[Retired] The LCD Thread

[Bidhere23]

I reviewed the thread and am interested in an LCD monitor that lets you view in Portrait mode. Would anyone know a list of models that would allow me to do this? I am looking for something at least 20.0". Thanks!

 

[Skott]

Originally posted by: amcdonald
sorry if I missed the info somewhere... but I'm looking to buy a 30" monitor
what is recommended at this point? should i just get the dell?

Hearing good things about that new XHD3000 30" from Gateway. Maximum PC just gave it their KickAss Award and voted it the Best Monitor for 2007 in their Best Of The Best 2007 article. This in their December 2007 issue.

Games For Windows is talking it up as well. 8/10 rating. This in their December 2007 issue.

Dont know how it stacks up against the Dell though.

 

[Nnyan]

Originally posted by: xtknight
I believe I forgot to post this reply. Sorry 'bout that.

Originally posted by: Nnyan
I'm coming to the conclusion that based on my sensitivity I'm going to have to get a color meter in order to properly adjust any LCD I get. Not being a pro or anything I just need something basic that gets the job done right. Any suggestions?

Try the Spyder2 Express.

Best colorimeter at this price point.

Cool I'll go order one this week.

OK so I've had a few days to test out the 2232gw and it's a nice monitor but I have to say that IMHO it's not as nice as the w2207. I think its comparble to the 226BW in image quality but the 226BW is a bit better at games. 226BW had a bit more backlight bleeding then the 2232gw (at least the ones I had). So I'm not sure about the whold Samsung panel thing (not sure if the 2232gw is or not but everyone seems to think they are).

So for myself the w2207 was the best of the three so far, and it made me the least "dizzy" of them all (and only in games like TF2 and Crysis) followed by the 226BW and then the 2232gw.

Last on my "to try list" is the L226WTQ-BF. Unfortunately I can't do an exchange in Circuit City (they don't have it in stock ATM) so I'll return it and get the L226WTQ-BF in Best Buy. Hopefully this beats the w2207 and I can finish my search.

 

[TempletonPeck]

If the L226WTQ-BF is anything like the L206WTQ-BF (which it is) it uses overdrive which causes RTC errors. I tried watching a high-definition movie on it and the artifacts were pretty bad in my opinion. The faster something moved the worse it got.

I'm done with LCD's that use overdrive, I won't touch another one ever again.

Edit: I tried phoning LG to ask if it could be turned off (since otherwise the monitor was good), but no such luck.

 

[amylake]

Originally posted by: nwrigley

Originally posted by: amylake
Edit 2: I'm now leaning towards the Samsung. One other question. I only have an analog connection from my laptop, a thinkpad T60. Will this affect image quality for image editing, web design or text?

Using a VGA (analog) connection instead of a DVI (digital) connection will affect image quality. How much it affects it depends on the graphics card, the monitor, and also how sensitive you are to the changes. In my experience there is a HUGE difference and I would not even consider running a LCD off of an analog connection.

I was fixing a friend's computer and had it hooked up to my 215tw via the VGA input, while my computer was hooked up to the DVI input. This way I could switch back and forth between the two computers. This resulted in me seeing the difference between the two connections and it was HUGE. I actually thought that her graphics card had an issue, until I hooked the monitor to her DVI connection. The difference was enough that I gave up on switching between the two computers - the VGA text was simply too blurry for me, colors were washed out - it really made it look like a completely different monitor.

I'm finally set up and thought I'd report back. I bought the Samsung 215TW. I decided that I wanted the slightly larger text and adjusability rather than the NEC 20WMGX2. I'm not sure I would have liked the glossy screen on the NEC either but that probably would have been fine.

I decided to get the thinkpad dock so I would have a DVI output. I just got that today. I think the DVI is better (I had it on analog for about a week before the dock came). I wanted to go back and forth between analog and digital to see if I could see a difference but it doesn't seem to want to work. After I hooked up the digital cable, when I tried switching the source to analog, the screen just went dark. It was dark even if I shut the computer off and turned it back on. So I couldn't compare them one after the other. Does anyone know how I can do this. Mostly I'm curious to see the difference. I can see that the text is crisper.

I used the Natural Color Pro software that came with the monitor to set it up. I wonder if others have found it adequate for adjusting the monitor.

I don't have a lot to compare the monitor to, but I think this was a good choice and the monitor should serve me well for many years.

Thanks to everyone here who patiently answered my questions.

 

[noptov52]

Some LCD monitors are going to be marked down heavily for Black Friday. Is anyone familiar with the Acer AL2216Wbd and/or the ViewSonic VX2035wm 20"? One store will (allegedly) have both of them for under $180. I haven't bought a new monitor yet (money got tight for awhile) and I'm curious to see if these Black Friday deals or any others are suitable for (FPS) gaming.

