LCD Buyer's Guide

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
I think you may want to add the Dell 2001FP to the list of photo monitors, as a budget photo monitor (can be had for ~$350).

Unfortunately the 2001FP isn't available new anymore. I recommend a very similar LCD for photo editing, the NEC LCD2070NX, but it is more expensive. The price on the 2007FP is quite steep as well and I believe the Samsung 215TW would deliver better results at a lower price.

I personally use this monitor for my photos (see sig) and the colors are very accurate and true.

http://fuzzybabybunny.smugmug.com/gallery/1209945/1/56600016
I like that one. The colors do look very balanced. The 2001FP is a true 8-bit display and I have little doubt it still beats the run-of-the-mill TN gaming displays.

It is not the brightest monitor nor does it display the most vibrant pictures, but this is NOT what you want for photo work that demands precision color representation. I've also heard that many people have successfully color calibrated this monitor with calibration tools such as those from Monaco, ColorEyes, Gretag/Macbeth, etc. On the other hand, people have found it impossible calibrating the newer Dell monitors because they are simply too bright.

My NEC 20WMGX2 (reaches 480 nits) calibrates great at 120 nits so I will have to see about that. I reached a deltaE<0.64 at 120 nits white (6500K daylight) and 0.3 nits black level with this bright S-IPS LCD. Maybe the Dells don't scale so well. The 2407WFP would probably be very bright, but if my NEC is any indication, the 2007WFP should calibrate great because it uses the same panel.

I'll see if I can get results on the 2007FP with my colorimeter. I thought the 2007FP looked pretty dark and compressed but if you say the 2001FP isn't too dark for photo editing then the 2007FP isn't, unless there is another fundamental change in the color electronics. My first impressions on the 2007FP here. My main pet peeve with it for photo editing was not necessarily the low luminance, but the gradient seemed out of wack and details were compressed. I didn't have a chance to use my calibrator on it, which I hope I can do soon. With basic brightness/contrast adjustment I wasn't able to get it much better. It is only hooked up via VGA but if I get good results then it'll be great over DVI.

I've currently got a 2001FP and a BenQ FP91G+. The BenQ can not be used for photo editing in any way because the colors are very unfaithful (too bright, too saturated, whites are not true white, etc.)

Have you had experience with any MVA panel (AUO P-MVA, Samsung PVA, S-PVA) LCDs?

 

[mshields]

Hello,
does anyone have experience with the NEC LCD 1990Sxi? I am considering going with this one based on some things I have read. My needs are predominantly for photo editing in Photoshop. I want something pro quality but at $700 this display is about at the cap of my budget. Comments, suggestions greatly appreciated.

Martin

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: mshields
Hello,
does anyone have experience with the NEC LCD 1990Sxi? I am considering going with this one based on some things I have read. My needs are predominantly for photo editing in Photoshop. I want something pro quality but at $700 this display is about at the cap of my budget. Comments, suggestions greatly appreciated.

Martin

That's one of NEC's very high-end LCDs and I'm sure it's great for photo editing. If you want to save some cash and get more space go with the Samsung 215TW. It's $450 and awesome for photo editing. But, strictly speaking of color quality, the NEC probably is superior due to the 12-bit gamma and ColorComp.

 

[Avalon]

Still no word from Sceptre, and now the darn LCD is sold out at Costco. Perhaps I should have bought it first, asked questions later, and returned it if need be. Ah well.

I'll still report back when I hear from them whether they are using a different panel from the rest of the 22" ones out there.

Jeff

 

[crazy4life]

The sceptre is back in stock

And i found more information on the lcd. It apparently ues a TN+HiRac technical panel. Anybody have any information on it.

http://translate.google.com/translate?h...6hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:*

It should be fine for stricktly gaming (no ghosting thats all i care about) right?

 

[niall]

Originally posted by: xtknight
Yup, the VP930b is definitely 6-bit. I would probably get the NEC 90GX2, a TN, over the VP930b any day. The backlight bleeding on the VP930b is just miserable.

The overdrive control on the VP930b is the worst I've seen on an LCD.

