What's reasonable to expect regarding LCD uniformity?

MRMI

Junior Member
Jan 13, 2015
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A few days ago I bought an NEC EA244WMi 24" LCD for a general-use workstation to replace a dying CRT. I like pretty much everything about it (16:10 aspect ratio, semi-gloss coating, low input lag, fast response times, good color), but it has what I guess would be called a uniformity problem that is particularly noticeable on mid-grey to white screens (it's basically imperceptible on dark/black screens, though). Here's a photo of the monitor displaying a solid middle gray:

ZquJjaU.jpg


As is hopefully apparent, about a quarter to a third of the way from the left side of the screen there is a vertically curved line of contrast extending almost from top to bottom, making the left side appear markedly darker and warmer (in color) than the right. There are similar dark/light areas in the lower and upper-right corners, though I could probably live with those by themselves. While I understand that LCDs generally have these problems to varying degrees, what's shown in the photo seems egregious to me and has become pretty distracting. For comparison, I've tested a 5-year-old HP LCD that does not show any significant patches of discoloration or light/dark contrast.

Am I being unrealistic in my expectations or is this worth returning for exchange? I should add that I think the problem stems at least partly from some loose plastic on the back of the monitor, just underneath the video connectors. The plastic seems flexed outward slightly, creating a gap between itself and the underlying metal/whatever else such that if I press the plastic to close the gap then the abnormal contrast becomes less noticeable (though still present). However, there don't seem to be any screws holding together the different pieces of plastic on the monitor frame, so I don't see how I could permanently fix the looseness. This also leads me to worry that an exchange unit will suffer the same problems.

So, should I go through the hassle of an exchange? Refund and get a different model (hard to find one with all the same specs)? Live with it and just accept the fact that LCDs suck, that there are no other options and that whether you get one that actually works as advertised is a crap shoot?
 

EliteRetard

Diamond Member
Mar 6, 2006
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*snip*

Live with it and just accept the fact that LCDs suck, that there are no other options and that whether you get one that actually works as advertised is a crap shoot?

I'm still on my Trinitron CRT and this has been my experience thus far. I haven't seen an LCD yet (TN, VA, IPS, phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, or TV) that can match this old failing CRT, let alone in its prime. Sure there are some high PPI LCDs now, but they don't have the color, refresh rates, or uniformity. Sure there are some that can compete on color, but they suffer in the other areas...and sure there are some that can meet or beat the refresh rate, but again they fail everywhere else.

The tech is moving along...but its been excruciatingly slow and I fear this CRT will die before they ever get back near the complete quality. I've been watching the high refresh 1440p monitors...they have 2 categories down, now they need color and uniformity. It seems much of the uniformity issues are from cheap TN panels and crappy backlight designs. If they use a VA/IPS 1440p 120hz with a full array color LED backlight and do some factory calibration/quality control for uniformity/color that'd be close enough. I'm willing to pay $1k+ for such a thing, with a 5 year warranty.
 

PhIlLy ChEeSe

Senior member
Apr 1, 2013
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open it up check yer ribbon cable seating's, clean out any dust. Inspect the caps, is the PSU built in it? Check it for bad caps, top and bottom of caps too.
 

Phynaz

Lifer
Mar 13, 2006
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Return it, that's a defective display, either in design or manufacture.
 

rickon66

Golden Member
Oct 11, 1999
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My take on this subject-Does it effect or detract from the real use of the monitor. What is the difference of what it looks like with no input, if it does not affect the image when in real use?
 
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MRMI

Junior Member
Jan 13, 2015
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Thanks for the responses. I decided to order another one rather than exchange since this is the only monitor I currently have access to. If the new one has the same problem then I'll just have to return both and look for a different model. I actually went through pretty much the same thing years ago when I bought an NEC 2490WUXi. I thought the $1000 price point would ensure good quality control but I ended up having to return it because of bad color uniformity problems (I tried two units then as well, both were made in China). Ugh...
 

