[Retired] The LCD Thread

[Ingenuitor]

Originally posted by: ZealPath
Well I have to say, it was great to finally be pointed to this thread as it seems like quite a fountain of knowledge, hopefully someone has some suggestions for me.

I have had some pretty notorious difficulties making the adjustment from CRT to LCD. I'm not one of those "oh I'll just wait until the next technology" type people, I really want to like LCDs, so far it just seems like they don't like me. One thing that has always been an issue for me is readability, I do play a lot of games, but games have never been the issue, quite the opposite. I would say that I've always thought that the LCDs I have tried have enhanced my gaming experiences, the only problem is, they have all but destroyed my browing/reading experiences, and for someone who likes to kill time at places like Wikipedia, that just doesn't work for me.

So I would say that text is the priority here, size wise, I still use a 17" CRT at 1024x768, so I'm hoping to upgrade a little, 22" seems to be the best size for me at this point for the better dot pitch at 1680x1050, compared to how it would be smaller on a 20"er. I guess by the same token, a 26" at 1900x1200 could work, though I have never used a monitor at that resolution before. Honestly I wish I could use a solution as simple as lowering the resolution but going below the native resolution completely kills the crispness on an LCD in my experiences so far.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone out there has had similar problems with reading and has found an LCD that they like, I believe the vast majority of the LCDs I have tried in the past have been TN panels, and the bad viewing angles are another thing that drove me nuts. This is one thing I know I can work around now by using one of the other panel types, so I would certainly like to hear suggestions for VA or IPS panels. The last LCD that I tried was a 22" Dell (don't remember the exact model name), seemed very cheap and for just a little while, it didn't bug the hell out of me, but it wasn't long before the bad viewing angles and difficulty reading text got the better of me and it got packaged up and returned.

I wish I could try out the LCD2690WUXi just to see what it is like, not exactly the kind of monitor I'm going to find on display at a place like Best Buy huh. :laugh:

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Hello I have two of the LCD2690WUXi's in my small home studio, whereas I just got these units, they seem good. However they are super bright, I turned the brightness all the way down and I would like to turn it down some more if I could. I will say NEC is an amazing company though and very easy to deal with when it comes to support.

I wonder if there is better at this size, seems medical grade are the best, but very costly. Also I hear good things about the HP Dream Color. 1 billion colors in a 30-bit, LED-backlit display, designed for Dream Works Animation SKG Inc. I'm going to be testing these next, before making a final purchase.

Good luck with you search, this forum has definitely helped me narrow my choices.

 

[betmen]

hello guys,

I've just saw this link: http://www.engadget.com/2009/0...ed-king-of-22-inchers/
do any of you have met this LCD? dell claims it to have IPS panel, and if yes it is going to be good replacement for my 2007wfp

 

[thestain]

xtknight,

just writing to make request. with the recession and all, any way to add a budget category or to include more of the less expensive lcd monitors? see some cheaper ones on newegg now, unfortunately many appear to have tn screens.

hoping to see reviews of 24-28 inch screens in budget price category that also has multiple inputs for movies and net surfing.

for example, these asus monitors for sale on newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824236046

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824236047

http://c1.neweggimages.com/New...mage/24-236-047-12.jpg

i am hoping to get the connection possibilities like the ones asus offers. i am putting a few systems together for friends in next few weeks and they would be for close up work siting in front and for watching movies from about ten feet away with lcd on top of desk in small appartment. Could a tn panel work for this purpose? What monitors would work in budget price range?

thanks for all you have done.

Mike

 

[JETninja]

Someone asked about cleaning LCD's (xtknight, a teeshirt? Those often are not 100% cotten!!!!)

Stock up on some Microfiber Towels.....They are sold everywhere now, usually in the Auto Section like at Target & Walmart (though it's showing up in the cleaning supplies section finally)

They cannot scratch (unless something is buried in the fibers), I use them (with quick detailer) on my cars, on my sun and reading glasses, on my LCD's & my 61" LcOS 1080P set. Just use some warm water on one, and a large dry one to dry it it. Take about 30 seconds and is about the best thing you can use, and they are quite affordable too.

 

[gorobei]

Originally posted by: gorobei

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Exclusive
xtknight,

The Dell 2408WFP (A01 Rev) has majorly decreased the input lag from 60 ~ 70ms to 30 ~ 35ms.

That's good to hear. I will try and find a source for this and fix the input lag measurement in the OP.