 

[Miggleness]

I need an advice from peeps who are into movie/photo editing.

I've been holding off getting an LCD for a year already. The reason is S-IPS panels aren't commercially available where I live and on rare appearances, costs a lot (Samsung 215TW @ $550 with no warranty from Samsung). The same can be said for PVA but they are usually cheaper (like Dell 20" wide, forgot the model) but dont really get good reviews and has quite a number of issues such as banding.

The viable option for me is TN. I've made quite a long intro already.

How much does the viewing angles affect photo and video editing? Is it basically impossible with TN panels?

 

[iroast]

Waiting to hear about the BenQ G2400W

 

[Mallomar]

I was waiting for Newegg to get the 26" NEC (with SV) in stock, but after waiting several weeks, it's now shown as a "deactivated item." I assume this means they will not be getting it in stock in the forseeable future.

What are other good vendors? I'm having a tough time finding anyone who even carries the NECs. Is Provantage a good vendor? I assume that if there's any problem with the monitor I'd have to contact NEC, no matter where I buy it, right?

 

[Nnyan]

@Miggleness
I thought the Sam 215-TW had an S-PVA screen but I could be wrong. I'm not sure if viewing angle is the first concern with TN panels with photo/video editing but I'll let the experts answer that one.

 

[amylake]

Originally posted by: amylake

Originally posted by: nwrigley

Originally posted by: amylake
Edit 2: I'm now leaning towards the Samsung. One other question. I only have an analog connection from my laptop, a thinkpad T60. Will this affect image quality for image editing, web design or text?

Using a VGA (analog) connection instead of a DVI (digital) connection will affect image quality. How much it affects it depends on the graphics card, the monitor, and also how sensitive you are to the changes. In my experience there is a HUGE difference and I would not even consider running a LCD off of an analog connection.

I was fixing a friend's computer and had it hooked up to my 215tw via the VGA input, while my computer was hooked up to the DVI input. This way I could switch back and forth between the two computers. This resulted in me seeing the difference between the two connections and it was HUGE. I actually thought that her graphics card had an issue, until I hooked the monitor to her DVI connection. The difference was enough that I gave up on switching between the two computers - the VGA text was simply too blurry for me, colors were washed out - it really made it look like a completely different monitor.

I now really want to try to switch between digital and analog to see the difference. I've tried hooking both up to my laptop and then dvi to my thinkpad and analog to an older laptop. I can't switch between with either. If I click the "source" button, it momentarily says "analog" on the screen. The screen stays black and the power button start to blink like it's in power save mode. If I press again it will go into digital and the picture comes up. I've tried switching from analog to digital in the menu also but that doesn't want to work.
What do I need to do to get them to switch back and forth? Thanks.

 

[Nnyan]

Since I just noticed the 215TW is back on sale where would it rate in the current Gaming section? If it rates pretty well I can get one locally here to test it out. By the way I have th Spyder Express coming in the next day or two. Should I hold off "judging" the LCD's until I can calibrate them? I'm thinking I may need to re-test them all properly calibrated. = )

By the way the $100 rebate is not just for Newegg. Of the other vendors that are part of the MIR the only one that currently has these in stock is PCConnection. They have it for $429.99 with free ground shipping. Newegg is $20 more and they will charge (to CA) another $16 for 3 day ship. So with PCC you can save a little bit if you don't mind waiting for it a bit longer.

EDIT: NM once you put it in your cart it then goes to "out of stock". /grrrrr....

 

[Owls]

Originally posted by: iroast
Waiting to hear about the BenQ G2400W

stay away, it's a TN.

 

[tyagi]

Just a quick report back.

I've taken delivery of a Samsung 226BW, which have just dropped in price here in New Zealand. They're currently available for around NZ$460 (around US$350) including tax and delivery.

Out of the box, and with the default Samsung 226 profile on my OS X 10.3 Mac Mini, everything was too bright and a bit washed out. However, with the default brightness at 100%, I can't say I'm surprised.

I ran a manual calibration without touching the colour settings (all at 50%), and knocked the brightness down to 75%, and things were much better. However, I did a search and found the information at: http://www.andrewswihart.net/b...sung-226bw-lcd-c-panel . Having read this review, and installing the included calibration profiles, it has given a more balanced calibration than my manual effort. However, I don't believe my panel is a "C" panel, but an "A" panel, based on serial number information from a French hardware forum, as well as the screen's colour characteristics. I think I've got an "A" panel, as it required some manual colour tweaks from the installed "C" panel profiles to get things just right.

