[Retired] The LCD Thread

[Rocketlucco]

Originally posted by: TempletonPeck

The LG L227WT is the #1 recommended gaming monitor in this thread and for good reason.

The input lag is non-existent on it and the response time is great.

The colours are good, very vibrant. It doesn't require too much calibration and there are a few good colour profiles available that work if you can't get it to where you want it yourself.

I can't say much to the HP, but for gaming I think the LG has it beat.

Thank you. However, something new has come up. I just realized that I do indeed have the funds to afford the BenQ 24 inch monitor mentioned in the first page of this thread.

How does the BenQ G2400W, 24" stack up against the LG L227WT?

I have heard that 24 inch monitors almost always have better color reproduction, contrast, and brightness than 22 inch monitors and if you can afford it, that it is almost always worth it to get the 24. Is this true in this situation?

If I can afford the BenQ should I definitely get that over the LG? Or is the LG still the #1 for gaming no matter what?

Thanks a ton

 

[10e]

I have seen it, and the 25.5" size on a TN panel gives you an extended color shift area at the top. 24" is the limit for TNs in my mind and even that is nearly stretching it.

I have tested the 2493HM vs. the BenQ G2400W. Other than physical looks and the stand, the BenQ basically beat it in nearly every category. The 2493hm is the same as the 2693hm except lower gamut and smaller.

It is a decent monitor but has the following caveats:

1) OSD buttons that are both nearly invisible and cannot be felt by touch. I don't care if I can see the buttons, but I'd like to feel them to adjust the screen which I do more often on a multi-input, multi-interface monitor.
2) HDMI port is barely usable on a HiDef device. 720p, 1080i, 1080p are all stretched to 16:10 from 16:9 making circles look tall and oblong, or there is AV mode which stretches the screen vertically to full height, preserves aspect ratio to almost exactly 16:9, but cuts off each side left and right. HDMI best reserved for PC where it supports 1920x1200 at least.
3) Some red push in dark grays makes them look brown.

Otherwise it's ok. I'd opt for the Doublesight DS-263N unless you are dead set against getting a monitor that is through online/mail order, or the 2493HM instead which is cheaper and the exact same thing.

The 160 degree viewing angle is more marketecture than truth. It is a far cry from the true viewing angles of other types of screens *-IPS, *VA. Only the horizontal viewing angle of this screen is probably truly close to 160.

Regards,

10e

Originally posted by: Woofmeister
Let's return to the issue of the Samsung 2693HM. This is a 25.5 inch TN panel with a claimed 160 degree viewing angle. Specs here. Very nice looking monitor with HDMI input.

Any one here seen one in the flesh?

 

[10e]

Originally posted by: xxceler8
The DS-263N seems like a great value, however I really wish it had some of the processing features of the BenQ's I've seen. Oh, and 120hz wouldn't hurt either.

I like the features the BenQ's have, but I won't buy a TN panel. Is there any models out or out in the near future that are IPS + 120hz ?

Yes, and they are all TVs. Panasonic and LG use IPS for TVs and have 120hz technology. 120hz is not a standard of video broadcast, it uses a processor to create "intermediary" frames. This is fine for watching fast paced video, but for computer use or any type of real gaming, it's not useful due to excessive lag increases caused by buffering and analyzing frames. No single link HDMI or DVI connection can transmit enough bandwidth to allow 1920x1200x120hz that I know of.

Look at the Doublesight DS-263N for an IPS monitor with good scaling and array of connections. Otherwise you may want to wait. Or look at the 26" NEC LCD2690WuXi-BKSV to have a fully calibrated, H-IPS solution.

Originally posted by: zod96
Also does LG make a 24 inch lcd that is glossy?

Only the L227WTG-PF is glossy and that's a 22". There W2452T and L246WH-BN are both matte TN panels.

 

[Dashel]

I cant give as detailed a review as many of the others here, but I thought I'd just mention I received my DoubleSight DS-263N yesterday and I'm very happy with it. It's looking the same as my old Dell 2001FP which I loved to death. I've played a little Unreal Tournament 3 on it and no lag is noticeable. I'll write some more later as I play with it

 

[Woofmeister]

Originally posted by: 10e
I have seen it, and the 25.5" size on a TN panel gives you an extended color shift area at the top. 24" is the limit for TNs in my mind and even that is nearly stretching it.

