the movie. Everything fits quite nice. Also, the S-IPS panel is a MUST if you do a lot of reading on the computer.

BAD:
1. I think this monitor has trouble showing slight variations in color in my divx movies. The scenes with a lot of color look AWESOME, but the scenes with little lighting look like a bunch of black spots where there should be something. Sorry I don't know how to describe it. Maybe gray scale is the right phrase. Awesome colors, not enough gray. Does anyone know if this is a limitation of the monitor or is it just because I'm on vga-dvi connection?

xtknight: I tried your gray scale test and I can't see anything but a black page with the words RGB (0,0,0) down to (15,15,15). What does this mean?

OK so that's all I have for now. I'm still very excited to see how well the picture improves once I switch to a DVI video card.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Chiapensis
Thanks xt,
I'm gonna try to find the HP locally otherwise I'll try online.
I just saw an ad for Circuit City offering the LG L2047WT for $300.00. I've read a few good reviews but realize it's a 6 bit TN panel. Is it worth considering or not in the same league?

It's good for entertainment but it's not an image editing LCD. It's also widescreen and for the stuff you do, 4:3 sounds better as it would give you more screen area.

I'm curious where you find the detailed tech info on these panels anyway? All of the manufacturer's websites I've seen only list basic info...nothing about TN/PVA/IPS, 6 or 8 bit etc.

A lot of it's mentioned in behardware.com's monitor reviews, on flatpanels.dk (Danish though), and tftcentral.co.uk. I have to guess on a couple things: I still don't know whether the L204WT is 6-bit or 8-bit, but I know it's a TN and I've never seen a TN that I would give to a photo editor. I've never seen a TN that didn't dither either.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: rxblitzrx
HP LP2065 Review

My DVI video card should arrive tomorrow and then I'll be able to see how well this monitor looks on a full digital signal. However, I've been very impressed with it so far. Here are some second impressions:

GOOD:
1. Even on vga - dvi conversion the picture is still better than my Thinkpad R40 screen.
2. 1600 x 1200 resolution is actually quite nice. I was a little worried at first that a NON-widescreen 20" screen would give me too much vertical real-estate but it's actually perfect for what I do. I'm a non business/technical student so my computer use is limited to reading articles, chatting online, surfing websites, watching divx movies at 600x300 res, creating word documents, and viewing power point presentations. I have my screen setup with an internet browser covering 60% of the desktop from top to bottom, my divx movies play on the other 40% of the screen, and my chat windows cover the space above the movie. Everything fits quite nice. Also, the S-IPS panel is a MUST if you do a lot of reading on the computer.

BAD:
1. I think this monitor has trouble showing slight variations in color in my divx movies. The scenes with a lot of color look AWESOME, but the scenes with little lighting look like a bunch of black spots where there should be something. Sorry I don't know how to describe it. Maybe gray scale is the right phrase. Awesome colors, not enough gray. Does anyone know if this is a limitation of the monitor or is it just because I'm on vga-dvi connection?

I think I know what you mean. I mentioned the same thing in my review of the Dell 2007FP (same panel). There seemed to be blotches in the dark parts of the grayscale. Chances are, that can be fixed with a calibrator (gamma adjustment) but whether the brightness/contrast settings are enough to fix it, I don't know. You can probably get it a little better. Go through this: Tweaking your LCD

xtknight: I tried your gray scale test and I can't see anything but a black page with the words RGB (0,0,0) down to (15,15,15). What does this mean?

Basically it means the same thing as above...the LCD isn't revealing dark details. I think I could at least see up to (10,10,10) on the 2007FP though.

 

[xtknight]

A new 20" 4:3 LCD panel is on the horizon. It's 8-bit, uses LED backlights, and reaches a high gamut. More info: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/news.htm#a-mva

There's also a new 8-bit 20" widescreen A-MVA. This will help fill the current 20" widescreen high-end void. They're releasing a whole new line based on the A-MVA panels. Disappointingly their 22" is still TN. A-MVA should be better than Samsung's S-PVA.

 

[PhotoMan]

Can Someone tel me how to adjust brightness on a Samsung 971P? It's not mine, I'm just trying to help a friend out.

The only options seem to be the presets.

Is there an other way?

I think it can be done through Magic Tune software but I may be wrong.

 

[Rapishorrid]

Well given the two options of the NEC 90GX2 & the Samsung 940BF I have decided to choose the 940BF for a couple of reasons.

My main deciding factor was that I didn't want a "glossy panel" which is something the 90GX2 has. Other than that the 90GX2 is significantly more expensive while maintaining what I think is a small advantage over the 940BF. The Samsung has a lower response time (given at the range they are at it makes little to no difference anyway) and the only thing the NEC boasts is a slightly better brightness and color depth. However the Samsung, as I said before, has a far better price.

So I've read a lot of reviews about the 940BF and what I've seen is that a lot of the reviewers say it has a very poor price to performance ratio saying that you could get a comparable monitor for less and that it doesn't come with any frills or features that the price tag would suggest. However these reviews also noted the price as being somewhere around $499. That price to performance ratio is obviously much different now with a price tag of under under $300. It's "straightforward" design makes no sense for the $499 tag but with its current price I like it. I'm not looking for really any special features (speakers, looks, etc.) just performance. And I really like the .5" bezel!

