[Retired] The LCD Thread

[nosbusch2005]

Hi. I'm wondering if someone could help me out. I was browsing for monitors the other day and noticed at the dell outlet they have the 2707wfp for $499. This seemed like a good price but I read some reviews and they all mentioned a somewhat high input lag. The main use of the monitor will be gaming so I'm wondering if it is bad enough that I would notice? I'm by no means a professional gamer and don't play a lot of super fast FPS games, mainly just RTS and RPGs. I guess my question is should I go for the 2707wfp or look for something else?

 

[peachysquirt21]

Hello, I am a newbie & need a little help.

There is this monitor that I have found & wanna know if it be good for what I need it for. I pixel draw in paint shop pro. This pretty much is the main thing I do on the computer. I am including a link for the monitor. Right now I do not have alot of money to spare & I don't need a big monitor. I am happy having a 17".

http://accessories.us.dell.com...=dhs&cs=19&sku=1707VY3

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Luddite]

Hi, I read through the opening sticky again looking for more detailed information about text quality on LCDs. I didn't really see anything that dealt with what factors make for better text viewing.

Would the type of panel be a factor? Or has it more to do with things like pixel pitch and OS settings (ie. aliasing) ?

Thanks.

 

[Pugnate]

Hey! Need a bit of assistance. I am looking to buy my sister an LCD, and can't afford something too expensive. Basically, I am stuck between "HP W1907" and "HP 2009f".

The HP 2009F

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfr...roduct=3884698&lang=en

Is almost the same price as the HP W1907, so I am wondering if they've lowered the quality, or something? I'd rather buy her the smaller version, if it provides better picture quality. She mostly needs an LCD to study, watch TV shows, and play less demanding games like "The Sims".

Also, what is the difference between the HP2009f and the HP2009m???

Here is the m model:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/pro...fronts/FV583AA%2523ABA

My other option is the SAMSUNG 933BW.

Let me know! Thanks.

 

[Bavor]

I posted this in a seperate thread before, but I was told I might get more answers here and should post it here again.

I'm looking to buy a new 24" monitor. My Soyo Topaz S that I purchased on sale for $299 in 2007 died recently and luckily, I bought a square trade warranty, which refunded me $318(purchase price plus tax). My Topaz S was one of the VA panel versions and I never had any problems with it until it died one day due to a dead power supply. I wasn't disappointed with its image quality or response time either.

Other than the typical web surfing, email, and word and excel documents for school, I'll be using the monitor mostly for games and watching movies. I do minimal photo editing in photoshop.

The Dell 2408WFP is currently $519 and I don't think Dell will apply my EPP 7% to its already discounted price. However, I'll have to double check.

The HP LP2475w is a little more money at about $600 from various retailers. The HP looks like its the lowest cost IPS panel monitor available form a reputable retailer.

I've read great reviews on both and it seems that Dell fixed the lag issues in the latest revision of the 2408WFP. Since the Dell costs less, I could get the Dell with a 5 year extended warranty for less than the price of the HP. I also like Dell's bright pixel replacement policy.

I'm basically wondering what would be the better monitor for me based on my intended use and if there are any other good quality 24" VA panels monitors that I'm leaving out. I'd prefer not to get a TN panel monitor even though it could save me money. I've had the opportunity to compare a calibrated Samsung TN panel monitor next to calibrated VA panel monitors and I could tell the difference.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: mmganga
Guys what could be the cause of a blue tint on an LCD (used to work fine). It's using the D-SUB (VGA) connection when this happens and I can't try the DVI because the port on my DVI card is dead...

Could it be monitor failure or a bent pin on the connection/etc? The same VGA cable used on another LCD works fine.

Thanks!

[see attached picture for a snapshot of the screen -> white becomes blue on this thing]

<img src="http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/7687/imgp1847.jpg"></img>

It's hard to tell from this. I'd think a bent pin would make it look a little worse, but I can't tell from the photo. I would try another cable.

