Originally posted by: Montius
Still really tempted by the 2407WFP-HC...
Would you say holding out for a price drop on an S-IPS panel (like the Planar) would be a better choice? Or would a 2407 now (still at $569 by the way, good deal) be a wise choice?
Now is the perfect time to buy a 2407WFP-HC. S-IPS panels are great but in a lot of cases you really aren't getting much for your money. They would need to be absolutely perfect to demand a $400 premium and with poor uniformity, and still no "glow-proof" coating at really wide viewing angles for dark images, it's looking less attractive. For that price they really need to give us more inputs than DVI and VGA, too. I also like the smaller dot pitch of the Dell.
Of course, the 2407WFP-HC comes with its problems too. Some of the inputs don't work right at certain resolutions (same situation at 2407WFP A04), and there is probably more input lag than the Planar. Uniformity here isn't perfect, either. There is some black crush (loss of dark detail) if you don't calibrate it. Maybe this isn't a problem since profiles are becoming more available for this monitor. And, some people have had trouble with inverse ghosting (overdrive issues).
While the 26" Planar is an S-IPS, due to its lack of inputs and poor uniformity I don't think it's the magic bullet, so to speak. But, yes, it is S-IPS and it has little input lag and good response time, and those qualities are very important for some, esp. gamers. I'm waiting for something that does a little more with the S-IPS technology, personally, especially at $900-1000. Now the LCD2690WUXi is something I'd be looking at and could even save up for (but not at this point). I'm waiting to see what Mitsubishi can bring to the table, and maybe even NEC themselves, especially with regards to H-IPS screens (no glow effect) and a cheaper price. Maybe even an LED backlight.
All around the 2407WFP-HC is simply a better deal right now, unless one of two things are at play:
- You are a gamer who would be very sensitive to input lag.
- You are a photo editor (in which case you may find refuge in the wide viewing angle of the Planar).
If you're a gamer you really should take a look at the BenQ FP241WZ with the black frame insertion (you can turn it off) for smooth motion. Its response time is great alone, too. No, it's not wide gamut. Unfortunately, it also has more input lag than the Planar, according to initial measurements. But this isn't a problem for everyone.
The NEC LCD2490WUXi would be a sealed deal for me if it was:
a) Wide gamut
b) $200-300 less
Those glow-free H-IPS panels will make any geek drool.
And I hope I didn't come down too much on the Planar in this post as it's a very nice monitor no doubt with better overall image quality than the 2407WFP-HC. It's just not the best value at this point but if the price drops $200 honestly the whole world might be taken by storm. I'm willing to bet this will happen over the next few months, and that's why I'm waiting and seeing. I also hope Dell works out some of the 2407WFP-HC's kinks. As if it wasn't already obvious I'm not really happy with either choice right now, but if you need to buy something now, the 2407WFP-HC is probably your best bet. I'm sure 24" TNs are worse and not everyone is as picky as me. Besides it would take a lot more time for me to stew on this before passing up an S-IPS so fast. The Planar's on-screen menu is just like the 20WMGX2's which is very nice.