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LCD Buyer's Guide

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I still wonder how much longer do people need to wait until we get faster response times and better visual clarity than the best CRT monitors?

So far I still see a need for 2 LCD monitors which is pure nonsense. 1 for gaming and next to it one for photo editing etc... so when will both merge so I really only need one monitor?
 
Just a quick question: Is the Dell 1907FP still not recommended? I thought they changed the panel they used a couple of months back.
 
Originally posted by: Dark Alchemist
I still wonder how much longer do people need to wait until we get faster response times and better visual clarity than the best CRT monitors?

So far I still see a need for 2 LCD monitors which is pure nonsense. 1 for gaming and next to it one for photo editing etc... so when will both merge so I really only need one monitor?
Click to expand...

The NEC 20WMGX2 can be quite suitable for photo editing after calibration and proper brightness adjustment. Its response time is also great. If you are willing to pay the price, you won't find any better than that for both of those categories at once. When will we see more monitors like the NEC for cheaper? Likely not for another year.
 
Originally posted by: Fanon
Just a quick question: Is the Dell 1907FP still not recommended? I thought they changed the panel they used a couple of months back.
Click to expand...

AFAIK the 1907FP is a TN and has always been a TN. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's a step down from the 1905FP's P-MVA/PVA panel. And frankly, other TNs are doing better.
 
xtknight, I am leaning heavily towards the NEC 20WMGX2 but it has 2 drawbacks and one is the lack of a vertical height adjustment (someone wasn't thinking) the other is the lack of 4:3. When I switch to television mode that is 4:3 but it stretches the picture to widescreen instead of creating the black bars on the side. Both of those are what is keeping me from buying it.
 
I live in NYC and just bought 2x Viewsonic VX2025wm lcd monitors from J & R... and let me tell you they are great.. no dead pixels on either.. and a little backlight bleeding but its really no big deal to me... *only notice it.. after my computer turns off.. the the screen goes dark but the backlight is still on and then they shut-off..

I will however over the next day or so.. mess with the color settings to get things just right... if any of you are interested in buying and have a question.. feel free to PM me...

My only problem with it.. is that they realease a sufficent amount of heat... but i figure.. hey it will help me out in the winter... but hurt me a little in the summer.. when i get my first apartment.. in a month 😛

 
Originally posted by: xtknight
Originally posted by: BouZouki
Quick question,

I'm looking at buying a nice 20-24 inch LCD monitor.

My price limit is $800 but don't let this fool you, i'm looking at spending much less (~500 maybe) if I can.

I want something with good picture quality, gaming is also a concern of mine.

I basicly want somthing very balanced in all fields.

So what do you guys think?
Click to expand...

Would you consider widescreen?

The Samsung 215TW looks like a great all-around LCD. High contrast, low black level, good response time, and it also has HDCP support with tons of inputs. It costs $499.99 at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824001078

There is also the ViewSonic VP2030b: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824116371

Though the VP2030b will have a faster response time, its colors will be inferior (but still quite good).

I have not heard much at all about the 23" S-IPS screens. Dell's 2405FPW (PVA) is decent if you can get it within your price range. The 2407WFP is even better (it has an S-PVA and HDCP support). However some reports say that it will not input 1080p. Check this thread for more info: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=31&threadid=1880209&enterthread=y
Click to expand...

You say in your OP the Samsung doesn't perform well for gaming.

I need something that is good for gaming and have good colors, something balanced in all fields.

And yes, it must be widescreen.

Thanks again.

 
Originally posted by: BouZouki
You say in your OP the Samsung doesn't perform well for gaming.

I need something that is good for gaming and have good colors, something balanced in all fields.

And yes, it must be widescreen.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Nothing around $500 will do both better than the Samsung 215TW (which is a little below average for gaming but super color-wise).

You'll have to shell out $645 for the NEC 20WMGX2, which is a 20.1" widescreen. Many favor this screen over aperture grille CRTs for both speed and color. The 23" screens likely aren't fast enough to meet gaming demands. It all depends on how sensitive you are to the motion blur.
 
Hi all, I'm new here. xtknight, many thanks for your excellent guide. I'm looking to buy a 17" LCD monitor but my requirements are somewhat different than many of the other users on this thread, so I'd be really grateful for any advice you can give me.

