best image quality 24"-27" monitor? [Archive]

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pelo911

03-05-2010, 11:48 AM

movies or games are less importent for me.

i saw some of: samsung , lg , hp , viewsonic
and i love the image quality and the vivid colors of the viewsonic.

the best quality i ever saw is inapple monitor inside Apple stores (24"/27"/30")

apple monitor work on PC?

what is the best monitor i can buy in the US?

thanks

Frag Maniac

03-05-2010, 02:20 PM

Yes, Apples will work on PC. They have some very nice 24" IPS panels with LED backlighting, but they're expensive. What's the primary use? If you're not gaming, movie watching or TV watching you won't really need low input lag. If you're doing photo work you'll want something like an IPS with high gamut. You need to specify your budget and primary use though. Good IPS panels can go for $2000 for 30" ones or more if you get a good brand with bells and whistles.

pelo911

03-05-2010, 02:41 PM

AndrewZorn

03-05-2010, 03:19 PM

"NOT photo worker , only regular home uses." and "best image quality" are kind of contradictory. when people say "photo editing monitor" and whatnot, they mean good quality. when they say "gaming monitor", they are either dumb, or saying high response, which generally means TN monitor, which ends up making it a crappy monitor.

the new dell u2711 is pretty nice, just got mine, it is like the 27" imac screen but better
it has already been pretty much hailed as the best thing for the price

Andypro1

03-05-2010, 05:48 PM

The HP ZR24w (not yet released, I think) and the Dell U2410 are both IPS monitors that ranked the highest on my personal weighted scale of monitors.

Unfortunately, I don't believe there is any monitor out there worth purchasing right now. I would speculate that later this year and into next year you'll be seeing a lot more 10-bit color panels with displayport as well as LED backlit panels.

AndrewZorn

03-05-2010, 06:14 PM

u2711 is 12bit, and they used CCFL lighting because right now colors with LED backlighting are still not perfect.

The_Beast

03-05-2010, 06:16 PM

+1 for the U2410, it's a great monitor for the price considering it's IPS

Andypro1 is right, I'd wait a while before making up your mind

Frag Maniac

03-06-2010, 01:11 PM

The U2711 looks pretty nice, but how many games can you really play at 256x1440? Seems you'd have to hope you can edit the ini or config files to play at that res. I know it's targeting mainly those using it for pro video/photo work, but it DOES have a game mode from what I've read. Ironically though it tests 2ms higher on input lag with game mode on. Still low at 15-17ms though, about the same as Panny TVs. I'd have to get a PC TV tuner though if I went with one of those for my all in one display, and they never work as well as the ones built into TVs.

Question about the 2711? I assumed if one were to downscale to a smaller res in gaming 1920x1080 would be one of the obvious choices, yet the review I read on it mentioned only a 1920x1200 option in that size. This is a 16:9 display, why would it not scale to 1920x1080? Anyone here tried to use 1920x1080 for gaming on a U2711?

AndrewZorn

03-06-2010, 02:35 PM

i havent had to edit any configs yet. the games detect the res. i know when i fire up an old game i might have to edit some ini, but that will be because it is widescreen, not because of the res. i dont think ive ever had a problem with high res and incompatability...

game mode? just a gimmicky color profile (though i have seen some monitors that reduce lag in game mode... cant notice it either way). i use adobe RGB and sRGB back and forth, cannot decide, they both look great but a little different. the factory calibration for these modes is a huge bonus.
and no, if you are trying to make it an all-in-one PC/TV... id give up now. the tv is never quite as convenient as it sounds. however, the u2711 has tons of inputs, i have my PC and PS3 hooked up, will soon add my dreamcast via VGA... and this isnt even tapping into the component/composite OR dvi.

