[Retired] The LCD Thread

[zod96]

Is the Lenovo L2440P a non-tn panel? And is it a glossy screen? I can't find any info on this LCD...

 

[rogan85]

Hi,

it seems BenQ G2400WD is unobtainable in hungary at the moment. Could you advise me another monitor for gaming with 1:1 pixel mapping, HDMI, 1920x1200 resolution?

 

[Mem]

Originally posted by: rogan85
Hi,

it seems BenQ G2400WD is unobtainable in hungary at the moment. Could you advise me another monitor for gaming with 1:1 pixel mapping, HDMI, 1920x1200 resolution?

I believe the LG w2452V does 1:1 pixel mapping,HDMI etc.. 1920x1200 res(TN panel),review here@Prad..

 

[RobertR1]

Xt,

Would the Dell UltraSharp 3008WFP be the best 30inch option for gaming and just general desktop usage? Would it certainly be a step up for my Dell 2405 in terms of lag, motion resolution and such?

Or should I stick with 24inches and get the BenQ which everyone seems to love.

 

[zod96]

I just came back from costco and they had a new Vizio 26 inch computer monitor that was a glossy screen! 1920x1200 3 ms response time. I didn't even know vizio made computer lcd's. Anyone know how good or bad they are?

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: zod96
I just came back from costco and they had a new Vizio 26 inch computer monitor that was a glossy screen! 1920x1200 3 ms response time. I didn't even know vizio made computer lcd's. Anyone know how good or bad they are?

I saw that on Sam's Club's website this morning (assuming this is the same monitor) and found this negative review on it.

 

[zod96]

Ouch that's not a very good review.

 

[mrcupholder]

Originally posted by: xtknight
A lot of you are looking for a panel that will suit sRGB photo editing capability and general use. I'm not going to change my opinion that (at least with sizes >22") an IPS panel is the best for this due to viewing angle, regardless of its gamut. Critical photo editing will always require using profiles and the gamut transformation is fairly decent. (Of course, something like a true sRGB LCD2490WUXi will look a little better, but who wants to pay $1000 for 'a little better'? Personally I don't think that's worth it.)

Besides, there are other advantages to the wide gamut especially if you are doing any type of print work.

I don't think wide gamut is that bad of a deal and it's something we will have to get used to. sRGB monitors are evaporating at a fast pace except in the value sector. We can make the most of the wide gamut "pandemic" if we know how to work around it for sRGB purposes. I use color profiles w/ Firefox which solves most of my problems. For other apps I generally don't worry about it. Some WG monitors are worse than others though (92% gamut vs 120% for instance).

My point is that using a WG monitor with a profile isn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be.

If there was a $500 IPS sRGB monitor I would be recommending it. Unfortunately, at least in the US, I don't think such a thing exists.

Just wondering why the Dell 2209WA doesn't make the cut here. Or is it because according to the prad.de review once calibrated it only covers 99.5% of the sRGB color gamut?

Sorry if I've missed something else major that I should have picked up on. But since deciding to do a "little" research into what makes a suitable panel for doing photos in sRGB I've had information overload.

However if the reason is that the screen only covers 99.5% then I'll happily live without that 0.5% until such time as I can afford a something really good.

One of the other reasons is that at least here in Australia I can pick up two of thse Dell 2209WA screen and a colorometer for under AU$1000 which is less than the price of a good 24" screen alone.

If my photography was making me money I'd be happy to go and pay AU$3000 or more for a top of the line screen. But it's not so I'm looking for best bang for buck as is a lot of other people it seems from your above post.

 

[Hiredg00n]

This just in, the Samsung 2233rz 120hz monitor is awesome, check it out!

 

[decaflame]

xtknight et al.,

I, like many others here, am in the market for a new monitor. Preferably, I'd like this monitor to be 23 or 24", as that seems to be about the largest they can be before costing you an arm and a leg. My problem is that I may have some unrealistic expectations for a monitor based on what I'm currently using. Ultimately, while I'm not a hardcore gamer, I would prefer for my monitor to have decent input lag and response rates (<25 ms) for those occasions when I do want to game. I am also wary of TN panels because of viewing angle issues and their associated discoloration. Lastly, my monitor must have a height adjustment, as I am quite tall and can't have a monitor hugging my desk.