Yeah, it is still a problem with the ViewSonics. The VX2025WM is probably better in every category. (I see no reason to get the VP930b in that case.)

I think I'm convinced - Tom's is the only positive review of the 930B.

So I've kept looking, and stumbled upon this one. I can't find reviews on Tom's or XBit, only on Prad, and their review looks very subjective:

HP L1955 Monitor - S-MVA, 250 nits, 1000:1, Digital input, USB ports, supposed 16ms response - type unspecified. 176 H/V angles, but nowhere saying if it's 6 or 8 bits; flatpanels.dk is also bereft of any further info. I have also seen a store selling the L1755 version for C$348; the 19" at C$460 may be a good deal? Is the 17" the same technology, or is it slower due to being older? Gah, I look and can't find any clue!

Prad does mention a ghosting problems, but in types of games I don't play much; I think I could live with it. If the colour calibration is good, and the colour justness and correctness are good, I may have found myself a better contender... has anyone else heard of these?

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: crazy4life
The sceptre is back in stock

And i found more information on the lcd. It apparently ues a TN+HiRac technical panel. Anybody have any information on it.

TN+HiRac technical panel? Must be one of those new ones. It's probably TN 6-bit+Hi-FRC.

http://translate.google.com/translate?h...6hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:*

It should be fine for stricktly gaming (no ghosting thats all i care about) right?

Probably, though some of the newer TNs have been disappointing response time-wise. I'm not sure why; maybe they're forgoing overdrive features on the TNs. The Acer 22" is only average response time wise according to the graphics on LesNumeriques.

Here's how I'd rate the panels' gaming capabilities:

1. 19" 6-bit TN
2. 20" 8-bit S-IPS
3. 19" 6-bit P-MVA
4. 20" 8-bit P-MVA
5. 19" 6-bit PVA
6. 17" 6-bit TN
7. 30" 8-bit S-IPS
8. 20" 8-bit S-PVA
9. 24" 8-bit S-PVA
10. 22" 6-bit TN
11. 17" 6-bit PVA

 

[xtknight]

THE 22" WIDESCREEN LCD POST

A ton of people have asked about the 22" LCD screens lately. It's just not practical for me to tell everything to everyone each time I'm asked this, so I've decided to compile my thoughts on them into one big post.

• Color reproduction: Right now, all 22"ers on the market use the so-called 6-bit+Hi-FRC algorithm. This allows the display of 16.7M colors, as on an 8-bit panel, though the dithering artifacts are still present. I have more detailed info on Hi-FRC technology in the OP. It's still not as good as true 8-bit, and frankly, if you're a photo editor, you'll want to look elsewhere.
  
• Dot pitch: 22"@1680x1050 (0.282 mm) is what I'd call a "happy medium" for general usage. Its dot pitch isn't huge like the 19" panels, yet text is more easily readable from afar than with comparable 20" LCDs. Still, it's more than enough for people with average eyesight. Unfortunately, this seems to have a detrimental effect on the response time, as I will detail below. Lower dot pitch doesn't spell good news for TN panels.
  
• Viewing angle: These captures (see "Betrakningsvinklar") of a 22"w CMO TN (CMO M220Z1-L01 Rev C1) look quite convincing. The viewing angles are very decent for a TN.
  
• Response time: 19" TNs are the fastest LCD monitor panels in existence. The main reason seems to be their high dot pitch (0.294 mm @ 1280x1024). As we get down to 0.255 mm (20"), the response time rises, a lot.
  
  Reference 19" TN - LG L1960TQ (0.294 mm) pic
  Reference 22"w TN - Acer AL2216W (0.282 mm) pic
  Reference 20"w TN - Samsung 205BW (0.258 mm) pic
  Reference 20"w S-IPS - NEC 20WMGX2 (0.258 mm) pic
  Reference 20" TN - Samsung 204B (0.255 mm) pic
  
  Either the manufacturers are loosening up the overdrive on the bigger monitors (input lag maybe?), or the dot pitch is making a huge difference. Whatever the case, 20"+ TN LCDs are pretty slow, relatively. The 22" Acer is really showing its achilles heel. It is based on a CMO(?) 22"w TN. No captures of the CMO 22"w TN were available on the same site at the time of this writing. I have doubts of it being any faster. Despite many reports of "no ghosting" (where have you heard that before ), it's obvious the 22" LCD is the worst of the bunch.
  
