Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
OK, my Planar PX2611W is here. I've only had it for about 3 hours, but here's a quick comparison with the NEC 2470WNX:
1. The HardOCP forum pages (dark gray on black) and certain test images make the color/contrast shift of the 2470 S-PVA painfully obvious. I really didn't think it was that bad before, but I can tell you now I'll probably never buy anything but IPS again.
2. The black levels on the 2470 are much better, but the Planar is better in every other way. There's no color/contrast shift, but the IPS "white glow" is noticeable at extreme angles. Viewing angles are still better on the Planar than the NEC.
3. The Planar has 3 stuck pixels. They're very difficult to see (I have to get right up to the screen), and all but one (red) are not visible except on all black screens. I could definitely live with it, but since I paid so much and got it from CDW (30 days w/2-day replacement), I'm going to RMA it. The NEC had ZERO dead/stuck pixels.
4. The combination of larger screen size and pixel pitch is exactly what I hoped it would be. Text was just as sharp on the NEC 24", but my old eyes were having a problem with it. I had to increase Windows DPI by 10% and set fonts to 10 point to comfortably use it. The Planar is perfect at Windows DPI and 9 point font defaults. I can see everything clearly, down to the details in Vista micro-icons. I can see the pixels on the Planar (higher pitch), which I couldn't on the NEC, but if the "screen-door" bothers you, sitting farther from the screen fixes it (and also allows you to see all of the huge 26" screen). Bottom line: if you have any problems with 1920x1200 on a 24", this monitor is perfect for you.
Conclusion: the NEC seems like better build quality/quality control (no dead/stuck pixels, no backlight bleeding, great manual, packaging, drivers and software) and has much better blacks, but is slower and with twice the lag. The Planar feels more like a plain "OEM" part (plain brown box and packing, puny manual, no drivers or software, 3 stuck pixels), and has worse blacks, but is superior in every other way and has half the lag. Also, the bigger size and pitch make it a much better fit for me. Furthermore, the Planar warranty is better than NEC's, and as far as I can tell is the best in the business.
For me, the Planar wins despite its faults. In the last 3 months, I've owned the best S-PVAs that ViewSonic and NEC make (VP2130b & 2470WNX). The 2470WNX was much better than the ViewSonic, but its still a PVA; and now that I've had a chance to compare, its clear that no amount of "high-quality NEC aura" can fix that. IPS is worth the money. So my recommendation for anyone looking for a 24-27" monitor is: If you can swing the extra $100-200, don't even waste your time with a 24" and/or non-IPS; get the Planar. Period.
Now I need to go try some games and see if I can tell the difference in response time and input lag...
Interesting.
I'm starting to think color shift on S-PVAs (like the NEC) is actually worse than P-MVAs.
Originally posted by: zod96
Are their any 8 bit panels widescreen that are glossy besides the nec 20wmgx2? How good or bad is the HP W2207 vs. the Nec 20wmgx2? And I am assuming the HP uses a TN panel..
8-bit glossy panels..hmm I don't think so. Might be a couple in the 24" or higher sector from Acer or other OEMs but either way I haven't seen reviews on them if so. Most glossies are TNs.
The 20WMGX2 would beat the w2207 easily in most aspects.
Originally posted by: minddripper
I've been looking into the possibility of replacing my 19" CRT with a second LCD for a while now, but the search has left me a bit confused and lost. My main problem is that it is difficult for me to understand exactly how all of these monitors compare to my current LCD.
I bought a Dell 2005FPW a few years ago (to replace my 19" CRT), but was bothered by the blurring that occurred while gaming. I ended up using them both in a dual monitor setup, the CRT primarily for gaming. In my opinion, the 2005FPW is superior to my CRT in every aspect except the motion blurring. I use my computer for gaming (somewhere between casual and hardcore), watching videos/movies, CAD work, and regular office type tasks. I think my favorite features of my LCD are its sharpness, colors, and contrast. I don't think low viewing angles would be a problem for me, as I'm almost always square in front of my screens. I am unsure if I would notice a difference between 8 bit and 6 bit panels, but I would ideally like the picture quality to be close or better than my current LCD. Basically, what I'm looking for is a 20-22" (1680x1050) monitor that is similar to my 2005FPW but has less blurring/ghosting. Is this realistic?
Actually, the 2005FPW is a very good LCD. It uses an S-IPS panel, the highest quality available (or should I say, NOT available!) today.
I don't think it uses any overdrive (response time acceleration), so its motion blur doesn't come as a surprise to me.
You might be disappointed with the viewing angles of 22" panels. All 22" panels that aren't quite expensive are TNs, and the expensive ones are S-PVAs (still inferior to your S-IPS).
You might try the standard aspect HP LP2065 (mostly S-IPS) but I don't know how you'll like losing widescreen. I'm not entirely sure it will be faster. If I had to guess, it should be.
On the other hand, if you get a 22" TN you will have pretty good response time. I'd recommend the ViewSonic VX2255wmb. It has good default color setup and decent response time. It actually still doesn't use overdrive, but TN panels are natively a good amount faster than IPS ones.
Another, perhaps safer choice?, is the LG L226WTQ/L226WTY (same model) which uses overdrive. Colors may not be quite as accurate as the ViewSonic, but should still be vibrant.
I guess the Samsung 2232BW is a possibility also but it's a bit of a gamble depending on the panel you end up with (panel inside the LCD). One has a distinct blue tint and slower response. The old Samsung model (226BW) was known for response issues on non-Samsung panels.
The Dell 2007WFP (either S-PVA or S-IPS) is actually a decent choice as well. It should be a good amount faster than your current LCD. It seems to be available again:
http://accessories.us.dell.com...=en&s=dhs&sku=320-4688
So, I would say, try Dell's successor, the 2007WFP if you liked the 2005FPW. It should have properties more similar (viewing angle, color) than a TN like the L226WTQ. It should be faster than the 2005FPW, at least I'd really hope so, but I can't confirm it because I can't find data on or pictures of the 2005FPW's response time.
If you really want a good response time you'll want to look towards the L226WTQ though. At least you'll still have the 2005FPW around (right?)
You might try the 2007WFP then return if you are disappointed and get the L226WTQ. That's about the best you can do I'm afraid. I do hope you like the 2007WFP though.