I have the A01 2408wfp. a cursory runthru of the lagom tests, shows anywhere from 25-60ms lag on the quick response times(grey tones cycling squares with squares). some are close to -10, most are around -25, and one or two in the -60 range of color shift.

i have some contract work due next week so i haven't gotten around to breaking out my digital camera or crt for the ghosting or input lag test. I'm working through the weekend and should finish up next week. i'll post some pics of the tests then.

OK. results in.
on the lagom input lag test. (the clock one)
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/3357/p1000678xk1.jpg
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/8438/p1000676yk9.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/5373/p1000675za6.jpg
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/7403/p1000673ne2.jpg
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/6605/p1000672em6.jpg
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/4563/p1000668sg3.jpg
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/3058/p1000667sq1.jpg
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/3162/p1000665ik2.jpg

average is 1 to 2 frames lag for 60hz/fps. so 17 to 34 ms input lag.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: samduhman
What would be a nice replacement for my 22" Samsung 226bw newegg link

It's been a great monitor but I'm ready for something bigger. I would like one that's great for FPS gaming (I can't stand ghosting at all). It can be a 24" if its awesome for gaming and picture looks fantastic but I'd assume Im looking more at the 26" range for a decent upgrade from a 22", no? I would prefer to stay around $300 to $500. If that won't cover it what price range am I looking at so I can start saving?

One additional comment. A 22" is actually a 20" stretched? I don't want a stretched screen this time. I want my pixels tight!

Even 24" is definitely a decent upgrade due to resolution.

I think 26" is a bit big for a TN thus my gravitating towards recommending you a 24" instead if you're going for one of the cheaper TN types.

The HP LP2475w is my first and foremost recommendation, followed by the BenQ G2400WD. I'd personally recommend saving up for the HP; I really think it's worth it. That's what I would do. It gives you wider viewing angles, great color, and the same response time (albeit with a little more input lag). But I would gladly take the slight input lag (which I would likely get used to) for the other advantages. I have a screen with equal or more lag (LCD2690) and can tell you I would never go to a 26" TN from that unless the only thing I did was game.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: middlepath
I've decided to buy the 2490WUXi but here's a quick question: from which vendor is my best bet in terms of returning the display in the case of dead pixels, etc.? I see that B&H and PC Connection have better pricing than Newegg (which is linked from this thread). Any advice?

Much thanks.

I know that Dell has a return policy for any LCD you order from them where you can return it within 21 days for any reason ("Total Satisfaction Guarantee"). Should be described here:

http://www.dell.com/content/to...=en&s=dhs&~section=018

It says 21 days for unopened but I know that many people exchanged for refurbs and got back good units. Call them for details, I guess.

As for other retailers, you can search this thread for the word merchant or retailer and come up with something else, I'm sure. I'm sorry I just can't remember at this moment. I think that NCIXUS has good policies.

Originally posted by: aceO07
Just to update, I bought my HP lp2475w (from Amazon) a couple of weeks ago.

Unfortunately, I got one with green/pink tinting. It's green tinting on the left half of the screen and pink on the right half. The tint gets stronger near the edges. It's noticeable on white, gray backgrounds. Harder to tell on movies or mixed backgrounds. The reds are very pronounced. I also got 1 bright pixel in the middle of the screen.

I'm going to call HP and get it exchanged.

Well I hope that you get a good replacement. As far as I have heard though HP has been steadfast on getting people replacements.

 

[Paladin]

I got my HP 2475w a couple of days ago. I bought it from Provantage.com, it's a Oct 2008 build, with the GIG 122 revison. No Pink/Green hue issues, text looks great.

This monitor is absolutely gorgeous!! I've tweaked it on the OSD according to TFTCentral's recommendations, and am using the ICC profile from there too.

Wife originally thought it was too large (coming from 19" crt). But now loves it.
Played a couple games, no ghosting, input lag that I can notice.

I'd definitely recommend spending a couple hundred extra over the 24" TN panels.

 

[Ingenuitor]

Originally posted by: Ingenuitor

Originally posted by: ZealPath
Well I have to say, it was great to finally be pointed to this thread as it seems like quite a fountain of knowledge, hopefully someone has some suggestions for me.

I have had some pretty notorious difficulties making the adjustment from CRT to LCD. I'm not one of those "oh I'll just wait until the next technology" type people, I really want to like LCDs, so far it just seems like they don't like me. One thing that has always been an issue for me is readability, I do play a lot of games, but games have never been the issue, quite the opposite. I would say that I've always thought that the LCDs I have tried have enhanced my gaming experiences, the only problem is, they have all but destroyed my browing/reading experiences, and for someone who likes to kill time at places like Wikipedia, that just doesn't work for me.