• Value: Price is one place where the 22" LCDs really shine. You can grab yourself an Acer AL2216WBD (US, Newegg) for $330. Of course, price does not necessarily equal value. If the monitor is lower quality, then you're not really getting that great of a value after all. I feel that you will be a LOT happier spending $340 on a Dell 2007WFP than $330 (or even $375) on a 22" screen. What were we saying about value again? $10 gets you: a lower size...but wait: higher contrast, true 8-bit color reproduction, faster response time, better uniformity, a plethora of video inputs, PIP, video interpolation options, and a better viewing angle (if you get an S-IPS panel). How can you pass up a deal like that?
  
  That my friends is my opinion of 22" LCDs. Not all stories have a happy ending. Two extra inches, but considerably lower quality video. Unless text display is of paramount concern, avoid them and stick with tried and true 20" LCDs such as the Dell 2007WFP. Some may argue that text looks better on lower dot pitch screens because the anti-aliasing contains less noticeable artifacts. That's the general consensus for text display, but obviously if you can't see the text in the first place, you need an LCD with a bigger dot pitch, and that's what the 22" LCDs can provide. Of course, not all of those aspects listed above (faster response time, etc) mean the same thing to everyone. None are that important for clerical use. For multimedia however, you'll be in for much disappointment. Backlight bleeding seems to be rampant in the 225BW, and the response time on the Acer is poor. Whether these areas improve in future 22" remains to be seen. This is the state of 22" LCDs now. There has been talk of 22" S-MVA panels; hopefully TFT panel manufacturers will see a potential high-end sector in the 22" form factor.

Edit: I'm not sure of the panel used in the Acer. The edited sentence doesn't sound so well, but I'm aware.

 

[PsyStal]

I love my ViewSonic VX924, both as a college student who regularly utilizes text and video apps, and a regular gamer. I've had no problems whatsoever, and highly endorse the display to anyone in the market for a solid 19" lcd.

 

[errto]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Some may argue that text looks better on lower dot pitch screens because the anti-aliasing contains less noticeable artifacts. That's the general consensus for text display, but obviously if you can't see the text in the first place, you need an LCD with a bigger dot pitch, and that's what the 22" LCDs can provide. Of course, not all of those aspects listed above (faster response time, etc) mean the same thing to everyone. None are that important for clerical use.

Given this, would it be fair to say that a person using a monitor primarily for text-work (web, reading PDFs, writing code) and the occasional movie, game or photo-browsing might be better off going with a 20-inch widescreen like the 2007WFP than a 21-inch like the Samsung 215TW, given that they have the same native resolution? I've had a hard time getting a clear sense of this issue.

 

[Dethfrumbelo]

Originally posted by: errto

Originally posted by: xtknight

Some may argue that text looks better on lower dot pitch screens because the anti-aliasing contains less noticeable artifacts. That's the general consensus for text display, but obviously if you can't see the text in the first place, you need an LCD with a bigger dot pitch, and that's what the 22" LCDs can provide. Of course, not all of those aspects listed above (faster response time, etc) mean the same thing to everyone. None are that important for clerical use.

Given this, would it be fair to say that a person using a monitor primarily for text-work (web, reading PDFs, writing code) and the occasional movie, game or photo-browsing might be better off going with a 20-inch widescreen like the 2007WFP than a 21-inch like the Samsung 215TW, given that they have the same native resolution? I've had a hard time getting a clear sense of this issue.

