[Retired] The LCD Thread

[yacoub]

Why has S-IPS seemingly disappeared when it's arguably much superior to the other types of panels out there, especially if it's a true 8-bit S-IPS?

 

[zavar]

xtknight,

How do you think Nec 1990sxi, Eizo 1910 and Eizo 1931 compare to Viewsonic VP930? I'm looking for a 19" all-arounder with excellent text reproduction.

 

[Modular]

Would the Acer AL2223Wd be a better buy than the AL2051W, or is the 2223Wd a TN panel? I will be using this mostly for gaming.

Thanks

 

[BernardP]

Originally posted by: Modular
Would the Acer AL2223Wd be a better buy than the AL2051W, or is the 2223Wd a TN panel? I will be using this mostly for gaming.

Thanks

AL2223WD, like all 22-inch widescreen monitors is a TN panel.

 

[xboxist]

Originally posted by: yacoub
Why has S-IPS seemingly disappeared when it's arguably much superior to the other types of panels out there, especially if it's a true 8-bit S-IPS?

Because Soccer Moms and broke-ass college kids would rather pay $225 for a TN during a sale than pay $550+ for the "best". So manufacturers are adjusting, sadly.

 

[imported_Caine]

So...I'm looking for an excellent gaming/movie LCD and I've noticed that the largest gaming monitor you suggest is the NEC Multisync 20WMGX2. I've seen this monitor get both great and poor reviews...so I'm in a bit of a bind. I've looked into both the 226BW and the L226WT...but both have "panel" issues...

I'm currently using a Dell 1905FP from a few years back...but I want a more vibrant picture, less ghosting, and less tearing...along with a larger screen. People talk about playing games at 1900x1200...what monitors are they using? In looking at all of your suggestions I get the impression that there really isn't any be all end all monitor and that in order to get the best of one thing you'll have to sacrifice another (Ex: Size of Gaming Monitors limits resolution).

I really don't want to spend over $550 on a monitor...but I'd like to step up substantially as well. Suggestions?

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: zavar
xtknight,

How do you think Nec 1990sxi, Eizo 1910 and Eizo 1931 compare to Viewsonic VP930? I'm looking for a 19" all-arounder with excellent text reproduction.

In my mind, the NEC will be on top automatically because it is an S-IPS. Additionally, NEC's 90 series is geared toward pros. (There's more than just marketing behind that.)

Unfortunately, the NEC's response time is pretty slow (35 ms. according to X-Bit Labs).

The Eizos are PVAs which have been known for good text reproduction. Honestly the VP930b isn't that bad either (at least not rev 3 which has a newer P-MVA). If it's just for text I really can't see how any of them are bad. I'd go for the NEC myself even with the high response time if I wanted the best quality text and image. The VP930b is a much better compromise for everything else including multimedia.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Modular
Would the Acer AL2223Wd be a better buy than the AL2051W, or is the 2223Wd a TN panel? I will be using this mostly for gaming.

Thanks

Notice the AL2223Wd has a viewing angle of 160/160. This means it's a TN.

The glossy AL2051W is an easy choice, IMO. More saturated colors and maybe even faster because of RTC (overdrive) [many 22"s come with RTC disabled since TNs are intrinsically supposedly to be fast enough but aren't].

Originally posted by: Caine
So...I'm looking for an excellent gaming/movie LCD and I've noticed that the largest gaming monitor you suggest is the NEC Multisync 20WMGX2. I've seen this monitor get both great and poor reviews...so I'm in a bit of a bind. I've looked into both the 226BW and the L226WT...but both have "panel" issues...

The L226WT doesn't have that many issues. Just avoid the Q variant (it has overzealous RTC enabled). The 226BW is indeed more of a mixed bag. The 20WMGX2 easily beats the L226WT for gaming regardless of size, I can tell you that right now as I've had both side-by-side. It has the same resolution but the contrast in the dark is so much better. Played some UT2004 on it (multi-monitor mode) and the NEC not only seemed more responsive but also all-encompassing when it came to displaying everything there was, every detail there was and every enemy in every space. I was always missing something when I was playing on the LG.

The dynamic range (black level/white level) on the LG was actually higher although the NEC beat it in contrast (fine variation of brightness to reveal detail).