I'm no gamer, so I don't care for fast response times beyond ensuring that there's no ghosting on dvd playback. My main uses for the monitor will be word-processing, web-browsing, dvd-viewing, and perhaps also some light photo-editing. So my main priorities are: crisp text, a clear image, ergonomics, good build quality, and a company that treats its customers with respect when it comes to warranty claims. Also, I should point out that I only have integrated VIA UniChrome Pro IGP graphics -- not a great performer, and no DVI output.

With this in mind, I've narrowed my choice down to the following:

- The Samsung SM740B.
- The Samsung SM740N (which I assume is the same as the 740B minus the DVI).
- The Viewsonic VP730.
- The Iiyama Prolite H431S.

The Viewsonic and the Iiyama have both had very good reviews here in the UK, although I'm a bit inclined to take PCPro reviews with a pinch of salt. Both seem to have better ergonomics than the Samsung (e.g. they can be used in portrait mode, which may be quite useful when working with long documents). On the other hand, from I've read here and on other forums, the Samsung is very popular and apparently has a high degree of customer satisfaction. Pricewise, the Viewsonic appears to be the cheapest, but I wouldn't mind spending a little bit extra if that means getting better quality.

I'm really at a loss as to which one would best suit my needs, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

 
Originally posted by: pencilcase
Hi all, I'm new here. xtknight, many thanks for your excellent guide. I'm looking to buy a 17" LCD monitor but my requirements are somewhat different than many of the other users on this thread, so I'd be really grateful for any advice you can give me.

I'm no gamer, so I don't care for fast response times beyond ensuring that there's no ghosting on dvd playback. My main uses for the monitor will be word-processing, web-browsing, dvd-viewing, and perhaps also some light photo-editing. So my main priorities are: crisp text, a clear image, ergonomics, good build quality, and a company that treats its customers with respect when it comes to warranty claims. Also, I should point out that I only have integrated VIA UniChrome Pro IGP graphics -- not a great performer, and no DVI output.

With this in mind, I've narrowed my choice down to the following:

- The Samsung SM740B.
- The Samsung SM740N (which I assume is the same as the 740B minus the DVI).
- The Viewsonic VP730.
- The Iiyama Prolite H431S.

The Viewsonic and the Iiyama have both had very good reviews here in the UK, although I'm a bit inclined to take PCPro reviews with a pinch of salt. Both seem to have better ergonomics than the Samsung (e.g. they can be used in portrait mode, which may be quite useful when working with long documents). On the other hand, from I've read here and on other forums, the Samsung is very popular and apparently has a high degree of customer satisfaction. Pricewise, the Viewsonic appears to be the cheapest, but I wouldn't mind spending a little bit extra if that means getting better quality.

I'm really at a loss as to which one would best suit my needs, so any help would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

If one of your worries is support, I'd avoid ViewSonic. I've not gotten a single reply from ViewSonic support via e-mail. I was very pleased with my 17" Samsung 710T. You'll want the DVI input just in case you ever get a display adapter with DVI out. Having never dealt with Iiyama before I couldn't tell you how good their support is. If portrait mode isn't that important, get the Samsung SM740B. I'm confident you'd be happy with that one in the other aspects. If you think you'd miss the portrait mode then grab the Iiyama.
 
Originally posted by: xtknight
If one of your worries is support, I'd avoid ViewSonic. I've not gotten a single reply from ViewSonic support via e-mail. I was very pleased with my 17" Samsung 710T. You'll want the DVI input just in case you ever get a display adapter with DVI out. Having never dealt with Iiyama before I couldn't tell you how good their support is. If portrait mode isn't that important, get the Samsung SM740B. I'm confident you'd be happy with that one in the other aspects. If you think you'd miss the portrait mode then grab the Iiyama.
Click to expand...
xtknight, thanks for your reply. I've decided to leave the Iiyama out of the picture, as I've read reports of users who had problems with buzzing from the inverter and I have a silent system! I'm sure the Samsung is a solid performer, most all users report being very pleased with their Samsung monitors and I have a feeling they ship with fewer dead pixels, ViewSonic's 'zero bright pixel' warranty notwithstanding. On the other hand, I think the ability to use portrait mode would be a good feature to have, as I'll be doing tons of wordprocessing. So I think I'll mull this over for a little longer...
 