I have tested the 2493HM vs. the BenQ G2400W. Other than physical looks and the stand, the BenQ basically beat it in nearly every category. The 2493hm is the same as the 2693hm except lower gamut and smaller.

It is a decent monitor but has the following caveats:

1) OSD buttons that are both nearly invisible and cannot be felt by touch. I don't care if I can see the buttons, but I'd like to feel them to adjust the screen which I do more often on a multi-input, multi-interface monitor.
2) HDMI port is barely usable on a HiDef device. 720p, 1080i, 1080p are all stretched to 16:10 from 16:9 making circles look tall and oblong, or there is AV mode which stretches the screen vertically to full height, preserves aspect ratio to almost exactly 16:9, but cuts off each side left and right. HDMI best reserved for PC where it supports 1920x1200 at least.
3) Some red push in dark grays makes them look brown.

Otherwise it's ok. I'd opt for the Doublesight DS-263N unless you are dead set against getting a monitor that is through online/mail order, or the 2493HM instead which is cheaper and the exact same thing.

The 160 degree viewing angle is more marketecture than truth. It is a far cry from the true viewing angles of other types of screens *-IPS, *VA. Only the horizontal viewing angle of this screen is probably truly close to 160.

Regards,

10e

Originally posted by: Woofmeister
Let's return to the issue of the Samsung 2693HM. This is a 25.5 inch TN panel with a claimed 160 degree viewing angle. Specs here. Very nice looking monitor with HDMI input.

Any one here seen one in the flesh?

Thanks for the review 10e. I have to agree that HDMI is pretty useless on the 263M if it stretches native 1080p source material.

 

[zod96]

The LG 227WTG which is what I am using now is a really nice LCD. Yes its a TN panel but I'm not expert in 6 bit vs 8 bit panels. If you put a 6 bit next to an 8 bit I would be hard pressed to tell the difference I'm almost blind in one eye so I probably couldn't tell the difference. When I had my nec 20wmgx2 hooked up along side my new LG the only thing I noticed was the NEC was brighter than the LG, and the whites were more white on the NEC but that was it. Text and pictures looked the same to me on both monitors. Also where can I get a good ICM profile for the LG?

 

[GoofyFoot]

Regarding text and eyestrain, I found the following posting on Hardforum by Snowdog. Looks like 10e is familiar with the Benq G2400, although I have no idea if it's the same panel as the current G2400WD or G2400WAD. Do Snowdog's recommendations make sense to those of you who might have a better sense of the differences in these 24" and larger displays? Thanks.

From Snowdog's posting in the "best monitor to minimize eye strain - text based work" thread on Hardforum:

I have owned panels of each type. TN, PVA, IPS.

The major factors in eyestrain for me have been (in order of how bad they are):
1) Brightness: Most big screens have over bright back lights. When they do have powerful back lights, turning them down often still results in poor color rendition and the contrast looks hideous if you are further forced to use the LCD itself to limit the light coming through even more. Solution: Avoid anything with a back light rated over 300cd/m2.

2) PVA panel angular gamma shift. Most people aren't bothered by this, but this affects me quite a bit. The gamma shift with small viewing angle changes is strongest with *VA screens. This can cause each eye to see a slightly different image which can be perceived as 3D cues, your eyes tend to work harder trying to pull out the 3D object (like a magic 3d picture) and hence eyestrain. I stress this is rare. Solution: Get and TN or IPS screen.

3) Neon Colors. I have a Dell 3007-HC in front of me right now. HC stands for Hi-Color or some such nonsense. Basically it is in the trend of "wide Gamut" monitors which will tend to give you neon Reds and Greens. These colors can actually hurt to look at and represent significant problems trying to correct. Solution: Get a non-neon standard gamut panel

4) Excess strong AG (Anti-glare) treatment that looks like dust on your screen. Mainly noticeably as a blotchy/sparkly looking dust over white text. Annoying and probably increases eyestrain. Solution: Looks for smoother AG coatings.


Recommendations: (Controlled brightness, Non VA, Less sparkly, non-neon):

Dim to fairly bright environment: Benq G2400 (nice low powered back light) <$400
Fairly bright to very bright environment: NEC 2490 (more powerful back light ) >$1000

 

[zod96]

I have noticed on the LG that its anti glare coating (glossy) is much less than the NEC 20wmgx2

 

[Rur0ni]

I've been shopping for a new gaming monitor, and it would appear I'm stuck with my 90GX2.

