ViewSonic G225fb first impressions

[GhostDoggy]

Ok, I ordered and received the ViewSonic G225fb last week. While the initial shock-factor of its core ability for resolution (2048x1536@75Hz), the paltry video card I am using must be a limiting factor since the manufacture's website says 2048x1536 at 80-Hz. My video card is a basic Albatron PCX5300 PCI Express w/128MB. Both the Windows XPpro display settings controls and the Nvidia controls show this as to be a ceiling. To go above 75-Hz, I need to take a step down to 1920x1440, lol.

There are two issues I am needing to address. One issue happens to be a loss of image fedelity at the extreme left & right eadges of the raster. I am not seeing this loss on the top/bottom, though. With each resolution from 2048x1536-->XGA it can be seen. STrangely enough, whenever I change the resolution the raster insets itself with a 1/4" picture frame. As such, I wonder if this is because this is the actual viewable area to mask the loss in image fedelity.

The other issue is one I have heard other people describe in a hit or miss scenario involving the Samsung 997DF/mp monitors, which I had been considering (when I was considering a 19" monitor, originally). The default factory settings is with Brightness at 50% and Contrast at 100%. If I have the Display Properties window open on my black desktop*, I can see a fringing or halo around the window.

* My desktop is a black, iconless desktop with minimized taskbar with a vertically-expanded raster to hide the taskbar's minimized sliver detail. I usually borrow someones Spyder to calibrate my monitors for 6500K sRGB for Photoshop purposes. To the unindoctrinated, they'd think the monitor was off.

If I reduce the Contrast down to about 60, the halo-ing goes away. This is way too low, so its back up to 90. I have not calibrated this monitor, and only have adjusted the geometry, set the Color to 6500K, and maintained the 1920x1440@75Hz resolution/refresh.

Now, compared to the Professional Series PS790 that died on me and that this new monitor replaces, the halo-ing is a new experience for me. I have never experienced this before, and it isn't even evident on my POS ViewSonic A70f 17" monitor running 100/50 for Contrast/Brightness (at 6500K, 1280x1024@60Hz). And this halo-ing observations is seen during the daytime with the morning sunlight off to my right filtering through miniblinds and drapes.

Both issues may be able to be calibrated to a much better condition. This is only an initial observation. The G225fb has some additional controls that I am not use to seeing in a monitor. There appears to be controls for RGB calibration on highs/lows that I will need to explore.

My purchase experience was mixed. I tried someone I hadn't purchased from before and up until yesterday morning thought they were slow in processing the order, which I placed ~1:30PM Eastern. I emailed them on Thursday asking for a tracking notification, and they explained they just shipped the unit that day. "Three days to process an order?," was my initial thought. Early Friday morning (yesterday) I had the tracking information for FedEx Ground, and it said it was on the truck for delivery. Wow. I received the monitor about Noon yesterday. Bought from TechOnWeb for ~$440 delivered. My thinking is they probably had shipped it prior to Thursday and someone just said it shipped Thursday. Overall, a good experience in buying.

 

[GhostDoggy]

Ok, about the extent of the halo-ing. While running the monitor at 1920x1440@75Hz, the taskbar's height when in the 'up' position can be given a crude value of '1'. The halo that is seen in daylight above the taskbar is about 1.5 times the height of the taskbar with the Contrast set to 90%. For comparison, on the ViewSonic A70f monitor (1280x1024@60) its about 0.5 times the taskbar height (at most). Now that's a lot of halo.

 

[GhostDoggy]

Hmm, so I installed the ViewSonic G225f driver that came with the monitor, but Windows XPpro seems to be unable to maintain the 1920x1440 resolution after reboots. It keeps wanting to come up in XGA mode, which is something that I have not had happened before.

I'm playing with some of the predefined defaults, too, and trying sRGB, but this isn't helping in the halo-ing. BTW, I'm probably better off also describing that there seems to be a loss in contrast, or that the contrast rato performance is less than what I am seeing on the POS A70f monitor, and my previous PS790. Strange.

 

[NoStateofMind]

This is an example of what happens to a really long read to help someone. Try to summerize a bit and I bet you get more help/responses.

EDIT: you were just giving your 'impressions'...my bad .