Originally posted by: xtknight
Originally posted by: redbox
Originally posted by: paulw86
Is there a way I can play my PS2 on VX2025WM?
Click to expand...

yes I wonder about this too. not really the PS2 but game other consoles and the like.
Click to expand...

If the game console has S-Video/composite out, you can convert composite to VGA with an adapter. Here is one such device: http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=3103&sku=40227

It is pricey for what it is, though.
Click to expand...

Originally posted by: xtknight
Good news...a fellow AT member has generously donated lcdresource.com to me, so expect a website sometime soon!
Click to expand...

You rock! I'm looking forward to seeing your website. I wonder if there's a cheaper convertor though, because like you said, that shlt is expensive. Anyways, I'll figure out how to do this. WORLD CUP DON'T LEAVE ME!!!
 
Another question. What do I clean the screen of a NEC 20WMGX2 with? I am used to glass picture tubes so a little vinegar windex and no isses but I doubt that is going to work on the NEC 20WMGX2.

Any suggestions?
 
I don't own one yet so I was asking pre hand if someone knew as I sure don't.

Oh, xt you have a bad link now in your guide.

24": Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW 1920x1200 (16:10)

Panel: Samsung LTM240M1-L01 (PVA 8-bit)
Response time (g2g/bwb): 12 ms. / 16 ms.
Specs: Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW <--- The url is bad now with page not found.
Price: varies with coupons
 
Originally posted by: Dark Alchemist
Another question. What do I clean the screen of a NEC 20WMGX2 with? I am used to glass picture tubes so a little vinegar windex and no isses but I doubt that is going to work on the NEC 20WMGX2.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

20WMGX2.pdf (User Manual):

Cleaning the LCD Panel
? When the liquid crystal panel becomes dusty or dirty, wipe gently with soft cloth.
? Do not rub the LCD panel with coarse material.
? Do not apply pressure to the LCD surface.
? Do not use OA cleaner. OA cleaner will cause deterioration or discolor the LCD surface.

Cleaning the Cabinet
? Unplug the power supply
? Gently wipe the cabinet with a soft cloth
? To clean the cabinet, dampen cloth with a neutral detergent and water, wipe the cabinet. Follow with a dry cloth.

NOTE: Many plastics are used on the surface of the cabinet. DO NOT clean with
benzene, thinner, alkaline detergent, alcoholic system detergent, glass cleaner, wax, polish cleaner,
soap powder, or insecticide. Do not touch rubber or vinyl to the cabinet for a long time.
These types of fluids and fabrics can cause the paint to deteriorate, crack or peel.

To avoid scratches
? Do not touch LCD panel using coarse material or hard objects.
? Use only a soft cloth for cleaning the surface of the LCD panel.

To avoid stains
? Clean fingerprints, water drips, chemical spills, etc. from the LCD panel immediately or discoloration and spots
will occur. If the LCD panel is rubbed with too much force, cracking may occur, which will lead to abnormalities
in the display.

To avoid breakage or screen trouble
? Do not push hard on the LCD panel surface.
? Do not set heavy objects on the LCD panel surface.
? Do not leave the LCD panel under constant pressure.
 
Originally posted by: Dark Alchemist
I don't own one yet so I was asking pre hand if someone knew as I sure don't.

Oh, xt you have a bad link now in your guide.

24": Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW 1920x1200 (16:10)

Panel: Samsung LTM240M1-L01 (PVA 8-bit)
Response time (g2g/bwb): 12 ms. / 16 ms.
Specs: Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW <--- The url is bad now with page not found.
Price: varies with coupons
Click to expand...

The 2405FPW no longer exists on Dell's site. I'll have to replace that with the 2407WFP. Thanks for letting me know. I'm going to have to research that some more. Anyone know anything about the 2407WFP?
 
No problem as I dug a little more and yep 24-5 is no longer in there and is replaced with a 2407.

btw, what is OA? Oh, and what would you use to remove fingerprints etc... It says a soft cloth but it says not to apply pressure so how in the world do you remove a fingerprint?
 
