Benq BL3200PT (32" 1440p)

Here's some thoughts on my new BL3200PT that I've had about 3 days now.

Initial impressions are VERY positive:
- Just taking the monitor out of the box, I got a sense of the quality materials that went into assembling it. It looks quite impressive sitting on my desk, as opposed to the Korean display I have that looks like a toy.
- It's seriously huge. I don't think anyone can appreciate the sheer size of a 32" display sitting on their desk until they see it in person. The immersion factor cannot be ignored.
- The stand has a wide range of mobility and can lower itself down quite far so I don't have to strain my neck to see the top of the screen.
- Zero backlight bleed. None. Coming from several LG panels that looked like someone was shining a flashlight in from around the bezel, this is like a dream come true.
- No dead pixels. Thank God.
- Color looks amaing, and that's just using the basic calibration settings off tftcentral. There's definately a reason I went with a VA monitor. I've always liked the color and contrast they're capable of.
- Color shifting isn't as bad around the edges of the screen as I thought it would be with a display this big. I'm probably sitting only 2 to 2.5 feet away from it. Honestly, it's not worth mentioning. You'll get far worse color shifting even from a tiny 22" TN display.

I only have one issue with the monitor though (of course):
- Vertical banding. This monitor has it. It's not excessive. I do notice it when I'm on a grey webpage or when I'm playing Diablo 3. It's not as annoying as the backlight bleed on my 27" Korean IPS, but it's there. For $270 on the Korean monitor I could live with bleed, but for $629 + tax for the BenQ, I'm a lot more critical. I haven't decided yet if it's enough for me to want to exchange the monitor because everything else about it is perfect so far. I've still got time to think since I bought it through Amazon. My issue is that I have a feeling if I exchange it, I'll probably either get one back with similar banding, or else get one with backlight bleed, or some other problem. Decisions, decisions.
- Well ok there's two issues, I guess... but I already knew this was an issue... if you consider the motion blur to be an issue. I honestly don't think it's any different than my IPS displays, so I don't actually consider it an issue. It's something I already knew was going to be there, but I wanted a large display and I hate TN panels, so that's just the way it is.

Anyway, this monitor is bad ass. I mentioned the immersion factor, but it just so blows away my 27" display that I have to mention it again. I'm finding myself enjoying it more than I even did my NVSurround setup I had for a while. The black levels are excellent and they're actually black, unlike my IPS that's kind of black but more like grey. The first thing I noticed is when I loaded up Diablo 3 is that the menus actually have a lot more detail and shading to them then I thought they did. I can go into a cave/dungeon now and actually see things. The Korean IPS I have just can't seem to bring those dark details out. And that's not the best part... I actually have the brightness a lot lower on the BenQ and I can still see darker scenes better AND get brighter colors. The 2nd thing was the explosions from my Demon Hunter's elemental arrows. The colors, man, the colors! The fireballs just looks so much brighter. Seeing that bright blast when I'm in a dark dungeon is just... WOW. As good as the IPS was, this monitor is just that much better
 
I agree with pretty much everything you said. The pros more than make up for the minor cons, IMO. I can't remember the last time I had a monitor with zero backlight bleed and blacks this good. It is simply a joy to use. And the colors are gorgeous. I was a bit concerned about that aspect because of a Newegg reviewer who said the monitor had "atrocious colors" but that's so not not the case. I have to think that either something was wrong with his monitor or he was on a funky preset or just didn't know how to adjust his display settings.

I don't know if I can definitively say that it's the best monitor I've ever had, because all of them have pros and cons and I've enjoyed a variety of them for different reasons. But it's definitely up there with the top few monitors I've had. The others being the Westy 37", the Dell 2001FP (at the time; talking a decade ago and it was amazing), Dell 3007, Dell 3008, Dell U3011, and oddly enough my Samsung S27A950D. 120hz is really enjoyable for gaming, but that monitor can't touch the colors and black levels of the BenQ. Not to mention it did have noticeable backlight bleed.

The tough decision will be when my LG 34UM94 comes next month. The plan is to keep both but which one will I enjoy more overall? I'm sure the ultra widescreen will be awesome in games that support 21:9 and the colors should be beautiful, but I'm not looking forward to grey blacks and IPS glow again. I do love IPS monitors but it's an indisputable fact that this monitor simply does some things better.