This 90GX2 can do 75Hz native, and it's a night and day difference in FPS (CSS specifically). The L227WTG apparently cannot do 75Hz at native resolution (according to zod96). Before pulling the trigger on the LG, I've tried putting my 90GX2 at 60Hz, and it's just awful to try and play a game. If I enable V-Sync, it's still rough movement looking. Plus added input lag. I've tried playing with rendering buffers, and it helps, but it's still a very faint input lag added. If I go back to 75Hz, and enable V-Sync, it's very very silky smooth, but again, a faint input lag is introduced because of V-Sync. Unplayable for FPS. Any twitch shooter that is. So in sum, I prefer no vsync, and 75Hz.

I'm worried if I order the L227WTG, at 60Hz I will be disappointed if it looks like the 60Hz on this 90GX2.

So basically, am I stuck with this until some new widescreens can handle 75Hz+ at native?

 

[Rocketlucco]

So I've narrowed it down to three monitors now:

22 inch LG227WT
25 inch BenQ G2400W
24 inch Dell E248WFP

I've heard great thing about the LG and BenQ so thats where my tough decision lies right now. I haven't heard anything about that particular Dell model, so it's a wild card for me right now. I need to here more before either tossing it out or moving it up.

Both the BenQ and LG seems great. Too bad no one does comparisons of 24 vs 22 so I can't see how they stack up in color reproduction, vibrancy, and black quality.

Has anyone here seen both?

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: zod96
How is this product? http://www.staples.com/office/..._Supplies_10051_SEARCH

I've heard a lot of good things about it, and it seems safe, but either way I am unable to confirm its safety on anti-glare or glossy panels. I am not sure what the chemical formula of it is.

Originally posted by: zod96
Also does LG make a 24 inch lcd that is glossy?

I don't recall LG making any glossy displays until the L227WTG.

Originally posted by: xxceler8
The DS-263N seems like a great value, however I really wish it had some of the processing features of the BenQ's I've seen. Oh, and 120hz wouldn't hurt either.

I like the features the BenQ's have, but I won't buy a TN panel. Is there any models out or out in the near future that are IPS + 120hz ?

NEC has recently developed IPS panels with high refresh rates, and IPS Alpha (who makes IPS panels for TVs) also touts "180Hz". So we do know it's possible.

http://www.ips-alpha.co.jp/en/technology/wxga.html

I don't know quite where the 120Hz+ thing is headed; it seems like only BenQ is pushing it right now. Samsung released some LCDs like that (245T) but there is not much else.

What features are you talking about that the G2400W has that the DS-263N doesn't? The BenQs are indeed well-rounded but I thought the DS-263N was also up to par in that regard; I'm not sure though.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Rocketlucco
I read the thread and it was very informative, however I find myself overwhelmed by the amount of choices I have. My older 22 inch Sceptre monitor just broke and I want a replacement. My budget range is 250-350 dollars. I mostly game and do schoolwork on the monitor. Since school work is fine on any monitor, I guess my primary use is gaming. I should state however that I not notice any input lag in my games on my older 22inch or my 17inch Samsung, both of which had was 5ms response time.

I am trying to decide whether I should try and find a cheaper 24 inch or just go with a good 22 inch. Since there seem to be so many good choices according to the first post, especially for the 22inch, I was wondering if there was one that ended up getting recommended the most throughout the thread? Is there one that ended up reigning supreme?

As of now the two I am looking at are:

LG L227WT and the HPW2207

If anyone could comment on the differences (input lag and how the colors look) I would see between these two and which would be better for what I want that would be awesome.

Thanks a lot

I think you should stretch your budget and try a G2400W: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...16824014158&Tpk=g2400w

It might be available locally for cheaper.

But, the L227WTG(glossy) right now is really the king as far as I'm concerned, of 22" panels. I don't know of a matte version at least in the US. It should be even faster than your Sceptre, and have more vibrant color.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: GoofyFoot
Thanks, Gersson and xtnight. You've got me thinking about why I'm no longer happy with my Samsung 214T, which a lot of people liked and for good reason. I think it's because the compressed size of the type (1600 x 1200 in a 21" monitor) and how the overall pages are significantly smaller in native mode. But if I magnify it, I sacrifice clarity.

