Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP vs. NEC MultiSync 2470WNX

[ericinho]

Hello all,

After reading and posting in Xtknight's wonderful LCD thread, I am turning to you lot for some words of wisdom.

I am looking for a 24" screen for the following purposes:
- digital illustration/webdesign/photo editing with a very occasional print design assignment
- animation and after effects work

and ofcourse it would be nice if i could play movies on it as well, apart from a very occasional game.

Being a designer, IQ, color reproduction/depth are very important.
Besides that it would be nice if it has a height adjustable stand and can swivel from left to right.

My budget is max. euro 700-800,- So high-end EIZO and NEC screens are out of the question.

Unfortunately the in the LCD thread suggested NEC MultiSync 2490WUXi is not available in Holland, might also be out of my price range. Also screens like Planar and DoubleSight are not available here.

Anyway, as far as I can see it, I have two contenders:

1. NEC MultiSync 2470WNX
2. Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP

The Dell is priced down from 800 to 600 euro at the moment, the NEC is priced 650 euro.

Now from xtknight i understood that the Dell is wide gamut and for that reason less suitable for editing conventional sRGB photos. Apart from that I understood that there are some other issues concerning the 2408WFP?

But I can't really find any decent reviews concerning the NEC, i also don't have any experience with NEC screens, while at work the Dell 2405 we are pretty happy about apart from the 6bit signs of artifacts in gradients.

So I would love to hear your suggestions and remarks.

Thank you!

 

[The Bakery]

I am a senior graphic design major, and was in your situation not too long ago.

Firstly, I opted for an affordable ($300 or under) TN solution, and can't say that I am disappointed thus far.

From my research, if you are TRULY concerned with color reproduction and depth, 6 and 8 bit panels are
by their nature not what you are looking for. They use dithering amongst other things to simulate the full
range of 16 million colors (some not achieving 16 million).

Personally, once calibrated I have no issue with my TN panel LCD whatsoever. Ever so slight banding but
only noticeable when testing the calibration, not in practical use. My gradients are fine, color repro is fine.

Quality matches when I take projects over to my Macbook Pro (which, btw is also a TN LCD). The Macbook
just looks crisp as hell because of the great contrast and small size to resolution ratio.

Note - I do not do color intensive applications such as photo retouching. I design for print.

However, the conclusion I came to, taking quality into consideration, was that high end monitors that use non
TN panel technology are WAY, WAY, WAY outside the normal budget of someone not professionally requiring
the utmost color accuracy. If you are looking at 24 inches on a budget - be well prepared to accept a TN solution.

That being said, the Dell model that you are looking at has stellar reviews, and was my choice had it not been
outside my budget at the time. In terms of color production - the Dell TN panels are highly regarded.

Hope that helps some.

Post back with some info - I'm interested to see where you go and how it works.

 

[mmx]

I have to say that having two 2408 side by sides produces alot of heat. Much more than the dual 2001fp it replaced.

 

[hans007]

2490wuxi is like $1200 in the US. its probably out of your price range even if it was available.

i have a lg l246wp-bn which is a similar panel type to the 2470wnx and i think it woudl be a good choice if the LG version is available there also. the 2408wfp and nec and lg are all fairly similar, so i'd just get the cheapest one if you dont care about the brand too much

 

[ClockHound]

In Europe, LG has new 26" H-IPS monitor, W2600HP
For sale in Britain at: http://www.b4udirect.com/index.cfm?c...8387/LG&bhcp=1

Like the NEC 2690, Planar and DoubleSight, it is a wide gamut panel, which may or may not be good for your work.

The only other monitor that uses the same normal gamut H-IPS panel as the NEC 2490 is the Hazro. They are available in Britain, which is near Europe. ;-) Hazro 24"
It does lack the 12 LUT of the 2490 as well, but it is cheaper.

 

[ericinho]

Originally posted by: The Bakery
I am a senior graphic design major, and was in your situation not too long ago.

Firstly, I opted for an affordable ($300 or under) TN solution, and can't say that I am disappointed thus far.

From my research, if you are TRULY concerned with color reproduction and depth, 6 and 8 bit panels are
by their nature not what you are looking for. They use dithering amongst other things to simulate the full
range of 16 million colors (some not achieving 16 million).

Personally, once calibrated I have no issue with my TN panel LCD whatsoever. Ever so slight banding but
only noticeable when testing the calibration, not in practical use. My gradients are fine, color repro is fine.

Quality matches when I take projects over to my Macbook Pro (which, btw is also a TN LCD). The Macbook
just looks crisp as hell because of the great contrast and small size to resolution ratio.

Note - I do not do color intensive applications such as photo retouching. I design for print.

However, the conclusion I came to, taking quality into consideration, was that high end monitors that use non
TN panel technology are WAY, WAY, WAY outside the normal budget of someone not professionally requiring
the utmost color accuracy. If you are looking at 24 inches on a budget - be well prepared to accept a TN solution.

That being said, the Dell model that you are looking at has stellar reviews, and was my choice had it not been
outside my budget at the time. In terms of color production - the Dell TN panels are highly regarded.

Hope that helps some.

Post back with some info - I'm interested to see where you go and how it works.

thanks for your insightful post.
Which TN screen did you go for in the end?

 

[ericinho]

small update, possibly interesting also for future interestees in one of these monitors:

Prad has a review about the NEC: http://www.prad.de/en/monitore...ew-nec-lcd2470wnx.html
Rating:
Picture stability: ++ (digital) ++ (analog)
Viewing angle dependency: ++
Contrast: ++
Color space: +
Subjective impression of image quality: ++
Shades of gray resolution: +
Brightness allocation: +
Interpolation image quality: ++
Fabrication of case/frame, mechanics: ++
Operating, OSD: +
Suitable for occasional gamer: +
Suitable for hardcore gamer: +/-
Suitable for DVD/Video: +

But it faults the Overdrive technology and rates it good (not very good) equal to the 2407 Dell.


...........

At Prad you can also compair screens:

http://www.prad.de/en/guide/er...der=asc&Submit=compare

.......


Also the not so known ConnectReviews has a review as part of a 24" roundup: http://www.connectreviews.com/.../07/19/24-lcd-roundup/

NEC MultiSync LCD2470WNX

Pros

* Great performance.
* Nice ergonomic stand.
* Intuitive cable management.
* No adjustment needed.

Cons

* No memory card reader.

..............

And at Trusted Reviews (gotto love that name) it got a rave review:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/...ultiSync-LCD2470WNX/p1

Unfortunately the Dell 2408 hasnt been reviewed a lot... at least i only found some user experiences at forums:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/...r-toms-monitor-reviews
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1283131

and one extensive review: http://monitortest.blogspot.com/
and a shorter one: http://www.zdnet.com.au/review...23402,339287318,00.htm
_______________

So all in all, i didn't decide yet

 

[danielajurcevice]

Difficult to answer unless you actually own one of those screens and have simular need for it... Most people here don't.
The Dell is too new, so hardly any unbiased reviews, but likely already more people own the Dell2408 than this slightly obscure NEC.

I would suggest by the way to change the topic title or subtitle and mention the two screens.

Goodluck!

 

[ericinho]

yes, i have noticed that.
i must say, based on the user experiences I read at hardforum, the Dell doesn't sound appealing.
but i do realise that of the new Dell probably already far more screens were sold than the less available Nec.
and dissatisfied users usually are more active in voicing complaints than happy users are to express content.

so I am not sure what to do.

Hopefully owners of either the Dell or the Nec can give advice.