[Retired] The LCD Thread

[10e]

The one advantage to Dell is that they generally have pretty good customer service.

I would wait until the A01 revision of this monitor arrives to their online ordering system, but unfortunately you won't find this out until people start seeing them.

Often the extra revisions have more than just firmware updates, and I haven't heard of someone being able to upgrade to them except to return/exchange the display..

Regards,

10e

 

[Squidmaster]

What is the appropriate viewing distance for a 25.5" screen? I found a calculator for HDTVs but that doesn't seem relevant for computer use necessarily.

 

[Tommy220]

In this the Asus uw222u is the winner. http://www.xbitlabs.com/articl.../display/22inch-2.html

 

[jeff21]

Hi,

First off, I'd like to thank you for this excellent thread. I wish I had come across it sooner in my search for a monitor. Your concise FAQ at the head has helped reduce bleeding from my brain as I kept discovering further complexities to the subject until I'm blabbering run-on sentences like this one.

I've never had an LCD and I'm looking to buy one. For years, I've been using a Viewsonic P810 crt with the first gen G4 Mac - and with other crts with macs before that.

Just got a Mac Pro tower 2.8 dual quad with Nividia 8800gt. Hope to do some Photoshopping & video editing on top of the usual web surf and MS Word, but I'm also a frustrated gamer - the first thing I did was install Windows and buy Bioshock and dl the Crysis demo). Ahh, something other than Peggle!

I'm currently using a borrowed NEC 1970gx - a TN screen methinks. Too small and screen glare during the day (in my many-windowed room, at least)

I figured I'd buy a 30" Dell or Samsung (Apple's price too high for the bang). But two issues arose:

1. Small pixels at native resolution. I have a very bad back and often do non-typing intensive things like web browsing and games (what there was of them) while lying down so the type may be too small for me. I suppose I could lower the resolution (can't I?), but then I'm paying for a resolution I'm not using. On the other hand, the 2707 & 3007 are about the same price right now. Oh my brain.

2. I'm not sure about pushing the 8800gt with a high end game on a 30", but it seems not so good. I want to have at least a few months with a system that doesn't seem obsolete. I don't want to buy a second graphics card (already spent enough). And with Mac's poor history of accessible cutting edge graphics cards I don't know about card upgrades down the road. So I'm willing to drop down to a 27" to be able to play Crysis or some other power-hungry title appearing this year.

So I expanded my search to include the 27 inchers with the Dell seeming to be the best over laggier Samsung. From what I've read, the increased pixel of this size monitor doesn't seem to be a problem. The 1:1 issue? I don't know.

(One of the problems with monitor buying for me is that I've never actually experienced these different panel types and viewing angles and lags myself.)

Then the Doublesight appeared and there's the Planar, both at 25.5" (the NEC 2690 seems too expensive, particularly when my heart was set on the bigger size for around the same price). IPS screens sound great, though the quality control on the Doublesight seems very questionable and I gotta wait to see how the polarizer issue sorts out. In any case, I may be willing to drop to this size, though I can't yet make the leap to a 24", even though it seems best in price/performance world.

I think one of my problems is that I started with the idea of a big monitor as my primary criteria and have reluctantly cut back as I learned about the limitations of LCD technology. There's the Dell 3008, but ouch the price.

BTW: stuck pixels seem terrible, though I've never experienced them, which heads me back to Dell or neighborhood stores with good return policies (though they don't carry big screens).

I looked at the Samsung 2693hm and even the Hanns G 28" at a Best Buy - my wallet liked them, but you have put the fear of TN in me. And I played with the 2693 at a store and the controls were atrocious. And the store was only showing a slide show into the vga port - the monitors weren't attached to a computer - so my ability to test them was minimal.