So I would say that text is the priority here, size wise, I still use a 17" CRT at 1024x768, so I'm hoping to upgrade a little, 22" seems to be the best size for me at this point for the better dot pitch at 1680x1050, compared to how it would be smaller on a 20"er. I guess by the same token, a 26" at 1900x1200 could work, though I have never used a monitor at that resolution before. Honestly I wish I could use a solution as simple as lowering the resolution but going below the native resolution completely kills the crispness on an LCD in my experiences so far.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone out there has had similar problems with reading and has found an LCD that they like, I believe the vast majority of the LCDs I have tried in the past have been TN panels, and the bad viewing angles are another thing that drove me nuts. This is one thing I know I can work around now by using one of the other panel types, so I would certainly like to hear suggestions for VA or IPS panels. The last LCD that I tried was a 22" Dell (don't remember the exact model name), seemed very cheap and for just a little while, it didn't bug the hell out of me, but it wasn't long before the bad viewing angles and difficulty reading text got the better of me and it got packaged up and returned.

I wish I could try out the LCD2690WUXi just to see what it is like, not exactly the kind of monitor I'm going to find on display at a place like Best Buy huh. :laugh:

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Hello I have two of the LCD2690WUXi's in my small home studio, whereas I just got these units, they seem good. However they are super bright, I turned the brightness all the way down and I would like to turn it down some more if I could. I will say NEC is an amazing company though and very easy to deal with when it comes to support.

I wonder if there is better at this size, seems medical grade are the best, but very costly. Also I hear good things about the HP Dream Color. 1 billion colors in a 30-bit, LED-backlit display, designed for Dream Works Animation SKG Inc. I'm going to be testing these next, before making a final purchase.

Good luck with you search, this forum has definitely helped me narrow my choices.

Here is an update to my ongoing testing of two LCD2690WUXi panels. I find these panels actually hurt my eyes after only a few days of use and seem to be way too bright even when I have the brightness turned all the way down. They are both calibrated to the T. using NEC's calibration tools and have great color saturation, but I think they may even be too big for the distance I'm sitting at. I have not found a way to add an image for reference to show my setup on this forum. However I have this all setup at around 1 1/2" - 2" feet away from my eyes, both in center points titled inward to create a wrapping effect.

They do work very well when showing photos, graphic designs and respond quickly to a KVM switch. Both are setup @ 1920 x 1200 on DVI-1 60-75hz.

I'm not sure they would work for me long-term, they may cause long tern eye strain. I noticed at the end of the day various items around the office are little more hazy than when I was even using my 20.1" laptop monitor, yes laptop, WSXGA+ with Crystal Bright LCD. That monitor did not hurt my eyes during long term use. These almost trick you into thinking they are 3D, I get this kind of floating effect in my head, not sure if I would get used to it, or if they are simply not for my applications.

Again this is just my findings so far after a few days of use, any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps I need to look at other sources or get smaller screens to see if that makes any difference.

 

[theslug]

This is a calibration/color management question. I have the Eyeone LT colorimeter and I'm using both a CRT and LCD on the same system. Should I use the x-rite software to create an ICC profile? Does a profile actually allow the screen to display more accurate colors/grayscale? I guess I'm not sure what the profile actually does since monitors have their own built-in adjustments as well.

 

[samduhman]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: samduhman
What would be a nice replacement for my 22" Samsung 226bw newegg link

It's been a great monitor but I'm ready for something bigger. I would like one that's great for FPS gaming (I can't stand ghosting at all). It can be a 24" if its awesome for gaming and picture looks fantastic but I'd assume Im looking more at the 26" range for a decent upgrade from a 22", no? I would prefer to stay around $300 to $500. If that won't cover it what price range am I looking at so I can start saving?

One additional comment. A 22" is actually a 20" stretched? I don't want a stretched screen this time. I want my pixels tight!

Even 24" is definitely a decent upgrade due to resolution.

I think 26" is a bit big for a TN thus my gravitating towards recommending you a 24" instead if you're going for one of the cheaper TN types.

The HP LP2475w is my first and foremost recommendation, followed by the BenQ G2400WD. I'd personally recommend saving up for the HP; I really think it's worth it. That's what I would do. It gives you wider viewing angles, great color, and the same response time (albeit with a little more input lag). But I would gladly take the slight input lag (which I would likely get used to) for the other advantages. I have a screen with equal or more lag (LCD2690) and can tell you I would never go to a 26" TN from that unless the only thing I did was game.

Thanks xtknight. I'm going for the HP.

