LCD: 24" IPS - HP LP2475w, Planar PX2611W, NEC LCD2490WUXi-BK

JakFrost

JakFrost

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
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My first CRT died a few years ago and when I did the research back then I found that there was no good replacements for a CRT without hitting up against a $1,000+++ cost barrier so I just scrounged up some left over CRTs from friends and used those until now. Now my third and last 19" CRT monitor just died two days ago and now I'm looking for a new display and I think that it might finally be time for an LCD.

Criteria

My general criteria for usage are below.

Usage Primary: Office Work / Internet / Programming
Usage Secondary: Gaming / Entertainment / Multimedia
Size: 24" or Larger
Price Range: ~$500-800 USD (Reasonably Priced)

Technology

I've read very useful information from the thread below explaining the differences in technologies and also looked at the suggestions for display type by purpose of use. I decided against any TN based display based on the fact that better technologies such as PVA/MVA and IPS have now become affordable (less than $1K).

AnandTech Forums - LCD Discussion, Buyer's Guide/Advice, Tech Info

Choices

I've decided to choose a relatively affordable display and narrowed my choices down to three, in order of preference based on cost.

  1. HP LP2475w 24" LCD (H-IPS) - ~$550 USD
  2. Planar PX2611W 26" LCD (H-IPS) - ~$820 USD
  3. NEC MultiSync LCD2490WUXi-BK 24" LCD (H-IPS + A-TW Polarizer) - ~$1,100 USD

Overall, I feel that the NEC monitor while the best one of all is way too expensive for my budget and also the Planar monitor is quite expensive, considering that it is not even close to perfect due to some of the issues such as color banding that people mentioned. So by process of elimination by price the HP model remains as my #1 pick.

Reviews

Out of this list my preferred option is really the HP model so I read the reviews about it on the sites below.

TFTCentral - HP LP2475W - 9 September 2008 - Simon Baker
Trusted Reviews - HP LP2475w - 24in H-IPS LCD Monitor - 27th Mar 2009 - Ardjuna Seghers
Prad - REVIEW: HP LP2475w - 09/25/2008 - Thomas Thiemann.

It appears that the HP model is recommended as the least expensive and best performing all-in-one monitor due to the performance of the H-IPS panel. It also has an average input lag of 25ms with 10-40ms variable making it suitable for gaming.

Retailers

I've looked into which retailer to purchase the product from and it appears that CDW is the best choice since they offer a general 15-day return policy for defective items and 30-day refund policy with the standard 15% restocking fee if unsatisfied. There is no official "dead pixel" policy listed either about the monitors so unlike other retailers that have an 8-dead pixel policy they might be willing to exchange a monitor if it has less.

ProVantage - $508.18 + $20.45 S&H (UPS Ground) = $528.63 Total
(Return Policy: Standard 30 Day Return, Full Refund, 0% Restocking, no dead-pixel policy)

CDW - $549.99 + $17.94 S&H (UPS Ground) = $567.93 Total
(Return Policy (PDF): Refund 30-day 15% restocking, no dead-pixel policy)

Amazon - $578.79 + $25.54 S&H (UPS Ground) + $50.61 Tax = $654.94 Total
(Return Policy: Full Refund 30-days 0% restocking, no dead-pixel policy)

Newegg - $559.99 + $0.00 S&H (UPS 3-day) = $559.99 Total
(Return Policy: Non-refundable Policy, 8-dead pixel policy)

Thread

I've been trying to read the HP LP2475w thread but it sounds like a few people are having issues with their monitors and a very vocal about the problems making this monitor sound like they are experiencing some issues but it is seems like only a few people are reporting problems with some pink tinting and fuzzy text issues and some firmware issues with disabling the LED. The issues that are expressed in this thread are making me consider the retailer to use for the purchase so that I could have a quick exchange if the monitor has these issues or a complete way out if this monitor turns out to be a dud for me.

Feedback

At this point I'm looking for some more feedback about the choice of this monitor for me and I'm looking to hear from people about it.

(I'm posting this outside of the HP thread since it is now focused more on complaints than recommendations.)
 
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Good luck on this thread. Your exactly in a boat that I'm in. I've been trying to research the best bang for you buck IPS and always return to the HP. But all the local people that complain about it, concerns me. I know that I won't ever buy a monitor off of Newegg, simply for the return policy they have. And for the money your spending.. don't want to get stuck with dead pixels.
 
what kind of dead-pixel policy does HP have?

if its as good as DELL's...might be worth purchasing from them.
 
