[Retired] The LCD Thread

[hypeMarked]

Hi all, just dropping by for some suggestion. I wanted to get a new monitor to replace my Dell 2405FP (it's going to another owner). I have read this thread and wander around and it seems that the Gateway FHD2400 would do the job as all I will be doing is watching movie and playing games (PC, PS3, and XBOX360). But reading around I found that people are experiencing back light bleeding and *horrible* vertical angle color distortion or something like that. So my question is, are those problems appear on *every* unit or those people just unlucky? Also, I am the lone user of this monitor, so would the angle problem affect me? Thanks,

 

[Trean]

Originally posted by: DoctorM
Interesting.
Regarding the vx2435wm, this is one of the product pictures on NewEgg: http://tinyurl.com/2vm7dz

Is it just me or does the cable second from the right look like a nice DVI to HDMI cable?
Maybe it's just in the U.S.

If true xtknight should update the first post with regards to this.

I once read somewhere that manufacturers ship cables with most of stuff. Then when the resellers get the items in warehouse they remove the cables to force you to buy the cables when you buy the product. Its a little conspiracy theory; but I mean it could happen right?

And all the US online retailers for the VX2435 that I have looked into have had the DVI to HMDI cable included, as I am not in another country I don't know if it is applicable elsewhere.

 

[Trean]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Trean
xtknight:

Found out that Viewsonic as a manufacturer offers a 30-day zero dead pixel guarantee. So that is good. Also found out that Office Depot carries viewsonic monitors; going to call them today and see if they carry the vx2435wm and if they do I will go check it out.

Are you sure ViewSonic has this in North America? I don't see it documented anywhere.

http://www.viewsonic.com/support/warranty.htm

Crap, your right its an Australian web knowledge base that I pulled up through a search engine. That makes me even more mad that Australian citizens have a better warranty, why can't it be universal.

This kind of sad news makes me more undecided than before; I just want some sort of guarantee that I won't get a defective product from my perspective... i.e. performs as intended with all pixels working correctly; seriously for $600 that should be guaranteed

 

[DoctorM]

I agree. I had my credit card out and I was ready to buy the VX2435wm with the safe knowledge of Viewsonic's zero dead pixel policy.

Now I'm thinking of buying the vx2255wmb no matter how bad it is because a) it's cheap and I wouldn't be as mad if there's a dead pixel, and b) I can buy it from Costco which has a no questions asked return policy on ANYTHING (a half eaten container of melted ice cream? No problem.). (One forum mentioned that Costco is probably the only zero dead pixel store.)

I wish I knew what TechOnWeb's policy is, their website isn't explicit and no one will be there until the 2nd. By then the $100 rebate on the vx24 will be over. Grrrr.

 

[anomaly218]

Does anyone know a way to use dual monitors with two different cards?
More specifically, I have a Inspiron 530 that came with an x3100 integrated card, and I later installed a Radeon 850x pro that I use for the main monitor. I would use it for both, but it won't let me do certain things.... I would like it to be able to play movies and non-intense games at the same time.

 

[DoctorM]

Doesn't your Radeon 850x pro have dual outputs? You should be able to plug both both monitors into your Radeon and use your ATI Control Panel to set them up.

 

[Trean]

Originally posted by: DoctorM
I agree. I had my credit card out and I was ready to buy the VX2435wm with the safe knowledge of Viewsonic's zero dead pixel policy.

Now I'm thinking of buying the vx2255wmb no matter how bad it is because a) it's cheap and I wouldn't be as mad if there's a dead pixel, and b) I can buy it from Costco which has a no questions asked return policy on ANYTHING (a half eaten container of melted ice cream? No problem.). (One forum mentioned that Costco is probably the only zero dead pixel store.)

I wish I knew what TechOnWeb's policy is, their website isn't explicit and no one will be there until the 2nd. By then the $100 rebate on the vx24 will be over. Grrrr.

Yeah I am in the same seat you are; I emailed TechOnWeb to determine their dead pixel policy but like you said they won't be around until after the New Year. There price is really nice, but without some guarantee or good return policy in regards to dead/bad pixels I just don't feel safe spending that kind of money.

But this monitor is an upgrade for me, I have a 17" CRT sitting on my desk so anything larger will be an upgrade. However, I want it also to play Full HD content which makes 1920x1200 the minimum resolution I want to be buying.