 

[Painman]

Originally posted by: IngenuitorHere is an update to my ongoing testing of two LCD2690WUXi panels. I find these panels actually hurt my eyes after only a few days of use and seem to be way too bright even when I have the brightness turned all the way down. They are both calibrated to the T. using NEC's calibration tools and have great color saturation, but I think they may even be too big for the distance I'm sitting at. I have not found a way to add an image for reference to show my setup on this forum. However I have this all setup at around 1 1/2" - 2" feet away from my eyes, both in center points titled inward to create a wrapping effect.

They do work very well when showing photos, graphic designs and respond quickly to a KVM switch. Both are setup @ 1920 x 1200 on DVI-1 60-75hz.

I'm not sure they would work for me long-term, they may cause long tern eye strain. I noticed at the end of the day various items around the office are little more hazy than when I was even using my 20.1" laptop monitor, yes laptop, WSXGA+ with Crystal Bright LCD. That monitor did not hurt my eyes during long term use. These almost trick you into thinking they are 3D, I get this kind of floating effect in my head, not sure if I would get used to it, or if they are simply not for my applications.

Again this is just my findings so far after a few days of use, any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps I need to look at other sources or get smaller screens to see if that makes any difference.

I don't understand why NEC ships these panels with the brightness turned up so high that it burns rectangles into your retinas, but they do... I had the same problem out of the box, but you're saying that they are still too bright, even with the brightness turned all the way down? The minimum luminance setting for the display is 50 Cd/m² (est.), which isn't very bright at all... are your eyes particularly sensitive? Are you using the Auto Brightness function? (Don't).

Try this: Get into the advanced OSD menu (turn off the display, then power it back on while depressing the Input button, then enter the OSD menu, it should show a new one now with 14 tabs, 1 through E). On the first tab of the advanced OSD there should be a selection called Auto Luminance. Set it to level 1 or level 3; this will kill Auto Brightness (if it's been enabled) and change your Brightness setting scale into an estimate of Candela output instead of a baseless percentage. 140 Cd/m² is fairly standard for photo editing work, so tab back up to your brightness setting now and choose something, say, in the 130-150 Cd/m² range, and see if that's easier on your eyes.

Hope that helps. I keep my 2690 set for a target luminance of 140, and I never get eye strain problems from staring at it for long periods.

 

[Triplehammer]

The Samsung 2233rz is now available from Tigerdirect and CompUSA as part of a $600 bundle that includes the new nVidia 3D Vision goggles. Early reports from the hardforum thread, here:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1387713

is that it is a true 120Hz LCD display. This single fact would put it at the top of the Hardcore Gaming list. Being 120Hz may even make it the ONLY Hardcore Gaming choice.

 

[lookouthere]

what kind of panel is Acer P241waid monitor?

 

[Painman]

Originally posted by: lookouthere
what kind of panel is Acer P241waid monitor?

You mean P241W? It's a TN.

Info found here

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: ZX81
Any alternative to the LG L227WTG-PF ???

both bestbuy.ca and futureshop.ca are out of stock and the LGs dont seem to be equivalent

Can you recommend another 22" widescreen glossy, preferably with rectangular shape as I'm planning on nesting 4 of them together

thanks

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/...&langid=EN&catid=26175

http://www.futureshop.ca/catal...&langid=EN&catid=25074

The HP w2207h is a good alternative.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: icered
I was planning on getting a Benq E2200 HD Flat panel this weekend(My first transition from a CRT to a flat panel)
Specs are as below:
21.5" viewable
16:9 Aspect Ratio
1920x1080 Native resolution
5ms Response time
DVI-D with hdcp
HDMI port

Benq E2200HD

While I was at the store I found out there was a cheaper version of the same monitor - the Benq T2200 HD. Its the same as its slightly more expensive brethren minus the HDMI port, the crappy speakers, the Senseye+Photo image tech and possibly the overdrive mechanism(Benq calls its AMA I guess)

Benq T2200HD

Now the price difference between the two is about $30. My question is whether it is better to go for the cheaper version(the T2200HD which doesn't have the HDMI port)? Reading through forum posts I gather its easy to get an DVI-HDMI adapter if I need to, say connect a PS3/XBOX-360. (I don't own a console right now, but I might after, say 5-6 months)

Yeah a DVI-HDMI adapter should work. I think it's worth paying the extra for AMA (overdrive). Otherwise it might feel like you're using 5-years-old LCD response technology.

My second question is supposing I do get the DVI-HDMI adapter for the T2200 HD, what about audio? I have a logitech x-540 5.1 setup. How do I route multi-channel audio to the speaker set then?

That depends on the outputs of your console. If it has Dolby output that hook this up to a receiver. Otherwise you might be stuck with stereo. I'm not sure there's anything to "grab" audio from the HDMI and even then it seems you'd need a receiver (Dolby decoder) to get 5.1.