The Planar is much more expensive and has its own faults (only one digital input on a $800+ display is just stupidity) but their warranty is unmatched. That's worth considering alone, not that I have a history of issues with LCDs... it's one of those "it works for a long time or dies immediately" type things.
 
I'm considering a new secondary monitor pair up with my NEC 2690WUXi.

Since I can't justify spending another $1100 - $1300 on a monitor that will be lightly / moderately used, I would pick the Planar PX2611w since it uses the H-IPS panel as the NEC. Per ToastyX, the PX2611w has about 16ms response time (IIRC).

Planar has excellent customer service. If for any reason your PX series monitor requires replacement under warranty, they will ship a replacement via 2-day express and you use that same box to send your faulty monitor back (free shipping).

My first monitor was a Planar (19" PX191) which I paid for through the nose back in 2002; $650 - $700. Back then they had a zero dead pixel return policy stated on their website. Still using it today. It's actually my secondary monitor.
 
I'm really glad you started this post, as I''ve narrowed it down to the same three (top two actually), and my usage is similar to you (I might do more PC gaming)

HP: less expensive, slight lag (probably not any more than my 5+ y/o Mitsubishi LCD), but the color issues scare me.
Planar: Fast, sounds like a great warranty. Does the warranty cover dead pixels?

IMO, if an LCD has a dead pixel, it is faulty, and I want another. This may push me to the Planar.

Sorry I don't have any info to contribute to your situation.
 
I was also in a similar dilemma, spent months researching and selected the PX2611W in the end and am awaiting it's arrival. I initially went a little "cheap" and bought a BenQ G2400WD and regretted it and returned it. I decided after that to not go back to TN and so began researching IPS panels. I wanted to get the 2490WUXi but quite frankly, could not quite justify the extra $$ over the Planar, given what my usage will be (more internet and gaming than anything, maybe a little photo work), plus the extra frame or so of lag, around 32ms v 16ms, made it easier to say no to that one. Reputedly though, the 2490 is the best 24" out there period and I have no reason to doubt it given the reviews and threads i've read out there. The HP scared me off because of the issues you mentioned and also the wide gamut thing...I know the Planar is wide gamut too but (correct me if i'm wrong anyone), the saturation is less (something like 92% v 102%) and there are icc profiles out there which help. I ordered mine from CDW (30 day no questions asked return policy and no re-stocking fee), I will post on here about my actual experiences with it once I get it and set it up. Good luck in your search.
 
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Looking at the HP LP2475w. Most likely will be purchasing one. I am somewhat interested in the new LG ips panel displays that are expected to come out, may not wait for one though.

HP has a decent defect policy on there LCD displays.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&docname=c00288895

They do have a bit of oddness in that sub-pixel failures are not necessarily considered a defect. That said I find the whole issue somewhat amusing. I am currently using the HP LP2065 h-ips, I find the picture exceptional, which replaced my 10yr old failing Veiwsonic PT813 Trinitron. When I first received the monitor I occasionally would notice a black dot on the screen and think is that a dead pixel, nope just a bit of dust. When many people are complaining about the various forms of light bleed and tinting they are usually running under the most extreme condition they can generate and actively looking for any flaws. Like any self fulfilling prophecy it is not that strange they are finding flaws. They are mostly finding dust on their screen and complaining about how awful it is. As far as color reproduction on my LP2065 I made a print of the full resolution version of this

1389552782_6a751263d9_b.jpg


photo and had trouble telling the difference by eye. I am sure a pro could have pointed out how it is not but my eyes say good enough.
 
JaguarSKX said:
Since I can't justify spending another $1100 - $1300 on a monitor that will be lightly / moderately used, I would pick the Planar PX2611w since it uses the H-IPS panel as the NEC. Per ToastyX, the PX2611w has about 16ms response time (IIRC).
Click to expand...

That number is from his initial testing. Later testing via a more precise method revealed less than a frame of lag (well under 16ms) making it one of the fastest available consumer IPS displays at this time.
 
I recently got the NEC LCD2490WUXi-SV from Provantage a few weeks ago and am very happy so far. When I first ordered it from their site I was called a few hours later to verify I was the owner of the credit card, a very nice security check. I received the my monitor a few days later with no dead pixels, or any issues so far.
 