And the final wrinkle: I'm not paying for it, but I have justify my decision to a rich, childhood friend who is kinda looney. He can't get himself to buy a computer/monitor so he's buying me one if I tell him what to purchase. When I told him I was moving away from the 30", he argued for a half hour that I could get one of the magnifying sheets of plastic to place over the monitor (Ahhhhh!). Explaining that a TN screen, with their fast response and high contrast was worse than other screens types (with TN's low color gamut, poor viewing angle, 6 vs. 8 bit, etc.) took over an hour.

He has also suggested a smaller monitor for quality use and an HDTV for games (not a bad idea), but I don't really have the real estate for that.

Anyone who can offer some guidance - the biggest screen that can be a jack-of-all-trades that a single 8800gt can push, would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for writing such a lengthy tome. Hope it at least garners a chuckle.

Best regards

 

[Sylar Powers]

ClockHound, thickosity is my new word of the day. I am currently reading reviews for every 24" monitor I can find.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Rangoon
Is it safe to say that an IPS will have better dark levels than a TN? I'm thinking about the DS-263N. So more specifically, will an H-IPS like this, without the polarizer (assuming the next batch of these will not come with one), have darker, clearer blacks than a TN? I've really only spent LCD time with a Samsung 22" and was hoping the DS will fair better in this regard.

Thanks!

Actually TNs often have better black levels. But that doesn't mean they render darks better.

But the H-IPS panels have quite dark blacks too. Trust me you want an H-IPS over a TN anyway. The polarizer doesn't affect the black level.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: qwester
I'm looking at the Benq G2400W for a mix of office work and multimedia (movie watching). No gaming. Price is attractive for a 24"er that has quite a bit of positive feedback.
Is there any particular reason why it's not included among the recommendations in the office work section, but is included for multimedia?! Any drawbacks the benq has for office work?
Thanx for the help.

The viewing angles might be a little annoying for office work, I suppose. But not any more so than for multimedia, so I guess I could add it.

Originally posted by: Sylar Powers
Quesiton: The Viewsonic vp2650wb.

http://www.viewsonic.com/produ...ys/proseries/VP2650wb/

Yea or ney?

For 650 US Dollars (street price at MacMall.com), this new model seems like a steal. I have been reading and searching sites and forums, but there is little info to be had on the web as of yet. Viewsonic's email guys call this a Superclear MVA (S-MVA?) Panel, with a 4 dead pixel policy needed for return.

No, this is a TN panel according to the specs (160/160 angle).

In general, I am looking for the best HDCP 1920 x 1200 pixels (optimum resolution) 23-26" Widescreen LCD Monitor money can buy for a Mac Pro Tower. However, this does not mean I want to spend twice as much for a micron of improvement. I don't mind saving up for months and spending good money, as long as I am seeing a decent bang for my buck (considering style, build, and performance). The primary uses include watching lots of movies, gaming, 3d animation, art, web browsing, and well, my whole digital life. The computer is all I use nowadays-I am done with separate TVs and stereos.

Normally, I would just buy Apples 23" Cinema Display, as I digged the S-IPS Panel on my old 20" white iMac, but Apple's current models don't have HDCP (which I can't go without), and they are very long in the tooth performance wise. I am heavily swayed by Apple's stylish look and aluminum build quality, however in this case, it's not quite enough.

NEC's LCD2690WUXi S-IPS Panel made my list, but I tend to discount this model as it seems overpriced, overly fat, and ugly. I could live with these issues, but then I read that the model also has QC issues, and is blurry with movies and games.

From there, I found the Viewsonic vp2650wb. I am picky about quality and performace, and I noticed that the bigger you go, the more you lose. Which, along with pricing, is why 30 inchers are out of the question. Perhaps I should step down to 20-22 inchers? Sacrifice some real estate, go quality over quantity?

I am also keen on the improvements of LED backlit LCDs as well, so the ViewSonic 22? VLED221 caught my attention. It's pricey, but LED backlit, which is nice. This model can be found here:

http://www.viewsonic.com/produ...isplays/led/VLED221wm/

So what does everyone think of these two models? Anyone have any other thoughts or suggestions?