1920x1080 works just fine, that is what i ran shattered horizon in (not really sure if i had to, just wanted to check it out without problems). you could do 1920x1200 if you wanted too, but it would involve some stretching and/or black bars. remember that scaling can be done by the monitor OR the video card. even if the u2711 didnt have a scaler (which it does, with 3 modes) you could just set it up in the video card to do the scaling for you. that wouldnt cover a 1080p input like the PS3... but again, i have mine all set up, PS3 looks great.

Frag Maniac

03-06-2010, 02:43 PM

i havent had to edit any configs yet. the games detect the res.I take it you mean so far you've played games that support that res. Typically games have a list of supported resolutions they will play at vs detecting your monitor's res.

I'm thinking maybe that 1920x1200 res listed as one of the ones tested in the review I read was a typo. They may have meant 1920x1080.

If I were to use a PC TV tuner I'd get one of the better ones like the OnAir GT with 5th gen LG tuner. It's also the best as far as software support. Seems to be a close 2nd in image quality, but honestly those things aren't worth having if they lack good software support and tuners.

When it comes right down to it there's tradeoffs either way if you use one display for everything. No TV is going to be a perfect monitor and no monitor is going to be a perfect TV.

I have to keep in mind though that my use in order of priority is gaming, movies, and TV, so perfect TV image quality is certainly not first on the list and it sounds like this monitor would be great for the other two.

Could you give a list of games you've played at 2560x1440? I'm sure WideScreenGamingForum would love to add such info to their database. Guys there have been drooling over this display but none there own it yet AFAIK.

AndrewZorn

03-06-2010, 03:27 PM

1920x1200 would work too... as would 1920x1080...
im saying that games typically only are restricted, if anything, to ratios. i doubt the res will be a problem.
im also just saying that a tv tuner on a comp will not satisfy most people's desires for a real tv
and i am yet to experience a tv tuner with decent software that is supported well

i think you are worrying way too much about the res, but here is what i have played in the last couple days of owning this monitor:
battlefield bad company 2
counter strike source
crysis / mwll
eve online
portal
serious sam hd
shattered horizon
supreme commander 2
team fortress 2
the void
x-com ufo defense (super old, scaled, still worked... that is my point, if the game doesnt support the high res, you can still play it in "all its glory"...)

WSG probably would not benefit much from my info. you can see from their site layout that the screen ratio is the limiting factor: does a game work in 16:10? 16:9? is it scaled, horizontal+, or vertical-?
if a pc game is created even half decently, 4000x3000 is no different than 640x480.
yes, the exception here is really old games, or games that use prerendered backgrounds a lot. lots of games that are 800x600 and that is it. but any game that you feel comfortable would support 1920x1200/1080 will very very very likely support 2560x1440.

Frag Maniac

03-06-2010, 04:21 PM

So you're saying ALL those games had that res (2560x1440) actually listed in the graphics options where you select display resolution? I can see how maybe the latest ones might, but some of those are older games, like CSS. Display settings support in games is typically far more than ratio support. If a res is not listed in the graphics options you need to edit it in via the ini or config files. So yes, WSGF would benefit from that info as well as your input on your overall experience with performance and image quality. If you look at their Master Games list they show what res the games have been tested to work at and typically in HD ones they only test 1920x1200 and 2650x1600 for the most part. The main purpose of that list is to offer help on how to get games to play on resolutions not natively supported by the game's display settings menu, as well as workarounds for FOV adjusting for proper AR support.

I know full well what you mean by TV show purists wanting best image quality possible for TV broadcasts, but honestly, I'm far from being a TVaholic and as full FO ISP support in the US draws nearer, it won't be long before TV shows will be downloaded in the blink of an eye and played on any display anyway, in full 5.1 without even having to bother with an HT receiver. Like I said, I prioritize gaming first, then movies, then net, and TV comes in dead last. That being said, I just read some very discouraging news that AutumnWave's rep Ryan Pertusio has left the company, so that ongoing over the top support for the OnAir GT is up in the air so to speak. It could mean there's been a drop in sales, I'm seeing a lot of online vendors listing the product as not currently available.

