Monitor is near death need advice

[Dan3345]

Woah seriously? I thought 2ms was good period and would mean I would see less artifacting, like blur and ghosting..

 

Just when I think I have figured this out. Well the monitor I have now is an Acer and I am not happy with it, as I feel it shouldn't be dying so soon, and the lacking VESA mounts, but I guess that is my fault for not checking before buying. At the time I had never heard of a monitor that didn't come with them..

 

Anyways, I do really like that Dell IPS monitor, even if it is very glossy, I love dell's monitors. Can't the same for their computers but their monitors in my experience are very nice.

 

Back to looking again..

[FMod]

Consider though that neither Asus nor Acer nor Dell nor Viewsonic actually make major monitor parts. Panels, backlights, etc, these are all made by other companies (AU Optronics, Samsung, etc), usually also assembled by other companies. Displays are not all equal, because brands can mix and match pieces they order to be built, but there isn't a consistent image quality based on the brand. Better to pick based on reviews and specific needs, like mounts, etc.

A glossy screen is something you're likely to regret if gaming, and a different brand can offer the exact same thing in a different design.

[Dan3345]

OK, I have been loosely operating on a false notion that the more expensive it is the better the image quality, which is ultimately all I really want. Great image quality. All else is secondary.

[FMod]

Well, making something better tends to be more expensive, but that doesn't stop some brands from charging more without adding quality. E.g. two fairly expensive models turned out to use cheap 6-bit panels. You rarely get more than what you pay for, except on specials, but less - all the time.

 

In terms of image quality, the lowest and the cheapest is TN panels. Worst contrast, accuracy, viewing angles Almost all of them are 6-bit, so instead of 256 shades of gray they have 64 and emulate the rest by cycling through colors. It kinda works for static pictures, but in dark dynamic scenes it's just bad. The good thing is TN panels are pretty fast.

The best overall is Sharp's UV2A (best contrast and fastest), but they are only used in home theater grade TV sets from B&O, Philips, Sony, Sharp itself. So for a monitor the choice is VA (MVA or PVA are subtypes) vs IPS.

 

VA pros: Better contrast, as in darker blacks and brighter colors, faster, usually no ghosting at all.

VA cons: "Black crush" (extreme shadows look black), less contrast at high view angles.

IPS pros: Better color accuracy

IPS cons: Violet tint on deep blacks, slowest panel type, some ghosting in fast scenes

 

Overall IPS are considered slightly better. But recently there's been a flood of cheap IPS which are 6-bit panels. These cut every corner just to slap an "IPS" label, the image quality is just a bit better than TN. You need to check reviews to make sure.

 

One also need to consider brightness. Today most displays only offer 250 cd/m^2 for IPS and 300 cd/m^2 for VA. If you play in daylight, high brightness is important. Home theater TVs have 450-500. Unfortunately I don't see 27" displays in that range - there used to be some, back when they cost more.

 

Considering what newegg has right now, I would narrow the choice down to:

Viewsonic IPS - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116582R

Seems to have a real 8-bit IPS. No confirmation, but no review says it's a 6-bit. But it is a little slow. Thin bezel.

Acer VA - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009424

same price here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0098Y77N2

Just another one of the crowd, same quality for less price than others.

 

You can look up reviews on Viewsonic for more detailed comparison. Didn't find any reviews on the Acer, but it's really the same as every other 27" VA, can just look these up. IPS versus VA is really a personal question, of which is more important.

[Erik005]

OK, I have been loosely operating on a false notion that the more expensive it is the better the image quality, which is ultimately all I really want. Great image quality. All else is secondary.

 

Then you need a ips screen, I have started looking for a new monitor myself and found out that the 2ms screens are mostly for the hardcore call of duty and battlefield dudes.

 

For regular gaming ips is fast enough.