BTW-Don't bother suggesting a Dell. I just don't trust their build quality and panel lotteries.

Why not consider the DoubleSight DS-263N if you were even considering the pricier LCD26? (The Planar PX2611W is also an option but DoubleSight is cheaper and has the true wide polarizer, if you can find it in stock.)

Yes the 24" LCD2490WUXi would be better for working with standard sRGB material as well. I don't even see why the thickness is a factor here unless you're extremely running out of desk space. You should be concerned with the fairly large stand footprint.

Originally posted by: Dashel
Quick question: With Monitor revisions, if I buy a current model and it undergoes revision, am I just out of luck? Can the firmware on older revisions be upgraded somehow?

They can only be upgraded if the manufacturer provides a tool for doing so, or upgrades your monitor at their service centers. There is no standard flashing tool or "BIOS" files.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: 10e
So I just purchased the LCD2690 based on your review XTKnight. So far I have only one minor gripe and that is the dead green subpixel I have on the left side, but I am really enjoying it. I can't wait to get it home from work and put it throught its paces!

I plan to pair it up with the G2400W for the ultimate dual-monitor configuration. Not that I expect the G2400W to measure up to this fabulous display, but it is a great gaming display.

So far everything in your review has borne out in my case. This is the first S-IPS panel I have that does not have slopped on anti-glare (as you mentioned), so it's quite smooth, but with no glare.

Top notch product.

Thanks for the great info

Regards,

10e

Glad you're happy with it and I look forward to a brief comparison of the G2400W and LCD26.

Originally posted by: Squidmaster
What is the appropriate viewing distance for a 25.5" screen? I found a calculator for HDTVs but that doesn't seem relevant for computer use necessarily.

It's no different from any other display really. There is no set, standard value for this, nor am I even aware of a range. Just use it at a comfortable distance. I usually use it at no closer than 1.5 ft.

Originally posted by: Tommy220
In this the Asus uw222u is the winner. http://www.xbitlabs.com/articl.../display/22inch-2.html

Yes I still have yet to look at the X-Bit Review but I will have to get around to adding this later on.

 

[Gamingphreek]

xtKnight-- which monitor would you recommend for a Computer Science major. I have been, and will be doing a lot of programming on my monitor. I will, to a lesser extent, do some gaming and movies on my computer as well.

Right now I have a Dell 1905FP-- I am probably looking at a 22" Widescreen monitor but I can be convinced otherwise-- I just need more real estate than a 19" 4:3 monitor.

-Kevin

 

[muppet22]

as a comp sci graduate, i recommend a 1920x1200 monitor..or even dual monitor

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: muppet22
as a comp sci graduate, i recommend a 1920x1200 monitor..or even dual monitor

Is it really that big a difference between that and a 22" Widescreen Monitor?

Right now I am stuck between:

Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP 24" ($600 is more than I care to spend-- I don't think I can afford this one)

Dell E248WFP 24" ($379 is a good price. Bummed about no height adjustment or swivel. What panel does this use? Is it TN or S-PVA)

Dell UltraSharp 2208WFP 22" ($339 good price- has the USB ports, and tilt and swivel)

Dell E228WFP 22" ($254 is incredible for a 22" monitor. No height or swivel or USB. Again, TN or S-PVA?)

-Kevin

 

[Cheex]

I'm very interested in getting the Samsung 2493HM monitor.

Can anyone give me some in depth info on this model and also the panel used (I know its TN, but performance??) ???

Thanks in advance.

 

[muppet22]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek

Originally posted by: muppet22
as a comp sci graduate, i recommend a 1920x1200 monitor..or even dual monitor

Is it really that big a difference between that and a 22" Widescreen Monitor?