Before I make this purchase is there anything about this monitor I should consider or any other panels you think I should check out? Keeping in mind my price is now around $300, I originally said up to $350 just to see all the available options and if anything great stood out.

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Engel]

A word on the Samsung 971P:

I purchased this monitor on December 1st from Newegg after reading what reviews I could find, going based on user ratings, and drooling over the beautiful specifications listed.

When it comes to displaying non-moving screens, this monitor is near flawless. The images are vibrant, and the color is extraordinary. However, there are several problems that make this monitor an absolute no-go for me:

1) Video quality. Wow. When I first played a video, I thought this was a cruel joke. I much prefer watching videos on an old Envision EN5100e that I have, which is almost 5 years old. Again, still images appear fine. But once movement gets under way, especially with people, forget it. This monitor has a distinct red ringing around moving objects and sometimes even streaks with this redness. It is not simply irritating, it is absolutely unacceptable and disgusting. And despite the advertised low response time, I can tell you: this model does ghost, and it is obvious.

2) Gaming. This is not as bad as watching movies, but in some spots, you can see the red streaking that I mentioned above. This issue plagues any media with movement that this monitor displays. And again, while the ghosting is no where near as bad as some of the older monitors I have seen, I believe that it is poor given this model's price range and advertised specifications.

3) Monitor controls. There are times when being a minimalist is good; when designing a monitor that people want to use in a myriad of situations, this is bad. The only button besides the on/off touch-sensitive area is the one that triggers pre-set menu. I don't want presets. I want controls. And if you're going to remove all other buttons and hardware controls from your piece of hardware, at least give decent software as a compromise. Samsung's MagicTune software is magically flawed and useless. Give me controls back. Almost all of the other Samsung models have them, why can't this one?

4) The stand. The stand, like the specifications, sounded great on paper. However, when you actually use it, another conclusion can be drawn: what were the engineers at Samsung thinking?! The cable management is awful! In order to get to the only port (DVI-I), you must get to the underside of the stand. Once you do that, you must squeeze the cord into a little, curved, cut-out path and then struggle in the small space to secure the cable. Okay, so we can't see the top of the DVI-I cable... is that really worth all of this trouble though? Also, having the USB ports behind the screen is a bit of a pain.

5) The glossy finish. Again, looks great in the pictures and sound great when you read it, but in use, it is an avoidable annoyance. In my light setting, the glossy finish reflects light and gives me glare. Even worse, the glossy finish reflects the image that is being displayed on the screen on the sides. This is annoying.

6) Backlight. This model has one of the best backlights I have seen, but it is not flawless. The model does bleed in the corners with the bottom corners bleeding a bit more than the top. Thankfully, though, this problem is only obvious on black screens.

Because I was really hoping this panel would be the one for me, I gave it two and half weeks before taking any action, thinking that perhaps I just had to (or could) get used to its faults. After said time, I went to my local CompUSA and bought another unit of the same model to make sure the defects weren't unique to my unit. Much to my dismay, the new one I bought had the exact same reddish ringing and ghosting problems, and the backlight bleeding on this unit was even more pronounced.

I simply cannot recommend this model to anyone other than a graphic designer, and even then, there are better models (IPS panels) for that kind of thing.

I have placed an order for a new VP930b (the latest revision that has 1300:1 contrast, 300 nit brightness). I sincerely hope that it will be the one for me.

 

[Chiapensis]

Hi rx,
As I am about to buy the LP2065, I wonder if you've installed your new video card and how you would compare the analog/digital performance.
By the way since I'll need to change my video card for one with a digital output I wonder which card you chose. I won't be doing any gaming but will need the digital out.
Thanks

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: PhotoMan
Can Someone tel me how to adjust brightness on a Samsung 971P? It's not mine, I'm just trying to help a friend out.

The only options seem to be the presets.

Is there an other way?

I think it can be done through Magic Tune software but I may be wrong.

Yes, you can use the MagicTune software.

Originally posted by: Rapishorrid
Well given the two options of the NEC 90GX2 & the Samsung 940BF I have decided to choose the 940BF for a couple of reasons.

My main deciding factor was that I didn't want a "glossy panel" which is something the 90GX2 has. Other than that the 90GX2 is significantly more expensive while maintaining what I think is a small advantage over the 940BF. The Samsung has a lower response time (given at the range they are at it makes little to no difference anyway) and the only thing the NEC boasts is a slightly better brightness and color depth. However the Samsung, as I said before, has a far better price.

So I've read a lot of reviews about the 940BF and what I've seen is that a lot of the reviewers say it has a very poor price to performance ratio saying that you could get a comparable monitor for less and that it doesn't come with any frills or features that the price tag would suggest. However these reviews also noted the price as being somewhere around $499. That price to performance ratio is obviously much different now with a price tag of under under $300. It's "straightforward" design makes no sense for the $499 tag but with its current price I like it. I'm not looking for really any special features (speakers, looks, etc.) just performance. And I really like the .5" bezel!