I'm currently using a Dell 1905FP from a few years back...but I want a more vibrant picture, less ghosting, and less tearing...along with a larger screen. People talk about playing games at 1900x1200...what monitors are they using? In looking at all of your suggestions I get the impression that there really isn't any be all end all monitor and that in order to get the best of one thing you'll have to sacrifice another (Ex: Size of Gaming Monitors limits resolution).

I really don't want to spend over $550 on a monitor...but I'd like to step up substantially as well. Suggestions?

You probably mean 1920x1200...those are 23", 24", 25.5", 26", and 27" LCDs. Indeed you sacrifice response time (and get more input lag) with the larger screens, that's just the way it goes. The NEC 20WMGX2 sounds right up your alley. I'm not lying when I say it's good for gaming. If you want a 24" gaming LCD, I say wait for the 24WMGX2, or get a BenQ FP241W and see if you're happy with that.

P.S. Welcome to the forums, always nice to see new people in this joint.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: yacoub
Why has S-IPS seemingly disappeared when it's arguably much superior to the other types of panels out there, especially if it's a true 8-bit S-IPS?

xboxist gave you a nice honest answer for that one.

 

[imported_Caine]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Caine
So...I'm looking for an excellent gaming/movie LCD and I've noticed that the largest gaming monitor you suggest is the NEC Multisync 20WMGX2. I've seen this monitor get both great and poor reviews...so I'm in a bit of a bind. I've looked into both the 226BW and the L226WT...but both have "panel" issues...

The L226WT doesn't have that many issues. Just avoid the Q variant (it has overzealous RTC enabled). The 226BW is indeed more of a mixed bag. The 20WMGX2 easily beats the L226WT for gaming regardless of size, I can tell you that right now as I've had both side-by-side. It has the same resolution but the contrast in the dark is so much better. Played some UT2004 on it (multi-monitor mode) and the NEC not only seemed more responsive but also all-encompassing when it came to displaying everything there was, every detail there was and every enemy in every space. I was always missing something when I was playing on the LG.

The dynamic range (black level/white level) on the LG was actually higher although the NEC beat it in contrast (fine variation of brightness to reveal detail).

Did you have any problems with the "glossy reflections?" I actually don't play in a well lit area (I had to tear down my closet and stick my desk in there, don't worry, I have another closet ) so it probably wouldn't mean much to me anyways...but just to be on the safe side.

xtknight

I'm currently using a Dell 1905FP from a few years back...but I want a more vibrant picture, less ghosting, and less tearing...along with a larger screen. People talk about playing games at 1900x1200...what monitors are they using? In looking at all of your suggestions I get the impression that there really isn't any be all end all monitor and that in order to get the best of one thing you'll have to sacrifice another (Ex: Size of Gaming Monitors limits resolution).

I really don't want to spend over $550 on a monitor...but I'd like to step up substantially as well. Suggestions?

You probably mean 1920x1200...those are 23", 24", 25.5", 26", and 27" LCDs. Indeed you sacrifice response time (and get more input lag) with the larger screens, that's just the way it goes. The NEC 20WMGX2 sounds right up your alley. I'm not lying when I say it's good for gaming. If you want a 24" gaming LCD, I say wait for the 24WMGX2, or get a BenQ FP241W and see if you're happy with that.

The BenQ is just too much...but I'm curious as to how much the 24MWGX2 will cost. Have you ever compared the 20WMGX2 to a 2407WFP? Nearly identical in price and I've heard good things about both.

xtknight
P.S. Welcome to the forums, always nice to see new people in this joint.

Thanks.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Caine

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Caine
So...I'm looking for an excellent gaming/movie LCD and I've noticed that the largest gaming monitor you suggest is the NEC Multisync 20WMGX2. I've seen this monitor get both great and poor reviews...so I'm in a bit of a bind. I've looked into both the 226BW and the L226WT...but both have "panel" issues...

The L226WT doesn't have that many issues. Just avoid the Q variant (it has overzealous RTC enabled). The 226BW is indeed more of a mixed bag. The 20WMGX2 easily beats the L226WT for gaming regardless of size, I can tell you that right now as I've had both side-by-side. It has the same resolution but the contrast in the dark is so much better. Played some UT2004 on it (multi-monitor mode) and the NEC not only seemed more responsive but also all-encompassing when it came to displaying everything there was, every detail there was and every enemy in every space. I was always missing something when I was playing on the LG.