Khal said:
I recently got the NEC LCD2490WUXi-SV from Provantage a few weeks ago and am very happy so far. When I first ordered it from their site I was called a few hours later to verify I was the owner of the credit card, a very nice security check. I received the my monitor a few days later with no dead pixels, or any issues so far.
Click to expand...

What do you do with it? photo stuff, movies, lots of typing? Gaming? Is there lag?
 
Retailers - Provantage

I just added the ProVantage vendor to the list since the combined total is lower than the other choices. Also this monitor is listed as "Standard 30 Days Return" on the web site so they offer full refund with no restocking fee and they have no dead-pixel policy. This is a vendor to keep in mind since they show up a lot in Google Shopping results when comparing prices since they undercut other online retailers a lot.

ProVantage - $508.18 + $20.45 S&H (UPS Ground) = $528.63 Total
(Return Policy: Standard 30 Day Return, Full Refund, 0% Restocking, No dead-pixel policy)

However, I am a little concerned about them since they have not been around for long and don't seem as popular as the other retailers so I'm a little worried that their written policy is one thing and actually getting the refund and doing a return might be a completely different story. I'm just a little cautious when dealing with new online retailers.

I know that CDW has been around forever, since the first days of online computer shopping, and Amazon has a generally favorable return policies also. I've just spoken to CDW to re-activate my old account from 7-years ago just in case I decide to use them for the purchase.

Warranty Service - HP

The HP thread has a few stories of using the HP warranty service to replace defective or flawed monitors and after dealing with telephone hell at HP to find the right department, which is the Small Business: Workstation department, you can get in-house service for replacement of your monitor or cross-ship delivery of a new model. On top of that the 3-year full warranty for parts and labor is another great thing about the HP.

Planar PX2611W Alternative

While most folks here agree that the price of the NEC model is way out of reasonable range for a 24" model a few folks here mentioned the Planar PX2611W model as an alternative but after checking out the reviews and the posts in the Planar PX2611W 26" thread I am more concerned about this monitor than I am about the HP.

Color Banding on Component Input

The planar has color banding issues on any component (YCrCb/YPrPb) inputs so that counts it out for folks wanting to use it for console gaming PS3 and Wii unless they want inferior quality. I personally will only use the DVI input so I'm not worried about it.

Single DVI Input

The Planar has only a single digital DVI input and no A-TW Polarizer so it seems like a super-value edition of the NEC model but 2-inches larger.

Scaling

If I remember correctly the Planar also has some scaling issues.

Frankly, I feel like the Planar model is just a good LG H-IPS LCD panel stuffed into an inferior shell and sold as a bare-minimum functioning monitor unit. It really does not appeal to me to get 2-inch larger monitor but give up all the extras that the HP model comes with.



HP Disadvantages

There are some disadvantages to the HP model and they make me a little concerned because each one alone would not be a major issue but when you consider all of them together I really start to get that queasy feeling in my stomach thinking if this is a right choice to make. Choosing the HP is like telling yourself that you're only paying 50% of the NEC perfect monitor's price but you know that the savings come at a cost.

Wide Gamut

The HP is listed as 102% color gamut of NTSC standard, so it is a lot higher than the 72% for TN models, and also more than the 92% for the NEC/Planar model. You can adjust the panel with ICC color profiles in the OS but the colors might appear to be over-saturated when playing games since games don't use color profiles.

Too Bright

The general concensus is that the HP model comes with a factor default of 90% brightness putting out something like 350 nit instead of the 100 nit that is desired or less for long term reading of text. This is definitely a big concern for me because I will be using the monitor to read or write text 75% of the time and maybe 25% doing gaming or multimedia work. I know that I can set the brightness to 0% and get 102 nit to resolve the issue but my other concern is that I use my computer in a pretty dark room with almost no lighting so 100 nit might be too much for me causing eye strain. This would be a deal-killer issue for me requiring me to do a complete refund return.

Fuzzy Text for Some People

A few very vocal people in the HP thread are complaining about fuzzy text and also red lines on the left side of the text. ClearType advanced adjustment does not resolve the issue so their theory is that there are are quality control problems with some monitor assembled in the Czech Republic while the ones from China seem fine.

Firmware Issues 045 - Losing Power Settings

The folks at the HP thread also mentioned issues with the 045 firmware not retaining any settings related to Power or disabling the from LED light. This definitely sounds like a serious Quality Control problem that should not have happened from a company like HP. I would expect this from other companies though.