My third question is if indeed I get the E2200 HD (which has the HDMI port), how do I route the audio to my speaker system?(This monitor comes with a set of crappy speakers built-in).

What do you guys think?

Thanks,
-IceRed

The E2200HD doesn't have audio output (at least not 5.1), so you'd have to come up with some other solution.

Check this out: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hard.../x/xbox360hdmiavcable/

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: ZealPath
Well I have to say, it was great to finally be pointed to this thread as it seems like quite a fountain of knowledge, hopefully someone has some suggestions for me.

I have had some pretty notorious difficulties making the adjustment from CRT to LCD. I'm not one of those "oh I'll just wait until the next technology" type people, I really want to like LCDs, so far it just seems like they don't like me. One thing that has always been an issue for me is readability, I do play a lot of games, but games have never been the issue, quite the opposite. I would say that I've always thought that the LCDs I have tried have enhanced my gaming experiences, the only problem is, they have all but destroyed my browing/reading experiences, and for someone who likes to kill time at places like Wikipedia, that just doesn't work for me.

So I would say that text is the priority here, size wise, I still use a 17" CRT at 1024x768, so I'm hoping to upgrade a little, 22" seems to be the best size for me at this point for the better dot pitch at 1680x1050, compared to how it would be smaller on a 20"er. I guess by the same token, a 26" at 1900x1200 could work, though I have never used a monitor at that resolution before. Honestly I wish I could use a solution as simple as lowering the resolution but going below the native resolution completely kills the crispness on an LCD in my experiences so far.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone out there has had similar problems with reading and has found an LCD that they like, I believe the vast majority of the LCDs I have tried in the past have been TN panels, and the bad viewing angles are another thing that drove me nuts. This is one thing I know I can work around now by using one of the other panel types, so I would certainly like to hear suggestions for VA or IPS panels. The last LCD that I tried was a 22" Dell (don't remember the exact model name), seemed very cheap and for just a little while, it didn't bug the hell out of me, but it wasn't long before the bad viewing angles and difficulty reading text got the better of me and it got packaged up and returned.

I wish I could try out the LCD2690WUXi just to see what it is like, not exactly the kind of monitor I'm going to find on display at a place like Best Buy huh. :laugh:

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Yeah TNs are actually worse for general use than multimedia in my opinion.

Maybe something like the HP LP2475w or Dell 2408WFP. Maybe the HP L2275w or Lenovo L220x, also? See what you think of these models... (yes, all wide gamut)

And BTW the greenish wide gamut backlight of the LCD26 bothered me for reading. But the LCD24 (albeit with smaller pixels) could be a better choice. Personally I recommend a VA 22", preferably at normal gamut (which unfortunately does not exist on the US market to my knowledge). Both 22" VAs I listed, which are basically the only two on the market besides the expensive Eizo S2231W, are also wide gamut.

I'm just telling you that wide gamut bothered me for reading black on white. You might even like it better, I'd never know. I'm not sure I can make your decision any easier. I hear that the BenQ G2400WD is good for text, but it's a TN. There's no silver bullet here.

I found 20.1" LCDs hard for text but 22" LCDs are quite decent with regards to text size. If the wide gamut bothers you you might have to move to 24" to get a non-TN panel. Even at that size, finding a non-wide-gamut monitor is difficult, but the NEC LCD2490 is one example. Try to find out if wide gamut would bother you by looking at WG LCDs at your local store.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: ungco
Hi people, I'm not really in a dire predicament, but I think some advice would be helpful.

Basically, I'm currently running off my laptop (XPS M1710) screen to do all my work and various multimedia activities. I'm studying graphic design and animation, so I guess colour reproduction would be one of the more important (if not most) factor in my purchase of a secondary display - the only problem is budget constraints. I've only got AU$500 to spend on the thing, which is approximately $350US give or take, so I know I won't be able to get the most brilliant display. After reading countless reviews and having measured the costs, I decided upon the BenQ G2400WT (considering it has the versatile stand and similar display to the V2400W). Still haven't bought it yet though, and since then I found out about the Dell 2209WA, which comes with an IPS panel according to the Australian Dell website. Of course, being a new display, reviews are scarce and I'm reticent to just go by the Cnet review.

So, question is, would it be advisable to wait out for more reviews before I decide or just straight out go for one of them? I love the luxury of the large screen and amount of pixels on the BenQ (and after seeing it in person, was rather impressed), but the IPS screen and reported accuracy of colour on the Dell gives me pause.