I don't think he was referring to the 215TW in this case. For what you're doing, the 215TW would be an excellent choice. I think you'd do well by either of those two - just avoid the TNs at all costs.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: errto

Originally posted by: xtknight

Some may argue that text looks better on lower dot pitch screens because the anti-aliasing contains less noticeable artifacts. That's the general consensus for text display, but obviously if you can't see the text in the first place, you need an LCD with a bigger dot pitch, and that's what the 22" LCDs can provide. Of course, not all of those aspects listed above (faster response time, etc) mean the same thing to everyone. None are that important for clerical use.

Given this, would it be fair to say that a person using a monitor primarily for text-work (web, reading PDFs, writing code) and the occasional movie, game or photo-browsing might be better off going with a 20-inch widescreen like the 2007WFP than a 21-inch like the Samsung 215TW, given that they have the same native resolution? I've had a hard time getting a clear sense of this issue.

If you have eyes good enough to read normal DPI text at 1680x1050 and 20" I see no reason to go with a 22" at all. Even then you can just raise the DPI (sometimes called 'zoom' in programs).

 

[niall]

Okay, after two weeks of searching, I may start to have a handle on this. Maybe.

Colour reproduction is of some importance to me; therefore I want to avoid TNs. As gaming is far secondary, and minimal to low ghosting would probably not be that huge an issue, most of the better non-TNs with proper dithering and overdrive tech seem worthy of consideration.

Locally, anything 20"+ that's non-TN is well above $500, out of my budget. Although I am aware of the huge dot pitch for 19"s vs 17"s, there are no non-TN 17"s anymore. My choice seems therefore to be centred on the 19"s.

Among the panel techs, the P-MVA seems to have the most troubles (V930b, VX2025WM). Would the older PVA also have the same?

These are my choices:
- Acer AL1923R - can't tell which panel tech it is, though it seems 8-bit from the 178/178 angles ($405)
- Dell 1907FPV - MVA tech, but I can't find any reviews ($359)
- HP L1955 - shown as S-MVA in one place, no corroboration; another forum says it's not good at all with motion ($460)
- LG L194WTX - tech impossible to figure out; one forum says it may be s-ips, or TN; seeing the low price, either it's such old ips it's not worth it, or it's plain TN ($253)
- NEC MultiSync 1940CX - another lack of info on the tech; possibly PVA, though again the price would indicate otherwise ($280)
- Samsung 971P - PVA, and bloody expensive ($624!)
- Viewsonic VP930B - P-MVA and one I now know to avoid for bad backlighting and overdrive ($360)
- Viewsonic VX2025WM - P-MVA and known for backlighting problems as well; not much in consideration ($368)

As can be seen, prices vary a lot. I tend to prefer going to local stores over mail-order, as I don't trust the post or couriers with fragile stuff of this nature from experience.

Any thoughts?

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: niall
Okay, after two weeks of searching, I may start to have a handle on this. Maybe.

Colour reproduction is of some importance to me; therefore I want to avoid TNs. As gaming is far secondary, and minimal to low ghosting would probably not be that huge an issue, most of the better non-TNs with proper dithering and overdrive tech seem worthy of consideration.

Locally, anything 20"+ that's non-TN is well above $500, out of my budget. Although I am aware of the huge dot pitch for 19"s vs 17"s, there are no non-TN 17"s anymore. My choice seems therefore to be centred on the 19"s.

Among the panel techs, the P-MVA seems to have the most troubles (V930b, VX2025WM). Would the older PVA also have the same?

The P-MVAs tend to have more backlight bleeding than the PVAs, but both are 6-bit. By and large, the P-MVAs use FRC and the PVAs use dithering. One thing's for sure, P-MVA/PVA 19" panels are rare.

These are my choices:
- Acer AL1923R - can't tell which panel tech it is, though it seems 8-bit from the 178/178 angles ($405)

P-MVA high contrast, 6-bit+FRC.

- Dell 1907FPV - MVA tech, but I can't find any reviews ($359)

I haven't heard anything about it yet either.

- HP L1955 - shown as S-MVA in one place, no corroboration; another forum says it's not good at all with motion ($460)

Yep, S-MVA, but I have no idea of the quality.

- LG L194WTX - tech impossible to figure out; one forum says it may be s-ips, or TN; seeing the low price, either it's such old ips it's not worth it, or it's plain TN ($253)

TN.