A-TW Polarizer

This panel does not come with the A-TW Polarizer that only the NEC model has so any off-angle viewing creates a white sheen and a loss of detail making the screen not entirely better than a TN panel. I'm wondering why this omission of this polarizer on this model when it would resolve this off-angle problem so easily. Is there really a large cost difference or is this one of those instances where they omitted this option from the design because they thought no one was going to miss it not being there?

This lack of the polarizer almost makes me want to wait for the next/this year's model release and hope that it has this little option as a standard. C'mon it's a polarizer, not a flux capacitor included in every sub-pixel.

Input Lag

Many folks here tout the 16ms (1 frame) input lag time of the Planar PX2611w monitor as a clear advantage over the 25ms (2 frames) input lag time of the HP or the 45ms (3 frames) of the NEC.

I think that these folks are putting way too much weight on this little numeric specification and they miss the fact that you as a human cannot see a difference between 1-2 frame delay and even in the fastest FPS like Quake 1 this tiny difference or lag would not give you any advantage.

This whole input lag is a meaningless specification but it is being touted as important due to the simple fact that it is easily identifiable and detectable by a user without any special equipment except for a simple stop-watch program and a camera.

Listen, a 16ms or 25ms input lag is equivalent to roughly 1-network packet worth of delay when playing an FPS on a 30-50ms ping (ping is round-time) server. Nobody is going to have any serious advantage because their single packet being faster. Even Thresh or whoever is the current FPS champion won't be able to tell if he won or lost because he had a 25ms delay on the display itself.

The GTG (gray-to-gray) pixel change time is probably much more important overall measurement to the enjoyment of the monitor and the quality of the moving picture but this is a number that cannot be measured by mere users.

I personally am not going to be playing any or few twitch based FPS games in the future so I'm not really concerned about 25ms input lag time because I will be more concerned about the quality of the image during fast motion scenes more than anything since I do not wish to deal with ghosting or blurry issues. The input lag time is only between the display and the computer anyway also so it doesn't affect network packet performance which is more important for smoother and faster game response anyway.

The days of bad coding in Quake 1 with the Thunderbolt and Super Nailgun firing rate and damage-over-time being affected by the frame rate of the client machine are gone so I don't have to worry about a little if any noticeable display lag putting me at a disadvantage against folks with systems doing 150 FPS when I'm only doing 40 FPS.

Options and Features

The HP has a lot of input options and additional features like a very nice OSD and the support for DCC/CI color profile information so that shows how well rounded this monitor is. Compare that to the Planar and you can see why I have reservations about getting a monitor that is so bare-bone but 9ms faster in input lag.

Decision

At this point I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on the HP but I'm going to chill out for a day or two before I place the order to give myself the time to rethink everything and decide if I should buy a monitor now or live with this temporary tiny 15-inch LCD monitor with issues until newer models hopefully comeout sometime in the next few months. It might be a useless wait since I don't know what's around the corner and it might not be any better than the HP monitor that could turn out just fine once I actually have it and test it.

This is the absolutely wrong time to make a decision for an IPS LCD because there is no clear performance leader at a reasonable price right now, and NEC at $1,000+ is not reasonable. Annoying!
 
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freakyhair said:
What do you do with it? photo stuff, movies, lots of typing? Gaming? Is there lag?
Click to expand...

I mostly watch anime, game, and do a bit of web design(which sRGB is perfect for). After using a TN panel for a few years, I honestly don't feel much of a difference in terms of input lag(I current play CoD4 as far as FPS are concerned).
 
Just a reminder, I believe Amazon will pay return shipping if you exchange the monitor. I returned a Panasonic 32LZ800 to exchange for this monitor (HP LP2475w) and they paid for return shipping as I called them and explained my problems with it. They also had some sort of promotion where you sign up for a special trial Prime account and recieve free 2nd day shipping, or next day for $4, then you can just cancel the membership after wards to avoid the anual fee.

I'm coming from a NEC 20WMGX2, and I can tell you that this monitor is actually noticably faster as far as pixel response, input lag may be a tad worse but not an issue at all. The only issue I can see that might deter is the wide gamut, but I got used to it after a couple of days. The LED does refuse to stay off, but I just put a little black sticker over it. I have none of the issues with text or banding or whatever the complaints from other are. For the money it really can't be beat.
 