 

This should be a good choice.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&cs=04&l=en&sku=320-2676

Edited December 17, 2012 by Erik005

[Dan3345]

Ok FMod I have read all that you said and tried to find a good monitor for the right price based on what you said. And basically I have come to the conclusion this monitor is best for my needs.

 

Regardless of the quality of components it comes from a brand I trust and it has all the features I am looking for. I don't have a speaker set, and do not plan to buy one for a while, so the built in speakers (no matter how crappy) are welcome for now.

 

Apparently it connects to your video card through a DVI-D to HDMI connector. I am not sure if this will affect the picture quality in any way and would appreciate some feedback.

 

I gotta tell ya when I first set out to find a monitor in this size I was hoping to get my first 2560 x 1440 monitor. After looking around for a week and comparing devices, it seems that isn't going to happen. I only have $300 to spend on myself (got to buy the family gifts for the holidays) and I figure going a bit longer without the higher resolution won't matter as I won't know what I am missing

 

While I am pretty certain this is the monitor for me, I would like to hear what you think of it. Does Asus use a decent panel, subpar? As I said I literally know nothing about monitors and what to look for so I am really picking up everything as I go and running with it.

 

Btw, where do you get your information on what components the various manufacturers use to make their monitors?

[FMod]

DVI-D to HDMI doesn't really affect anything. Electrically they are the same.

Regardless of the quality of components it comes from a brand I trust and it has all the features I am looking for.

While I am pretty certain this is the monitor for me, I would like to hear what you think of it. Does Asus use a decent panel, subpar?

It's a TN panel. I'm not sure if it's better or worse than other TN panels - but even the best of them fall far behind IPS and VA panels. There's plenty of issues: at an angle, and that includes screen corners, white gets a yellow tint; contrast drops severely; there are only 64 shades of every color instead of 256.

 

Used to be that VA monitors were 2x the price of TN and IPS started at 3x and up. The late '00s and early '10s brought a heavy backlash against TN panels, as they get worse the larger they are. So manufacturers had no choice but to step up and start mass-producing VA and IPS panels. Which today are also faster than they used to be.

 

Today a VA or IPS panel itself commands as little as a 30%-100% premium over TN, which translates into 15%-50% premium in monitor price. And sometimes - like in this case - displays cost the same. The only reasons to buy TN for the same price as VA or IPS are if: 1) you don't know, 2) you don't care, 3) you are obsessed about ghosting.

 

 

Btw, where do you get your information on what components the various manufacturers use to make their monitors?

Just involved in some hardware and enthusiast communities, you get to pick up info. There isn't a database or anything, makers avoid disclosing it, but every display worth it gets taken apart eventually.

[Dan3345]

Ok you have convinced me. I would rather wait it out and spend more then get something with negligible picture quality. You think that Dell IPS monitor was a good choice?

 

Had some nice features aside form the key thing of being an IPS. I like that Viewsonic you pointed out but it isn't VESA compliant, and a key thing for me is being able to mount the monitor to my wall.

[FMod]

Ok you have convinced me. I would rather wait it out and spend more then get something with negligible picture quality. You think that Dell IPS monitor was a good choice?

Dell S2740L is a 6-bit e-IPS panel unfortunately: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_s2740l.htm

"(6-bit + AFRC)".

It's better than TN, but worse than proper 8-bit IPS or VA panel. Also it's very glossy.

 

The Acer I suggested that was on sale for $200 is still in stock. Is something wrong with it? I don't think you'll find a better deal, it's got an 8-bit VA panel, VESA, matte screen. Nothing extra, but it doesn't cost extra.

 

If you want to spend more, this one is good: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236294

 

In between? A product is what it is, the price is what it is, it's not like you can dial in a price and get something just right on the money. This one is OK, but it's hardly better in any way.

Edited December 19, 2012 by FMod

[Rennn]

I have a 24" 1080p monitor, and I wouldn't recommend anything higher. Right now the pixel density is still good. If you went to 27 inches, I think it'd start to look blown up, and therefore worse.