I currently have a Viewsonic VP191B 8ms model, which has performed fantastically in all of these regards. It is MVA technology, which gains the benefit of good viewing angles and high contrast ratios, but was one of the first to incorporate a solid overdrive feature that allows the responsiveness of the monitor to not be an issue when gaming (at least, in my experience). It has decent colors (8-bit), if slightly washed out at times, and as I mentioned before as a personal requirement, has a height adjustment. I paid about ~$420 for this monitor 4 years ago and consider it a well worthwhile investment.

My dilemma is that I can't seem to find a similar monitor in the 24" range that satisfies these same criterion. The closest thing I can find is the HP LP2475W or Dell 2408WFP, both of which seem to have their own share of issues. I am terrified of sinking $500 or more into a new monitor only to find that it's responsiveness is not as good as my old one or that the coloration is unnatural and not easily controlled. I know that Dell has recently released revision A02 for their 2408WFP, but I cannot find any solid information about what changes have been made over A01, or whether there is further improvement in the input lag issue many reported during the monitor's initial release. The LP2475W seems to have detractors in terms of color uniformity, but honestly, I'd probably be willing to ship it back and get a replacement if it meant ultimately getting the right monitor.

I suppose, in that sense, my priorities are:

1. 23 or 24" inches
2. Height adjustment
3. Responsiveness for gaming
4. Viewing angles
5. Decent picture

I would be perfectly happy with another MVA-based panel provided it had good responsiveness like my Viewsonic, but as I mentioned before, the Dell failed miserably in that regard. If the monitor I'm looking for doesn't exist right now, then it doesn't, and if waiting for the technology to mature another 6-18 months is the right thing to do I will do that. Just looking for some reassurance and feedback.

Thanks,
-Deca

 

[kalrith]

I would like some help choosing a big (> 24"), non-TN panel for under $400. I know those are stiff requirements, and I've only found two screens that meet them: DoubleSight DS-265W for $370 AR and refurb Vizio VO32LF 32" 1080P TV for ~$400 on ebay occasionally (Amazon link in case the Vizio site doesn't work). The main two uses for the monitor are gaming and watching TV either online or streamed from HTPC (although most TV watching will be in the other room). It would be nice to connect my PS2 to it via component as well. I have a 20" 1600x1200 monitor that I'll run alongside this one, so I won't be hurting for real estate for office work with either choice.

I don't want this to be a discussion of 16:10 v. 16:9 or 1920x1200 v. 1920x1080. I will mention them in the pros and cons list below, but please don't make a recommendation based solely on which format is your personal preference. Anyways, here are the pros and cons for each model:

• DS-265W Pros: IPS panel, height-adjustable stand, more vertical pixels, new.
  
  DS-265W Cons: Poor quality control (see Newegg reviews) coupled with Newegg's crappy LCD return policy, no backlight control, no 1:1 pixel mapping (not a deal-breaker for me but still sucks).
  
  VO32LF Pros: PVA panel, 16:9 for TV and PS2, 1:1 pixel mapping, 50% larger screen than DS-265W.
  
  VO32LF Cons: Fewer vertical pixels, no height adjustment, refurbished w/ 90-day warranty, no 1600x1200 for older games (i.e. Warcraft 3), thick bezel.

I am certainly open to other recommendations, but my absolute budget limit is $400 (I really shouldn't spend more than $300). Please provide feedback for these two choices and any others that fit the requirements. If there isn't a big, non-TN panel for under $400 that's a good choice, then I'll either wait until prices come down or spend my money on a new stereo receiver.

Thanks!

 

[zod96]

Well I couldn't help myself I got the Vizio from costco. And it is going back. The backlight bleed was pretty bad and it had a blue tinge to it that I couldn't get rid of..

 

[chilledinsanity]

decaflame: Well I'm hardly an expert, but you can look on the page prior to this for my own view on the HP LP2475W. It could be a personal preference thing, but I simply can't stand the wide gamut compared to what I have now. As for responsiveness, the ghosting wasn't so bad I couldn't get used to it, but the input lag was significant to me. Maybe I'm more of a "hardcore" gamer than I realized. Input lag alone has gotten me reconsidering TN panels, even though I initially wrote them off before.

 

[PurdueRy]

Just wanted to share that I really like my NEC P221W-BK. The screen maintains at least a 1000:1 contrast ratio after being calibrated and at any brightness level(at least down to 140 which is as far as I tested for my purposes). It's built in LUT is a godsend when dealing with Windows which likes to discard the graphics card LUTs in certain situations. The gamut almost matches Adobe RGB which is wonderful when proofing pictures for printing. Another impressive point for me is how even the backlight is. Absolutely no backlight bleed and almost an imperceptible change in brightness anywhere on the monitor. I've only noticed a very minor amount in absolutely pitch black conditions. I have noticed no lag or response time issues.