BTW, what is the mfg. date on your monitor? Mine is an April panel I think, and it does have the vertical banding that I don't notice unless I test for it or TRY to notice it on grey backgrounds. I had thought about exchanging it for a newer rev. but I would want a guarantee that they've resolved that issue. For all I know, it might be a fact of life with all of them due to the manufacturing process and like you, I'm afraid of getting one with other issues that my current one doesn't have. I will most likely just keep this one since the banding isn't an issue 99% of the time, and even when I do see it it's such a minor issue that I quickly forget about it.
 
imyourzero said:
I agree with pretty much everything you said. The pros more than make up for the minor cons, IMO. I can't remember the last time I had a monitor with zero backlight bleed and blacks this good. It is simply a joy to use. And the colors are gorgeous. I was a bit concerned about that aspect because of a Newegg reviewer who said the monitor had "atrocious colors" but that's so not not the case. I have to think that either something was wrong with his monitor or he was on a funky preset or just didn't know how to adjust his display settings.

I don't know if I can definitively say that it's the best monitor I've ever had, because all of them have pros and cons and I've enjoyed a variety of them for different reasons. But it's definitely up there with the top few monitors I've had. The others being the Westy 37", the Dell 2001FP (at the time; talking a decade ago and it was amazing), Dell 3007, Dell 3008, Dell U3011, and oddly enough my Samsung S27A950D. 120hz is really enjoyable for gaming, but that monitor can't touch the colors and black levels of the BenQ. Not to mention it did have noticeable backlight bleed.

The tough decision will be when my LG 34UM94 comes next month. The plan is to keep both but which one will I enjoy more overall? I'm sure the ultra widescreen will be awesome in games that support 21:9 and the colors should be beautiful, but I'm not looking forward to grey blacks and IPS glow again. I do love IPS monitors but it's an indisputable fact that this monitor simply does some things better.

BTW, what is the mfg. date on your monitor? Mine is an April panel I think, and it does have the vertical banding that I don't notice unless I test for it or TRY to notice it on grey backgrounds. I had thought about exchanging it for a newer rev. but I would want a guarantee that they've resolved that issue. For all I know, it might be a fact of life with all of them due to the manufacturing process and like you, I'm afraid of getting one with other issues that my current one doesn't have. I will most likely just keep this one since the banding isn't an issue 99% of the time, and even when I do see it it's such a minor issue that I quickly forget about it.
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I had a Sceptre 37" HDTV (similar to the 37W3 Westinghouse) that I used for several years as my monitor and loved it... a lot. I was sad to let it go, but unfortunately it was CCFL and turned my room into an oven, so I had to give it up and move on. I've been looking for a monitor since then that could recapture some of the amazing immersion factor that it had. I had it mounted on the wall at desk level right behind my desk. It just filled my entire field of view without worrying about bezels from multiple monitors or weird form-factors (21:9). I even tried the NV Surround with 3 23" monitors and it just wasn't the same. I think the BL3200PT comes close to having a HDTV as far as the immersion factor... close... not supplanting it.

I'm not against a 21:9 form-factor, I'm just not convinced of the IPS panel manufacturing from LG being consistent enough. It actually sounds like a great ratio... but I'll wait for a VA or PLS version of it. I can't imagine the glow off an IPS screen that wide... yikes.

I'll check the manufacture info on the BenQ when I get home and update this post.

EDIT: Mine was manufactured in June.
 
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Just to let you all know, keep away from official benq.eu shop if possible
I am located in Ireland and bought my unit from them, monitor is faulty and I am trying to return it to exchange for a new one, they want me to organise shipping to Netherlands by myself, all this look like they can't / won't organise collection from Ireland, will looking for some help to resolve this case, now I am trying to get to some of the managers there but it all goes very slooooow!
 
FWIW, i picked up one of these things from Fry's earlier today just to try it out and see if i would like it. I really love it. Not sure if it can replace my XL2720s due to the 60hz limitation... but this monitor looks and feels about 10 thousand times nicer. Especially on the eyes. If anyone is wondering whether or not to take the plunge... do it. Its definitely worth the 650 its on sale for right now. Considering getting 2 more for a PPP setup.
 
So after reading up all the positive reviews about this monitor I finally got one.
First impressions are: well-built and this thing is huge.
I don’t notice any banding other people referred to so that is good.
However there are few bad things as well:
1. My monitor does have 1 bright pixel which is not that noticeable and can be ignored 95% of the time.
2. More ANNOYING Issue the monitor completely forgot all my settings (user brightness, gamma, custom keys, etc.) It had happened twice already. I had installed Display Pilot software which might have been causing this. I already uninstalled it to see if it will fix the issue.
Have anyone else experiences same issue? Should I exchange it for different one? I got it from amazon so they should be able to replace it the only thing that worries me is getting the one that is worse than the one I own.
Also a side question I have
Smart Reminder on
Eco Off
Eye Protect off
Should I have a blinking infrared light on the bottom screen or not?
 