Also, these aren't the eyes of a 30-year-old anymore that are staring at the darned text on the screen for hours on end. So while the VX2435 that you mention is wider (1920 vs. 1600), it's not any taller (1200 in approximately 12.8 inches of vertical screen for both the VX2435 and my 214T). While I'd be able to fit a full two-page spread on the Viewsonic with room to spare, I suspect the type won't be much bigger.

Regarding Gersson's comment: "for text, I'd get the biggest screen I could afford", I've always worried that this would result in text that is more jagged, what with the larger pixel size. But maybe that's not correct, and I'm honestly willing to try anything, because my eyes are starting to seriously revolt (I already have reading glasses).

So if you have any suggestions, I'm very willing to look at anything. Maybe there's a 25" to 27" display that I should consider (the Viewsonic VX2835 is the same price as the VX2435, but doesn't get the finest of reviews).

There is the 30" 3007WFP-HC and Samsung 305T. I think I've read the 305T has the aggressive, dusty anti-glare coating.

With the 3007WFP-HC you could magnify your text, and you would really only increase clarity since it's easier to read and each character would have a higher AA when it's zoomed in. The 3007WFP-HC has the smallest dot pitch of almost any LCD out there, so do beware.

TNs tend to work OK for text, but at that kind of size it's hard to know how comfortable they'd be.

Originally posted by: gersson
well, Xtknight and myself are on the 2690 and I can say I don't notice or see any screen door effects. (I get the impression Xt' feels the same).

Try the doubleight...
BTW a 30" monitor has pretty nice dot pitch. (2560 1600)

The LCD26 has treated my eyes just fine, but then again I don't read small text for VERY extended periods of time.

I can see how the horizontal lines on the LCD26's panel, and the wide gamut, could bother some people. I haven't noticed SDE though (less than the 20WMGX2).

I found the VX2435 exceptionally comfortable, but I wasn't reading just black text on white background either.

The LCD2690 can perform amazing at lower brightnesses, which is definitely worth a mention. I think it's a likely candidate for anyone who needs to do a lot of text editing. The DS-263N might be a better value. I don't think it's worth getting the LCD26+ calibration suite for text use alone.

Originally posted by: Rocketlucco

Originally posted by: TempletonPeck

The LG L227WT is the #1 recommended gaming monitor in this thread and for good reason.

The input lag is non-existent on it and the response time is great.

The colours are good, very vibrant. It doesn't require too much calibration and there are a few good colour profiles available that work if you can't get it to where you want it yourself.

I can't say much to the HP, but for gaming I think the LG has it beat.

Thank you. However, something new has come up. I just realized that I do indeed have the funds to afford the BenQ 24 inch monitor mentioned in the first page of this thread.

How does the BenQ G2400W, 24" stack up against the LG L227WT?

I have heard that 24 inch monitors almost always have better color reproduction, contrast, and brightness than 22 inch monitors and if you can afford it, that it is almost always worth it to get the 24. Is this true in this situation?

If I can afford the BenQ should I definitely get that over the LG? Or is the LG still the #1 for gaming no matter what?

Thanks a ton

Get the BenQ if you want a big and fast panel. Get the LG if you want a medium-sized, extremely fast, and extremely vibrant glossy panel. I'd try the BenQ personally just due to the size, but if you don't think your video card can handle that then the LG is the way to go.

Originally posted by: zod96
The LG 227WTG which is what I am using now is a really nice LCD. Yes its a TN panel but I'm not expert in 6 bit vs 8 bit panels. If you put a 6 bit next to an 8 bit I would be hard pressed to tell the difference I'm almost blind in one eye so I probably couldn't tell the difference. When I had my nec 20wmgx2 hooked up along side my new LG the only thing I noticed was the NEC was brighter than the LG, and the whites were more white on the NEC but that was it. Text and pictures looked the same to me on both monitors. Also where can I get a good ICM profile for the LG?

There's one here: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2002685&enterthread=y

You might check HardForum for more.

Originally posted by: zod96
I have noticed on the LG that its anti glare coating (glossy) is much less than the NEC 20wmgx2

That's interesting. You mean the LG's glossy panel is less reflective?