Originally posted by: nosbusch2005
Hi. I'm wondering if someone could help me out. I was browsing for monitors the other day and noticed at the dell outlet they have the 2707wfp for $499. This seemed like a good price but I read some reviews and they all mentioned a somewhat high input lag. The main use of the monitor will be gaming so I'm wondering if it is bad enough that I would notice? I'm by no means a professional gamer and don't play a lot of super fast FPS games, mainly just RTS and RPGs. I guess my question is should I go for the 2707wfp or look for something else?

Try the HP LP2475W instead. It's not too much more expensive.

Originally posted by: peachysquirt21
Hello, I am a newbie & need a little help.

There is this monitor that I have found & wanna know if it be good for what I need it for. I pixel draw in paint shop pro. This pretty much is the main thing I do on the computer. I am including a link for the monitor. Right now I do not have alot of money to spare & I don't need a big monitor. I am happy having a 17".

http://accessories.us.dell.com...=dhs&cs=19&sku=1707VY3

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

What do you mean by "pixel draw"? You fill in individual pixels?

This is a P-MVA panel as far as I'm aware with a slightly slower response time. It may be a good choice. But I no longer recommend 19" or 17" models very often at all. Until I'm sure about what you mean by "pixel drawing" I am not sure what to recommend.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Luddite
Hi, I read through the opening sticky again looking for more detailed information about text quality on LCDs. I didn't really see anything that dealt with what factors make for better text viewing.

Would the type of panel be a factor? Or has it more to do with things like pixel pitch and OS settings (ie. aliasing) ?

Thanks.

Well, lots of factors matter for text.

Some IPS panels can be bad for text if you notice the screen door effect. Otherwise, they can be great.

TN panels have bad viewing angles and this can hurt the eyes for text.

MVA panels may be the best but that's a guess. They can be overbright sometimes.

Really, panel type does not have much to do with how good a panel is for text, except for the TN panel's poor viewing angle and IPS screen door effect. And different people prefer different panels even for the same purpose.

In general, using DPI-aware programs at a higher zoom (the few that exist) with a low dot pitch monitor is the best option for smooth text because it's high resolution. But that's not practical for most people because not many programs work well with high DPI. Therefore, a higher dot pitch monitor that makes text easier to read is usually more important.

High contrast produces better text generally as well, but you don't want the brightness to be too high. ClearType is usually a good idea but some people don't like it at all.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Pugnate
Hey! Need a bit of assistance. I am looking to buy my sister an LCD, and can't afford something too expensive. Basically, I am stuck between "HP W1907" and "HP 2009f".

The HP 2009F

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfr...roduct=3884698<=en

Is almost the same price as the HP W1907, so I am wondering if they've lowered the quality, or something? I'd rather buy her the smaller version, if it provides better picture quality. She mostly needs an LCD to study, watch TV shows, and play less demanding games like "The Sims".

Also, what is the difference between the HP2009f and the HP2009m???

Here is the m model:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/pro...fronts/FV583AA%2523ABA

My other option is the SAMSUNG 933BW.

Let me know! Thanks.

From what I can tell: the 2009m seems to be glossy (HP BrightView), while the 2009f is matte and has a dynamic contrast feature.

Oddly, both are 1600x900 resolution (true 16:9).

To be completely honest with you, I think she would be fine with either unit unless they have serious problems, although check with her about the glossy coating. Most LCDs are not that bad anymore.

She might like this one the best though: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824176073

 

[palladium]

I have been playing around with my HP LP2475w recently, trying to get the best out of it. I used the tests on this site. My monitor seems to pass all of the tests ( can even see the darkest black level and the lightest gray shade after tweaking with video card settings), but I do get some minor banding in the gradient test ( my TN panel connected to the same card does not, it passes all the tests as well - except the viewing angle one of course). If I reset the video card color settings back to default, the banding disappears.

I don't have a high-res camera with me, so I can't capture it ( if I were to describe it in words, I can see ~7-8 'bands' of lines across the gradient - it's nothing like the example images below) , but is there any way to fix the banding without compromising the black/grayscale reproduction, or am I expecting too much ( or did I get a bad HP?)

