LG vs. Dell LCDs

[1Dark1Sharigan1]

So I'm finally upgrading to a 24" from my Viewsonic VX2025 (which I'm selling) for several reasons (including playing HD-DVDs on my PC) and I've decided to get either the LG L245W (or L246W if I buy offline) or the Dell 2407WFP-HC.

After reading the LCD thread, and several other sites, I found that the Dell HC is a very good for all around use, including gaming, media, and general usage. I've also heard some very good things about the LG.

So the question ultimately comes down to this: Which one should I choose? The price difference is minimal. The Dell goes for $569 currently (for a limited time) and I can pick up the LG for $599 (Best Buy and local pickup). So I'm mainly looking at performance and overall quality.

 

[xtknight]

The Dell HC has a high gamut backlight, producing a more natural picture, and it has better default gamma settings (Samsung v. AUO panel). It is also cheaper. So, this seems to be a fairly easy decision. I don't know how they compare in input lag but surely there is minimal difference.

 

[BernardP]

Faced with a similar choice, I have just ordered the Dell 2407WFP-HC. Apart from the wide-gamut color, I didn't like the fact that the LG has only an HDMI input.

Yes, DVI is compatible with HDMI with an adapter cable, but I prefer to have a normal DVI connector on the monitor and don't care for HDMI which has been mostly designed for television, as it also carries a sound signal.

For the future, I would prefer not to depend on DVI/HDMI adapters. It is not a given that HDMI will become a standard for computer monitors, with DisplayPort vying for a place too.

 

[Keysplayr]

Why would you need 2 HDMI connectors on the monitor? If it had two, what would you use the second one for? Just curious.

 

[BernardP]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003
Why would you need 2 HDMI connectors on the monitor? If it had two, what would you use the second one for? Just curious.

What I mean is that the LG monitor has only an HDMI input instead of a DVI input. There is no DVI input on this monitor. So an adapter cable has to be used between the DVI output on the videocard and the HDMI input on the LG monitor. The new Viewsonic 24-inch monitor has the same arrangement.

 

[1Dark1Sharigan1]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003
Why would you need 2 HDMI connectors on the monitor? If it had two, what would you use the second one for? Just curious.

Well some people will want to use this monitor to hook up to their PS3 and PC at the same time so the second HDMI connection (or one DVI and one HDMI connection) would help with that. But since you can just by a switcher for $20 or so, it's not that big of a deal even if it's applicable to the small percentage of people who will do something like this.

Also I've read that there were some minor issues with the LG such as scaling over VGA and issues with it not waking after putting the computer to sleep.

Anyone know if these issues have been resolved? It wouldn't make or break the purchase, but it would probably be very annoying.

I wish I could something get my hands on the Dell and see it firsthand since before spending $600 on a monitor, I would like to be able to look at it firsthand or at least be able to easily return to the store if it's not to my liking.

 

[Keysplayr]

BernardP: Ah, gotcha. Makes sense now. Thanks.

1Dark1Sharigan1: Hmm, never thought of that. I guess because any console I have had since consoles existed, were hooked up to my TV's.

 

[BernardP]

Originally posted by: 1Dark1Sharigan1
I wish I could something get my hands on the Dell and see it firsthand since before spending $600 on a monitor, I would like to be able to look at it firsthand or at least be able to easily return to the store if it's not to my liking.

There are Dell Kiosks in many areas. If you are lucky, they will have a 2407 on display. You can find a list of Dell Kiosk locations on Dell's web site

http://www.dell.com/content/pr...?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

 

[1Dark1Sharigan1]

Decided to get the L246WP from Best Buy. Got it locally so that I can return within 30 days if it's not to my liking (or exchange it if anything comes up). So far it's looking pretty good, though I still need to get it calibrated. Played Bioshock on the 360 connected to the VGA port at 1080p and it scaled it 1:1 just fine without artifacting. Loving it so far.

Anyone know some good settings to get the best image from this monitor? (brightness, color settings, etc)

 

[Compellor]

Originally posted by: 1Dark1Sharigan1
Decided to get the L246WP from Best Buy. Got it locally so that I can return within 30 days if it's not to my liking (or exchange it if anything comes up). So far it's looking pretty good, though I still need to get it calibrated. Played Bioshock on the 360 connected to the VGA port at 1080p and it scaled it 1:1 just fine without artifacting. Loving it so far.

Anyone know some good settings to get the best image from this monitor? (brightness, color settings, etc)

If find that using the sRGB color temp setting delivers deeper blacks and a balanced contrast since it's automatic. The other color temp settings have more flexibility but I can't get decent looking blacks because you can't set the brightness much lower than 63 or you get black crush. For some reason you can lower the brightness setting down to nearly 0 with sRGB and get no black crush. I set my brightness to 15 because any more and it's just too bright. The other modes, while being more flexible, make the blacks more washed out no matter how you set the brightness or contrast. Maybe I got a bad one or this is how LG calibrated it from the factory.

The out of the box colors are off a bit. The grayscale looks a bit reddish. Blue needs to be lowered quite a bit, red just a little bit, and green can be left alone or increased just slightly. Mine are set via the Nvidia CP because sRGB setting doesn't let you adjust colors on the monitor.
They are:

R:47 G:52 B:45

Gamma is set to 47 although it may look better at a higher setting. I prefer a slightly darker gamma setting.

If you or anyone else with this monitor reports similar results then please reply.

 

[Dkcode]

Yeah i have this monitor too. I have left everything at default but lowered the red a little. Is the default setting RGB? I should really have a fiddle with this. I have also noticed in darker areas in games the darker colours blend together more than i like them too. But i was using an IPS panel for a while before i got this so i didn't expect it to match it in all areas. Love this monitor though and i am glad i chose it over the 2405.

 

[asdftt123]

Has anyone had experience or have heard anything about the LG L245WP-BN Black 24" 8ms WS? It's currently on my newegg wishlist. How is it compared to the L246WP or other competing 24" monitors?

 

[1Dark1Sharigan1]

Originally posted by: asdftt123
Has anyone had experience or have heard anything about the LG L245WP-BN Black 24" 8ms WS? It's currently on my newegg wishlist. How is it compared to the L246WP or other competing 24" monitors?

They are the same. The only difference is the position of the OSD and power buttons.