The dynamic range (black level/white level) on the LG was actually higher although the NEC beat it in contrast (fine variation of brightness to reveal detail).

Did you have any problems with the "glossy reflections?" I actually don't play in a well lit area (I had to tear down my closet and stick my desk in there, don't worry, I have another closet ) so it probably wouldn't mean much to me anyways...but just to be on the safe side.

Nope, I never have a problem with the glossy screen. Even in the day it's really not as bad as people make it out to be. At the night I don't even give it a second thought.

Originally posted by: Caine

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Caine
I'm currently using a Dell 1905FP from a few years back...but I want a more vibrant picture, less ghosting, and less tearing...along with a larger screen. People talk about playing games at 1900x1200...what monitors are they using? In looking at all of your suggestions I get the impression that there really isn't any be all end all monitor and that in order to get the best of one thing you'll have to sacrifice another (Ex: Size of Gaming Monitors limits resolution).

I really don't want to spend over $550 on a monitor...but I'd like to step up substantially as well. Suggestions?

You probably mean 1920x1200...those are 23", 24", 25.5", 26", and 27" LCDs. Indeed you sacrifice response time (and get more input lag) with the larger screens, that's just the way it goes. The NEC 20WMGX2 sounds right up your alley. I'm not lying when I say it's good for gaming. If you want a 24" gaming LCD, I say wait for the 24WMGX2, or get a BenQ FP241W and see if you're happy with that.

The BenQ is just too much...but I'm curious as to how much the 24MWGX2 will cost. Have you ever compared the 20WMGX2 to a 2407WFP? Nearly identical in price and I've heard good things about both.

Yeah, understandable. Nope I don't have the 2407WFP in my possession but the NEC is undoubtedly still better at reproducing color (S-IPS). The 2407WFP (S-PVA) is by no means bad and in fact its color accuracy bests that of the amazing 20WMGX2. Still, its ability to reveal detail and its color vibrancy simply suffer because it doesn't have the glossy coating.

PVA (and all multidomain LCDs such as MVA, AMVA) suffer because of their inability to display a perfect image at a perpendicular (0 degree) angle. Imagine a geometric plane and then imagine 4 vertical planes. The 2407WFP has eight actually, but the problems still exist just to a slightly lesser extent.

Just imagine ..well, this nutso image (lines represent rays of light).

http://lcdresource.com/images/mva_crystalign.png (4 domain MVA)

That is how I imagine it, and it makes sense to me. Basically you will never see the true image on an MVA like you will on an IPS at zero degrees. And that does matter. On an MVA, the grayscale shifts like so:

IPS [reference]: http://lcdresource.com/images/grayscale.png
MVA at 45 degrees: http://lcdresource.com/images/grayscale-mva.png

As you can see the MVA introduces violet and yellow shift as you move your plane of vision. That's the kind of distortion that hinders the MVA panel's ability to display a stable and true image.

 

[imported_Caine]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Caine

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Caine
So...I'm looking for an excellent gaming/movie LCD and I've noticed that the largest gaming monitor you suggest is the NEC Multisync 20WMGX2. I've seen this monitor get both great and poor reviews...so I'm in a bit of a bind. I've looked into both the 226BW and the L226WT...but both have "panel" issues...

The L226WT doesn't have that many issues. Just avoid the Q variant (it has overzealous RTC enabled). The 226BW is indeed more of a mixed bag. The 20WMGX2 easily beats the L226WT for gaming regardless of size, I can tell you that right now as I've had both side-by-side. It has the same resolution but the contrast in the dark is so much better. Played some UT2004 on it (multi-monitor mode) and the NEC not only seemed more responsive but also all-encompassing when it came to displaying everything there was, every detail there was and every enemy in every space. I was always missing something when I was playing on the LG.

The dynamic range (black level/white level) on the LG was actually higher although the NEC beat it in contrast (fine variation of brightness to reveal detail).

Did you have any problems with the "glossy reflections?" I actually don't play in a well lit area (I had to tear down my closet and stick my desk in there, don't worry, I have another closet ) so it probably wouldn't mean much to me anyways...but just to be on the safe side.