Just tested my third one today. I'm done with this monitor. Every one had either dead/stuck pixels or dust stuck under the screen. The killer was that all of them seemed to have this faint vertical line that would run down a part of the screen. It was pretty noticeable on a pure white background. Is that the banding that everyone is talking about?

What a huge fucking shame, as the display and build quality is very good. Good lord, do I fucking hate buying displays. It's a never-ending nightmare.
 
Wow, that's really, really nice!

From your link:

AUO will also lead the world in presenting 32-inch QHD (2560x1440) curved monitor display(*), which is also ultra slim and has narrow bezel and 100% sRGB wide color gamut. In addition to professional applications, the display offers the best performance possible for personal entertainment and gaming purposes.

Hope this curved panel doesn't have the banding issues. Also hope it's AMVA, not AHVA. If it fulfills those criteria, I might even be tempted to give my BL3200PT to my parents and buy the curved version for myself as a replacement.
 
That is good news. I was thinking it would be years until there'd be another comparable VA panel. Is AUO the only company making large VA panels nowadays?
 
Got mine the other day. Getting used to the size. Coming from my BL2710PT, which is a fantastic monitor as well. I thought it had good contrast (over 1000:1) but this one has definitely spoiled me for black levels. My i1 measured a 2650:1 or some such contrast ratio. I didn't have to touch the color controls at all to hit 6500K temperature which was nice.
Love the remote control too as the touch controls usually annoy me.
 
Ok uninstalling Display Pilot fixed issue of forgetting user settings.
Still have a stuck pixel. Not sure if its worth exchanging.
 
After reading through this whole thread earlier in the week, I finally picked one up in Aus this week and I'm really happy with it.

No dead pixels (yet)
No obvious vertical banding
Plenty of screen real estate
Great colours and contrast
PPI is the right sweet spot
No major ghosting issues I can see.

Out of the box the monitor looked huge. One minor thing I noticed was the factory must have pre-cleaned the screen before packaging as I could see some smear marks from a clean'; but no major biggy as you dont see that when its powered on. I can clean if afterwards anyway.

Took a few nights to get used to it, and now that I am I feel it was well worth the money.
I was considering the Samsung S32D850 version, but that ridiculous silver bottom bezel they used was a turn off in the decision.

Been playing BF4 during the nights and it is really good!! AMA on high, I havent noticed any let down or major issues compared to the Asus VE278H (2ms) I have; and I am really picky about things.

So far, I'm more than impressed and pleased. :D
 
So in a room without lights, are you guys geting completely black screen or close to it? I still get greyish glow in a really dark room. And thats with .02-.03 black levels at 120 nits.
 
This ones going back for an exchange at Amazon :( Started making a weird clicking/tapping noise from the rear thats driving me nuts.
 
Is anyone being able to get the "eco sensor" working?

It seems that it detects me randomly, I have set the sensor range to all the available distances but it doesn't help, the best option is "far" but from time to time the sensor stops detecting me and turns off the screen.

EDIT: Ok, now its working. I have setted to "far", but you have to be close to screen 70cm. I didn't call this far....
 
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I didn't bother with the eco sensor-- set up power management in the OS to turn off the display after 15 or 30 minutes, and you should be good.
 
Should i send this sucker back? 2nd one arrived with the same tapping/clicking noise. Kind of sounds like an out of beat mechanical watch. Not sure if its harmless or it means it'll break on me in 6 months.
 
I just got mine last friday.

I absolutely love it. I guess it is hit or miss, but this is well worth what I paid for it. I am coming from a Hanns-G HG281D.

This one is massively better. Fantastic choice for me. WOTs looks fantastic.
 
w123 said:
Should i send this sucker back? 2nd one arrived with the same tapping/clicking noise. Kind of sounds like an out of beat mechanical watch. Not sure if its harmless or it means it'll break on me in 6 months.
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Does the pitch of the noise change/go away if you raise the brightness all the way up or down? I had a Gateway 22" (1680x1050) WS that was the Go To LCD in it's day and the only flaw it suffered from was a known high pitch whine (like GPU coil whine)..If you turned the brightness up over 80 it stopped right away, but one step below and it would start again..

