Newegg: Hanns-G 28" $369 Free Shipping

[imported_expert01]

Not as good a deal as the $339, but still a good price.

Newegg has the Hanns-G HG-281DPB Black 28" Widescreen LCD for $369 with Free Shipping.

Previous topic: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...id=40&threadid=2247079 (there are some notes from me near the end on some solutions to possible problems)
Item: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824254026

Common Complaints:
"I have dead pixels" (don't seem to be any recently, could be there was a bad batch and they've improved the manufacturing process)
"There's horrible backlight bleed" (Again, not too many posted recently, but I posted a possible solution in the link above)
"Viewing angles suck" (I'm not sure what to think about this - some people say that it's fine if you're looking down towards the monitor but not up towards the monitor? Doesn't make much sense to me, I'll update when I get mine)
"Speakers suck" (don't use the built in speakers, get a decent set)
"Buttons on the side are a little inconvenient" (you really should only have to use them during initial setup)
"Doesn't tilt" (Again, I'm confused about this one. I've read that it tilts up and down just fine, and I've read it doesn't tilt at all. Regardless, if you don't like your stand, buy an aftermarket one from Office Depot that will support height, tilt, swivel, and anything else you want)
"Border is too big/shiny" (I can understand this, it really would suck using it in a multiple monitor environment, and the glare could be a problem for you. If it's a problem for me I'm probably just covering the frame with electrical tape, should be fine)
"Bright Spots" (Lots of people saying it goes away after a few hours, but if it's bad enough it should qualify for an RMA)
"Too bright out of the box" (turn the brightness down, if you limit the newegg reviews by Manufacturer response they say what you should try first)
"Colors suck" (only some people seem to say this, I don't think it'll be a problem for me, but I might get a huey color adjustment tool and make a profile for mine - see link above for some advice)
"Response rate is terrible/ghosting" (I only see a small number of reviews with this complaint, seems to be either some bad panels or some whiny reviewers. Download Pixperan, it'll help you test your monitor's responsiveness)


I'm really excited about mine. I hope they keep having these sales, if it's nice enough I might like to get a three monitor setup going.

 

[ksheets]

Any thoughts on how this would work over hdmi to a cable box and used as a TV?

 

[Kaido]

Review with pics at Hardforum:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1231705

 

[imported_expert01]

Originally posted by: ksheets
Any thoughts on how this would work over hdmi to a cable box and used as a TV?

HDCP compliant, but 16:10 screen ratio (so minor stretching). Shouldn't be bad at all, I watch 4:3 video on a 16:9 TV stretched (and very slightly cropped top and bottom) and I hardly notice the difference anymore.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

I think the 24" Soyo with IPV panel was a better deal.

 

[Basilisk]

I'm using this monitor as I type. 'Bought it on EBay a month ago. 'Haven't tried it as a TV yet -- i.e., from an external tuner or DVD player. I did watch a few minutes of "Mr. Bean's Holiday" captured from HBO on another computer (& compressed to an AVI file). 'Haven't noticed that "the colors suck".

I love it as a monitor. No pixel issues -- stuck or dead. Never noticed any light bleed. It tilts a bit and swivels a bit, contrary to some comments. I haven't noticed any ghosting, but I don't play twitch-games (which might be most sensitive to that).

The off-axis issues are real, I guess: you notice brightness decreasing for viewers outside a 30 or 45 degree centered arc; at some broader off-access angle some colors fade. None of this is an issue as a monitor, but could impact group viewing. ('Haven't compared it to my 42" LCD TV downstairs, so I can't offer that observation.)

The bezel is about 1.25" wide; its shininess has never been an issue.


To me this monitor is a steal below $375. I'd certainly buy another if I needed a further monitor. Would I buy it for a TV? Well, I'd certainly try it as a single person TV or one that sits at a distance -- like a bedroom TV.

 

[Kwint Sommer]

Originally posted by: ksheets
Any thoughts on how this would work over hdmi to a cable box and used as a TV?

I got one for $450 and I'm pretty happy with it for computer gaming. It's not perfect but it's a good value at $450 and one hell of a hot deal at $340.