TIA

 

[squirrel9]

Originally posted by: Bavor
I posted this in a seperate thread before, but I was told I might get more answers here and should post it here again.

The Dell 2408WFP vs the HP LP2475w....

I posted a reply in the other thread -- might as well add it in here, too, for discussion's sake. I'll cut out most of the whining about incredibly poor Dell customer service that I had in the other one, though, and just cut to the chase:

I just made a choice in this comparison -- I chose the Dell.

The HP color uniformity issue has me utterly scared to death -- I've just seen too many reports about it. Waaay too many in comparison to any "no problem" reports.

I'm replacing a Gateway 21-inch FPD2185W, which is an S-PVA panel, like the Dell is. I have always been abundantly happy with the Gateway -- I just want a bigger monitor with higher resolution. So, I'm hoping that the Dell will be "more of the same."

The HP's H-IPS screen might have less lag, but that's not important to me whatsoever -- color uniformity is. Other things that led me towards Dell is how the TFT Central reviews showed the Dell's "sRGB simulation mode" to be quite a bit more effective than the HP's, and I'm really not going to be using much in the way of high-gamut software. Finally, the HP lacks an analog VGA port, and I can't help but think back to when I got my Gateway FPD2185W -- which many people, including myself, just couldn't get to work with DVI. I've also tried a few TN panels, and at times the VGA input made them almost tolerable compared to the DVI. In the end, I just want to have that option, and the Dell has it, but the HP doesn't.

So, I have ordered the Dell. But it is taking them nearly a week just to ship it -- so far. I guess I've been spoiled by Amazon and other online sources where they routinely ship the same or next day after the order is placed -- God knows what Dell is doing with a whole freaking week.

Dell sounds like they've got a good return policy and a good warranty -- but at the glacial pace they move, I'm not so sure that these will turn out to be worth anything in the end. At this point, all I can hope is that they ship me something some day, and hopefully that "estimated delivery date" won't start stretching into "months down the road."

 

[zeppelinfan2k3]

Hello, joined this forum because this thread provided some great information, but I'm still not sure what would best fit my use.

So I got my tax rebate and am doing some monitor shopping.

The problem with monitors is, it seems, there's no perfect one. I want to buy an (obviously) main monitor, and the first question is that of TV versus monitor. Obviously, TV is lower resolution, but it's also cheaper for the size. I doubt it's worth getting a TV instead of a monitor, but feel free to correct me there. Also, as TVs are LCD based...do they use TN/VA/IPS panels too?

Assuming I get a monitor then, the first question is one of dual monitor versus single monitor. I have a 19" TN panel I use currently, and of course it works fine enough, so I figure if I get another monitor, I'll go ahead and use it as a secondary. But of course, if I get, say, a 30" monitor, I need dual link DVI to support the native resolution, which means I'm stuck with 1 monitor unless I buy another vid card and SLI them. So...24+19 versus 30 (I like the idea of dual monitors but can be swayed)?

Then comes VA vs IPS on an axis of cost (engineering yey). Now, if I get a 24", I like Dell's 2408WFP, though it's a VA it has great reviews. Alternately, I can get the 3007WFP for twice as much but that monitor is also IPS. Hell, I could even get a refurb of the 3008WFP for the same price (are refurbs a bad idea?). I am listing all Dells because I like the price points compared to the NECs which are roughly twice as much (and even if they're much better, I struggle to think that as a non-pro-photography user that difference is worth it).

Thoughts, anyone? My biggest hangup is a 30 inch IPS at the same price (roughly) as 2 24" VA panels. Basically the same screen space (a little more in favor of the 24s), but upgrade in panels...

Also, I have no colorimeter or other such fancy calibration tools, are these really necessary to have? =

For the record, the usage is typical engineering/student stuff, office suite, schematics, games, videos, etc...

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[goodCat]

Hey guys!
I'm really interested in buying the LG L245WP-BN but I don't seem to find anywhere details about this aspect: is it standard or extended gamut?