As far as rebates go, they come and go; if I find a monitor I want I will wait for a price I am willing to pay for given the return policies available. A lot of online stores have product watchers that allow you to put an email in and it emails you when the price hits a certain point. There will always be more rebates down the road.

 

[anomaly218]

Originally posted by: DoctorM
Doesn't your Radeon 850x pro have dual outputs? You should be able to plug both both monitors into your Radeon and use your ATI Control Panel to set them up.

I would use it for both, but it won't let me do certain things.... I would like it to be able to play movies and non-intense games at the same time.

 

[DoctorM]

Unfortunately I can't wait. My monitor flat lined 2 days ago. I've been using remote desktop to get into my PC since then (ugh).
Waiting a week for shipping was bad enough.

Btw, for others who care:
Costco has a damn nice return policy and a few xtknight recommended displays.

Viewsonic vx2255wmb - $299.99
Samsung 245BW - $399.99
Dell UltraSharp 2707WFP - $999.99
Dell UltraSharp 3007WFP-HC - $1269.99

 

[Trean]

Originally posted by: DoctorM
Unfortunately I can't wait. My monitor flat lined 2 days ago. I've been using remote desktop to get into my PC since then (ugh).
Waiting a week for shipping was bad enough.

Btw, for others who care:
Costco has a damn nice return policy and a few xtknight recommended displays.

Viewsonic vx2255wmb - $299.99
Samsung 245BW - $399.99
Dell UltraSharp 2707WFP - $999.99
Dell UltraSharp 3007WFP-HC - $1269.99

Yeah I guess that is a benefit of mine; being able to wait... its also a detriment since I always end up asking the questions--"Do I really need this right now?" and "Will I be happy with this purchase?".

I just posted on the NCIX forums and sent them a message too; asking why they don't carry the Viewsonic VX2435wm because they carry the 22" VX model.

Maybe I will get a good response from them saying they plan on adding the model on such and such a date which will give me a zero dead pixel guarantee option since they offer it at a slight fee.

On a local retailer level, I called about 10 stores without finding a single one that carried this model in store; while one carried it as an online only item (Office Depot) but they don't state that online which is why I ended up calling them.

 

[DoctorM]

You did better than I did. I drove to an Office Depot and had someone try to find the nearest store with them in stock.
It really should have said online only. For that matter I can't believe OD doesn't let you check store availability online like just about every other retailer does.

 

[DoctorM]

Whew, hammered through Google, ResellerRatings and PriceGrabber reviews.

As far as TechonWeb goes, all I have found is either 'no dead pixels', 'don't know what their policy is', or 'a large number dead so they took it back no problem'.

The only other piece I found was this (from 2004):

they advertise "Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed." I called first and asked about their "dead pixel policy." The lady said they really don't have one, but if the monitor was too bad they would simply replace it.

Which makes sense because that's pretty much what you'd get from Viewsonic.

I can't believe no one reading this thread has bought from them. They're been around for awhile, have good reviews, and are fairly cheap.

 

[Trean]

If you are willing to wait you can order it backorder through NCIX and buy the zero dead pixel guarantee; although I don't know how it will work because I think it says 30 days and with a backorder it might take that long to just get to you.

It is considerably more expensive though and thus you might just want to buy a different monitor that is just as good or better for the cheaper price (just as good) or same price offered by NCIX (better monitor).

http://www.ncixus.com/search/?categoryid=0&q=VX2435wm

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: DoctorM
Interesting.
Regarding the vx2435wm, this is one of the product pictures on NewEgg: http://tinyurl.com/2vm7dz

Is it just me or does the cable second from the right look like a nice DVI to HDMI cable?
Maybe it's just in the U.S.

If true xtknight should update the first post with regards to this.

This seems to be the case, as one of the Newegg commenters mentioned the adapter was included. Thanks, updated.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: muggeh
Well my uses are pretty all round really, i don't do anything with image editing though but i do like good black levels and the sound of more natural whites on the 2690 sounds good to me as well, i imagine that being easier on the eyes when reading text or something.

How's the coating and pixel pitch on the nec, would i notice any of it if i sit 2 feet away ?

Thanks for your help

The NEC LCD26 is very comfortable to use at the two-feet mark. It's a joy to use for general usage especially. I'm confident you'll be happy with it. It has pretty decent black levels anyway and games look amazing when it comes to color saturation. Dark rooms in games may never be reproduced as well as an S-PVA model or a CRT but that's not much of a sacrifice unless you play tons of dark games. Even then, this LCD will show you every dark tone, it just won't have quite as low a black level.