Well, anyway, I just read that the Sony EX500s may use the Sharp ASV panel that has very low input lag. The 32" EX500 is only $500 and it just hit the market. Won't be long before it's $400. I can live with that kind of price a LOT better since display choices are somewhat of a gamble with the tech changing so fast. Word is Panasonic will be using Pioneer's tech combined with theirs to offer affordable sets with high image quality too. So it's not just the monitor industry that has some exciting stuff coming out, and where monitors are concerned, the exciting stuff generally costs quite a bit, largely because e-IPS never really took off. Thanks for the feedback though Andrew. You really should hit the WSG forum, you might be surprised how many questions you'll be flooded with. ;)

AndrewZorn

03-06-2010, 06:12 PM

yes, the games get the res lists from the drivers/card. it isnt like the programmers have to manually put the stuff in.

x-com was the only one that did not ... but again, the monitor scales it to full: it cannot create what isnt there, but you can still enjoy the game as much as if you had a huge 640x480 CRT.

you are misunderstanding it. the reason people need to do the ini crap with WSG is usually to get the different ratios... and again, some of the MUCH older games. either way, we are pretty much in agreeance: even if the game you play does require manual modding... the monitor is not creating that problem. i cant think of a game that would support 1920x1200 but not 2560x1440. if the devs did it right and grabbed the res list from the drivers, it should be supported (look at CSS!). this has been the norm lately. if you want to play quake 3 for instance, youd be editing ini files to get ANY sort of widescreen support: 2560x1440, or even 1280x720.

it isnt about pure quality, of all the tv cards i have owned, the support has always been AWFUL. and even if it was supported, a tv card and comp will never have the "push power to watch cartoons on saturday morning" appeal to it. but i know this is a lot of personal opinion...

ill check out the forum if there are other people wondering the same thing.
ive been using the site myself for a long time. quake 3, battlefield 2 come to mind. i think every time i install quake 3, i get in rage mode for about an hour trying to find the cfg file that moves with each new release of windows.

good luck on your decision.

but one last question... what games DO you play? i might have the very one you are worried about.

something like starcraft is going to be halfway impossible. on one hand, it will fill the screen vertically. you will essentially be playing at 800x600 (or whatever it was) at about 22". black bars on either side, or distort the image if you wish. but this would also happen on a 19" widescreen monitor of much lower res. if you are really all about classic games, then yeah, widescreen might be a waste... but certainly not a problem.

Frag Maniac

03-06-2010, 11:04 PM

I play lots of games, basically all the popular shooters, race games (except for full SIMs), and some action adventure stuff. Too many to list. Anyways, I don't play the stuff older than 2004 much and will be building a new rig probably with GTX480 soon, so I guess I should have lots of res options on anything but older games.

iTravis

03-07-2010, 02:15 AM

Just got my U2410 yesterday and love it, no dead pixel or tinting, dithering issue so far as I have the latest revision. Was aiming for a U2711 but I'm still happy with my 3007WFP-HC and just need a 2nd monitor. If you're on a budget then the U2410 is great, it's a bit expensive but worth the money IMO. I got some discounts by just talking to a Dell rep. and even if with CA tax and recycling fee, I got it for $460 total with 3 years warranty from Dell, totally worth it if you ask me.

AndrewZorn

03-07-2010, 08:21 AM

yeah, if you do decide to get a U2711, i got mine for $825. the guy i got it from raised prices, but still... dont look at the $1100.

iTravis

03-07-2010, 10:03 AM

yeah, if you do decide to get a U2711, i got mine for $825. the guy i got it from raised prices, but still... dont look at the $1100.

$825 total with 3 years warranty from Dell? Now that's really tempting.

AndrewZorn

03-07-2010, 10:56 AM

Frag Maniac

03-07-2010, 04:00 PM

Direct from Dell for $825? Who was your salesman and had you purchased a lot of Dell product prior? PM it to me if you don't want to discuss publicly. Thing is though, I know Dell always offers better deals over the holidays, and I'm not sure I want to wait for that time of year all over again.