On top of my studies, I'm also doing a bit of freelance work on the side, so take that as you will. I don't play many games (the one I play most is Solitaire), but do watch a few movies.

Thanks for reading!

I would go for the IPS Dell panel even in absence of reviews. I don't think it will have serious issues, and in the worst case AFAIK Dell will allow you to return it.

Originally posted by: var89

Originally posted by: xtknight


What research exactly led you to that conclusion?

I'm not sure IPS TVs are the cat's meow. And really you shouldn't resort to using a huge-pixeled TV just because it's an IPS panel.

Why not try something like the HP LP2475w? Surely that's around the same price or cheaper than the TVs you're looking at. If you want a photo editing quality monitor you also need a good dot pitch and you can't get that from the bigger TVs.

Well, in that case what is the difference between an LCD TV and a LCD monitor.
If i take let's say 1366 x 768 resolution for '26' inch, that means it has bigger pixels and if i take '22' inch having same resolution means it has smaller pixels. correct me if i'm wrong.

If that is the case then I can't use TV as my Monitor.

LCD TVs generally have bigger pixels and may do other color processing which means it's the brakes for any type of photo editing. It's very hard to ensure that an LCD TV is fit for photo editing use or color accuracy as it is not meant for that but instead meant for media demanding the highest contrast possible regardless of accuracy.

1366x768 at 22" does have smaller pixels than 26".

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Ingenuitor

Originally posted by: ZealPath
Well I have to say, it was great to finally be pointed to this thread as it seems like quite a fountain of knowledge, hopefully someone has some suggestions for me.

I have had some pretty notorious difficulties making the adjustment from CRT to LCD. I'm not one of those "oh I'll just wait until the next technology" type people, I really want to like LCDs, so far it just seems like they don't like me. One thing that has always been an issue for me is readability, I do play a lot of games, but games have never been the issue, quite the opposite. I would say that I've always thought that the LCDs I have tried have enhanced my gaming experiences, the only problem is, they have all but destroyed my browing/reading experiences, and for someone who likes to kill time at places like Wikipedia, that just doesn't work for me.

So I would say that text is the priority here, size wise, I still use a 17" CRT at 1024x768, so I'm hoping to upgrade a little, 22" seems to be the best size for me at this point for the better dot pitch at 1680x1050, compared to how it would be smaller on a 20"er. I guess by the same token, a 26" at 1900x1200 could work, though I have never used a monitor at that resolution before. Honestly I wish I could use a solution as simple as lowering the resolution but going below the native resolution completely kills the crispness on an LCD in my experiences so far.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone out there has had similar problems with reading and has found an LCD that they like, I believe the vast majority of the LCDs I have tried in the past have been TN panels, and the bad viewing angles are another thing that drove me nuts. This is one thing I know I can work around now by using one of the other panel types, so I would certainly like to hear suggestions for VA or IPS panels. The last LCD that I tried was a 22" Dell (don't remember the exact model name), seemed very cheap and for just a little while, it didn't bug the hell out of me, but it wasn't long before the bad viewing angles and difficulty reading text got the better of me and it got packaged up and returned.

I wish I could try out the LCD2690WUXi just to see what it is like, not exactly the kind of monitor I'm going to find on display at a place like Best Buy huh. :laugh:

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Hello I have two of the LCD2690WUXi's in my small home studio, whereas I just got these units, they seem good. However they are super bright, I turned the brightness all the way down and I would like to turn it down some more if I could. I will say NEC is an amazing company though and very easy to deal with when it comes to support.

I wonder if there is better at this size, seems medical grade are the best, but very costly. Also I hear good things about the HP Dream Color. 1 billion colors in a 30-bit, LED-backlit display, designed for Dream Works Animation SKG Inc. I'm going to be testing these next, before making a final purchase.

Good luck with you search, this forum has definitely helped me narrow my choices.

Some of the medical grade are grayscale only for radiology. Otherwise they are probably just IPS panels with a high price and certifications slapped on them. Although, you may prefer HP's upcoming LED backlight monitor to the LCD2690.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: thestain
xtknight,

just writing to make request. with the recession and all, any way to add a budget category or to include more of the less expensive lcd monitors? see some cheaper ones on newegg now, unfortunately many appear to have tn screens.

hoping to see reviews of 24-28 inch screens in budget price category that also has multiple inputs for movies and net surfing.

One issue is that there are simply no reviews of these cheaper panels by the review sites I go by (which happen to be quite a few). For example, X-Bit Labs, BeHardware, Tom's Hardware, flatpanels.dk, prad... And without this information I'd be in the same boat as you. I generally do try to recommend models as cheap as I can but I don't want to have someone paying $500 for a cheap 26" monitor when they could get a GREAT 22-24" monitor they'd love for that price, you know what I mean?