 

[muggeh]

Well i'm going for the Nec then since it has everything i value, my eyes are more important than somewhat deeper blacks, i reckon i should have it in a few weeks(paycheck).

Thanks again

 

[DoctorM]

TechOnWeb still sells some nice CRTs if black levels are that important.

Trust me, at the moment they are tempting: no dead pixels there...

 

[muggeh]

haha if they were that important i would've kept my old Sony GDM-F520

 

[redlinez33]

I went to costco today and they had a Samsung 245BW for $400. 24" would be nice and I noticed it was listed under your recommendations for hardcore gaming. So I assume its fast response, but any idea how the image quality is?? Or is it just a cheap 24" with good response time but not great quality??

 

[DoctorM]

I pulled the trigger. I'll let you all know how I like the vx24 when it arrives... and I AM a stickler.

 

[Trean]

Originally posted by: DoctorM
I pulled the trigger. I'll let you all know how I like the vx24 when it arrives... and I AM a stickler.

Where did you end up ordering it from?


@xtnight:

Circuit City has the FHD2400 on sale this week, just thought I would let you know if you want to put it in the OP; $499.99

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm...m/ccd/productDetail.do

 

[redlinez33]

Well I have had the viewsonic VX2255wmb sitting in front of me for 5 or so hours now, next to the hp w2207 to compare.............. There are pro and cons to both........ Here is my slightly above average consumer knowledge on monitors SUBJECTIVE opinion on both

viewing was done in a completely dark room. The HP w2207 I own is the Samsung panel.



VX2255wmb is a very elegant looking monitor, while the w2207 is very big and bulky. Both monitors can adjust vertically which is nice.

First thing I did was adjust the brightness and contrast on both monitors to what I thought was a decent setting for my liking. I then used a blank screen saver to see if it had any back light bleeding and how much, and also to see if there were any colorful dead pixels. Thankfully the Viewsonic had no dead pixels, but the HP had one right in the middle, oh well, time to move on. Both panels had slight backlight bleeding, but the HP had less.

Then I went into a game and started playing. Unreal Tournament 3 and Crysis. First thing I noticed was the colors were not as rich on the Viewsonic as on the HP. The viewsonic almost seemed washed out and I could not correct this with any settings on the unit itself. Maybe some calibration tool would help with this.. The HP w2207 picture seemed to be much more immersive.. Now which one was producing a more accurate image is beyond my ability to guess, but I prefered the HP.

There was this little blue rectangle of annoyance on the Viewsonic. The brightly lit power light that I do not believe you can turn off. Its bright, its annoying, and its definitely a negative. Why would they want to distract from the image with the bright light shining in your eyes constantly is beyond me......

Overall I have decided to take back the viewsonic and keep the HP..... The price difference is about $30, which is not very much considering how much I use this darn thing

If you decide to get the HP, make sure you get the samsung panel. The way to tell is outside the box it will tell you the REV of the product, you want one that begins with a S. The one that starts with an A sucks, I had it, its worse than the viewsonic........

Tomorrow I am going to exchange the viewsonic for a samsung 245BW...... Will update with my opinions on that

 

[DoctorM]

I ended up buying from TechOnWeb.
My father had previously purchased a CRT from them about a year ago, and they were really nice people to deal with (he talked to them on the phone a few times IIRC).
Besides they were the cheapest price (I even Googled up every single webstore listed on the rebate form).

I was going to mention the Gateway as well, I noticed it on their sale flyer last night. It is an xtknight recommended Hardcore Gaming display.

Redlinez33... I know what you mean. Based on reviews the vx2255wmb is suppose to be better, but the w2207 (and the w2408) seem to have more vibrant colors and a better subjective appearance. I can't understand why but I did like them better when viewing side by side.
Mind you that doesn't mean that the Viewsonic might not handle multimedia and games (rate and lag) better.

 

[DoctorM]

Redlinez: Have you tried any of these http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-S...ixel-on-an-LCD-Monitor to fix your HP's dead pixel?

Edit: Nice I just looked, my monitor has already shipped. They seem to be on the ball at ToW.

 

[redlinez33]

viewsonic better? if you like backlight bleeding. Theres no way its BETTER, maybe different (better default color accuracy?) It just depends what you want. As a gamer, the HP Samsung panel is much better.....