Nope, I never have a problem with the glossy screen. Even in the day it's really not as bad as people make it out to be. At the night I don't even give it a second thought.

Originally posted by: Caine

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Caine
I'm currently using a Dell 1905FP from a few years back...but I want a more vibrant picture, less ghosting, and less tearing...along with a larger screen. People talk about playing games at 1900x1200...what monitors are they using? In looking at all of your suggestions I get the impression that there really isn't any be all end all monitor and that in order to get the best of one thing you'll have to sacrifice another (Ex: Size of Gaming Monitors limits resolution).

I really don't want to spend over $550 on a monitor...but I'd like to step up substantially as well. Suggestions?

You probably mean 1920x1200...those are 23", 24", 25.5", 26", and 27" LCDs. Indeed you sacrifice response time (and get more input lag) with the larger screens, that's just the way it goes. The NEC 20WMGX2 sounds right up your alley. I'm not lying when I say it's good for gaming. If you want a 24" gaming LCD, I say wait for the 24WMGX2, or get a BenQ FP241W and see if you're happy with that.

The BenQ is just too much...but I'm curious as to how much the 24MWGX2 will cost. Have you ever compared the 20WMGX2 to a 2407WFP? Nearly identical in price and I've heard good things about both.

Yeah, understandable. Nope I don't have the 2407WFP in my possession but the NEC is undoubtedly still better at reproducing color (S-IPS). The 2407WFP (S-PVA) is by no means bad and in fact its color accuracy bests that of the amazing 20WMGX2. Still, its ability to reveal detail and its color vibrancy simply suffer because it doesn't have the glossy coating.

PVA (and all multidomain LCDs such as MVA, AMVA) suffer because of their inability to display a perfect image at a perpendicular (0 degree) angle. Imagine a geometric plane and then imagine 4 vertical planes. The 2407WFP has eight actually, but the problems still exist just to a slightly lesser extent.

Just imagine ..well, this nutso image (lines represent rays of light).

http://lcdresource.com/images/mva_crystalign.png (4 domain MVA)

That is how I imagine it, and it makes sense to me. Basically you will never see the true image on an MVA like you will on an IPS at zero degrees. And that does matter. On an MVA, the grayscale shifts like so:

IPS [reference]: http://lcdresource.com/images/grayscale.png
MVA at 45 degrees: http://lcdresource.com/images/grayscale-mva.png

As you can see the MVA introduces violet and yellow shift as you move your plane of vision. That's the kind of distortion that hinders the MVA panel's ability to display a stable and true image.

Wow...thorough, informative, and cool. I'm going to Frys tomorrow to check out this monitor. Thanks for the help! :beer:

 

[arcarsenal]

Hey Xtknight & all,

The new thread is great, it loads so much quicker

Anyway, I have a question about text clarity.

I've been using my 206BW for nearly a week now, and I've noticed the text isn't quite as sharp as on other monitors I've used. I owned a samsung 152T for 3 years, and have been using dell 1707fp and 1907fps for the majority of this year. The text is noticeably sharper on these models compared to my 206BW, [All models were connected using DVI].

On my 206bw I have experimented with cleartype, and have tried a cleartype tuner, however, I feel that these don't offer any improvement in comparison to the 'standard' font. I did not use cleartype on the other models.

Could it be a characteristic of the panel, or a calibration issue, or something else?

Thanks.

 

[soltys]

I have a question regarding one of the moitors - NEC MultiSync 20WMGX2. Living in Europe, only 20WGX version is available, but lack of HDCP doesn't bother me.

But the only 20WMGX2 / 20WGX2 monitors sold now are "Pro" ones, which I assume are newer version/revision. Did you have any experiences with those particular models ? I have yet to find any reviews of them.

 

[xboxist]

Any word on an upgrade/successor to the 20WMGX2? I thought I heard mentionings of a 24" version coming out in '07. Or was it a 23"?

 

[mikuto]

Originally posted by: soltys
I have a question regarding one of the moitors - NEC MultiSync 20WMGX2. Living in Europe, only 20WGX version is available, but lack of HDCP doesn't bother me.

But the only 20WMGX2 / 20WGX2 monitors sold now are "Pro" ones, which I assume are newer version/revision. Did you have any experiences with those particular models ? I have yet to find any reviews of them.