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: GoofyFoot
Regarding text and eyestrain, I found the following posting on Hardforum by Snowdog. Looks like 10e is familiar with the Benq G2400, although I have no idea if it's the same panel as the current G2400WD or G2400WAD. Do Snowdog's recommendations make sense to those of you who might have a better sense of the differences in these 24" and larger displays? Thanks.

From Snowdog's posting in the "best monitor to minimize eye strain - text based work" thread on Hardforum:

I have owned panels of each type. TN, PVA, IPS.

The major factors in eyestrain for me have been (in order of how bad they are):
1) Brightness: Most big screens have over bright back lights. When they do have powerful back lights, turning them down often still results in poor color rendition and the contrast looks hideous if you are further forced to use the LCD itself to limit the light coming through even more. Solution: Avoid anything with a back light rated over 300cd/m2.

This is very true for older TNs although many VAs still have a higher contrast at lower brightnesses. Some don't. A lot of IPS panels aren't all that great at doing high contrast w/ low brightness, but the H-IPS ones seem better in this regard. Newer TNs seem great for text work.

2) PVA panel angular gamma shift. Most people aren't bothered by this, but this affects me quite a bit. The gamma shift with small viewing angle changes is strongest with *VA screens. This can cause each eye to see a slightly different image which can be perceived as 3D cues, your eyes tend to work harder trying to pull out the 3D object (like a magic 3d picture) and hence eyestrain. I stress this is rare. Solution: Get and TN or IPS screen.

That's very true for working with any type of complex image. I did not find it to be an issue when looking at an Excel spreadsheet of black text on a white background. In general I did not find it so much an eye strain source as a medium-sized annoyance with some material like images with lots of grays. The shift tends to make them look silvery, gaudy, and shiny as you move your head; quite annoying. VA panels can't really display a solid gray with any stability; they are probably worse than TNs in this regard.

3) Neon Colors. I have a Dell 3007-HC in front of me right now. HC stands for Hi-Color or some such nonsense. Basically it is in the trend of "wide Gamut" monitors which will tend to give you neon Reds and Greens. These colors can actually hurt to look at and represent significant problems trying to correct. Solution: Get a non-neon standard gamut panel

Yup this is very true. I know I just recommended you the 3007WFP-HC a few posts ago; that's because you're only dealing with black text. If it were anything else though, I would recommend against wide gamut panels. To be honest, I've found white to have a tinge but this has not been a real source of eye strain for me as much as it's just been something I've noticed. I think WG panels are fine for use, but buyer beware if you are doing other work for extended periods of time. In that case though, the LCD24 may fit the bill; it's a little smaller in size though, with the same resolution.

4) Excess strong AG (Anti-glare) treatment that looks like dust on your screen. Mainly noticeably as a blotchy/sparkly looking dust over white text. Annoying and probably increases eyestrain. Solution: Looks for smoother AG coatings.

I can confirm the LCD2690 has a very smooth, sharp, non-fuzzy AG coating. It's the best anti-glare coating I've ever seen. I can not say that for my ViewSonic VP930b. As I recall it, LG's panels have had nice matte coatings? As I said I believe the Samsung 305T has a fuzzy AG coating. The AG coating on Dells is very aggressive, usually, but I don't believe the 3007WFP-HC has that aggressive type? This might be a slight cause for eye strain, but I wouldn't be that concerned about it. You would probably just get used to it.

Recommendations: (Controlled brightness, Non VA, Less sparkly, non-neon):

Dim to fairly bright environment: Benq G2400 (nice low powered back light) <$400
Fairly bright to very bright environment: NEC 2490 (more powerful back light ) >$1000

I like these recommendations as well, but since you're not working with anything but black-on-white, I think wide gamut displays like the 3007WFP-HC and NEC 2690 are also an option for you. The VX2435 I used did have a more aggressive AG coating than my LCD2690, and I found color shift an issue for anything except text. It also had a very bright backlight, although this was adjustable and it was still very high contrast at low brightnesses. It's hard to know but perhaps the LCD2490 or LCD2690 are safer options. I know they're better options for anything else, pretty much.

It might have been the lower dot pitch and standard white that I liked on the VX2435, in which case, the LCD2490 would fit the bill perfectly for you. The G2400W is a very likely competitor as well, and I also don't think the NEC is worth it, for text use, unless you are in a brighter environment.