Originally posted by: xtknight


The 2405FPW no longer exists on Dell's site. I'll have to replace that with the 2407WFP. Thanks for letting me know. I'm going to have to research that some more. Anyone know anything about the 2407WFP?
Click to expand...

CNET just reviewed the Dell 2407WFP, and gave it an excellent rating. According to the Danish flatpanels site the Dell 2407WFP has a Samsung S-PVA panel (they say it's either a LTM240ML2 or a LTM240L2 number panel) with 6 ms (g2g). The monitor is adjustable and pivots between landscape and portrait. Unlike Dell's last 24" model, the brightness has been kept to a reasonable 300 cd/m2. CNET reviewers saw some minimal streaking and ghosting. Other than that, I don't know too much about it yet. Will wait until X-bit, Tom's and TFT Central come out with their reviews. User ratings are high so far.

PC World just reviewed their picks for Top Five 20" widescreen LCDs. The NEC 20WMGX2 came first overall. Yet they thought the Acer Ferrari F-20 had the best image quality, but gave the Acer low marks for features.

edit: Just noticed on TFT Central an article about the Dell 2407WFP. There are some concerns about it, notably text fuzziness, some color banding and possible input lag. TFT does an indepth comparison between the new 2407WFP and the old 2405WFP.



 
Got the NEC MultiSync LCD20WGX2! (BRIEF REVIEW)

I received the NEC last Friday just after I received my 7900GTX step-up. I have every thing set-up now, and I must say I am not disappointed! I'm not completely blown away by the quality of this screen compared to my old 19" CRT; but it is a definite improvement, particularly since LCD's don't flicker, that used to really drive me mad.

Having never had an LCD it feels very weird to have such a diminutive monitor instead of my previous CRT behemoth! I'll compile a brief and succinct review below, though I am not as technically knowledgeable as all of you and very have little means of comparison!

AESTHETICS AND ERGONOMICS:

Overall this is a very attractive monitor. The thin silver bezel gives a very appealing picture frame appearance, much like my CRT Toshiba Picture Frame TV. The Silver/Black colour scheme, the bezel being silver and the base and cabinet being black, means that this monitor compliments all computer set-ups, matching peripherals and cases etc. The black base is simple effective and unobtrusive.

Obviously thin LCD's give huge ergonomic advantages over CRT's being so thin. However I find the positioning of the inputs rather difficult, granted you may only need to access them once but they really are quite difficult to reach. You need to tilt the monitor the full 30 degrees forward and get right underneath the inputs-this makes access to the 2 of 4 USB ports irritating. Having said that, the cable management system conceals the cables very effectively. Build quality is also very high and its surprisingly light.

FUNCTIONALITY AND OSD:

As far as I know most 20" widescreen monitors have limited tilt, swivel, rotate, and height adjustment capabilities and the NEC is no different. Basically you get limited forward tilting and that?s it. I don't see why you can't have height adjustment or portrait mode like DELL's LCD's? It?s not an issue for me at all; but more options in terms of the monitor?s positional adjustment can only be an improvement.

The OSD is really brilliant, it?s very simple and easy to use. The joystick control is very good and you can even change the brightness of the blue LED within it. Most reviews heavily compliment the NEC's OSD and I can see why.

IMAGE QUALITY

I'm connecting the NEC via DVI from a 7900GTX and the image is superb! The screen is crisp, vibrant and just generally brilliant! Text is very clear and crisp, picture sharpness and definition is splendid. I won't go on as this is subjective.

COLOUR REPRODUCTION:

As far as I can tell the colours on this monitor are very impressive. There is a real depth and richness to all colours, particularly blacks. I've tried 1 small movie file and found no problems at all; but in all honesty I don't really care for video playback on a 20" monitor. According to reviews this monitor has just about the best 'out of box' colour accuracy. I do a little bit of photo editing and have none of the casting problems I had with my old CRT. I currently have the colour set to sRGB 6500K; but I am not sure whether to use native or not? Do any of you think using a calibrator is worth it? Or do you recommend using another colour space or temperature? I really would like some advice in this area.