MRMI

Junior Member
Jan 13, 2015
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Well, I got the second monitor and it's pretty much identical to the first. Definitely seems to be a manufacturing issue. This one will have to go back too; I guess I need to cross NEC off my list. Here's a picture of the second one, showing the same curved line on the left side:

I0mFOjW.jpg
 

amenx

Diamond Member
Dec 17, 2004
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Well, I got the second monitor and it's pretty much identical to the first. Definitely seems to be a manufacturing issue. This one will have to go back too; I guess I need to cross NEC off my list. Here's a picture of the second one, showing the same curved line on the left side:

I0mFOjW.jpg
Test it with solid colors to see how badly its affected, especially with black background. I have a catleap with what also appears to be poor uniformity, especially in the center, but it doesnt show up in usage, only on post. With solid black color there is no sign of it. I have performed a uniformity test with a calibration device and it is not far off from usual deviations of other monitors reviewed.
 

MRMI

Junior Member
Jan 13, 2015
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It might not strictly be NEC you need to cross off, just any display using that panel. I'm told that the panels leave the factory AIO with the backlight array, so aside from having (apparently) pathetically low QC standards, NEC probably isn't to blame.

You're extremely hard pressed to find a monitor with decent uniformity these days, especially with 99.9% of all LCDs now using LED edge lighting. My 6 year old LP2475w still has better uniformity than any post-2011 LCD monitor I've seen, and I was never happy with that unit in the first place (used that notorious LG panel with the blue-to-pink horizontal tint).

I truly despair at the current state of LCD monitors. In 2009 I returned the LP2475w five times for issues that were unacceptable, but those issues look trivial compared to the crap I'm returning monitors for these days. And much to my disgust I can see my own standards slipping like everyone else's, putting up with what should be unacceptable minor flaws just because I don't have the energy for repeated RMAs, and because I'm so very aware that things can always get much, much worse. The main reason I like to buy enterprise-class monitors from Dell or HP is because I can at least get an advanced replacement, compare it side-by-side, and choose to retain the less defective one, as opposed from having to risk making huge backwards steps with every return. Too bad dell doesn't make any G-Sync units.

Yeah, it's disheartening that so many people seem to be OK with this status quo. Maybe if more customers stop putting up with it then retailers will get unhappy enough with all the refunds that they complain to the OEMs (I know, unlikely). If CRTs are vinyl then LCDs are cassette tapes, and we really need the CD equivalent to come out already.

Test it with solid colors to see how badly its affected, especially with black background. I have a catleap with what also appears to be poor uniformity, especially in the center, but it doesnt show up in usage, only on post. With solid black color there is no sign of it. I have performed a uniformity test with a calibration device and it is not far off from usual deviations of other monitors reviewed.

Well, the photo is of a solid middle grey, and it's a very good representation of what I see in most cases. Using a dual-window text editor: the left file has a distracting warm/cold line of contrast running through it. Browsing web pages, using 3D DCC applications or Photoshop, I notice it constantly without looking for it. It's actually least noticeable on very dark to black screens, but in practice I rarely have a dark screen. If all I did on this monitor was watch movies and play video games I wouldn't mind, but for a workstation it's very distracting.
 

gorobei

Diamond Member
Jan 7, 2007
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welcome to the world of eIPS, not all ips are the same quality.

there is a reason why the dell 30" ultrasharps for almost 10 years have been and are still going for $1000. polarizers and diffusers are complex assemblies that cost money. the drop in overall "ips" prices are primarily in eIPS panels with reduced domains, fewer polarizers/diffusers, and sometimes only 1 or 2 light arrays on top or bottom, instead of all 4 sides being lit.

cheap comes at a price.
 

MRMI

Junior Member
Jan 13, 2015
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welcome to the world of eIPS, not all ips are the same quality.

there is a reason why the dell 30" ultrasharps for almost 10 years have been and are still going for $1000. polarizers and diffusers are complex assemblies that cost money. the drop in overall "ips" prices are primarily in eIPS panels with reduced domains, fewer polarizers/diffusers, and sometimes only 1 or 2 light arrays on top or bottom, instead of all 4 sides being lit.

cheap comes at a price.

Above I mentioned that years ago I bought two NEC 2490WUXI's ("true" IPS, CCFL), both had similar problems with very bad color uniformity. If I could pay $1000 for guaranteed quality I would, but there's no such thing as far as I can tell.
 

sheh

Senior member
Jul 25, 2005
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That's disheartening to see on not cheap 24" monitors. I thought one should sadly expect such uniformity problems mostly on TVs, especially 50"+, and maybe 30"+ computer monitors.

Good thing you're returning them.