 

[Rocketlucco]

Originally posted by: xtknight
Get the BenQ if you want a big and fast panel. Get the LG if you want a medium-sized, extremely fast, and extremely vibrant glossy panel. I'd try the BenQ personally just due to the size, but if you don't think your video card can handle that then the LG is the way to go.

One question:

1. The way you put it you make it seem that the only advantage the BenQ has is its size? When you say that the LG is vibrant do you mean that it looks better than the BenQ in term of colors? Because if the LG is a better looking monitor and a faster one, I wouldn't mind sacrificing the two inches. I have a good enough video card for the 24 inch BenQ, but I want to make sure the quality of the picture and the colors are as good as the LG.

Size is less of an issue to me than colors, vibrancy, black levels, and generally how nice the picture looks. Basically if I had both the LG and BenQ side by side, and looked at both screens, I would want to choose the monitor that made me say "hey this one has a nicer looking picture than the other one"

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Rocketlucco
One question:

1. The way you put it you make it seem that the only advantage the BenQ has is its size? When you say that the LG is vibrant do you mean that it looks better than the BenQ in term of colors? Because if the LG is a better looking monitor and a faster one, I wouldn't mind sacrificing the two inches. I have a good enough video card for the 24 inch BenQ, but I want to make sure the quality of the picture and the colors are as good as the LG.

No, not really. I mean the BenQ also has great default colors. The LG's glossy panel just makes them seem overvibrant, if that's what you like. The BenQ's are certainly faithful though and I'd probably prefer the AG panel to tell you the truth.

The glossy panel can make darker games seem funner, in the light. Other than that, it tends to make things look a little too vibrant. My only reference is a glossy NEC 20WMGX2, which supposedly has a lot more glossy than the L227WTG, so it's hard for me to tell you. Can you check the L227WT out locally at a Best Buy, against some other matte panels? There are a lot of fluorescent lights at Best Buy which might cause more reflection than at home, but I find the main issue with glossy panels to not be reflection but simply overvibrance.

Size is less of an issue to me than colors, vibrancy, black levels, and generally how nice the picture looks. Basically if I had both the LG and BenQ side by side, and looked at both screens, I would want to choose the monitor that made me say "hey this one has a nicer looking picture than the other one"

Well you'd probably be looking at the LG then. It is wide gamut, which the BenQ is not. That's going to make webpages look extremely gaudy on the LG, if you don't have a profile to correct them. But I use a profile with my WG LCD26 and find it fine. And the wide gamut is nice for gaming and movies alike. The glossy panel and wide gamut of the LG would almost certainly cause anyone to think the LG is a more vibrant display over a matte/sRGB panel. If that's what you're in for, then I think the choice is clear.

The LG's black level would probably look darker due to the glossy panel, which I also find helps with dark color reproduction.

I think the BenQ would look very vibrant on its own; it's not an issue of nonvibrant-vs-vibrant so much as it is vibrant-vs-gaudy. If you're into the extremely saturated colors though then the LG is definitely for you. I can't say if the LG looks more vibrant or simply 'too' vibrant as I haven't used it in real life.

I can't say my glossy IPS has any innate advantage over my matte IPS for dark gaming, however, at least in the dark. The glossy does make black seem very dark when there is ambient light.

P.S. I don't mean "gaudy" as bad, because for some people gaudy may as well just be "more accurate". That's just a term that "purists" would use.

 

[zod96]

Yeah the glossy treatment on the LG seems a little thinner than that of the nec. Its still glossy but not quite as mirror finish as the nec. Its like the NEC used 2 coats of glossy treatment while the LG used 1, which is fine imo...

 

[Rocketlucco]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Rocketlucco
One question:

1. The way you put it you make it seem that the only advantage the BenQ has is its size? When you say that the LG is vibrant do you mean that it looks better than the BenQ in term of colors? Because if the LG is a better looking monitor and a faster one, I wouldn't mind sacrificing the two inches. I have a good enough video card for the 24 inch BenQ, but I want to make sure the quality of the picture and the colors are as good as the LG.

No, not really. I mean the BenQ also has great default colors. The LG's glossy panel just makes them seem overvibrant, if that's what you like. The BenQ's are certainly faithful though and I'd probably prefer the AG panel to tell you the truth.