Right now I am stuck between:

Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP 24" ($600 is more than I care to spend-- I don't think I can afford this one)

Dell E248WFP 24" ($379 is a good price. Bummed about no height adjustment or swivel. What panel does this use? Is it TN or S-PVA)

Dell UltraSharp 2208WFP 22" ($339 good price- has the USB ports, and tilt and swivel)

Dell E228WFP 22" ($254 is incredible for a 22" monitor. No height or swivel or USB. Again, TN or S-PVA?)

-Kevin

dunno how much improvement 24" is compared to a 22" monitor.

you can look up lcd's at http://www.prad.de/en/ to see panel types.

i'm using 2x 20" 4:3 lcds at work (both 1600x1200) and i'm constantly out of screen space

 

[redlinez33]

for a 24" monitor the best TN right now is probably BENQ G2400... $400

 

[Gamingphreek]

Well what is more important for me is my eyes. If I am going to be sitting here for hours programming, I want something easy on my eyes (Mostly text). At the same time, I don't want a slouch on Media Playback and Gaming (Though I rarely have time for both these days). I don't do anything that demands perfect color reproduction (Multimedia/Content Creation), so that isn't that important to me.

-Kevin

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: jeff21
Hi,

First off, I'd like to thank you for this excellent thread. I wish I had come across it sooner in my search for a monitor. Your concise FAQ at the head has helped reduce bleeding from my brain as I kept discovering further complexities to the subject until I'm blabbering run-on sentences like this one.

Code Blue! Code Blue!

I've never had an LCD and I'm looking to buy one. For years, I've been using a Viewsonic P810 crt with the first gen G4 Mac - and with other crts with macs before that.

Just got a Mac Pro tower 2.8 dual quad with Nividia 8800gt. Hope to do some Photoshopping & video editing on top of the usual web surf and MS Word, but I'm also a frustrated gamer - the first thing I did was install Windows and buy Bioshock and dl the Crysis demo). Ahh, something other than Peggle!

I'm currently using a borrowed NEC 1970gx - a TN screen methinks. Too small and screen glare during the day (in my many-windowed room, at least)

I figured I'd buy a 30" Dell or Samsung (Apple's price too high for the bang). But two issues arose:

1. Small pixels at native resolution. I have a very bad back and often do non-typing intensive things like web browsing and games (what there was of them) while lying down so the type may be too small for me. I suppose I could lower the resolution (can't I?), but then I'm paying for a resolution I'm not using. On the other hand, the 2707 & 3007 are about the same price right now. Oh my brain.

Keep in mind lowering the res will give you lower quality so you may not want to do this, after all.

2. I'm not sure about pushing the 8800gt with a high end game on a 30", but it seems not so good. I want to have at least a few months with a system that doesn't seem obsolete. I don't want to buy a second graphics card (already spent enough). And with Mac's poor history of accessible cutting edge graphics cards I don't know about card upgrades down the road. So I'm willing to drop down to a 27" to be able to play Crysis or some other power-hungry title appearing this year.

So I expanded my search to include the 27 inchers with the Dell seeming to be the best over laggier Samsung. From what I've read, the increased pixel of this size monitor doesn't seem to be a problem. The 1:1 issue? I don't know.

(One of the problems with monitor buying for me is that I've never actually experienced these different panel types and viewing angles and lags myself.)

Then the Doublesight appeared and there's the Planar, both at 25.5" (the NEC 2690 seems too expensive, particularly when my heart was set on the bigger size for around the same price). IPS screens sound great, though the quality control on the Doublesight seems very questionable and I gotta wait to see how the polarizer issue sorts out. In any case, I may be willing to drop to this size, though I can't yet make the leap to a 24", even though it seems best in price/performance world.

I think one of my problems is that I started with the idea of a big monitor as my primary criteria and have reluctantly cut back as I learned about the limitations of LCD technology. There's the Dell 3008, but ouch the price.

Well even without the True Wide polarizer the S-IPS panel is still vastly better than what you get with S-PVAs, just due to the inherently wider viewing angle.

BTW: stuck pixels seem terrible, though I've never experienced them, which heads me back to Dell or neighborhood stores with good return policies (though they don't carry big screens).

