Looking for a 24" LCD, Please advise

I

ilikecake

Gawd
Joined
Feb 20, 2006
Messages
759
Hi,

I am currently using a Dell 2001fp 20" LCD. I have been happy with it, and wouldn’t think of changing it (until it dies), except that I just got a PS3. Foolishly, I thought that I could plug in the PS3 using a HDMI to DVI converter. However, my monitor is not HDCP and without that you can’t get *ANY* digital signal from the PS3 (apparently). So I am contemplating upgrading my current monitor.

I have been reading around the forum for a bit and have seen several 24” LCDs that look good: (Note: Prices include shipping and tax.)

Dell 2407WFP-HC ($705.80)
  • Pros: 'High Color', Lots of inputs, Card Reader, 3 Year Warranty.
  • Cons: Price, no HDMI

BenQ FP241W ($657.92)
  • Pros: Lots of Inputs, USB, 3 Year Warranty, Cheaper than dell
  • Cons: Still expensive, ‘WZ’ version is nowhere to be found.

Gateway FHD2400 ($580.24)
  • Pros: Cheap, Lots of inputs, USB, Faster pixel response, Available locally
  • Cons: TN Panel (which is supposed to be worse than others for color), 1 year warranty

LG L246WP ($632.99)
  • Pros: 3 year warranty, cheaper than BenQ, P-MVA panel (I think), Available locally
  • Cons: Less Inputs, no DVI

Anyone who has one of these monitors, can you post your comments on how it performs? I have heard of problems with 1 to 1 scaling of HD content, is one of these monitors better than others in that regard? Are there any other 24" monitors that I forgot to look at?

I play some FPS games, so it needs to be able to handle that. But, I am not a hardcore gamer, and also plan to use the screen to watch movies, so I don't mind sacrificing some of the speed for better colors. Oh, and HDCP is a requirement, otherwise I could stick with my current monitor. :)

Edit: Just found the FP241WZ at NCIX usa for ~$800. :eek: Is it really that much better?
 
I got my FHD2400 about a week ago, and its AMAZING. Nearly flawless. Whatever you heard about the colors, to me they look better than any monitor ive ever seen, and theres no input lag or ghosting- AT ALL.

And its the least expensive? I wouldnt pick any of those monitors over this one if they were priced a hundred dollars under it.

FHD2400 all the way:D - you wont regret it ;)

 
Thanks for the responses so far, please keep them comming. :D I am leaning towards the Gateway or the BenQ. It is good to hear that the Gateway can do the 1:1 scaling properly. Since I can get the Gateway locally, I may get one and compare it against my 2001FP. That way, I can return it if I am not happy.
 
I'm also looking for a 24". Here's what my research has told me:

If you want a TN panel the Gateway is the best out there. Need to be looking at it head on as viewing angles are poor however. Great colors. Glossy panel which some like and some don't so make sure it is for you.

The Dell is not a good choice as it has bad ghosting.

The Benq and LG use the same screen. Benq has more inputs but has suffered from blackout issues. It also does not seem to be stocked by the big retailers (BB, CC, CompUSA, etc.) so have not seen it in person.

The LG has been out for a while now and well regarded as a top class panel. It lacks some bells and whistles of the others (mostly inputs) but because it is an MVA panel it looks great at much wider angles.

I'm leaning towards the LG at the moment. The Gateway is a great monitor but I've owned TN panels for ever now and I'm fed up of the screen going dark at the top when you are not looking at it 'perfectly'.

Would love to hear more from others.
 
Were the Dell ghosting issues added with the HC? If not it might be a QC issue as my model has none.
 
I feel like I am in the similar situation "ilikecake" is in, and many others that have been posting recently. I currently have a dell 1905fp UltraSharp, which I like, but think I think can be better. I have been searching for a 24" monitor currently because it seems that all the 22" monitors are TN panels now, and I want a good monitor for text and internet. I am having a real issue making up my mind, because there are draw backs to all of the listed 24" monitors above. Out of all of them I think I am closet to the LG and the Gateway.

