2405FPW bowing at top?

[Gern Blanston]

I know that I'm not using the correct terminology, but has anyone noticed the image at the top of their 2405 bowing down in the middle? I'm seeing the top corners of the image flush but it curves down to the center about 1 millimeter. I thought that I was seeing things at first.

I'm using the DVI port, so Auto Adjust is disabled as well as the other positioning controls.

Is this worth sending back for a replacement? I'm within the 21 days.

Thanks

 

[Mackie2k]

Don't have your mom sit on it.

 

[BroadbandGamer]

Send it back QUICK!

 

[kmmatney]

I would guess its a problem with the plastic bezel and not the LCD panel.

 

[Peter]

I don't see a glass panel bend down in the middle. You're seeing things - most likely because you're still adjusted in thinking what you're used to from CRT monitors is a straight line - it's not.

 

[Steve]

If you think it truly is defective, send it back. My 2405PFW doesn't appear to have that effect at all, and it's my upgrade from a 17" ViewSonic CRT.

 

[ChuckHsiao]

Are you upgrading from a regular (i.e. not flat screen) CRT? It might just be your eyes getting used to "true" flat.

Regular CRTs bulge out in the middle. This means that the corners are farther away than the sides; since you probably sit perpendicularly to the screen, this means that the (upper) corners are a little bit lower (and inward left and right as well) from your perspective. Moving to an LCD (which is truly flat and straight) thus means that your eyes will have to adjust to a straight line on the sides. Give it a few days.

If you're really wondering about whether or not it's curving downwards, try looking at the monitor from like 85 degrees to one side. Any curve will be exaggerated by the extreme angle.

 

[Gern Blanston]

Thanks for the suggestions: I'll give them a try. I'll enlist some other people to give me their opinion, too.

I don't think that it's the bezel: I shined a flashlight along the bezel with a solid color image on the screen, and it seems to be the panel

I've tried edging a window to the top of the screen: I've noticed that the right side of any window will move off of the screen before the left side of the same window: this is actually a VERY small amount, and I've just tried the same thing on my laptop, and I see the same result.

The problem is really pretty small, and I'm wondering if it's worth it to send it back since I have no dead pixels.

I suppose that I just want to be sure since I'm spending a substantial chunk of money, but I think that I may be nitpicking.

Thanks for your help and info!

 

[kmmatney]

You need to adjust the horizontal pin cushion.


j/k. I have a 21.3" Samsung panel here at work, on an analog connection. If I move a window to the top of the screen there seems to be an faint optical effect that makes it look bowed in the middle, but if you count pixels, the window is perfectly even from one side to the other. Can you make out the pixels to see how uneven it is?

 

[Gern Blanston]

That's very interesting and thanks for mentioning this. I had the Samsung 213T, and I now remember noticing the same effect (I returned the Samsung to get the 2405).

Is there a utility that will aid in counting pixels? I'm not sure that I could manage eyeballing it.

Thanks for the info. Maybe I just have to accept a slight distortion (if it can be called that) in an LCD panel.

 

[JBT]

I'll check mine when I get home in a couple of minutes, but I don't think it does any such thing.

 

[JBT]

hmm on mine the image is perfectly straight but, it seems the bezel is a bit flexable. Meaning if I pull up on it it does look like a bit of a curve or I can push down on it and it moves downward. It moves maybe a millimeter at most and its nothing I can see unless I am 6 inches away from it stairing at it.

 

[Gern Blanston]

Yikes.

What's the best way to contact Dell to get a replacement if I decide to go that route. It sounds like some people have had real headaches getting to the right support person.

Thanks for checking your monitors and letting me know what you saw.

 

[Gern Blanston]

I see what you mean about the bezel. Pushing down on the middle reduces the effect that I'm seeing.
I think that I probably have a good unit.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Ronin]

Note that the 2405FPW's notoriously 'tilt' slightly to one side as well, and that may skew what you're seeing with the bowing.

 

[silverpig]

Hold a ruler up to the screen...

 

[Peter]

Originally posted by: kmmatney
You need to adjust the horizontal pin cushion.

On a flat panel for f***'s sake?!? There is no beam being deflected, hence no pincusion effect. The pixels are arranged on an exact rectangle of glass, and that's what you're looking directly at.

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: Peter

Originally posted by: kmmatney
You need to adjust the horizontal pin cushion.

On a flat panel for f***'s sake?!? There is no beam being deflected, hence no pincusion effect. The pixels are arranged on an exact rectangle of glass, and that's what you're looking directly at.

I'm pretty sure the "j/k" in his post means "just kidding"...

 

[Peter]

mmmkaaaay ...

 

[Gern Blanston]

Well, Dell is sending me a replacement monitor. When I looked at my order status; however, the replacement that shipped has an $1199 price associated with it. I purchased the original monitor for $899. They told me that I would be sent an invoice in the event that I did not return the original. They're not going to try to charge me the MSRP for this, are they?

Also, does anyone know if Dell ships refurbished monitors to replace defective units? The rep said that the replacement would be brand new.

Thanks

 

[ryanv12]

Originally posted by: Gern Blanston
Well, Dell is sending me a replacement monitor. When I looked at my order status; however, the replacement that shipped has an $1199 price associated with it. I purchased the original monitor for $899. They told me that I would be sent an invoice in the event that I did not return the original. They're not going to try to charge me the MSRP for this, are they?

Also, does anyone know if Dell ships refurbished monitors to replace defective units? The rep said that the replacement would be brand new.

Thanks

They only ship refurbished if you're beyond the 21 day limit. Otherwise it will be brand new, like when I got my 2005 FPW replaced.

And no, they won't charge you MSRP unless you never return the original one. All that's going to happen is you're going to get the monitor, then you're going to pack up the old one and put the pre-paid shipping label sticker on it and arrange for its pickup with whoever they're having do that.

it's that easy

 

[Gern Blanston]

Very good, thank you so much!

They said that I could keep the original if the replacement turns out to be worse. I say "worse" because I'm not sure if the original has a problem (as you can see from my previous posts). If the replacement has dead pixels, I'm keeping the original.

 

[Gern Blanston]

I just got my replacement monitor, and I'm suspicious that it might be refurbished.

1. The box looked like it had been poorly resealed.
2. The box was was pretty beaten up: gouges, stains, crumpled on the edges, etc. I realize that this can happen in shipment, but the first box was pristine.
3. Main reason: the VGA cable was connected to the monitor (the rest of the cable was encased in plastic.

However, all packaging inside was in place: cables were neat, everything seemed in place.
Manufacture date is May 2005, the same as the original.

Update: after waiting and hour, I talked with Dell tech support, and the rep said that the replacement was, in fact, refurbished. He said that all replacement monitors, even those shipped within the 21 day period, are refurbished. He put me in touch with customer support, and the rep ordered a "brand new" replacement monitor, since I'm within the 21 days, to be shipped priority.

Hopefully, I'll get a new monitor. My head is starting to hurt.