There's a chance I would miss some LCDs out there but you would have to make a case for me. I have seen almost all the reviews out there and continue to read up on them from time to time to find anything I may have missed.

I think the moral of the story is if you're on a budget you probably shouldn't be seeking a panel that big unless you want low quality. That's simply how the market has played out.

for example, these asus monitors for sale on newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824236046

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824236047

http://c1.neweggimages.com/New...mage/24-236-047-12.jpg

i am hoping to get the connection possibilities like the ones asus offers. i am putting a few systems together for friends in next few weeks and they would be for close up work siting in front and for watching movies from about ten feet away with lcd on top of desk in small appartment. Could a tn panel work for this purpose? What monitors would work in budget price range?

thanks for all you have done.

Mike

These ASUS 22" monitors are actually quite expensive for TN panels. The multimedia inputs are helpful though if you're going to be hooking up set-top boxes. (Otherwise, you can play DVDs from your computer with software like Media Player Classic - Home Cinema with good reliability and video syncing.)

Otherwise you can try the LG L227WTG-PF which I personally love for movies. I watch them here with folks at the dorm all the time and just use software to play DVDs.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: JETninja
Someone asked about cleaning LCD's (xtknight, a teeshirt? Those often are not 100% cotten!!!!)

I have always had good luck with my old white T-shirt. I am not obsessive about the screen being shining and gleaming but it works to get off the occasional stain when you need to. If you really want to clean it beyond just "getting off the stains" then I'd recommend better materials clearly.

Stock up on some Microfiber Towels.....They are sold everywhere now, usually in the Auto Section like at Target & Walmart (though it's showing up in the cleaning supplies section finally)

They cannot scratch (unless something is buried in the fibers), I use them (with quick detailer) on my cars, on my sun and reading glasses, on my LCD's & my 61" LcOS 1080P set. Just use some warm water on one, and a large dry one to dry it it. Take about 30 seconds and is about the best thing you can use, and they are quite affordable too.

Yes, I agree. Especially when you are cleaning those $1000+ LCD panels. But I have to confess I have used rubbing alcohol and a T-shirt to clean off my LCD26, and it looks better than it ever has. I actually never bothered to get special wipes myself because my magic T-shirt has always done the trick.

 

[shiznit]

Originally posted by: Triplehammer
The Samsung 2233rz is now available from Tigerdirect and CompUSA as part of a $600 bundle that includes the new nVidia 3D Vision goggles. Early reports from the hardforum thread, here:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1387713

is that it is a true 120Hz LCD display. This single fact would put it at the top of the Hardcore Gaming list. Being 120Hz may even make it the ONLY Hardcore Gaming choice.

Agreed. This monitor is for real and the 120hz alone (so long vsync, burn in hell) is good enough for the top of the list, way up there miles above the rest.

Until the 120hz Viewsonic comes out this is the ONLY gaming worthy LCD on the market.

 

[Ingenuitor]

Originally posted by: Painman

Originally posted by: IngenuitorHere is an update to my ongoing testing of two LCD2690WUXi panels. I find these panels actually hurt my eyes after only a few days of use and seem to be way too bright even when I have the brightness turned all the way down. They are both calibrated to the T. using NEC's calibration tools and have great color saturation, but I think they may even be too big for the distance I'm sitting at. I have not found a way to add an image for reference to show my setup on this forum. However I have this all setup at around 1 1/2" - 2" feet away from my eyes, both in center points titled inward to create a wrapping effect.

They do work very well when showing photos, graphic designs and respond quickly to a KVM switch. Both are setup @ 1920 x 1200 on DVI-1 60-75hz.

I'm not sure they would work for me long-term, they may cause long tern eye strain. I noticed at the end of the day various items around the office are little more hazy than when I was even using my 20.1" laptop monitor, yes laptop, WSXGA+ with Crystal Bright LCD. That monitor did not hurt my eyes during long term use. These almost trick you into thinking they are 3D, I get this kind of floating effect in my head, not sure if I would get used to it, or if they are simply not for my applications.

Again this is just my findings so far after a few days of use, any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps I need to look at other sources or get smaller screens to see if that makes any difference.

I don't understand why NEC ships these panels with the brightness turned up so high that it burns rectangles into your retinas, but they do... I had the same problem out of the box, but you're saying that they are still too bright, even with the brightness turned all the way down? The minimum luminance setting for the display is 50 Cd/m² (est.), which isn't very bright at all... are your eyes particularly sensitive? Are you using the Auto Brightness function? (Don't).