Also, would it be suitable for office work, webdesign (coding and photoshop), movies, web surfing etc. I won't be playing any games on it.
thanks!

 

[squirrel9]

As I feared, I have an update about this:

Originally posted by: squirrel9
So, I have ordered the Dell. But it is taking them nearly a week just to ship it -- so far. I guess I've been spoiled by Amazon and other online sources where they routinely ship the same or next day after the order is placed -- God knows what Dell is doing with a whole freaking week.

Dell just extended my "estimated ship date" another five days. I don't know about anyone else, but my experience with Dell so far has been about as horrible as it can possibly get. You virtually can't deal with a human being, and if you do, they can't do anything. It takes at least a couple of days to get a canned response to an e-mail question. I have no information whatsoever if they have this monitor in stock, or if they will EVER have it in stock.

From reading in Dell's "Storm Room" forum, this "extended delivery date" dance is all too common -- they get you hooked with an order, when they essentially have no possible means of actually fulfilling your order. Some people are still waiting for notebook computers that they ordered in hopes of having them BY CHRISTMAS.

I expect I'll wind up cancelling this order with Dell -- there's no way I can stand being strung along for months, and I sure as heck don't want to support a company that can't even tell me if a product is in stock when I order it.

 

[Pugnate]

Thank you for your help xtknight!!!

The aspect ratio boggles my mind a lot as well. I don't get it.

The monitor you pointed out isn't available to me. I am kinda stuck between the HP 19'' and the HP 20''.

 

[ImDonly1]

I am looking to buy a 19" LCD. I currently have a 17" Samsung. I don't want to go 22 or 24 because I think that is too big. 19, maybe 20 inches max. I was wondering if you guys could give some recommendations. I am willing to spend $200 maximum. The monitor will be used for internet browsing, gaming, and sometimes I watch tv episodes on the computer.

I am looking into the Samsung t190. Does anyone have any opinions on it?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824001274

Also what is the difference between the t190 and the 933bw or 953bw? They are all in the same price maybe $10 difference. The 953bw can be bought for like $140-$150 in-store I think (ignore amazon price).

Is the t190 the newest? Which is best?

Please tell me your opinions on the t190/933bw/953bw and/or other recommendations.

Thanks.

 

[squirrel9]

Update:

I expect I'll wind up cancelling this order with Dell -- there's no way I can stand being strung along for months, and I sure as heck don't want to support a company that can't even tell me if a product is in stock when I order it.

Yep, I cancelled the order. Obviously, Dell didn't have the monitor in stock when I placed my order. They just gave me a mythical delivery date "a week away." Dell didn't have the monitor in stock when they lowered the price. Dell didn't have the monitor in stock when it would have needed to ship (today) in order to meet the original delivery date.

All I can say is that my first (and absolutely my last) experience with Dell was miserable. There isn't a human being in the whole company who cares about customer service, or who could do anything about it even if they did care. The most comforting thing about cancelling my order is how I just won't have to deal with them for support, as any contact with the company appears to be mainly an exercise in exasperation.

Should anyone consider ordering a monitor through Dell, I would offer the following as a reality check:

1. While you're in your "shopping cart," choose next-day air shipping, and see what that gets you for an estimated delivery date. If it's about a week away, that simply means that they don't have the monitor in stock. And their mode of operation is to extend the estimated delivery date, time and time and time again.

2. Before you decide to become a customer of this company, go into its online forum, and see what kind of service people are getting. Get into the "Storm Room" to see what shipping problems people are experiencing, and go through the forum for monitors or whatever else you might be buying, and see what kind of support they're getting. It just takes a minute or two to get a really good gist of what you're gonna get if you place that order.

Myself, I cancelled the order, using a number that was suggested in the Storm Room forum. That seemed to work just fine, so hopefully I won't get a Dell monitor delivered to my front porch some day.

I then went to Amazon.com, and looked up the HP LP2475W. It was selling for $50 less than the Dell's full price, and it was "in stock," and sold by "Amazon.com." I ordered next-day shipping, and it's winging its way to me as I write this. How clean, how simple, how easy --- how insanely incompetent Dell is in comparison.