 

[CP5670]

That halo effect sounds like it's due to the video card outputting a crappy signal (the lower end FXs had various signal quality problems IIRC). For the low contrast, I noticed that with two of three defective monitors I ran through, so it could be a dud unit. Although glare can sometimes have the same effect; try using it in a dark room and see if it's still there.

And my desktop looks a lot like too. I just have the four standard windows icons on it.

 

[GhostDoggy]

Originally posted by: CP5670
That halo effect sounds like it's due to the video card outputting a crappy signal (the lower end FXs had various signal quality problems IIRC). For the low contrast, I noticed that with two of three defective monitors I ran through, so it could be a dud unit. Although glare can sometimes have the same effect; try using it in a dark room and see if it's still there.

And my desktop looks a lot like too. I just have the four standard windows icons on it.

Why would the halo problem be the result of the video card? I had the same POS ViewSonic A70f monitor hooked up to it before and it had no halo problems. Right now images on it, compared to the A70f seem flat and not crisp. Currently, the Brightness setting is at zero, which of course is crushing the blacks (detail).

While I do understand it is possible that a video card could be outputting too high of a voltage, I have to also wonder why it wasn't seen on other monitors as well. With both monitors offs, sitting side-by-side, and facing the same direction, the off-tube 'blackness' of the G225fb seems more gray compared to the A70f. Doh!

 

[CP5670]

Was the old monitor running at the same resolution and refresh rate? These kinds of problems generally appear when the VGA bandwidth gets stretched to the limit on a crappy DAC.

As for the grayness, I think I know what you're talking about. It's due to glare basically; make sure the monitor is not directly facing a window or light. This effect seems to be more apparent on some monitors than others.

 

[GhostDoggy]

As I said, both monitors are side by side and facing the same direction. In fact, I can shutoff the G225fb and the tube is gray compared to the tube on the A70f when its on.

If I could get the second video output working on the PCX5300 video card I could run both at the same pixel density (dots per inch) and present the same graphical image on both and capture it. Sounds like an experiment in the making.

Unfortunately, this is depressing since I am now going through the one thing I feared in buying a monitor non-local. Damn worthless retailers.

 

[GhostDoggy]

Ok, the sun has dropped below the horizon pretty much. I am actually in a room on the east-side of the house. Neither monitor has anyone on the screen--not even a hint of minimized taskbar.

The tube on the G225fb is gray. I can unplug it and that is just that. No wonder one retailer has +2,000 of these units in a warehouse. Conversely, the A70f el'cheapo monitor that was on, but with blank screensaver was pitch black.

G225fb is currently set to 1600x1200@75, but I did test this afternoon all the way down to XGA. Contrast/Brightness are 100%/10%. Conversely, the A70f is running 1280x1024@60 on a much older video card. Contrast/Brightness are 100%/~35%.

Now, if I take the white mouse cursor and center it in the middle of the desktop (no taskbar or icon in sight), there is a dramatic difference in what is seen on the two monitors. The G225fb is halo-ing about the size of a quarter, but the A70f can barely halo-ing at all.

Ok, next I brought the taskbar up and did away with the mouse cursor. The halo-bleed above the taskbar is from twice the height of the taskbar at its center position, and three times as high at the left/right edges. Its about 0.75 to 1.5 on the A70f.

BTW, does anyone know what the Purity adjustment does? At this time, I cannot recommend this monitor to anyone. If you are like me and have a preference for a higher contrast ratio and low black level then this example of a G225fb is not good. I would not know how anyone could visually key-in black levels in a picture (i.e. Photoshop) under this condition, and the halo, or blooming, must certainly skew contrast within a picture to be reason for the image flatness and washed colors.

 

[JRW]

Ouch sounds like you got a dud.. weak black levels alone would drive me crazy.

 

[GhostDoggy]

At this point, I'm hoping that is the case. If its not, then ViewSonic and their quality for the better CRTs has gone to h3ll. Anyway, if I return it (either just return it or for exchange), it will be too expensive, IMO. I am thinking of trying this Express Exchange. At least its $23 and a lot cheaper to get another unit than the $40 I paid for shipping originally.

Anyone use this service through ViewSonic?