However, I wouldn't really recommend it for TV. It will happily support video over HDMI and even has a proper audio output to hand off the sound but it's 16:10 so all of your HD content is going to be stretched to fit. I view it from ~2 feet away and it's very obvious at that distance when it's stretching 1080P video. I guess it wouldn't be nearly as noticeable if you're viewing it from farther out like you would with a TV but from my desk-viewing experiences I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[marmasatt]

To me this monitor is a steal below $375.

I own this as well. This is an absolute steal at this price.

 

[s44]

Dead now. I guess it doesn't have 1:1?

 

[imported_expert01]

It's back. And apparently no 1:1.

 

[postmortemIA]

all TVs use PVA or perhaps some use IPS panels, but none use TN because nobody would buy them with horrible viewing angles. So this monitor is just a monitor, there's no chance you can hook a PS3 or XBOX360, sit on the floor or 10 feet away and enjoy the picture.

 

[sisq0kidd]

I bought mine for $275 off Craigslist a month ago and the colors don't seem to be as good as on my Dell 2405fpw.

After some calibration, it looks better, but still not as good as my Dell.

 

[imported_expert01]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA
all TVs use PVA or perhaps some use IPS panels, but none use TN because nobody would buy them with horrible viewing angles. So this monitor is just a monitor, there's no chance you can hook a PS3 or XBOX360, sit on the floor or 10 feet away and enjoy the picture.

Sure there is. Just hooked mine up and it's great.

People, don't let negative nancy's get you down, this monitor is worth every penny.

 

[kmmatney]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA
all TVs use PVA or perhaps some use IPS panels, but none use TN because nobody would buy them with horrible viewing angles. So this monitor is just a monitor, there's no chance you can hook a PS3 or XBOX360, sit on the floor or 10 feet away and enjoy the picture.

You obviously have never seen or used this LCD, and are making blanket assumptions. I use this monitor everyday at work, and we use it at tradeshows for our booth display, and it is very eye catching viewing from all angles. In fact, viewing angles are quite good, except from the bottom You can easily use this with a gaming console. The colors are very good as well. I use it for everyday work - coding, email, web browsing. I have taken it home and gamed on it as well, and it was much better than I expected. This is a very good deal for this price.

If you have bad eyes, then this monitor is awesome - nice large pixels (but not too large - looks sharp).

 

[kmmatney]

Originally posted by: Deleted member 4644
I think the 24" Soyo with IPV panel was a better deal.

I have both panels - the Hanns-G I use at work, and the Soyo at home. Both were purchased around the same time, with the Soyo at $300, and the Hanns-G at $550. At the time, the Soyo was a better deal. However at this price, I think the Hanns-G is a better. The Soyo has slightly better colors, contrast, and viewing angles. The Hanns-G has a better stand, better build quality, seems to be a faster screen, is HDCP compliant and is HUGE. In the begining, I assumed that the Hanns-G had an MVA panel - it looked that good. (and I'd never heard of a TN panel being that large before).

So speaking as someone who has an first revision PVA Soyo and a Hanns-G, I would take the Hanns-G at this price, over the Soyo at $300 (if that's still the price).

 

[iCuDoaOutkaster]

I really appreciate you REAL world reviews! (last three replies) I have been debating and debating over which monitor to get, and for some reason I kept coming back to the HansG. With your reviews, along with many other favorable ones, I think I am settling on the HansG 28". Thanks again!

 

[yusux]

if you want a big size TN, go with the Soyo 26" , the over all contrast/brightness is better and there was much less bleeding and Soyo has less noticable off axis issues, and the Soyo is much faster in response time imo especially after I tweaked the monitor to 64hz

 

[datalre]

i must be late, it's up $10 to $379.99 now =(

 

[ther00kie16]

Tiger has it for $350 (under different brand but same monitor) and also 10% cashback through live.com
Isn't as good as when it was 20% cashback (would've been <$300) nor is it as good as $360 - 30% cashback back when ebay had 30% cashback but still a decent deal.
At 28" TN has to be really bothersome but maybe it's ok for some.