Like many of the folks say over and over again in the Storm Room: I will never, ever do business with Dell again. There's just no excuse for not letting the buyer now that the product isn't in stock. There's just no excuse for stringing buyers along time after time after time, knocking back the ship date for products that simply aren't in stock. But that is Dell's idea of appropriate customer service. There simply are other companies that are working far, far harder to deserve your business.

 

[Cynnr]

Hey hey,

This is driving me crazy.

Syncmaster 2693hm

There a very annoying gape at the top of my viewing area. It's somewhere in the neighborhood of a 1/4 inch. I tried using the monitors menu options to adjust it but it says it's unavailable. I don't quite understand why its unavailable if the option exists.

A friend of mine suggested that it may require an analogue connection in order to access this function.

Questions:

1) Does the analogue theory make sense?
2) How do I produce said analogue connection?

If I'm barking up the wrong tree then for the love of something please tell me how to fix this stupid yet awesome thing.

PS I love this monitor

Arrg - Seems as though my display is also getting dimmer and then brighter all on it's own. Now this could be do to the slight power issues that are present in my city. This is due to a late winter storm or it could be that my beloved display is dying.

Halp!!

Thanks,

 

[Pugnate]

Originally posted by: ImDonly1
I am looking to buy a 19" LCD. I currently have a 17" Samsung. I don't want to go 22 or 24 because I think that is too big. 19, maybe 20 inches max. I was wondering if you guys could give some recommendations. I am willing to spend $200 maximum. The monitor will be used for internet browsing, gaming, and sometimes I watch tv episodes on the computer.

I am looking into the Samsung t190. Does anyone have any opinions on it?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824001274

Also what is the difference between the t190 and the 933bw or 953bw? They are all in the same price maybe $10 difference. The 953bw can be bought for like $140-$150 in-store I think (ignore amazon price).

Is the t190 the newest? Which is best?

Please tell me your opinions on the t190/933bw/953bw and/or other recommendations.

Thanks.

Hi there,

I have the T220 for my own home use. As a graphics designer I like the color gamut the monitor has to offer (for its price), though the viewing angles aren't brilliant, and there are some weird after glow effects -- that I have now gotten used to. These issues can be fixed mostly with some adjustments.

I can imagine that in terms of quality, the 19'' monitors you listed, including the T190 are all the same... the difference is that they've shaped the T190 to look like a sleek TV. I think it has a touch screen power button too.

I'd recommend you check out the T190 review on digital versus. I am pretty sure they have one up.

 

[Paladin]

Squirrel9, you won't be disappointed!! the HP 2475 is a great monitor. go to tft central and calibrate to thier specs, and get the ICC profile to load too.

 

[squirrel9]

Originally posted by: KevinC
Squirrel9, you won't be disappointed!! the HP 2475 is a great monitor. go to tft central and calibrate to thier specs, and get the ICC profile to load too.

Yes, the 2475W arrived today -- what a relief compared to the utter nonsense of dealing with Dell!

I'm happy to report that there are no issues -- no blotchy areas, no problem pixels, or anything. All seems to be well.

The "quick release" panel is a fine idea -- I've got an Ergotron monitor arm that the monitor has to go on, and it did so with ease. And I think the HP panel is about three pounds less than the Dell panel, so that's good thing for the monitor arm.

I played around with the settings a bit before I tried the TFT Central ones. I do like the color adjustments, though the recommended contrast setting makes it eye-searing for me -- I've just got to turn it down from there. So, I'm still monkeying around with that. I think I might need to lower the gamma, and then that might let me use some more normal contrast levels. We'll see.

Viewing-angle-wise, I've got to say that so far, I'm not quite as happy with the 2475W as I was with the S-PVA Gateway. I get a little bit of viewing angle shiftiness at the lower corners of the big HP. It's really very minor -- maybe 5% of the awful TN shiftiness. Lagom.nl's viewing angle test is very impressive, but there's still a wee bit of creepiness in the lower corners. I just never got anything -- absolutely nothing -- like that on the 21-inch S-PVA panel.