Try this: Get into the advanced OSD menu (turn off the display, then power it back on while depressing the Input button, then enter the OSD menu, it should show a new one now with 14 tabs, 1 through E). On the first tab of the advanced OSD there should be a selection called Auto Luminance. Set it to level 1 or level 3; this will kill Auto Brightness (if it's been enabled) and change your Brightness setting scale into an estimate of Candela output instead of a baseless percentage. 140 Cd/m² is fairly standard for photo editing work, so tab back up to your brightness setting now and choose something, say, in the 130-150 Cd/m² range, and see if that's easier on your eyes.

Hope that helps. I keep my 2690 set for a target luminance of 140, and I never get eye strain problems from staring at it for long periods.

Wow what a difference your suggestions made, I do work on graphic designs all day but yet write 1000's of lines of code as well for my eCommerce software business I own, 14 years now. I thank you very much for the advise, maybe I can make these work, it just seems like it's so hard to find a really top notch monitor even at these high costs.

Maybe I just expect too much for my money today. I was going to look into a HDTV's thinking is may be better, but now I'm not 100% sure, doesn't seem to be a buzz on-line in HDTV's as a true professional monitor. I came from a super high end 27" Sony flat CRT's that even had CMYK BNC connectors and nothing since looks as good IMO. But they take up way too much space and will just about cripple you when you try to move them. We certainly could not lift them with my actuator powered ergonomic desk I'm working on and well you the rest of the story, must move on to grow in the industry.

Thanks again as you have been very helpful. If not for the forum, I would be lost really, too many choices and trying to narrow it down quickly.

 

[Ingenuitor]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: Ingenuitor

Originally posted by: ZealPath
Well I have to say, it was great to finally be pointed to this thread as it seems like quite a fountain of knowledge, hopefully someone has some suggestions for me.

I have had some pretty notorious difficulties making the adjustment from CRT to LCD. I'm not one of those "oh I'll just wait until the next technology" type people, I really want to like LCDs, so far it just seems like they don't like me. One thing that has always been an issue for me is readability, I do play a lot of games, but games have never been the issue, quite the opposite. I would say that I've always thought that the LCDs I have tried have enhanced my gaming experiences, the only problem is, they have all but destroyed my browing/reading experiences, and for someone who likes to kill time at places like Wikipedia, that just doesn't work for me.

So I would say that text is the priority here, size wise, I still use a 17" CRT at 1024x768, so I'm hoping to upgrade a little, 22" seems to be the best size for me at this point for the better dot pitch at 1680x1050, compared to how it would be smaller on a 20"er. I guess by the same token, a 26" at 1900x1200 could work, though I have never used a monitor at that resolution before. Honestly I wish I could use a solution as simple as lowering the resolution but going below the native resolution completely kills the crispness on an LCD in my experiences so far.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone out there has had similar problems with reading and has found an LCD that they like, I believe the vast majority of the LCDs I have tried in the past have been TN panels, and the bad viewing angles are another thing that drove me nuts. This is one thing I know I can work around now by using one of the other panel types, so I would certainly like to hear suggestions for VA or IPS panels. The last LCD that I tried was a 22" Dell (don't remember the exact model name), seemed very cheap and for just a little while, it didn't bug the hell out of me, but it wasn't long before the bad viewing angles and difficulty reading text got the better of me and it got packaged up and returned.

I wish I could try out the LCD2690WUXi just to see what it is like, not exactly the kind of monitor I'm going to find on display at a place like Best Buy huh. :laugh:

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Hello I have two of the LCD2690WUXi's in my small home studio, whereas I just got these units, they seem good. However they are super bright, I turned the brightness all the way down and I would like to turn it down some more if I could. I will say NEC is an amazing company though and very easy to deal with when it comes to support.

I wonder if there is better at this size, seems medical grade are the best, but very costly. Also I hear good things about the HP Dream Color. 1 billion colors in a 30-bit, LED-backlit display, designed for Dream Works Animation SKG Inc. I'm going to be testing these next, before making a final purchase.

Good luck with you search, this forum has definitely helped me narrow my choices.

Some of the medical grade are grayscale only for radiology. Otherwise they are probably just IPS panels with a high price and certifications slapped on them. Although, you may prefer HP's upcoming LED backlight monitor to the LCD2690.

The HP Dream Color? I'm thinking about testing it, pricey, but maybe fair for the technology it represents at this time, plus it dropped by $1200, just in one year. Yet I read it's not really is good as HP markets it to be. Or are you looking at another model and if so what model, I would liove to research it? Thanks