I looked at the Samsung 2693hm and even the Hanns G 28" at a Best Buy - my wallet liked them, but you have put the fear of TN in me. And I played with the 2693 at a store and the controls were atrocious. And the store was only showing a slide show into the vga port - the monitors weren't attached to a computer - so my ability to test them was minimal.

And the final wrinkle: I'm not paying for it, but I have justify my decision to a rich, childhood friend who is kinda looney. He can't get himself to buy a computer/monitor so he's buying me one if I tell him what to purchase. When I told him I was moving away from the 30", he argued for a half hour that I could get one of the magnifying sheets of plastic to place over the monitor (Ahhhhh!). Explaining that a TN screen, with their fast response and high contrast was worse than other screens types (with TN's low color gamut, poor viewing angle, 6 vs. 8 bit, etc.) took over an hour.

He has also suggested a smaller monitor for quality use and an HDTV for games (not a bad idea), but I don't really have the real estate for that.

Anyone who can offer some guidance - the biggest screen that can be a jack-of-all-trades that a single 8800gt can push, would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for writing such a lengthy tome. Hope it at least garners a chuckle.

Best regards

Well I firmly believe nothing other than the DoubleSight DS-263N is appropriate for you. Personally, the viewing angles of S-PVAs are just a little too annoying for me. (Perhaps they are even more annoying than TNs for me personally.) The gray shift is the primary problem and when you're spending so much money, you want something that doesn't have issues like that. Therefore I recommend you the DS-263N. The polarizer delivers minor improvements but if you don't get it you wouldn't be missing much. It's better than an S-PVA, the polarizer is really just the icing on the cake.

For photoshopping sRGB images please be sure to use appropriate color profiles. There's more info on this in my LCD2690WUXi review and if you search in this thread. ( Sorry, I don't like explaining the same thing a million times. )

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
xtKnight-- which monitor would you recommend for a Computer Science major. I have been, and will be doing a lot of programming on my monitor. I will, to a lesser extent, do some gaming and movies on my computer as well.

Right now I have a Dell 1905FP-- I am probably looking at a 22" Widescreen monitor but I can be convinced otherwise-- I just need more real estate than a 19" 4:3 monitor.

-Kevin

I've found most any LCD comfortable for programming (and I'm not just saying that because I'm too lazy to suggest anything specific). I mean, any recommended in the OP should be great for it, certainly.

The LG L227WT may be a good choice for you. It's a great choice for any kind of use except if you do a lot of Photoshop (even then it's better there than some TNs).

I personally have a 1920x1200 and 1680x1050 LCD and I am quite able to make use of both, being a prospective Comp Sci major myself.

You listed some 24" LCDs below. I think you should try the BenQ G2400W. It fits right in your budget and it's good for gaming. I believe 10e said it was more comfortable than the an MVA panel (FP241VW) for text use, so there you go. And yes the G2400W will be added to the Office Work category right now.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Cheex
I'm very interested in getting the Samsung 2493HM monitor.

Can anyone give me some in depth info on this model and also the panel used (I know its TN, but performance??) ???

Thanks in advance.

You can read thoughts about that on HardForum. Personally, I haven't seen it.

Here's a good thread to start with: http://www.hardforum.com/showt...98311&highlight=2493HM

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
xtKnight-- which monitor would you recommend for a Computer Science major. I have been, and will be doing a lot of programming on my monitor. I will, to a lesser extent, do some gaming and movies on my computer as well.

Right now I have a Dell 1905FP-- I am probably looking at a 22" Widescreen monitor but I can be convinced otherwise-- I just need more real estate than a 19" 4:3 monitor.

-Kevin

I've found most any LCD comfortable for programming (and I'm not just saying that because I'm too lazy to suggest anything specific). I mean, any recommended in the OP should be great for it, certainly.

The LG L227WT may be a good choice for you. It's a great choice for any kind of use except if you do a lot of Photoshop (even then it's better there than some TNs).