So, after a bit of tweaking, I'm very happy with the screen. There's very little backlight bleed (just a small amount at the top and bottom when viewed with a black screen in a totally dark room), and the colours now look fine to me, with no discernable dominance in R,G or B. Test grey scales are also rendered well.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Bidhere23
I reviewed the thread and am interested in an LCD monitor that lets you view in Portrait mode. Would anyone know a list of models that would allow me to do this? I am looking for something at least 20.0". Thanks!

Samsung 215TW (widescreen)
HP LP2065
Samsung 226BW (widescreen)
HP w2207 (widescreen)
HP L2045w (widescreen)
Dell 2007FP
Dell 2007WFP (widescreen)

To name a couple...

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: amylake

Originally posted by: nwrigley

Originally posted by: amylake
Edit 2: I'm now leaning towards the Samsung. One other question. I only have an analog connection from my laptop, a thinkpad T60. Will this affect image quality for image editing, web design or text?

Using a VGA (analog) connection instead of a DVI (digital) connection will affect image quality. How much it affects it depends on the graphics card, the monitor, and also how sensitive you are to the changes. In my experience there is a HUGE difference and I would not even consider running a LCD off of an analog connection.

I was fixing a friend's computer and had it hooked up to my 215tw via the VGA input, while my computer was hooked up to the DVI input. This way I could switch back and forth between the two computers. This resulted in me seeing the difference between the two connections and it was HUGE. I actually thought that her graphics card had an issue, until I hooked the monitor to her DVI connection. The difference was enough that I gave up on switching between the two computers - the VGA text was simply too blurry for me, colors were washed out - it really made it look like a completely different monitor.

I'm finally set up and thought I'd report back. I bought the Samsung 215TW. I decided that I wanted the slightly larger text and adjusability rather than the NEC 20WMGX2. I'm not sure I would have liked the glossy screen on the NEC either but that probably would have been fine.

I decided to get the thinkpad dock so I would have a DVI output. I just got that today. I think the DVI is better (I had it on analog for about a week before the dock came). I wanted to go back and forth between analog and digital to see if I could see a difference but it doesn't seem to want to work. After I hooked up the digital cable, when I tried switching the source to analog, the screen just went dark. It was dark even if I shut the computer off and turned it back on. So I couldn't compare them one after the other. Does anyone know how I can do this. Mostly I'm curious to see the difference. I can see that the text is crisper.

I used the Natural Color Pro software that came with the monitor to set it up. I wonder if others have found it adequate for adjusting the monitor.

I don't have a lot to compare the monitor to, but I think this was a good choice and the monitor should serve me well for many years.

Thanks to everyone here who patiently answered my questions.

Glad it worked out for you.

Your DVI port is probably DVI-D meaning it transmits DVI only (so you wouldn't just be able to switch using the same cable). If you're hooking up VGA and DVI simultaneously and your laptop can support that, then I'm not sure why it's not working. Otherwise you might have to enable clone mode to get both ports to transmit.

Originally posted by: noptov52
Some LCD monitors are going to be marked down heavily for Black Friday. Is anyone familiar with the Acer AL2216Wbd and/or the ViewSonic VX2035wm 20"? One store will (allegedly) have both of them for under $180. I haven't bought a new monitor yet (money got tight for awhile) and I'm curious to see if these Black Friday deals or any others are suitable for (FPS) gaming.

The AL2216 is actually a decent 22" LCD. And the VX2035 is nothing horrible...but it's not as good as some of the other 20" choices out there which might be marked down too.

Originally posted by: Miggleness
I need an advice from peeps who are into movie/photo editing.

I've been holding off getting an LCD for a year already. The reason is S-IPS panels aren't commercially available where I live and on rare appearances, costs a lot (Samsung 215TW @ $550 with no warranty from Samsung). The same can be said for PVA but they are usually cheaper (like Dell 20" wide, forgot the model) but dont really get good reviews and has quite a number of issues such as banding.

The viable option for me is TN. I've made quite a long intro already.

How much does the viewing angles affect photo and video editing? Is it basically impossible with TN panels?

(And yes, 215TW is S-PVA.)

As for TN, the viewing angles probably won't be horrible unless you're sitting off-axis. It's far from impossible and actually quite feasible in a lot of cases. What you should be worried about is color depth and accuracy. You'll want to lean towards TNs that are at least decent in this area like the ones recommended on the front post. I don't recommend any TNs specifically for photo editing but there are ones recommended for other categories that have decent picture quality like the HP L2045w, Samsung 206BW, ViewSonic VX2255wmb, and Samsung 226BW.