The_Beast

03-07-2010, 04:49 PM

If you call in as a small business *wink wink* they should give you a discount

That's how I got my U2410 for $480, with a 3 year warranty and a sound bar (worth about $35)

Frag Maniac

03-07-2010, 05:47 PM

If you call in as a small business *wink wink* they should give you a discount.So let me get this straight, they just assume the person claiming so owns or works for a small business using it for business purposes without asking for proof? And in the event it has to be sent in for RMA they still don't ask for proof of said business? Are you SURE about that? And if so, what makes you think within that 3 yr warranty period they won't start asking for proof when they find scads of people have been scamming them to get a discount?

This makes no sense on so many levels. First off, commercial vs personal use is always considered more taxing on a product by most any manufacturer. Second, even if they ARE supposed to get verification of the business making the purchase and the salesmen are circumventing that to build up their sales quota, it speaks of either poor management on Dell's part or a salesman whom may get fired soon.

Then there's the other angle. Perhaps Dell is getting tax deductible kickbacks from the government for small business discounts, something that can sound good when a politician claims they're understanding of such needs, but ultimately is paid for by the tax payers. So Dell goes on not worrying about whether these discounts are legit or not and the gov keeps accumulating more debt to that fund that the average tax payer foots the bill for.

Either way you look at it, this reeks of the all too common problem with the US' financial structure that has for too long made it easy for banks, corporations and consumers to make or save money through fraudulent means, and it can only end in recession or even collapse like we've seen recently, which Brooksley Born warned of years ago concerning derivatives when Clinton hired Janet Reno instead of her for Attorney General.

In the end, modern convenience isn't so modern when it takes us 3 steps back instead of 3 steps forward.;)

AndrewZorn

03-07-2010, 07:15 PM

you dont need small business proof, they dont care
and if you want to get technical, just say you arent doing very well as a business, you were going to sell beanie babies but it isnt working out...

without getting into the small business debate that is
in short i don't think saving money on a monitor, even if it was a large scale thing, has anything to do with america's demise
blame a couple people for that one
and then the couple people that thought even after their mistakes they deserved MORE money and a comfy retirement when other people don't get to retire at all

iTravis

03-08-2010, 12:36 AM

i actually spent an extra $70 to get the 5yr, but yeah
itd be about $840 (shipped, tax, everything) now though, PM me for info (no, it isnt me selling them)
it isnt resale either, my name is ON THE BOX, direct from dell.

Thanks for the info but I think I'll stick with my U2410 as I don't think paying double just for extra resolution is a good idea as I'm kinda on budget now. Regardless $840 with warranty is still pretty darn good, wish I just have the cash to drop. :p:

Regarding the purchase, most of the time they don't care and ask if you have a business, they just wanna get you to buy the product and will do anything to please you (as long as you're not a low baller LOL). Just like in the case I got my U2410, the rep I talked to seem pretty cool and he gave me multiple discounts to bring down the price. He even told me just to email him for my next order and he'll give me an extra 20%, I know it's business after all but I'm very pleased with Dell service.

The_Beast

03-08-2010, 09:51 AM

Thanks for the info but I think I'll stick with my U2410 as I don't think paying double just for extra resolution is a good idea as I'm kinda on budget now. Regardless $840 with warranty is still pretty darn good, wish I just have the cash to drop. :p:

Regarding the purchase, most of the time they don't care and ask if you have a business, they just wanna get you to buy the product and will do anything to please you (as long as you're not a low baller LOL). Just like in the case I got my U2410, the rep I talked to seem pretty cool and he gave me multiple discounts to bring down the price. He even told me just to email him for my next order and he'll give me an extra 20%, I know it's business after all but I'm very pleased with Dell service.