RESPONSE TIME AND GAMING:

This is marketed as a gaming monitor and is basically the fastest 20" around. I'm very discerning when it comes to gaming performance and any lag (I've tried tons of mice because of my sensitivity and finally settled for a G7). Essentially there is no input lag or response time issue, even in the fastest gaming scenarios. Unless you were looking really, really hard for any kind of ghosting (so hard that basically you would die in seconds in any FPS!) you simply would not have any problems at all. Colours look great in games-again there very deep, rich and vivid, subtle hues and shadows (think FEAR) are picked up very well. Also it?s worth mentioning that the brightness of NEC's panel really helps here. I haven't tried any Advanced DM Modes or anything, but at least you know that the monitor is fine without them.

VIEWING ANGLES:

To be direct, you are going have no problems with this S-IPS (LG.Philips LM201W01) panel the screen is constant at many extreme angles.

WIDESCREEN:

I'm not convinced over the benefits of 16:10 widescreen over 4:3 aspect screens. Sure there?s more horizontal real estate, but you do lose a little vertically. And gaming can be a headache! Despite the obvious prevalence of widescreen monitors now, I'm quite amazed to see how many games don't support widescreen resolutions. Editing config and ini files can be tedious and often the FOV gets messed up. I must say though that HALF-LIFE 2 looks good in widescreen. One has to remember that these widescreen LCD's are borne out of cost cutting in the manufacturing process-and not necessarily to build a 'better' monitor. Movie watching in widescreen LCD's is frankly overrated. You nearly always have substantial black bars at the top and bottom anyway. Having said all this it looks like most of the top monitors available are widescreen and this is going to be the trend-I can imagine that much larger screens, 24", 30" etc would be brilliant in 16:10 aspect.

GLOSSY OPTICLEAR COATING:

I just don't know what all the fuss is about with the glossy screen? I think it?s excellent and not at all a distraction, and I have a huge window with light pouring through it in front of the screen. On the contrary the glossy sheen makes the colours look really vivid and real. My sister, who uses a matt coated DELL at work, much prefers the NEC, its crisper and somehow more refined.

OSD SETTINGS AND 1:1 PIXEL MAPPING:

Having just got the monitor I would appreciate some help in adjusting monitor settings. In particular the BRIGHTNESS, CONTRAST, and SHARPNESS levels. This is a very bright screen-currently I have it set at 50% but am not sure if that?s best. The other big issue is the 1:1 Pixel mapping, when I bought the monitor; one of the tipping points for me in going for the NEC over the Viewsonic VX2025 was this. Essentially this feature is meant to be able to display a smaller resolution within the screen, without stretching or changing the aspect ratio. I think the setting for this is called 'EXPANSION MODE' but I don't seem able to adjust that control-I don't know if its because I'm using DVI and not analogue. Nevertheless I want this feature and need to know how to enable it as it?s invaluable in games.

SYSTEMIC BACKLIGHT BLEEDING:

Unfortunately this has been the only achilles heel of the NEC MultiSync LCD20WGX2. It?s something very difficult to judge and only affects the user in the darkest of environments and images. I got my NEC from Overclockers UK and thankfully it has no dead pixels but it does I think have a little bleeding particularly in the bottom left corner. It really is very minor and it may even go away. Nonetheless I called NEC support and they really were very helpful and knowledgeable. They informed me that this has been a problem, but in some case it goes away with time. However the representative told me that all monitors are now screened and tested and even the transportation process has been altered to solve the problem. They offered me a replacement and will ship it to me, give me a chance to compare the new one and return the old one if its better. I have a week or so to decide what to do. Should I replace the panel? Has anyone had any experience with RMA'ing the NEC MultiSync LCD20WGX2? What I don't want is to end up with a worse screen, perhaps with dead pixels or to continually send back replacements, as I have done with other products.

CONCLUSION:

Overall the NEC MultiSync LCD20WGX2 monitor is superb, you would not regret the decision to purchase one and the technical support from NEC UK seems competent too. One piece of advice though, in hindsight I think it would be good to get a larger widescreen monitor with a bigger native resolution and then make sure its capable of 1:1 Pixel mapping so you can play games at lower resolutions for the sake of graphic cards demands.

I hope this review was useful, and I thank xtknight and others for their advice prior to purchase; and I would really appreciate some advice regarding the questions above.

Thanks
 
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