Does anyone know off hand if a GeForce 6800 is enough for a 24" Monitor ?
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. It looks like I am not the only one in this situation. I just noticed that both the gateway and the LG are available at the local best buy. I will probably go check them both out today and see if I can tell a difference.

For those that own the TN panels, how bad is the viewing angle problem? I am usually sitting right in front of my computer if I want to use it, so this doesn't seem like a big deal. Also, the viewing angle is listed as ~160degrees. I assume that is a full angle, so 80 degrees off the orthogonal in any direction, which seems like plenty. Am I thinking about this right? Does the view fade off before 80 degrees? Or is it a sharp transition? I guess I will find out later when I see them in person. I will report back my findings, but I would be interested in other peoples experience as well.
 
ilikecake said:
Thanks for the replies everyone. It looks like I am not the only one in this situation. I just noticed that both the gateway and the LG are available at the local best buy. I will probably go check them both out today and see if I can tell a difference.

For those that own the TN panels, how bad is the viewing angle problem? I am usually sitting right in front of my computer if I want to use it, so this doesn't seem like a big deal. Also, the viewing angle is listed as ~160degrees. I assume that is a full angle, so 80 degrees off the orthogonal in any direction, which seems like plenty. Am I thinking about this right? Does the view fade off before 80 degrees? Or is it a sharp transition? I guess I will find out later when I see them in person. I will report back my findings, but I would be interested in other peoples experience as well.
Click to expand...

The 160 degrees is nothing to go by. I looked at the TN panels (245BW, FHD2400) in BB at the weekend. You only have to move your head a few inches up or down to notice the shift in color (generally things get darker at the top when you move your head down). The best viewing angle is looking slightly down at the monitor. This is a shame for me as I sit quite low and would prefer to be looking slightly up at the monitor.

Basically, with a non-TN panel you don't get this. Instead the picture color stays uniform unless you move to the extremes.
 
Okay, I went to Best Buy. Unfortunately, they did not have the FHD2400 on display. I was able to look at a few other TN panels, and did see what you were talking about with the off-angle viewing. The screen gets pretty grey after a certain point. It seemed like more than a few degrees to me, but it definitely happened. I also noticed a few other panels. They don't seem to be as highly regarded as the ones I already mentioned. But I thought I would throw them out there for people to see.


Samsung 245BW ($524.99)
  • Pros: Cheaper than most, 3 Year Warranty, Adjustable stand.
  • Cons: Only two inputs, TN Panel, No 1-1 pixel mode (I hear)

Acer X241WSD ($519.74)
  • Pros: 3 year warranty, 2x DVI ports.
  • Cons: TN Panel

Westinghouse L2410NM ($377.99)
  • Pros: Cheap as hell, Lots of inputs, MVA Panel.
  • Cons: Apparently, lots of defective units, 1 Year Warranty.

Anyone have any comments on these (or other) monitors? Of these I think I am leaning towards the LG, but I may still go for the Gateway.

Also, I have another question that I thought I would throw out there. Can anyone with a PS3 tell me if I can output video over the HDMI and audio over the RCA connectors? I don't have an expensive HDMI receiver, and I really don't want to get one. I know its the wrong part of the forum to ask this question, but I am hoping someone will be able to tell me.
 
yep i can confirm that ps3 can output video over hdmi and audio over rca. you just have to set it up in the audio settings of the ps3.
 
might as well chime in too.. i'm in the same boat. was really hoping to buy one during the whole black friday thing to get the best local B&M deal i can get. i'm following your post pretty closely. i went and looked at the other model gateway at best buy and it was pretty nice but i've read about a lot of issues with the OSD and touch sensitive buttons. i have a 20" gateway now and it has input switching problems, so I'm a bit weary about another gateway. the lg worries me because of the hdmi -> dvi; though i'd assume there should be NO change in signal quality since i thought they were the same in video performance (hdmi being better?). anyway, good luck to you and hope you post some more of your findings before friday.. :D
 
Out of the originals listed I'd say the LG. I was actually checking one out at a local BB a few days ago and I was pretty impressed...and I use a Dell (Sony) Trinitron CRT for my main monitor so I'm pretty picky how displays look. The LG definitely had the best picture out of the group of 24" LCD's they had on display. I've been thinking about picking up a 24-incher at some point to move into the realm of widescreen gaming, though I haven't really done a whole lot of research at this point (other than roaming the [H] Display forum). In my somewhat un-educated opinion the LG seems like one of the best deals overall. It doesn't have a ton of connectivity options but you get a nice panel for a decent price. If I did make the jump to a 24" LCD I think the LG would be at, or near, the top of my list.