I've been happily working and playing on a 20WGX2 Pro for almost two months now. It has the same panel as the 20WMGX2 (as reported in the guide). I posted about it in the old thread, sometime around mid-April; not a full review, just some info that may be useful. In short, it's an excellent monitor and I'm very happy with it.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: arcarsenal
Hey Xtknight & all,

The new thread is great, it loads so much quicker

Anyway, I have a question about text clarity.

I've been using my 206BW for nearly a week now, and I've noticed the text isn't quite as sharp as on other monitors I've used. I owned a samsung 152T for 3 years, and have been using dell 1707fp and 1907fps for the majority of this year. The text is noticeably sharper on these models compared to my 206BW, [All models were connected using DVI].

On my 206bw I have experimented with cleartype, and have tried a cleartype tuner, however, I feel that these don't offer any improvement in comparison to the 'standard' font. I did not use cleartype on the other models.

Could it be a characteristic of the panel, or a calibration issue, or something else?

Thanks.

Could it be because the 206BW has a smaller dot pitch than all the other monitors? Smaller text can appear sharper but only when "done right". In most cases, a dot pitch of .27 or higher still provides the best text reproduction (balance between AA quality and font size). The dot pitch of the 206BW demands a very good font rendering system to reach its highest font quality. I'm not too happy with how my NEC performs in Windows (fonts are just too small and hard to read), but in Linux font rendering is excellent. ClearType looks horrible on it, in fact.

I don't really know what to suggest. You're between a rock and a hard place (and I would be also if I had to use Windows where font rendering is not very satisfactory on small dot pitch monitors at high resolutions). Vista actually seemed to be a considerable improvement over XP, though.

I don't think the 206BW has a lower contrast than all those other LCDs you've owned, or anything like that.

Originally posted by: soltys
I have a question regarding one of the moitors - NEC MultiSync 20WMGX2. Living in Europe, only 20WGX version is available, but lack of HDCP doesn't bother me.

But the only 20WMGX2 / 20WGX2 monitors sold now are "Pro" ones, which I assume are newer version/revision. Did you have any experiences with those particular models ? I have yet to find any reviews of them.

AFAIK the Pro model of the 20WGX2 is not different at all; only the logo has changed to match the actually-modified 70GX2 and 90GX2 models. I believe the 70GX2 and 90GX2 simply gained slightly better overdrive. See here: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/content/nec_press.htm#gx2%20pro

Originally posted by: xboxist
Any word on an upgrade/successor to the 20WMGX2? I thought I heard mentionings of a 24" version coming out in '07. Or was it a 23"?

It's a 24" (24WMGX2) but I'm not sure when it's coming out. Best to check on HardForum for posts by travbomb who seems to have inside details about that stuff.

 

[imported_Caine]

In looking around for prices of the NEC 20WMGX2 I've found something a little odd...

Why is Frys around $30 cheaper than every other retailer I've seen or been to? It's going for $529.99 right now...

Dell is at $599...newegg at $569...and with those guys you have to include the added cost of shipping...

I went to Frys today to check out the monitor and was kind of un-impressed with the monitor. It's was probably due to the configuration as the screen was very, VERY white. A sample picture with a white background clearly illustrated the problem to my co-worker, the picture and the background blended....completely. Otherwise...I thought it looked just like any other monitor there. I couldn't test any games...and the movies that they did have were of poor quality on every monitor I checked. They looked like they were stretched (And yes, I checked, it wasn't zooming 200% :laugh: ).

I get paid tomorrow...and Frys has a good return policy so if I don't like it...I'll move on. One thing I will say though...the reflection issue that everybody talks about is waaaay over-exagerrated. I was in a fully lit warehouse...and no relection was evident to me with the screen on. Off...sure. But I felt that was a negative attribute appropriated to this monitor without merit...with nearly all the other screens off in the room, they pretty much did the same.

I don't know...can the GPU used have an effect on image quality? The NEC was on a Gateway GM Desktop Variant (Intel Integrated Graphics...ugh)...pretty damn sure none of the monitors there were calibrated though...at all.

 

[arcarsenal]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: arcarsenal
Hey Xtknight & all,

The new thread is great, it loads so much quicker

Anyway, I have a question about text clarity.