Originally posted by: Mallomar
I was waiting for Newegg to get the 26" NEC (with SV) in stock, but after waiting several weeks, it's now shown as a "deactivated item." I assume this means they will not be getting it in stock in the forseeable future.

What are other good vendors? I'm having a tough time finding anyone who even carries the NECs. Is Provantage a good vendor? I assume that if there's any problem with the monitor I'd have to contact NEC, no matter where I buy it, right?

Yup you'd be dealing with NEC for monitor problems. NEC in particular is picky about that (they even stuck a note in my 20WMGX2 stating it).

The only thing I can suggest is looking at the authorized resellers list for the SV model:

LCD2690WUXi-BK-SV

I mean, I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone would be on that list unless they were half-way reputable. Other than that you just have to look at ResellerRatings.

It certainly is difficult to find. It makes me think that perhaps dealing with NEC directly is an option, as silly as it sounds. This was an LCD I was looking at buying myself. I've only ever bought LCDs from Newegg.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: amylake
I now really want to try to switch between digital and analog to see the difference. I've tried hooking both up to my laptop and then dvi to my thinkpad and analog to an older laptop. I can't switch between with either. If I click the "source" button, it momentarily says "analog" on the screen. The screen stays black and the power button start to blink like it's in power save mode. If I press again it will go into digital and the picture comes up. I've tried switching from analog to digital in the menu also but that doesn't want to work.
What do I need to do to get them to switch back and forth? Thanks.

Most likely, your older laptop doesn't know how to deal with the 215TW. I don't know how to fix that but I do know you need to change it to a resolution it supports. Try setting 640x480@60 Hz on another monitor then hooking up the 215TW right after that.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: tyagi
Just a quick report back.

I've taken delivery of a Samsung 226BW, which have just dropped in price here in New Zealand. They're currently available for around NZ$460 (around US$350) including tax and delivery.

Out of the box, and with the default Samsung 226 profile on my OS X 10.3 Mac Mini, everything was too bright and a bit washed out. However, with the default brightness at 100%, I can't say I'm surprised.

I ran a manual calibration without touching the colour settings (all at 50%), and knocked the brightness down to 75%, and things were much better. However, I did a search and found the information at: http://www.andrewswihart.net/b...sung-226bw-lcd-c-panel . Having read this review, and installing the included calibration profiles, it has given a more balanced calibration than my manual effort. However, I don't believe my panel is a "C" panel, but an "A" panel, based on serial number information from a French hardware forum, as well as the screen's colour characteristics. I think I've got an "A" panel, as it required some manual colour tweaks from the installed "C" panel profiles to get things just right.

So, after a bit of tweaking, I'm very happy with the screen. There's very little backlight bleed (just a small amount at the top and bottom when viewed with a black screen in a totally dark room), and the colours now look fine to me, with no discernable dominance in R,G or B. Test grey scales are also rendered well.

I hope you're aware there is an "A" profile from BeHardware also...

But use whatever works for you.

Originally posted by: iroast
Waiting to hear about the BenQ G2400W

Me too..

Originally posted by: amcdonald
sorry if I missed the info somewhere... but I'm looking to buy a 30" monitor
what is recommended at this point? should i just get the dell?

A 30"? Well, if you would like all the features and inputs then the Gateway XHD3000 is actually a good option but it's really expensive. It'll be on the list soon.

But, the Dell 3007WFP-HC (S-IPS) is what I'd recommend next.

Originally posted by: TempletonPeck
Has anyone used the HP W2007 or W2207? Are they good monitors for multimedia?

Any information you can give would be appreciated.

Haven't used 'em but they are certainly good bets. Maybe not as good as some 8-bit LCDs like the NEC 20WMGX2 or Samsung 215TW.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Trean
So I read through the initial post as well as the archived one, similar in many aspects. I also have read through reviews on multiple monitors that I am looking into in many many places.

But simply stated here is my dilemma:

I want a monitor that can be converted into a multimedia hub but at its core remains a monitor for a computer that is used to occasionally play video games ranging from FPS to MMORPGs.

I want a 24" monitor but every 24" monitor I have looked into has some major dilemma.

For example BenQ has a monitor in the 24" range and it seemed like a great solution for gaming and multimedia but then I ran into a problem description relating to overscan or something like that. Such that the resolution is expanded past the monitor actually cropping off the edge of the viewable image. This problem has been dealt with or at least acknowledge but the revision to my knowledge has not be released to North America.

Another example is the Dell 2407wfp-hc, I was set on getting a 2407wfp rev a04 but then all the sudden this great new HC version was released and the normal 2407 went into the great unknown. The HC reintroduces a bunch of problems that were weeded out over the four revisions of the 2407; most importantly for me at least is the ghosting.

