24" Display Purchase Challenge

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Agrajag

Weaksauce
Joined
Jan 3, 2008
Messages
92
Okay,

I currently am using a Viewsonic VP191b LCD. It's 8ms refresh 4:3 and will only be used on my PC to do daily work and play games. I watch movies and such on a serious home theater setup.

The Viewsonic has been very good for me. The colors seem fine and the 6-bit dithering doesn't bug me. Viewing angle could be better but since I only ever sit 2 feet from it, it's not a big deal.

I've decided that I want to move up to a widescreen display. My initial choice was a 22" monitor. My budget for this purchase is $400. I can go over it a SLIGHT bit but not to $450.

Concerns:

1) I see ghosting now with this monitor at 8ms. I can live with it but would like to improve on that if possible.

2) I need a display that has an adjustable stand. I have things that sit under the monitor that it needs to clear.

3) I would like a tilt function but it's not a deal-breaker. This one has it but I never use it because it fouls up the cabling. If it's a breeze to tilt, great!

4) Refresh rate is an issue as this is for gaming and I'd like to cut tearing out as much as possible.

5) I'd consider a 22" but I'd lose height and essentially that would strike me as being a bit smaller so I'd prefer not doing that unless the solution would just blow me away.

I realize there's this whole TF vs. MVA vs. S-ILA panel debate going on but I suspect at $400 it's pretty much TF for me.

The monitor that has my attention most right now is the upcoming HP w2408h which is due out next month. Retail is supposed to be just $499. The current model (the w2408) is retail $599 and sells on Amazon for $439 so I suspect the new one will be reachable. I also really like the stand for this.

Thoughts on this display? I'm also wondering about the HDMI. Obviously my Nvidia video card has a DVI connector. I'm assuming I can just use a DVI-to-HDMI cable and may even have one here but getting one should be easy enough.

What do you guys think?
 
I stressed over this same decision for a week or two. I finally went out and looked at a couple of the monitors and of the good ones I was hard pressed to find anything a "normal person" would notice as a problem. Don't let analysis paralysis over take you. Find out what the best 3-4 monitors are and pick one you like. The reason it is so hotly debates which one is best here is because there is no clear cut winner. I went with a samsung 245BW for 400 after a 50$ MIR. It is a 24" with tilt and height adjustment. It also has a DVI and HDMI inputs. I'm in love with it and sometimes just sit and stare. I don't notice any ghosting or anything like that. If you were to sit about 5 feet under the monitor (I dunno your really dumb and put it on the top of your full length bookshell and sprawled on the floor) you would have problems, but from any kind of a normal angle you won't.
 
The Samsung looks like a contender though I need to see it drop down a bit. Without rebate it's $458 which pushes it past the WAF (wife acceptance factor).
 
WAF should be our new acronym, use it just like YMMV or B&M stores.

~[H]ot PSU! Fry's B&M, 60$ MIR, Way Below WAF~
 
The gateway fhd2400 is $499.99 at Circuit City this week; you could try to find a 110% pricematch at somewhere like Best Buy. Its a TN panel too though.
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824112011

Not a huge brand-name like Samsung, but 2ms response, 4000:1 contract ratio 24" wide-screen for $329. Only thing that sucks is no HDMI and the stand is a little wobbly if not on a level surface. I bought one and it has one stuck pixel in the bottom right-hand corner that both newegg and Spectre said they won't cover... whatever. It's great otherwise, brilliant colors, no ghosting, movies look absolutely amazing.
 
Sceptre I've seen here and there and they're so cheap and so off-brand that I have real stress thinking seriously about them.

Can anyone seriously recommend them as top-flight?
 
I dont have money for NEC.

My most favorite is the Gateway Glossy 24 inch screen $500.

But the best deal is the Soyo which gets you an 8 bit panel at $300. Above that, if I want a better brand with HDCP compatibility, I would go for the Sceptre for the contrast, HDCP, and color.
 
There's the glossy TN HP 2407 on Amazon for $409.99 with the Visa deal.
http://www.amazon.com/W2408-Vivid-Widescreen-Monitor-BrightView/dp/tags-on-product/B000RY0PIQ

It got a pretty good review from Prad. http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2007/review-hp-w2408h.html

Not as many inputs as the Gateway, but better price.

Best WAF could be the Viewsonic Q241wb at $369.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116104

Once you slide down the 24" TN slope tho, is any price too cheap?

This just in. Samsung 245BW for $399.00 at costco:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11225728&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US
 
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Everyone should really not even consider the TN panels.

I have a 24 inch TN panel, and I hate it.

2ms response time is nice and all, but the viewing angle just kills any pleasure I get from a 2 ms response time.

I'm also a color purist, and 6-bit just doesn't cut it : (

I've ordered a Soyo 24 inch from Walmart.
I hate Walmart, I think they're expensive, but they're the only place that has the Soyo in stock.

It's $350, and it's supposedly a VA type panel.

Forget TN, it's the pits.

Edit:

I just sold my current 24 inch on eBay for $360, not bad IMO because I paid $400 after shipping originally, and this guy paid $390 after shipping for a basically brand new monitor that he knows has no dead pixels (hopefully none will generate during shipping)

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7941842

There's the Soyo monitor. It's about $380 after tax and shipping.
Stupid WalBums charging tax for online shopping. : (

With some trying, maybe you could find it elsewhere.
http://www.overstock.com/Electronic...-Wide-Screen-LCD-Monitor/2651418/product.html
 
Let me ask you this. What are you using it for that the viewing angles are an issue. I can't imagine that in a typical gaming situation. I'm not going to watch movies from across the room on it or even from the side. I sit 15-20 inches from the screen and generally look at it head-on.
 
PimpUigi said:
Everyone should really not even consider the TN panels.

I have a 24 inch TN panel, and I hate it.

2ms response time is nice and all, but the viewing angle just kills any pleasure I get from a 2 ms response time.

I'm also a color purist, and 6-bit just doesn't cut it : (

I've ordered a Soyo 24 inch from Walmart.
I hate Walmart, I think they're expensive, but they're the only place that has the Soyo in stock.

It's $350, and it's supposedly a VA type panel.

Forget TN, it's the pits.

Edit:

I just sold my current 24 inch on eBay for $360, not bad IMO because I paid $400 after shipping originally, and this guy paid $390 after shipping for a basically brand new monitor that he knows has no dead pixels (hopefully none will generate during shipping)

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7941842

There's the Soyo monitor. It's about $380 after tax and shipping.
Stupid WalBums charging tax for online shopping. : (

With some trying, maybe you could find it elsewhere.
http://www.overstock.com/Electronic...-Wide-Screen-LCD-Monitor/2651418/product.html
Click to expand...

This is a major overstatement to say the least.

For many people, a TN may be superior to the xVA option. TNs are the fastest panels and also exhibit by far the least input lag. Again, to some (although not you evidently), those may be the most important factors.

Indeed, the OP has indicated that he is fine with 6-bit dithering and professional-grade color reproduction is not a concern. (If it was, he would probably be using a CRT anyway.)

With that said, the Westinghouse 24" model for $350 @ newegg after rebate is a fantastic deal. I think the OP should probably get that one. It should be noted, however, that the Westy lacks true 1:1 pixel mapping -- again, a deal-breaker for some.
 
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