This whole thread is quite full of information that may be confusing to some. It's actually much simpler than you make it seem...

1. If you want the best IPS monitor currently for sale with a minimum amount of issues, it's the NEC 2490.

2. The NEC comes at a hefty price, and many budgets cannot afford it. For that reason, if you want the best IPS panel under $600, it's the HP. HP currently also offers the best price-performance ratio as well.

3. Unfortunately, there are not many other alternatives. If you're looking for an IPS monitor and are on a budget, its the HP LP2475w. If your budget allows it and you have read about the differences/advantages, then it's up to you do decide if the NEC LCD2490WUXi is worth the additional $600 over the HP.

Problem solved.
 
PC_User said:
This whole thread is quite full of information that may be confusing to some. It's actually much simpler than you make it seem...

For that reason, if you want the best IPS panel under $600, it's the HP. HP currently also offers the best price-performance ratio as well.

Problem solved.
Click to expand...

You're absolutely right in your summary. The problem boils down to the HP LP2475w as the only choice for me since I can't pay double for the NEC.

I just placed the order for this monitor from ProVantage.

Once I have it in person I will be able to decide if it is good for me or not. I'll post my impression once I have it next week.
 
PC_User said:
This whole thread is quite full of information that may be confusing to some. It's actually much simpler than you make it seem...

1. If you want the best IPS monitor currently for sale with a minimum amount of issues, it's the NEC 2490.

2. The NEC comes at a hefty price, and many budgets cannot afford it. For that reason, if you want the best IPS panel under $600, it's the HP. HP currently also offers the best price-performance ratio as well.

3. Unfortunately, there are not many other alternatives. If you're looking for an IPS monitor and are on a budget, its the HP LP2475w. If your budget allows it and you have read about the differences/advantages, then it's up to you do decide if the NEC LCD2490WUXi is worth the additional $600 over the HP.

Problem solved.
Click to expand...

Or you buy the Planar which is in between, problem solved :D
 
nomu said:
It costs a fair amount more than the HP though, so that's only advisable for people who resent every individual millisecond of lag.
Click to expand...

I know, I was jesting really. I think they are both probably very good and perhaps the HP represents better value overall, but I was able to jump my budget up enough and think I will like the better suitability for gaming in particular that the PX2611w offers. The lack of inputs is a little maddening in a monitor of that price but for me, I have no console gaming plans at all so it's not an issue (neither should the reported banding at 1080 res be an issue either). Honestly, if the Planar's wide gamut becomes an issue, I will be more likely to try and find the extra $$ for the 2490WUXi or wait to see if the new (standard gamut IPS) LG does come to the US this year. Probably for me would not be much point in going to the LP2475w from the Planar since they are both wide gamut and that is the only issue I am anticipating. Whether or not the Planar will prove to be worth the extra $300 or so over the HP is another thing entirely, I sure hope so.
 
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nomu said:
It costs a fair amount more than the HP though, so that's only advisable for people who resent every individual millisecond of lag.
Click to expand...

It's also 2" larger, is 'twice' as fast, and doesn't have as wide of a color gamut. These are very enticing things for some PC gamers. If you don't intend on using it for anything besides a PC, then the lack of extra inputs means nothing.

I personally am leaning towards the HP. It costs less, and I don't know if I want a 26" just yet. I think I can deal with the extra frame delay. I am worried about the color (I play TF2 alot). And while I don't play any other console video games, that may change in the next year, so the extra inputs look nice.

If you're really looking for some 'value', there are a few TN displays that would be more than adequate for people not professionally using the color quality of the IPS panels. Maybe it's because I've never owned an IPS panel, but I have a feeling the majority of people would never miss the extra color from using a TN. It's like the people who say you HAVE to have an HDTV to really enjoy TV.

I suppose if you're reading this forum, and thread, you probably DO care... :)
 
stevecamp09 said:
Or you buy the Planar which is in between, problem solved :D
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False. Planar is more expensive, hence my point about price-to-performance. AFAIK, the HP also has better IQ and Planar has bad black levels.
 
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PC_User said:
False. Planar is more expensive, hence my point about price-to-performance. AFAIK, the HP also has better IQ and Planar has bad black levels.
Click to expand...