I had a cool rep too, hard to understand but still good. BTW I did an RMA with no problem what so ever under the small business.

Forin

04-27-2010, 12:14 PM

I have HAZRO HZ26WSI. (S- silver. )

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/hazro_hz26wi.htm

I can recommend this display. Great colors, no lag, better response than on dell. Its on H-IPS LG, same as Dell U24, but I rate it much higher.

movies or games are less importent for me.

i saw some of: samsung , lg , hp , viewsonic
and i love the image quality and the vivid colors of the viewsonic.

the best quality i ever saw is inapple monitor inside Apple stores (24"/27"/30")

apple monitor work on PC?

what is the best monitor i can buy in the US?

thanks

Soulburner

04-30-2010, 04:16 AM

I have HAZRO HZ26WSI. (S- silver. )

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/hazro_hz26wi.htm

I can recommend this display. Great colors, no lag, better response than on dell. Its on H-IPS LG, same as Dell U24, but I rate it much higher.
Funny, because that site (TFT Central) rates the Dell 2410 higher. The Hazro has been superceded - it was released years ago and competed with the Dell 2408.

Not saying it's a bad monitor, but at this time I don't think one could recommend it over the U2410.

Forin

05-05-2010, 04:17 AM

Are there some numeric degrees for LCD at TFTCentral I don't know about?

In U2410 review there are comparison with HZ24, which is older LCD, with older firmware.

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/images/dell_u2410/input_4.jpg

If you like more high lag, smaller u2410 than hz26wi, than Ok.

I don't.

Funny, because that site (TFT Central) rates the Dell 2410 higher. The Hazro has been superceded - it was released years ago and competed with the Dell 2408.

Not saying it's a bad monitor, but at this time I don't think one could recommend it over the U2410.

kiwi

05-05-2010, 04:59 AM

Any newer *IPS/*VA will do in combination with spyder3 hardware (http://spyder.datacolor.com/) calibrator. It makes even TN look way better than factory calibrated :)

Blacky

05-05-2010, 09:00 AM

Seems most of the games supports 2560x1440 resolution here are some confirmed on WSGF:

- Battlefield: Bad Company 2
- Counter Strike: Source
- Crysis / MWLL
- EVE Online
- Portal
- Serious Sam HD
- Shattered Horizon
- Supreme Commander 2
- Team Fortress 2
- The Void
- Call of Duty: MW2
- Bully
- Left4Dead 2

Andrea deluxe

05-05-2010, 09:06 AM

u2711

Smellydeli

05-05-2010, 09:19 AM

Any newer *IPS/*VA will do in combination with spyder3 hardware (http://spyder.datacolor.com/) calibrator. It makes even TN look way better than factory calibrated :)

Does anyone have one of those hardware calibration pucks lying around that I can borrow? :yepp:

My S-PVA 2470WNX is not calibrated.

MrDiaz

05-05-2010, 09:34 AM

My vote goes to the Dell U2410

phantomferrari

05-05-2010, 10:11 AM

my vote wouldnt be for monitor but for a small lcd tv. the one that comes to my mind is the sharp LC-32LE700UN. its a 32inch, 120hz, 1080p, led back lit tv. it has a nicer quality panel than most monitors, has decent built in speakers, does 120hz in case in the future want to do some 3d gaming, and can be found for a little more than 600 dollars almost anywhere online. while it a little large and only does 1080p i think for the price and features it easily better than most lcd monitors. those are just my 2 cents :)

Kurz

05-05-2010, 08:05 PM

Soulburner

05-06-2010, 04:05 PM

<,<

That is a Television monitor meant to be view from a distance.
The Dot Pitch is pretty wide on it, so it'll be hard to read text.
Plus, 1920x1200 > 1920x1080

As far as calibration goes, I have had problems getting good results on TN screens. I don't think my Sypder 2 handles them well.

It does wonders for my P-MVA (BenQ FP241W) which I'd pit against any monitor.