The glossy panel can make darker games seem funner, in the light. Other than that, it tends to make things look a little too vibrant. My only reference is a glossy NEC 20WMGX2, which supposedly has a lot more glossy than the L227WTG, so it's hard for me to tell you. Can you check the L227WT out locally at a Best Buy, against some other matte panels? There are a lot of fluorescent lights at Best Buy which might cause more reflection than at home, but I find the main issue with glossy panels to not be reflection but simply overvibrance.

Size is less of an issue to me than colors, vibrancy, black levels, and generally how nice the picture looks. Basically if I had both the LG and BenQ side by side, and looked at both screens, I would want to choose the monitor that made me say "hey this one has a nicer looking picture than the other one"

Well you'd probably be looking at the LG then. It is wide gamut, which the BenQ is not. That's going to make webpages look extremely gaudy on the LG, if you don't have a profile to correct them. But I use a profile with my WG LCD26 and find it fine. And the wide gamut is nice for gaming and movies alike. The glossy panel and wide gamut of the LG would almost certainly cause anyone to think the LG is a more vibrant display over a matte/sRGB panel. If that's what you're in for, then I think the choice is clear.

The LG's black level would probably look darker due to the glossy panel, which I also find helps with dark color reproduction.

I think the BenQ would look very vibrant on its own; it's not an issue of nonvibrant-vs-vibrant so much as it is vibrant-vs-gaudy. If you're into the extremely saturated colors though then the LG is definitely for you. I can't say if the LG looks more vibrant or simply 'too' vibrant as I haven't used it in real life.

I can't say my glossy IPS has any innate advantage over my matte IPS for dark gaming, however, at least in the dark. The glossy does make black seem very dark when there is ambient light.

P.S. I don't mean "gaudy" as bad, because for some people gaudy may as well just be "more accurate". That's just a term that "purists" would use.

Thanks a ton. You provided a lot of really great info and I appreciate it a lot. Unfortunately you've really made my choice even more difficult because both of these monitors really sound great.

I don't have a best buy near me really. I guess I can hope that someone in this thread has seen both the BenQ and LG in person and comment on the differences.

From what you said I am leaning towards the BenQ, because it sounds like it has just as good quality, without the risk of being overvibrant which could be bad in some situations. Also the BenQ is bigger, which is always a plus.

But yea, I really hope someone who has seen both monitors can respond and let me know what they think and hopefully that will make my purchase easier

 

[zod96]

Ok I just set a custom resolution with the LG using nvidia control panel. I set the refresh rate to 75 at 1680x1050 and it seems to be working. Is it ok to use a refresh rate that the LCD says is not supported, even though it seems to be working?

 

[Rur0ni]

Originally posted by: zod96
Ok I just set a custom resolution with the LG using nvidia control panel. I set the refresh rate to 75 at 1680x1050 and it seems to be working. Is it ok to use a refresh rate that the LCD says is not supported, even though it seems to be working?

Is it showing 75Hz in the OSD?

And I've never heard of it hurting LCDs. Though maybe someone else has? I just know I may be able to get the monitor afterall!

 

[zod96]

Ok this is strange, in the nvidia control panel and the regular windows control panel its showing 75hz, but when I hit the OSD on the LG it shows 60hz :-( so what does that mean?

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: zod96
Ok this is strange, in the nvidia control panel and the regular windows control panel its showing 75hz, but when I hit the OSD on the LG it shows 60hz :-( so what does that mean?

It means that Windows is retarded, basically. It lets you use refresh rates that don't even exist. When you force it, it just tells you you're using it when you're not; very useful right? (Maybe for placebo effect...)

The GDI (Windows controls) might be running at 75 Hz, but who knows. That would be pretty useless because 75 is not a multiple of 60 and you'd get jagged motion when the actual output is 60 Hz!

Even if you actually tried to drive it at 75 Hz thru the video card with PowerStrip, it probably would not damage the LCD.

 

[zod96]

Hum, you mean if I used powerstrip I could actually set it to 75hz and then use the OSD of the LCD and it would in fact show 75hz?

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: zod96
Hum, you mean if I used powerstrip I could actually set it to 75hz and then use the OSD of the LCD and it would in fact show 75hz?

You know, the best answer is just to try it. I really don't know if it will or not; I've had mixed experiences myself.

 

[Rocketlucco]

Just ordered the BenQ 2400W monitor

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824014158

I'm crossing my fingers that I enjoy it, because I've had nothing but bad experiences with monitors thus so far.