I don't know what you're basing that statement on, but from what I've read you're incorrect. Black levels and IQ are pretty much interchangable. There have been complaints about backlight bleeding on the Planars, but Planar will sort that out for you, so...
 
silent-circuit said:
I don't know what you're basing that statement on, but from what I've read you're incorrect. Black levels and IQ are pretty much interchangable. There have been complaints about backlight bleeding on the Planars, but Planar will sort that out for you, so...
Click to expand...

IQ = Image quality
Black levels = darkness of the blacks (also refers to brightness)

I read about the black levels from this review. Also some users making points about it in this thread.

Maybe they are just isolated instances...
 
I meant "interchangable" in that they were similar between the HP in question and the Planar.

Some people are also bitching loudly about the HP and strange color tints on the left and right sides of the screen, but I've heard no such complaints about the Planar, so if anything I'd say IQ is higher on the Planar.
 
silent-circuit said:
Some people are also bitching loudly about the HP and strange color tints on the left and right sides of the screen, but I've heard no such complaints about the Planar, so if anything I'd say IQ is higher on the Planar.
Click to expand...

I guess with these IPS panels its all about the luck of the draw.
 
PC_User said:
I guess with these IPS panels its all about the luck of the draw.
Click to expand...

"Prone to quality control problems: read reviews "

This is something that has been mentioned in the AnandTech Forum LCD guide thread that I linked to in the first post.

<rant>

Frankly, I think these issues with LCDs that we're hearing about the same stuff that we had to deal with when CRTs still ruled the coup. There were so many reviews of CRTs back in the days complaining about everything that we're hearing about LCDs and on top of that even more issues related to geometry problems that we do not have to deal with for LCDs. We don't have to deal with horrible problems like pin-cushion/barrel problems, full and localized regulation issues, tilting, trapezoidal distortion, circular distortion, framing, horizontal/vertical curvature, and even altitude related earth's magnetic field fluctuations. Throw in some flaky voltage and signal regulation issues with cheaper monitors and you have another ton of problems with electron beam related aiming issues and add some time-limited capacitor issues and you have a nice little package of problems from the old days. Now with LCDs a square is a square, a circle is a circle, and you're good to go, a whole class of annoying problems with difficult to adjust settings no longer exist.

I'd say that we should be glad for newer LCD technology and continue on improving it in the future.

Now if only someone released another reasonably priced monitor based on the new LG IPS panel with A-TW Polarizer, standard or 92% color gamut, tons of inputs, good OSD, low latency, and good quality control at a reasonable price then we'd be golden. I'm looking to you HP for an update of the 2475 since you seems to be the closest price wise.

As a side note, why is it that Samsung and LG, the two largest companies that produce LCD panels can't get their act together and release monitors to take the crown with their own damn panels or at least offer competing alternatives to the current champions? I mean, these guys make the panels, but their monitors don't show up in the top 10-list these days and companies that don't even specialize in displays like HP and Dell kick their ass. What gives?

At least it is good to see an old CRT champion, NEC, move back into the winner's circle. It's been a while hasn't it?

</rant>
 
silent-circuit said:
I meant "interchangable" in that they were similar between the HP in question and the Planar.

Some people are also bitching loudly about the HP and strange color tints on the left and right sides of the screen, but I've heard no such complaints about the Planar, so if anything I'd say IQ is higher on the Planar.
Click to expand...

Black level is not at all similar between these two units.

TFTCentral measured the HP's black level at min brightness at 0.13cd/m^2, one of the best ever recorded at that site. Extremetech got .28cd/m^2 for the Planar. (ToastyX got 0.3cd/m^2 for the Doublesight DS-263n, a clone of the PX2611W.) That's not so bad, just rather mediocre. The HP also has a much lower minimum brightness and a higher contrast ratio (at a usable brightness setting.)
 
ProVantage just called me today to verify if I placed the order. They wanted to know if the shipping and billing address are the same also.

I guess that they are afraid of fraud or were defrauded previously since no other Internet company ever called me after the order to verify if I placed the order in all the years that I've been shopping online.

Waiting for delivery now, hopefully will have it sometime next week.
 
ProVantage updated the status today to SHIPPING NOW so it should come as soon as Monday or Tuesday.
 
congrats on the purchase, i almost pulled the trigger on the hp too, but decided my ips gateway 21" and pva/mva lg 246w will be fine for a while, though having dual lcds of the same resolution would be nice. ultimately the pink/green tinting, fuzzy text and poor out of the box (not as big a deal) color accuracy prevented me from going for the hp. i hope you get a solid panel as the price to performance ratio is huge with this lcd.
 