Before I make this purchase is there anything about this monitor I should consider or any other panels you think I should check out? Keeping in mind my price is now around $300, I originally said up to $350 just to see all the available options and if anything great stood out.

Thanks again for all the help!

I think you made the right decision. Personally I would have chosen the 90GX2, but that's because I like glossy panels. The 940BF uses a very similar panel so there won't be big differences.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Engel
A word on the Samsung 971P:

I purchased this monitor on December 1st from Newegg after reading what reviews I could find, going based on user ratings, and drooling over the beautiful specifications listed.

When it comes to displaying non-moving screens, this monitor is near flawless. The images are vibrant, and the color is extraordinary. However, there are several problems that make this monitor an absolute no-go for me:

1) Video quality. Wow. When I first played a video, I thought this was a cruel joke. I much prefer watching videos on an old Envision EN5100e that I have, which is almost 5 years old. Again, still images appear fine. But once movement gets under way, especially with people, forget it. This monitor has a distinct red ringing around moving objects and sometimes even streaks with this redness. It is not simply irritating, it is absolutely unacceptable and disgusting. And despite the advertised low response time, I can tell you: this model does ghost, and it is obvious.

2) Gaming. This is not as bad as watching movies, but in some spots, you can see the red streaking that I mentioned above. This issue plagues any media with movement that this monitor displays. And again, while the ghosting is no where near as bad as some of the older monitors I have seen, I believe that it is poor given this model's price range and advertised specifications.

It's not really shocking that it ghosts, but I am surprised the red streaking is so prevalent. Most of the Samsung monitors (with the exception of the 60BF series) have gotten very good ratings with regards to overdrive (response time acceleration). It could be that your store has a bad batch of them. I have never seen this effect mentioned in any review of the 971P. Or, maybe you just gave it the right combination of media for the red ringing to stick out like a sore thumb and the rest of the web has not given the LCD a proper review (I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter).

3) Monitor controls. There are times when being a minimalist is good; when designing a monitor that people want to use in a myriad of situations, this is bad. The only button besides the on/off touch-sensitive area is the one that triggers pre-set menu. I don't want presets. I want controls. And if you're going to remove all other buttons and hardware controls from your piece of hardware, at least give decent software as a compromise. Samsung's MagicTune software is magically flawed and useless. Give me controls back. Almost all of the other Samsung models have them, why can't this one?

I agree with this. It is sad there are no other monitors in the same realm as the 971P's image quality and price. It makes it frustrating to adjust, especially on different operating systems that MagicTune does not support. I have had trouble getting MagicTune to work with my graphics card. What troubles did you have with it?

4) The stand. The stand, like the specifications, sounded great on paper. However, when you actually use it, another conclusion can be drawn: what were the engineers at Samsung thinking?! The cable management is awful! In order to get to the only port (DVI-I), you must get to the underside of the stand. Once you do that, you must squeeze the cord into a little, curved, cut-out path and then struggle in the small space to secure the cable. Okay, so we can't see the top of the DVI-I cable... is that really worth all of this trouble though? Also, having the USB ports behind the screen is a bit of a pain.

5) The glossy finish. Again, looks great in the pictures and sound great when you read it, but in use, it is an avoidable annoyance. In my light setting, the glossy finish reflects light and gives me glare. Even worse, the glossy finish reflects the image that is being displayed on the screen on the sides. This is annoying.

6) Backlight. This model has one of the best backlights I have seen, but it is not flawless. The model does bleed in the corners with the bottom corners bleeding a bit more than the top. Thankfully, though, this problem is only obvious on black screens.

Because I was really hoping this panel would be the one for me, I gave it two and half weeks before taking any action, thinking that perhaps I just had to (or could) get used to its faults. After said time, I went to my local CompUSA and bought another unit of the same model to make sure the defects weren't unique to my unit. Much to my dismay, the new one I bought had the exact same reddish ringing and ghosting problems, and the backlight bleeding on this unit was even more pronounced.

I simply cannot recommend this model to anyone other than a graphic designer, and even then, there are better models (IPS panels) for that kind of thing.

I have placed an order for a new VP930b (the latest revision that has 1300:1 contrast, 300 nit brightness). I sincerely hope that it will be the one for me.

Umm, well I hope so. I'm sorry to say it, but personally I wasn't impressed with my VP930b. It was another LCD that had problems with overdrive (I got purple around moving objects in Battlefield 2). The backlight was also among the worst. It happened to get an A rating for that category on Tom's Hardware which was shocking. I don't know what's going on here but finding properly done reviews of LCDs is getting increasingly hard. Many of the aspects are just not tested or are quickly glossed over. I'm glad you are not settling for these problems but meanwhile, finding a better LCD is the hard part.

It is possible that the VP930b now uses a newer panel. AU Optronics has had a 1300:1 out for ages. As much as it's nice to update the products with the same model number, as a previous owner you really feel screwed over.

Please let me know how the VP930b suits you. I hope that the newer panel takes care of these effects.