So, that's my first impression -- I've definitely got to do some tweaking. But, there was no need to be worried about any display panel problems -- this one is perfectly fine.

Thanks for the link and the info!

 

[squirrel9]

Another HP 2475W update.

If you recall my thoughts regarding buying the Dell over the HP, I mentioned how I really wanted an analog VGA input. Which the HP lacks. But, one thing I finally grasped before I ordered the HP was how that it comes with an "analog VGA to DVI cable." So, since I've been using analog VGA for years, I thought I'd check it out.

And, you know, I just must be an analog VGA kind of guy. I've sure been able to easily get a brightness/contrast setting that I'm far happier with than I was able to get with an hour's worth of wrestling with the DVI connection. I'm far more "back to normal" as I was with my old monitor, which is basically all I want -- with a bit more screen real estate and some extra resolution.

Really, I just made a few quick adjustments, thought "that's actually just about right," and then started "working" rather than "tweaking." So, I'll try this for a while, and see how I like it over time.

 

[Talcyon]

If people are interested in getting the BenQ G2400WD, ncixus.com is selling it for $254 but only until the 31st. Of course they gouge you with shipping ($34) but it's still $30-70 cheaper than anywhere I've seen so far. Just snagged one myself!

 

[palladium]

squirrel9, does your monitor show any banding with the Lagom.nl gradient test?

 

[ielmox]

Possible new addition to the list - inexpensive H-IPS panel: Philips 240PW9

I've been shopping for a 24" monitor to serve as a good all-rounder (text document work, gaming, movies, a little graphical work) and was looking at the HP LP2475w, considered a good monitor from most points of view and sporting an H-IPS panel with low input lag. Then I found out that HP in my territory charges USD 1,050 and up for this monitor (i.e. twice its real price elsewhere and I am in Hong Kong, a city famous for inexpensive tech!).

I have asked HP why, of course, and suggested maybe someone made a pricing error along the way. No reply yet. I will continue pestering them because I find this pricing utterly criminal.

Then I came across the Philips 240PW9EB (or just 240PW9), which uses the exact same LCD panel found in the HP LP2475w (number LM240WU4, which is an LG Philips part). The Philips is available here for USD 480, well under half the price of the HP. Although this model has been out since late 2008 there is surprisingly little information about it. I have seen distributors in Singapore getting really excited about this model, but no reviews or any real attention from the heavyweights. Here is some info:

http://lcd24-7.info/Monitor/Philips/240PW9EB/Default.aspx

http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/...liance_240pw9eb/277784

Same screen as the LP2475w, similar ergonomics, better looking design, slimmer. But the Philips has WAY fewer connections options, being limited to just one DVI and one d-sub, which does suck. Whereas the LP2475w has 2xDVI, DisplayPort, HDMI, and more.

I can't link to the Philips web site because they use a Quicktime plugin for browsing, and I can't find the direct URL for the monitor page. Check under the 24" Business monitors.

Those more knowledgeable than I may want to keep an eye out for this display, as it is a decent proven H-IPS panel that is quite affordable.... assuming connectivity is not an issue, it may even make the LCD Thread recommendation list!

I am still shopping for a monitor, but the Philips is definitely on my shortlist.... and the HP LP2475w is not, until its price here is adjusted to something reasonable.

 

[squirrel9]

Originally posted by: palladium
squirrel9, does your monitor show any banding with the Lagom.nl gradient test?

Yes, a little bit. But bear in mind that I'm running via the analog VGA-to-DVI cable right now, so that might have something to do with it.

I've seen this test with Gateway's current 24-inch TN monitor, and there was lots of very obvious banding. I've seen it with my Gateway 21-inch S-PVA monitor, and it was totally smooth -- no banding at all. And, that said, that was with an analog VGA input, as well.

At any rate, there's a bit of subtle banding with the HP H-IPS panel. It's definitely not completely smooth, but it's certainly not nearly as bad as the TN monitor I checked it with a week or so ago.