I received the monitor this morning and hooked it up.

Model: HP LP2475w

Hardware: GIG122
Firmware: GIG052

Country: Made in China
Produced: December 2008

Retailer: ProVantage
Price: $ 508.18 USD
Shipping: $ 20.45 USD

I ran some quick display tests with the NVIDIA Test Pattern and also the famous DisplayMate 1.22 monitor testing utility and the monitor looks good in all tests in my darkened room with no ambient light.

(I have a window on my right side that normally faces South so it provides ambient lighting to my room but I closed the Total Blackout shades for the tests to remove the side light.)

Brightness - Very Strong

The monitor came with a brightness setting of 90% and this was just way too much so I toned it down to an appropriate 15% for my low ambient lighting environment. I set the brightness lower than normal since I am used using old old 19" CRTs that were dimming with age. I set the contrast to 90 as for my personal preference.

Tinting - None

I was especially looking for any red/pink tinting that has been mentioned by using the Dot Moire Pattern test that is great at exposing color shifting or beam misalignment in CRTs but there was no visible tinting at all.

Uniformity - Good

There is also very good uniformity of backlighting across the screen and there is no changes to the brightness or color saturation anywhere on the screen after doing black, white, gray, moire, red, green, blue screen tests.

There is a very slight drop in brightness on the last inch of the right side of the screen and my guess this has to do with some voltage drop to that side of the backlight system. The difference is so slight that you are unable to see it in normal usage unless you use a white vertical line full resolution moire pattern to have your eyes capture the difference in brightness intensity between the white lines. Since that edge of the screen is in my peripheral vision as I use this monitor 2-feet away while sitting up to type and 3-feet while playing games then it is a non-issue.

Dead Pixels/Subpixels - None

I used various black, white, gray, moire pattern tests to look for dead pixels or subpixels from close up but I could not find any. If I found what I thought was a problem I just blew at it and it always turned out to be a piece of dust getting stuck to the newly opened static charged screen.

Color Saturation - Strong

The color saturation of this panel is very strong and it is especially visible in the green and magenta (purple) colors ranges with also a slightly strong red. The other primary colors such as yellow, cyan, blue and white come out with normal intensities.

I will be performing tests using video games to see how this panel handles those colors.

Text Sharpess - Perfect

The sharpness of the text is perfect with ClearType disabled and also with ClearType enabled for RGB subpixel pattern. With ClearType there is some smoothing of the font which creates a nicer effect to the text and makes it easier to read. On my CRT monitor I preferred ClearType disabled but on this LCD monitor I prefer it enabled for nicer text. I left the contrast setting on the default of 1.4 since it as acceptable to me.

The fuzziness of the text can be made visible if the incorrect subpixel pattern type is chosen as BGR instead of RGB making the text look out-of-focus.

Update: I found and was able to reproduce the fuzzy text with red shadow by looking at different fonts on my system in my TextPad text editor. When viewing a text file with the Andale Mono font by Microsoft I could clearly see the shadowing on any vertical line in that font and that application when ClearType was enabled with the correct RGB subpixel type. However, as I type this in Firefox using the Veranda font I see no red sahdow from the same letters with vertical lines, except that the square brackets [] show red shadowing. Now, if I disable ClearType there is no red shadow or text fuzziness at all and all the letters in Textpad and Firefox are perfect black and super sharp but thinner looking. I will use this monitor with ClearType disabled from now on.

Temperature - 9300K Preferred

I was just doing some color gradient tests with DisplayMate and I found that when I switched the monitor to the cooler and bluer 9300K color temperature from the default warmer redder 6500K temperature the color gradient tests showed lower saturation on the green, magenta (purple), and red bands. This color change brought these colors closer to the yellow, cyan (light blue), and blue intensities. The blue color is overall lower in intensity than the other colors on this monitor as I've seen from the gradient tests.

I actually used 9300K standard on all my CRT monitors for the last 15-years and now that I switched this monitor back to it I found that my eyes are a lot more comfortable than with the default 6500K setting.
 
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Color Saturation - Strong

The color saturation of this panel is very strong and it is especially visible in the green and magenta (purple) colors ranges with also a slightly strong red. The other primary colors such as yellow, cyan, blue and white come out with normal intensities.

I will be performing tests using video games to see how this panel handles those colors.
Click to expand...

I am looking forward to see your opinion. are you testing TF2? :)
 
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