I personally have a 1920x1200 and 1680x1050 LCD and I am quite able to make use of both, being a prospective Comp Sci major myself.

You listed some 24" LCDs below. I think you should try the BenQ G2400W. It fits right in your budget and it's good for gaming. I believe 10e said it was more comfortable than the an MVA panel (FP241VW) for text use, so there you go. And yes the G2400W will be added to the Office Work category right now.

Thanks! So that cheaper Dell 248WT isn't as good as the G2400W?

Also, I am running a Dell 1905FP right now; which, from what I understand, uses an 8-bit S-PVA panel from Samsung. Will the picture on this monitor degrade any compared to my Dell monitor?

Thanks Man,
-Kevin

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
xtKnight-- which monitor would you recommend for a Computer Science major. I have been, and will be doing a lot of programming on my monitor. I will, to a lesser extent, do some gaming and movies on my computer as well.

Right now I have a Dell 1905FP-- I am probably looking at a 22" Widescreen monitor but I can be convinced otherwise-- I just need more real estate than a 19" 4:3 monitor.

-Kevin

I've found most any LCD comfortable for programming (and I'm not just saying that because I'm too lazy to suggest anything specific). I mean, any recommended in the OP should be great for it, certainly.

The LG L227WT may be a good choice for you. It's a great choice for any kind of use except if you do a lot of Photoshop (even then it's better there than some TNs).

I personally have a 1920x1200 and 1680x1050 LCD and I am quite able to make use of both, being a prospective Comp Sci major myself.

You listed some 24" LCDs below. I think you should try the BenQ G2400W. It fits right in your budget and it's good for gaming. I believe 10e said it was more comfortable than the an MVA panel (FP241VW) for text use, so there you go. And yes the G2400W will be added to the Office Work category right now.

Thanks! So that cheaper Dell 248WT isn't as good as the G2400W?

Also, I am running a Dell 1905FP right now; which, from what I understand, uses an 8-bit S-PVA panel from Samsung. Will the picture on this monitor degrade any compared to my Dell monitor?

Thanks Man,
-Kevin

The E248 I don't think will hold a candle to the G2400W. Dell's E series are usually junk compared to the better models. (If you were wondering, your current Dell is miles ahead of the E series.)

You do bring up a good point though about your current monitor having a VA panel. You might notice a slightly less "even"-feeling panel (colors are very punchy on a TN and viewing angles are a little wacky). I can still tell you I'd use a 22" TN over 19" VA any day (personal experience), and thus probably a 24" TN as well. I think you will be pretty happy with it and get used to the slight viewing angle disadvantage (which probably won't be much of a problem for programming).

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
xtKnight-- which monitor would you recommend for a Computer Science major. I have been, and will be doing a lot of programming on my monitor. I will, to a lesser extent, do some gaming and movies on my computer as well.

Right now I have a Dell 1905FP-- I am probably looking at a 22" Widescreen monitor but I can be convinced otherwise-- I just need more real estate than a 19" 4:3 monitor.

-Kevin

I've found most any LCD comfortable for programming (and I'm not just saying that because I'm too lazy to suggest anything specific). I mean, any recommended in the OP should be great for it, certainly.

The LG L227WT may be a good choice for you. It's a great choice for any kind of use except if you do a lot of Photoshop (even then it's better there than some TNs).

I personally have a 1920x1200 and 1680x1050 LCD and I am quite able to make use of both, being a prospective Comp Sci major myself.

You listed some 24" LCDs below. I think you should try the BenQ G2400W. It fits right in your budget and it's good for gaming. I believe 10e said it was more comfortable than the an MVA panel (FP241VW) for text use, so there you go. And yes the G2400W will be added to the Office Work category right now.

Thanks! So that cheaper Dell 248WT isn't as good as the G2400W?