- NEC MultiSync 1940CX - another lack of info on the tech; possibly PVA, though again the price would indicate otherwise ($280)

TN.

- Samsung 971P - PVA, and bloody expensive ($624!)

Yeah, very pricey, but a great panel otherwise.

- Viewsonic VP930B - P-MVA and one I now know to avoid for bad backlighting and overdrive ($360)
- Viewsonic VX2025WM - P-MVA and known for backlighting problems as well; not much in consideration ($368)

As can be seen, prices vary a lot. I tend to prefer going to local stores over mail-order, as I don't trust the post or couriers with fragile stuff of this nature from experience.

Any thoughts?

I would say the VX2025WM is still easily the best value of all of those. Sure, it has backlight bleeding, and some DVI problems, but the color is great (true 8-bit vs 6-bit of VP930b). The L1955 would have been good but the response time leaves lots to be desired. It's probably 30 ms in actuality, whereas the VX2025WM is roughly <16 ms. The Samsung 940t is probably the highest quality 19" PVA (available for $300 at the right places) but it has lots of ghosting. The faster Samsung 971P is only $375 at most online places but I guess it isn't that low locally for you? It is still 6-bit to my knowledge so the VX2025WM is a great deal for true 8-bit color.

 

[Shifu]

So, I finally picked up the Dell 2007FPW I've been looking at for a while. It is amazing! So much screen area, crisp image... I love it. I'm having some problems, though.
I'm running an nVidia Geforce 7900GT. It has two DVI ports. I figured, hey, I can plug my old monitor into the other port! Twice the monitors, twice the fun! So I do so, and as I'm booting up, the dell displays nothing, while my older BenQ FP791 displays the POST and Bios. I notice the Dell is set to VGA input, and switch it over to DVI, at which point the Dell starts working but the BenQ switches off. Weird.
Then I get into windows, and setup dual monitor display, configuring each display independently, via the nVidia control panel, but nothing happens. I can move my mouse over the boundary into the second screen's area, but my BenQ isn't displaying anything. It just says it has no signal.
What's going on here? I currently have the Dell plugged into the port the BenQ -was- plugged into previously, but I don't think the ports make a lick of difference. Is it an nVidia problem?

Also, although everything else on the monitor looks amazing, movies look like absolute crap. Anything the slightest bit dark becomes super, unbelievably dark, a problem I have not had with my old monitor. Evidently, this monitor is great for movie watching, so I'm assuming it's just some settings I need to tweak, but just turning up the brightness doesn't solve the problem. Any thoughts?

 

[niall]

Originally posted by: xtknightI would say the VX2025WM is still easily the best value of all of those. Sure, it has backlight bleeding, and some DVI problems, but the color is great (true 8-bit vs 6-bit of VP930b). The L1955 would have been good but the response time leaves lots to be desired. It's probably 30 ms in actuality, whereas the VX2025WM is roughly <16 ms. The Samsung 940t is probably the highest quality 19" PVA (available for $300 at the right places) but it has lots of ghosting. The faster Samsung 971P is only $375 at most online places but I guess it isn't that low locally for you? It is still 6-bit to my knowledge so the VX2025WM is a great deal for true 8-bit color.

Yeah, I'm restricted in what's local - remember, there's no Newegg, Fry's or the like up here; Best Buy is not much of a choice. None of these will ship to Canada (and if they did, we'd pay easily half the price again in duties). Only one store carries the 971P in town.

Hmm, and in all this, none of the actually 19" ones are worth it - the 2025 is a 20", but a true 8-bit one with some trade-offs for the low price. Maybe I can be lucky and get a unit with less backlight problems and no DVI glitch! Just what is the nature of this glitch anyway? I haven't seen much hard reference to it, just mentions on this thread.

Thank you very much for all your knowledge, by the way. Someone on the ars.technica forum said you were obsessed, but it's a good kind of obsessed.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: niall
Yeah, I'm restricted in what's local - remember, there's no Newegg, Fry's or the like up here; Best Buy is not much of a choice. None of these will ship to Canada (and if they did, we'd pay easily half the price again in duties). Only one store carries the 971P in town.