Just my $0.02....
 
I'm in London and just bought the LG L246 and now awaiting for delivery in morning.

Oh bugger no sleep for me tonight!!.:D
 
excellent!

i was considering going to best buy today and looking at that one again. i wish they'd let you hook it up to various sources around the store.

i hear they may price match some of the places that have it for 499$ here in the states. hopefully they'd do the same for you guys across the pond.

hope you enjoy it!
post your thoughts here and in the lg246 thread when you get it
 
defsquad said:
excellent!

i was considering going to best buy today and looking at that one again. i wish they'd let you hook it up to various sources around the store.

i hear they may price match some of the places that have it for 499$ here in the states. hopefully they'd do the same for you guys across the pond.

hope you enjoy it!
post your thoughts here and in the lg246 thread when you get it
Click to expand...

Price match, here in the UK, not a chance, we will allways pay top Dollar here, or at least more than you guy's in the States.

I PAID £441, which with today's exchange rate is,
911.451 USD

OUCH!!

I bet you guy's in the States wouldn't pay that for a 24" would you?
 
I absolutely love my FHD2400, bought for $480 at Circuit Shitty. 1 to 1 pixel mapping works fine, great software to tune the display, loads of inputs. Mmmmmmmm
 
defsquad said:
excellent!

i was considering going to best buy today and looking at that one again. i wish they'd let you hook it up to various sources around the store.

i hear they may price match some of the places that have it for 499$ here in the states. hopefully they'd do the same for you guys across the pond.

hope you enjoy it!
post your thoughts here and in the lg246 thread when you get it
Click to expand...

BB refused to price match the Fry's price of $499 on the LG because it is not considered a local store (needs to be within 10-15 miles). BB price is $599. Of course, Fry's is out of stock anyway!
 
Just ask them to break out a FHD 2400 and have them set it up for you... Thats what I did and they complied.

I can't seem to get my FHD 2400 properly calibrated (regardless of what ExtremeTech said.)
Maybe im an idiot. Maybe I need to be on HDMI and not DVI.

I can confirm the vertical colorshift of the FHD 2400 when you move your head a mere few inches up and down... This monitor does have alot going for it though.

Tried the Hanns-G 28nch and took it back.. Have the FHD 2400 right now and reconsidering TN altogether. May just get the Westinghouse as a hold over... I just do not know.
 
bestbuy will actually price match the $499 price from fry's.com? I've been wondering about this since fry's doesn't actually have that price in store and they don't price match their online prices.

I am reluctant to buy it from fry's.com as well because I know fry's has a history of selling refurbished items as new.
 
liar2 said:
bestbuy will actually price match the $499 price from fry's.com? I've been wondering about this since fry's doesn't actually have that price in store and they don't price match their online prices.

I am reluctant to buy it from fry's.com as well because I know fry's has a history of selling refurbished items as new.
Click to expand...

No - they refused to do it. They only price match local stores (like the Circuit City round the corner for example).
 
well, I have a bestbuy that's local to a frys. so do you think I have a chance at this?
 
so did you just print the ad off the internet and walk in? I think I'll try that next week.
 
I was thinking about the 24" Westinghouse as it was on sale for $420cnd at Best Buy. However I chose the Benq for $600cnd including a 2 year no dead pixel warranty. This seems to be the best all around monitor. I didn't like the Westinghouses' 1 year warranty, non adjustable stand and questionable build quality. Not to mention the picture quality is not as good as the Benq. The LG is supposed to be similar to the Benq in terms of picture quality.
 
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