All this being said, I haven't actually seen either of these 24" monitors in action or in person. I have only seen one 24" monitor on the shelves of either Best Buy or Circuit City and that was an Acer, I think.



So knowing what I want, do any of you have any suggestions as to a "best" solution for me. I don't need a 24" monitor but would like to stay at 1920x1200 or better resolutions for 1080p HD compatibility with HD movies and such. I plan on continuing to look over the many links in the initial post as well as others, but a little guidance would be greatly appreciated. I recently discovered the Gateway XHD3000 which is way out of my price range but it has had high marks in almost everything; but given its price the testing by "real" users is limited... I wish I had an unlimited source of money :*(.

Unless you need component inputs then I would recommend the HP LP2465. But when you said multimedia hub then that made me think you required the inputs. In that case, the Gateway FHD2400 (glossy TN) could be a possible option but it's a new monitor.

Your best luck for finding out input compatibility w/ the FHD2400 is at the HardForum thread: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1231866

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Montius

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Montius
I haven't checked this thread in a while, and last time I did there was pretty high praise for the FP241W. I've still got my 2407WFP-HC sitting here, with the return slip beside it. So what's come up on the BenQ?

Well the BenQ has (at least some units have) blackout problems. It blacks out once in a while during usage with some graphics card configurations, and BenQ so far has not dealt with it AFAIK. Doesn't sound too good to me.

Hmm. Though I can deal with this ghosting I just have the feeling that there are better options out there.

Better than 2407WFP-HC? The HP LP2465 is a standard-gamut option but certainly feasible for gaming, more so than the 2407WFP-HC probably.

Are there any resources that talk about the blackout problem, and are you aware of which GFX configurations cause this blackout?

Yes, lots of info: http://www.google.com/search?h...41w&btnG=Google+Search

I don't know what gfx configs cause the problem.

Originally posted by: siik
is the new Dell UltraSharp 2208WFP a good buy?
http://accessories.us.dell.com...&sku=320-6107#Overview

viewing angle is only 80 .. is that bad?

I haven't seen any reviews of it but it's another TN. Try the 22"s recommended in the OP. Viewing angle is no worse on one 22" TN than another.

Originally posted by: Nnyan
Since I just noticed the 215TW is back on sale where would it rate in the current Gaming section? If it rates pretty well I can get one locally here to test it out. By the way I have th Spyder Express coming in the next day or two. Should I hold off "judging" the LCD's until I can calibrate them? I'm thinking I may need to re-test them all properly calibrated. = )

Yeah actually retesting them calibrated is a good idea.

The 215TW does have a lot of input lag so I wouldn't be putting it in the gaming section, but if you're not affected by input lag/only care about response time, then it's certainly up there pretty high. A very viable option...

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Thetech
I'm worried about being able to run most modern games with at least medium quality settings at 1680 x 1050, I usually play games like BF2 at 1280x968 (19 inch CRT)at high settings with 2xAA. I think I might stick with a 19 Inch WS but I'm still concerned about the higher res.

All you can do is look at benchmarks but I don't think 1440x900 will be a problem.

1228800=1280x960
1296000=1440x900

That's only 5.5% bigger.

 

[RobberBaron]

What the heck is the conversion of 550,000(KRW) to US dollars? Glad I have been keeping an eye on this forum! So besides the BenQ G2400W (hopefully we can see some juicy deals on this soon), is there any other 24s in the pipe?

Actually looking I see the BenQ G2400W available. For like 400 with a rebate on newegg...hmm

 

[Owls]

Originally posted by: RobberBaron
What the heck is the conversion of 550,000(KRW) to US dollars? Glad I have been keeping an eye on this forum! So besides the BenQ G2400W (hopefully we can see some juicy deals on this soon), is there any other 24s in the pipe?

Actually looking I see the BenQ G2400W available. For like 400 with a rebate on newegg...hmm

G2400 is a TN panel.. and no reviews about it yet. I'd hold off. I instead spent a bit more to get the FP241W.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: RobberBaron
What the heck is the conversion of 550,000(KRW) to US dollars? Glad I have been keeping an eye on this forum! So besides the BenQ G2400W (hopefully we can see some juicy deals on this soon), is there any other 24s in the pipe?

Actually looking I see the BenQ G2400W available. For like 400 with a rebate on newegg...hmm

Well, there's the Eizo SX2461W and Dell E248WFP (the latter I'm not too excited about).

http://tftcentral.co.uk/

 

[RobberBaron]

Edited for my ignorance....Ignore~