Hmm, and in all this, none of the actually 19" ones are worth it - the 2025 is a 20", but a true 8-bit one with some trade-offs for the low price. Maybe I can be lucky and get a unit with less backlight problems and no DVI glitch! Just what is the nature of this glitch anyway? I haven't seen much hard reference to it, just mentions on this thread.

You can read more about it here (and a probable solution): http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1040780

I'm not sure if everyone has problems or what. I don't know why ViewSonic can't just fix it.

Thank you very much for all your knowledge, by the way. Someone on the ars.technica forum said you were obsessed, but it's a good kind of obsessed.

You need to be obsessed to keep up with all the LCDs out there.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Shifu
So, I finally picked up the Dell 2007FPW I've been looking at for a while. It is amazing! So much screen area, crisp image... I love it. I'm having some problems, though.
I'm running an nVidia Geforce 7900GT. It has two DVI ports. I figured, hey, I can plug my old monitor into the other port! Twice the monitors, twice the fun! So I do so, and as I'm booting up, the dell displays nothing, while my older BenQ FP791 displays the POST and Bios.

The video card can only initialize one port at boot-up.

I notice the Dell is set to VGA input, and switch it over to DVI, at which point the Dell starts working but the BenQ switches off. Weird.

My guess is the video card has two DVI-Is and the monitor has a DVI-I in. That way it could be analog or digital. I don't know why the other LCD turns off when you do that.

Then I get into windows, and setup dual monitor display, configuring each display independently, via the nVidia control panel, but nothing happens. I can move my mouse over the boundary into the second screen's area, but my BenQ isn't displaying anything. It just says it has no signal.
What's going on here? I currently have the Dell plugged into the port the BenQ -was- plugged into previously, but I don't think the ports make a lick of difference. Is it an nVidia problem?

Did you run at a resolution and refresh rate that both LCDs are capable of displaying? The BenQ can't display 1680x1050. Try 1024x768 on both.

Also, although everything else on the monitor looks amazing, movies look like absolute crap. Anything the slightest bit dark becomes super, unbelievably dark, a problem I have not had with my old monitor. Evidently, this monitor is great for movie watching, so I'm assuming it's just some settings I need to tweak, but just turning up the brightness doesn't solve the problem. Any thoughts?

If you're not using Desktop mode (in monitor OSD color settings), you should, as it would fix that problem. Frankly I don't even know why the multimedia modes exist in the first place...they must be some 'instant gratification' vibrance thing, but they compress gradients horribly.

 

[niall]

Originally posted by: xtknightYou can read more about it here (and a probable solution): http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1040780

I'm not sure if everyone has problems or what. I don't know why ViewSonic can't just fix it.

Thanks! There's at least two solutions proposed, so even if I get the glitch I may be able to keep things going. Plus it seems that a common thread in many of those problems was that people did some parts upgrading at some point just before it failed. Mind you, it would be even more helpful if people posted some kind of batch or lot number (or the part of the serial number that identifies such) to see if it's a particular date-range-specific batch problem. There's no telling when the ones in stock locally were made.

Which makes me wonder, when were the VX2025WMs first made? Are they still being manufactured?

Also, you say first that all P-MVAs are 6-bit, but that the 2025 is 8-bit, though it's P-MVA... AUO's website is actually silent on how many bits are in the M201EW01 V0 panel.

Had I mentioned there were no non-TN 17"s? I found two! The AGNeovo S17 (MVA - $785!) and the HP L1755 (PVA - $348). So for $20 more, I get a true 8-bit, 3" more, and widescreen (in essence, 400 pixels wider). I think that's a good deal. There's a Samsung 215TW, but it's $700; again, out of my budget range, and same resolution as the VX2025WM anyway. (The two good NEC 20" are double the price of the Viewsonic, but they're s-ips instead of p-mva.)