The stand is pretty well built and adjusts easily. I could have wished for swivel left and right but its just as easy to turn the stand. Tilt is very easily with almost no resistance. Height adjustment is also very easy to do.

The monitor is built like a rock...literally. It's big by LCD terms and fairly heavy. I like the simplistic design and the weight is reassuring in terms of its build quality.

Using my custom created profile colors look great. I like the wide gamut and find no need to put it in sRGB mode. Windows Vista picture "Preview" handle color management believe it or not and all my editing is done in photoshop. Once calibrated with NEC's Spectraview II and a custom Calibrated NEC iOne Display2 the monitor has a dE of around .4-.5. Really impressive.

About the only issue I have had with it is the aspect ratio scaling. If enabled, gradient banding isn't as good as when "full" mode is used. Why this is I have no idea. This really isn't much of an issue because how often do I really run in an alternate aspect ratio...very little. Gradients in full mode are smooth with no banding.

Controls on the monitor are fantastic. Having actually up and down and left and right arrows makes navigating the menu fantastic. I can't tell you how much easier this is to handle than my previous L227WTG. I also appreciate not having dynamic contrast on the monitor. I really hated when I found out that it somehow got reset and turned on and I hadn't realized it until later.

Overall, I'll break down the monitor as follows:

Performance: ****.5 (out of 5)
Design: ****
Value: ***.5
Overall: ****

Ever since discovering how important a quality calibrated screen is in photo proofing and editing, the NEC has been the monitor I wanted. It's 10bit internal LUT is a great feature to have and the 22" size allows it to stay at a reasonable price compared to NEC's 24" monitors. Is it expensive? Yes. But I believe its performance and features justify the high price provided you are a stickler for color accuracy and black level.

If you aren't going to utilize the 10bit internal LUT or the monitors or the 96% coverage of the Adobe RGB gamut then you're probably better served by the Dell 2209WA or HP 24" but if you care about these features then this monitor can't be matched for the price.

 

[GTaudiophile]

DELL has the 2408 FPW on sale at $470 right now. I just might jump on that.

 

[DJFuji]

Costco has the 28" Hanns.G HG-281DPB for $300 w/ $25 S&H. Tempting.

I'm guessing that's probably still not worth it considering the awful review it got on extremetech?

I'm really caught between a 24-28" WUXGA monitor or a 40" LCD 1080p. The LCD will obviously be better for TV and such, but half the time i watch tv on the projector anyway. Can anyone comment on how practical it is to use a 40" 1080p HDTV as a primary monitor for general work/computer/web usage?

 

[chilledinsanity]

Well after even more research, I think my ideal monitor doesn't exist. I tried looking at a lot of TN panels, but I just can't get used to vertical viewing angles (even when looking at it head on). Here's my new criteria:

-24"
-normal color gamut
-VA panel (I read these are more forgiving for video compression artifacts, which is semi-important to me)
-really minimal input lag (may not exist)
-Can actually buy it (I'm located in the USA)

 

[zod96]

What about the HP 24 inch? Its IPS Only thing is with tax and shipping around $600 :-(

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: chilledinsanity
Well after even more research, I think my ideal monitor doesn't exist. I tried looking at a lot of TN panels, but I just can't get used to vertical viewing angles (even when looking at it head on). Here's my new criteria:

-24"
-normal color gamut
-VA panel (I read these are more forgiving for video compression artifacts, which is semi-important to me)
-really minimal input lag (may not exist)
-Can actually buy it (I'm located in the USA)

What's your max price?

 

[kalrith]

DJFuji, how far do you sit from the screen? I couldn't imagine working with a 40" monitor from closer than 4 feet away (even then it would be huge). If you are 4 feet or farther away, then even a 28" will be on the small side. You could always meet in the middle and get a 32-37" TV. I'm strongly leaning that way myself. I sit 3 feet away from my screen, so 32" should be perfect for me.

 

[chilledinsanity]

zod96: I just tried that after reading the reviews here. You can see my mini-review of it here. In short the light greens and reds strike me as way too oversaturated, the input lag is pretty noticeable, and the problems with uniform brightness drove me a little batty (though that last part could have been for that particular monitor). This is why I do NOT want a wide gamut monitor. It sucks, I'm losing about $150 returning it from restocking fees and shipping.