I've been using my 206BW for nearly a week now, and I've noticed the text isn't quite as sharp as on other monitors I've used. I owned a samsung 152T for 3 years, and have been using dell 1707fp and 1907fps for the majority of this year. The text is noticeably sharper on these models compared to my 206BW, [All models were connected using DVI].

On my 206bw I have experimented with cleartype, and have tried a cleartype tuner, however, I feel that these don't offer any improvement in comparison to the 'standard' font. I did not use cleartype on the other models.

Could it be a characteristic of the panel, or a calibration issue, or something else?

Thanks.

Could it be because the 206BW has a smaller dot pitch than all the other monitors? Smaller text can appear sharper but only when "done right". In most cases, a dot pitch of .27 or higher still provides the best text reproduction (balance between AA quality and font size). The dot pitch of the 206BW demands a very good font rendering system to reach its highest font quality. I'm not too happy with how my NEC performs in Windows (fonts are just too small and hard to read), but in Linux font rendering is excellent. ClearType looks horrible on it, in fact.

I don't really know what to suggest. You're between a rock and a hard place (and I would be also if I had to use Windows where font rendering is not very satisfactory on small dot pitch monitors at high resolutions). Vista actually seemed to be a considerable improvement over XP, though.

I don't think the 206BW has a lower contrast than all those other LCDs you've owned, or anything like that.

Ahh I wish I knew that about the 0.258 dot pitch.. I knew intuitively that a 17" was sharper than a 15" or 19", but I haven't had a lot of experience with 20" wide before my purchase. I can always try vista when I get my hands on it though. I've also noticed the improved rendering on my friends mac OS, which is using a 20" wide.

A 0.270 pitch (21", 21" wide, 24" wide) doesn't come cheaply unfortunately. In your experience which would you say is generally the next best pitch for text on lcds, erring towards 0.264 (i.e. 17") or towards 0.282 (i.e. 22" wide)?

 

[Low Radiation]

Quick question for xtknight and other guys:

Is Samsung 206bw comfortable to look at and pleasant to the eyes? Can you tell me how well brightness is regulated?

Thanx

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Caine
In looking around for prices of the NEC 20WMGX2 I've found something a little odd...

Why is Frys around $30 cheaper than every other retailer I've seen or been to? It's going for $529.99 right now...

Dell is at $599...newegg at $569...and with those guys you have to include the added cost of shipping...

I went to Frys today to check out the monitor and was kind of un-impressed with the monitor. It's was probably due to the configuration as the screen was very, VERY white. A sample picture with a white background clearly illustrated the problem to my co-worker, the picture and the background blended....completely. Otherwise...I thought it looked just like any other monitor there. I couldn't test any games...and the movies that they did have were of poor quality on every monitor I checked. They looked like they were stretched (And yes, I checked, it wasn't zooming 200% :laugh: ).

I get paid tomorrow...and Frys has a good return policy so if I don't like it...I'll move on. One thing I will say though...the reflection issue that everybody talks about is waaaay over-exagerrated. I was in a fully lit warehouse...and no relection was evident to me with the screen on. Off...sure. But I felt that was a negative attribute appropriated to this monitor without merit...with nearly all the other screens off in the room, they pretty much did the same.

Hmm well your perception was certainly interesting. Most people would say the NEC looked much better, and most would say the reflection was much worse. That just surprised me. I had better update the price on the OP though, the NEC just keeps getting cheaper and cheaper.

I'm sure they had the NEC set up pretty poorly like most monitors there. It's still amazing compared to any other LCD when it comes to rendering skin tones. The NEC's color benefits won't be immediately apparent in all scenes. The viewing angle and response time are immediately noticeable though.

I don't know...can the GPU used have an effect on image quality? The NEC was on a Gateway GM Desktop Variant (Intel Integrated Graphics...ugh)...pretty damn sure none of the monitors there were calibrated though...at all.

The GPU itself does not affect 2D image quality. You should be worrying about the RAMDAC and TMDS (VGA and DVI transceivers) for 2D quality. Any Geforce 7xxx or 8xxx and whatever the last 2 Radeons are called (Xxxxx and HD Xxxxx?), should be pretty much the same. I think the Geforce 8xxx supports 10-bit output and so do the last two Radeon lines. That's not relevant for home use though, it is just a workstation thing worth mentioning.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Low Radiation
Quick question for xtknight and other guys:

Is Samsung 206bw comfortable to look at and pleasant to the eyes? Can you tell me how well brightness is regulated?