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: niall
Thanks! There's at least two solutions proposed, so even if I get the glitch I may be able to keep things going. Plus it seems that a common thread in many of those problems was that people did some parts upgrading at some point just before it failed. Mind you, it would be even more helpful if people posted some kind of batch or lot number (or the part of the serial number that identifies such) to see if it's a particular date-range-specific batch problem. There's no telling when the ones in stock locally were made.

Which makes me wonder, when were the VX2025WMs first made? Are they still being manufactured?

I don't know but I'm pretty sure the latest batches have the same problems.

Also, you say first that all P-MVAs are 6-bit, but that the 2025 is 8-bit, though it's P-MVA... AUO's website is actually silent on how many bits are in the M201EW01 V0 panel.

All 6-bit P-MVAs use FRC, to my knowledge, though not all P-MVAs are 6-bit. There are true 8-bit P-MVAs like the VX2025WM. PVAs can be either 6-bit or 8-bit as well, though all S-PVAs use 8-bit electronics.

Had I mentioned there were no non-TN 17"s? I found two! The AGNeovo S17 (MVA - $785!) and the HP L1755 (PVA - $348).

Yeah, there are some $1000 17" S-IPS ones too.

So for $20 more, I get a true 8-bit, 3" more, and widescreen (in essence, 400 pixels wider). I think that's a good deal. There's a Samsung 215TW, but it's $700; again, out of my budget range, and same resolution as the VX2025WM anyway. (The two good NEC 20" are double the price of the Viewsonic, but they're s-ips instead of p-mva.)

The VX2025WM is the best deal in your situation.

 

[niall]

Seems like it!

Of course, I call and both stores that carry it are out of stock; "maybe in 6 days, we're waiting on the shipment".

Just to stymy me...

 

[Shifu]

Let me explain what I mean by "dark:"
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9261/lebowski2tz1.jpg
Is what I see in any video player.
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2499/lebowski1bi2.jpg
Is what I get if I tell Media Player Classic to take a screenshot.
The Dell 2007FPW is on desktop mode, but for some screwy reason video (and only video) comes out super, super dark. If I look at images, even darkish images, everything is hunky-dory. Does windows have some hidden setting for brightness of video that I've never noticed before?
Oh, and PS, the other monitor doesn't work because the DVI port went bad, for some reason. I'll go via VGA once I can get an adapter.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Shifu
Let me explain what I mean by "dark:"
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9261/lebowski2tz1.jpg
Is what I see in any video player.
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2499/lebowski1bi2.jpg
Is what I get if I tell Media Player Classic to take a screenshot.
The Dell 2007FPW is on desktop mode, but for some screwy reason video (and only video) comes out super, super dark. If I look at images, even darkish images, everything is hunky-dory. Does windows have some hidden setting for brightness of video that I've never noticed before?
Oh, and PS, the other monitor doesn't work because the DVI port went bad, for some reason. I'll go via VGA once I can get an adapter.

Yeah, video uses the overlay color controls which you should be able to adjust in your graphics driver control panel. NVIDIA has them under "color correction". Set defaults on the overlay controls and see if that fixes it. If not, bump the brightness.

 

[Shifu]

Oh. God only knows how it got set to "make all video look like ******," but it's a million times better now.
I need to sleep, but it's so tempting to watch a movie on this now... at any rate, I love you. I love you so hard.

 

[AnotherGuy]

lol love is in the air....

Anyways Xt for the gazilionth time which 1 u think is worth getting... the Dell E207fpw or the sceptre 22" x22wg-Gamer.... that frikin dell costs much cheaper specially after u apply 1 of those 20% off coupons from ebay and free shipping that is offering at this time.... while this sceptre goes up to $344 and u gotta find the $30 mail in rebate somewhere...
I dont know if those 2 extra inches are worth almost $100... plus I have no clue what kinda panel that dell is... is it fast for gaming and everyday use... reading... wwatchin movies? assuming the dell is HDCP ready... ?!?!

p.s. I was so close to click the "submit" on the last step of checkout for the sceptre... but then the dell came in my mind and started researching about it.... ima wait maybe tilll tomorow