PurdueRy: I'm not sure. I'd say maybe under $1000 at this point. I don't want to consider the LCD2690WUXi because it sounds like the input lag on that is even worse than the LP2475W (plus I'd like it if the monitor was a little forgiving towards movie compression artifacts). The NEC 24WMGX3 sounds like what I want, but I can't buy it anywhere.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: zod96
Is the Lenovo L2440P a non-tn panel? And is it a glossy screen? I can't find any info on this LCD...

It just has a glossy bezel as far as I can tell, and it's a TN.

http://www.desktopreview.com/d...ovo+L2440p+LCD+monitor

Originally posted by: rogan85
Hi,

it seems BenQ G2400WD is unobtainable in hungary at the moment. Could you advise me another monitor for gaming with 1:1 pixel mapping, HDMI, 1920x1200 resolution?

Well maybe Mem has you covered. I would suggest the Samsung 2493HM, however it lacks 1:1. Could you use 1:1 with your video card or are you concerned about console hook-up?

Originally posted by: RobertR1
Xt,

Would the Dell UltraSharp 3008WFP be the best 30inch option for gaming and just general desktop usage? Would it certainly be a step up for my Dell 2405 in terms of lag, motion resolution and such?

Or should I stick with 24inches and get the BenQ which everyone seems to love.

The 3008WFP would definitely be a step up from what you have now. The BenQ is good, but it's a TN, and in terms of the viewing angle and image detail, that will probably be a step down from what you have now. The response time of the BenQ and IPS-based 3008WFP isn't that different so the 3008WFP is a better overall panel but it's also very pricey as I'm sure you're aware. Consider the 3007WFP-HC as well: it's still available from Dell.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: mrcupholder

Originally posted by: xtknight
A lot of you are looking for a panel that will suit sRGB photo editing capability and general use. I'm not going to change my opinion that (at least with sizes >22") an IPS panel is the best for this due to viewing angle, regardless of its gamut. Critical photo editing will always require using profiles and the gamut transformation is fairly decent. (Of course, something like a true sRGB LCD2490WUXi will look a little better, but who wants to pay $1000 for 'a little better'? Personally I don't think that's worth it.)

Besides, there are other advantages to the wide gamut especially if you are doing any type of print work.

I don't think wide gamut is that bad of a deal and it's something we will have to get used to. sRGB monitors are evaporating at a fast pace except in the value sector. We can make the most of the wide gamut "pandemic" if we know how to work around it for sRGB purposes. I use color profiles w/ Firefox which solves most of my problems. For other apps I generally don't worry about it. Some WG monitors are worse than others though (92% gamut vs 120% for instance).

My point is that using a WG monitor with a profile isn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be.

If there was a $500 IPS sRGB monitor I would be recommending it. Unfortunately, at least in the US, I don't think such a thing exists.

Just wondering why the Dell 2209WA doesn't make the cut here. Or is it because according to the prad.de review once calibrated it only covers 99.5% of the sRGB color gamut?

You're right, I did kind of neglect that monitor after going off on a tangent about >22" ones.

I just happened to see the prad review and I've added it to the photo editing section as well. We were a little unsure of it at first because we didn't know how value-oriented this e-IPS panel was or whether it would have a lot of QA problems but so far so good and its image quality rivals other IPS panels.

Sorry if I've missed something else major that I should have picked up on. But since deciding to do a "little" research into what makes a suitable panel for doing photos in sRGB I've had information overload.

However if the reason is that the screen only covers 99.5% then I'll happily live without that 0.5% until such time as I can afford a something really good.

One of the other reasons is that at least here in Australia I can pick up two of thse Dell 2209WA screen and a colorometer for under AU$1000 which is less than the price of a good 24" screen alone.

If my photography was making me money I'd be happy to go and pay AU$3000 or more for a top of the line screen. But it's not so I'm looking for best bang for buck as is a lot of other people it seems from your above post.

Yeah I definitely see where you're coming from. The 2209WA should be a great choice for you. And even some of the "pro" monitors might not cover 100% sRGB...there may be those small variations. Don't let that be a big deal. Based on the prad review the 2209WA has quite decent default color accuracy as well.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Can one game on the HP LP2475w or is it pretty bad for such applications?

The DELL 2408 is back at $600 and is now less appealing.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Any comments on the DELL S2309W?