Thanx

I don't know, but arcarsenal just a few posts ago mentioned the 206BW wasn't that great for text usage so I'd take that into account. I wouldn't be that surprised either. An LCD with a dot pitch that small, uncalibrated, and TN along with XP's rather subpar fonts, can't be as good looking as it comes.

If you do mostly multimedia, I believe the 206BW is a good LCD but you may consider the LG L204WT which I'm sure is a great multimedia choice. I have never used the 206BW or L204WT myself.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: arcarsenal
Ahh I wish I knew that about the 0.258 dot pitch.. I knew intuitively that a 17" was sharper than a 15" or 19", but I haven't had a lot of experience with 20" wide before my purchase. I can always try vista when I get my hands on it though. I've also noticed the improved rendering on my friends mac OS, which is using a 20" wide.

A 0.270 pitch (21", 21" wide, 24" wide) doesn't come cheaply unfortunately. In your experience which would you say is generally the next best pitch for text on lcds, erring towards 0.264 (i.e. 17") or towards 0.282 (i.e. 22" wide)?

I definitely like the 22" LCD better for text. I've used a 17" and 22" before (Samsung 710t and LG L226WT).

 

[imported_Caine]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Caine
In looking around for prices of the NEC 20WMGX2 I've found something a little odd...

Why is Frys around $30 cheaper than every other retailer I've seen or been to? It's going for $529.99 right now...

Dell is at $599...newegg at $569...and with those guys you have to include the added cost of shipping...

I went to Frys today to check out the monitor and was kind of un-impressed with the monitor. It's was probably due to the configuration as the screen was very, VERY white. A sample picture with a white background clearly illustrated the problem to my co-worker, the picture and the background blended....completely. Otherwise...I thought it looked just like any other monitor there. I couldn't test any games...and the movies that they did have were of poor quality on every monitor I checked. They looked like they were stretched (And yes, I checked, it wasn't zooming 200% :laugh: ).

I get paid tomorrow...and Frys has a good return policy so if I don't like it...I'll move on. One thing I will say though...the reflection issue that everybody talks about is waaaay over-exagerrated. I was in a fully lit warehouse...and no relection was evident to me with the screen on. Off...sure. But I felt that was a negative attribute appropriated to this monitor without merit...with nearly all the other screens off in the room, they pretty much did the same.

Hmm well your perception was certainly interesting. Most people would say the NEC looked much better, and most would say the reflection was much worse. That just surprised me. I had better update the price on the OP though, the NEC just keeps getting cheaper and cheaper.

I'm sure they had the NEC set up pretty poorly like most monitors there. It's still amazing compared to any other LCD when it comes to rendering skin tones. The NEC's color benefits won't be immediately apparent in all scenes. The viewing angle and response time are immediately noticeable though.

I don't know...can the GPU used have an effect on image quality? The NEC was on a Gateway GM Desktop Variant (Intel Integrated Graphics...ugh)...pretty damn sure none of the monitors there were calibrated though...at all.

The GPU itself does not affect 2D image quality. You should be worrying about the RAMDAC and TMDS (VGA and DVI transceivers) for 2D quality. Any Geforce 7xxx or 8xxx and whatever the last 2 Radeons are called (Xxxxx and HD Xxxxx?), should be pretty much the same. I think the Geforce 8xxx supports 10-bit output and so do the last two Radeon lines. That's not relevant for home use though, it is just a workstation thing worth mentioning.

What can you say about these two reviews of the 20WMGX2?

Maximum PC

Toms Hardware

I'm getting a little more interested in the 206BW right now...it's cheaper price point and possibly better picture (At least in my eyes I guess) would allow for me to spend more on parts!

 

[RESmonkey]

I just got a Sceptre X20WG-Naga for $199 and $179 after MIR. You can see it's stats at Newegg.

Suggested Usage: General Computing + Gaming.
- No dead pixels, no backlight bleeding, HDCP
-accepts 1080p signals (scales then PERFECTLY to native res)

No ghosting or anything. Recommended for the price and hi-def usage + gaming.