Also, I am running a Dell 1905FP right now; which, from what I understand, uses an 8-bit S-PVA panel from Samsung. Will the picture on this monitor degrade any compared to my Dell monitor?

Thanks Man,
-Kevin

The E248 I don't think will hold a candle to the G2400W. Dell's E series are usually junk compared to the better models. (If you were wondering, your current Dell is miles ahead of the E series.)

You do bring up a good point though about your current monitor having a VA panel. You might notice a slightly less "even"-feeling panel (colors are very punchy on a TN and viewing angles are a little wacky). I can still tell you I'd use a 22" TN over 19" VA any day (personal experience), and thus probably a 24" TN as well. I think you will be pretty happy with it and get used to the slight viewing angle disadvantage (which probably won't be much of a problem for programming).

Gotcha-- jeez, if only I had $600 to blow, I could just get the best of both worlds in the 2408WFP .. I'll start watching the price of the E2400W-- I may wait until mid-summer since I wont be doing any programming until next semester (If I didn't have to find and buy a 32" LCD TV too (My old 36" CRT TV is doing a number on my shelving unit here in the dorm )

Thanks,
-Kevin

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Gotcha-- jeez, if only I had $600 to blow, I could just get the best of both worlds in the 2408WFP .. I'll start watching the price of the E2400W-- I may wait until mid-summer since I wont be doing any programming until next semester (If I didn't have to find and buy a 32" LCD TV too (My old 36" CRT TV is doing a number on my shelving unit here in the dorm )

Thanks,
-Kevin

Actually the 2408 would be wide gamut and brighter, both nearly counterproductive for programming.

 

[Sylar Powers]

Thanks to all those who commented on my posts and helped me.

I still can't decide, but I know I am going for 23-30 inchers. This recent 24" roundup helped (they also have other roundups of interest for other sizes):

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articl...display/24inch_25.html
X-bit labs - 24" LCD Monitors Roundup (page 25)

Might just get the iMac 24" + a TV and call it a day, but I am trying to save for the Mac Pro + a great 23-30" monitor-hopefully one that I can use my PS3 with as well.

 

[semisonic9]

For 24-26" monitors, the new Planar PX2611W Black 26" and what appears to be a rebadged version of the same OEM screen, the cheaperDoublesight DS-263N - 26" appear to be taking the performance crown from NEC and Dell by force.

They're both IPS panels with a 5ms response time, 500 nit brightness, input lag that's been enthusiast-tested as low as <1s, and a pricetag under $1k. In fact, the newer, (and constantly out-of-stock) Doublesight is going for only $699!

I know a few people out there were growing frustrated by the high price-tag of 22-24"+ monitors and their pitfalls for gaming applications. This newest-generation of panels may just be the all-singing, all-dancing monitor some of us have been looking for, at a pretty attainable price-point.

Hopefully once Newegg is back in stock, I'll be able to test one of these warlocks out for myself.

~Semi

 

[imported_qwester]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: qwester
I'm looking at the Benq G2400W for a mix of office work and multimedia (movie watching). No gaming. Price is attractive for a 24"er that has quite a bit of positive feedback.
Is there any particular reason why it's not included among the recommendations in the office work section, but is included for multimedia?! Any drawbacks the benq has for office work?
Thanx for the help.

The viewing angles might be a little annoying for office work, I suppose. But not any more so than for multimedia, so I guess I could add it.

One final question before I finalize my decision on the G2400W.
For my use, do you think it's worth taking a gamble on the Soyo DYLM24D6? (for a VA that's within my budget)

I've noticed from user experiences that the reliability and quality of the Soyo is quite questionable, but the ones who end up with a good one are pretty happy with them. The Soyo is tempting as a VA vs. a TN and at ~$100 less, but I am afraid of the headache it might cause me.

If the gains of a VA over a TN are minimal for my uses, I'd rather take the less risky way, and the G2400W is just within my budget ($400) anyway.

I have used TN and IPS panels, but never VAs, so I cannot really judge for myself

Thanx for the help