Even with this issue I kept it's replacement since it was hands down the best on the market at the time..
 
Doesnt seem brighness related. It does happen more often during videos but it does do it randomly when im browsing the web. Its strange never heard it before on a monitor. Tried moving my speakers etc no difference.
 
Does anyone know if firmware for benq monitors can be DIY upgradeable and if it's somewhat modifyable? I'm mostly very happy with this monitor, except missing a bit one feature - to be able to bind to monitor's custom keys or to it's remote buttons not just calling menu of selecting inputs, but directly binding one of inputs to button press, so that i can switch between them with single button press. Hence i wonder about such firmware mod possibilities..
 
w123 said:
Doesnt seem brighness related. It does happen more often during videos but it does do it randomly when im browsing the web. Its strange never heard it before on a monitor. Tried moving my speakers etc no difference.
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Maybe is a ground related issue. You could be hearing the ground noise through the built in speakers.
 
I just ordered this guy, I'm hoping for a good unit. I play mostly older games and stuff like torchlight II, combined with a lot of reading. I just sold an BenQ XL2420Z which was amazing on my eyes with the no PWM and low blue light function, my old Asus monitor literally makes me feel like my eyeballs are melting out of my skull after 30-40 minutes. I'm hoping I can move the screen back to around 3ft away and still be able to read without my glasses on, the dot pitch seems to be perfect for what I need.
 
I noticed the speakers on mine make small popping noises if I take off a particularly static prone wool jacket I have in the same room.

Kinda strange as they don't pick up interference from anything else and there are no buzzing/squealing noises.

Edit: Screen is set to about 25-30% brightness from memory.
 
Ill try a different outlet/surge protector and see how it goes. I do have a shit ton of things plugged into the other one.
 
Mines started to develop a problem, in the upper left corner the display looks really dirty, that's the best way of describing the issue, it looks slightly dimmer and the pixels are bleeding
 
Well I got mine today, so far it appears absolutely perfect. No banding, no dead pixels, no clouding at all. Very very happy with the size and pixel density.
 
Chaoss said:
Mines started to develop a problem, in the upper left corner the display looks really dirty, that's the best way of describing the issue, it looks slightly dimmer and the pixels are bleeding
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maybe there is porn in the upper left hand corner of the screen
 
Returning mine, going to try that 32" Samsung with the same panel. The sounds coming from this one are driving me bananas.
 
w123 said:
Returning mine, going to try that 32" Samsung with the same panel. The sounds coming from this one are driving me bananas.
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Do you happen to know if the Samsund uses PWM? Apparently, it's 27" version does below 30% brightness...
 
I'm not sure. I've had PWM displays before and they didnt bug me anyway. Honestly the silver bezel and my past experiences with samsung is what im wary of , plus im afraid of getting banned by amazon for doing too many returns lol. I really like the BenQ but whatever the sound is bugs the shit out of me.
 
w123 said:
I'm not sure. I've had PWM displays before and they didnt bug me anyway. Honestly the silver bezel and my past experiences with samsung is what im wary of , plus im afraid of getting banned by amazon for doing too many returns lol. I really like the BenQ but whatever the sound is bugs the shit out of me.
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Have you tried a different power cable? If you're not using the one it came with, try switching. It's likely the power transformer in the monitor making the noise. And there's probably nothing you can do about it unfortunately.
 
Yes tried all new cables. I should get the samsung on wednesday and unless i hate it this one is going back.
 
Is anyone overclocking this Monitor to 75 Htz 24/7? I was able to set it to 75 Htz but went back to 60 for fear I would burn out the Monitor.
 
You can run it at 75Hz just fine-- the specs say it will take up to 76Hz-- but the panel itself only runs at 60Hz and will drop one frame out of 5, rather than overclocking.

I think running at 60Hz looks smoother.
 
After a few days of looking at this, it is definitely my favorite "big" monitor that I've tried. I've had the Dell 3007WFP, U3011, U3014, U2711, the LG 29" widescreen one that I can't remember the part number to, two 27" Korean panels and an Asus PB278Q. This one is by far my favorite of those, works great for gaming and very easy on my eyes for reading/web browsing.
 
LigTasm said:
... and very easy on my eyes for reading/web browsing.
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This was my biggest concern about high resolutions screens for a lot of time. This 32" @ 2560x1440 is just perfect for text.

I use it for coding, graphic design and gaming. This screen has a great balance in all those areas, so for me is the perfect screen at a great value.
 
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