Not impressed by V2400W, any other options?

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Tosan

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
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I bought a V2400W a few weeks ago, and I'm not too impressed by it. I'm now wondering if there are any other options for a decent, non-wide gamut monitor or if I'm just going to be stuck with this. Quick summary of my complaints with it:

- Vertical viewing angles are poor, unsurprisingly. If I sit level with or above the monitor, the bottom half of the screen is very bright and washed out looking. If I sit lower, the top of the screen darkens.
- Input lag is a bit high for a "gaming LCD" (if there is such a thing) and in comparison to the old G2400W. I measured a maximum of 33ms over DVI with AMA and DC off.
- Color temperature defaults to 6500K and I can't find a way to change it. I've used 9300K for many years and whites on the V2400W appear yellowish. The colors are also fairly dull and muted looking as others have pointed out here, but that alone isn't a deal breaker for me.
- Ghosting is apparent while gaming, though it is slightly better than any other LCD I've tried before. AMA doesn't help one bit, and the inverse ghosting that it causes is annoying and probably cancels out any benefit it might offer. To be fair though, I wouldn't expect anything other than a properly overdriven TN to be any better.

It's not exactly the worst display I've ever used. I do like the reasonable backlight, minimally "sparkly" anti-glare coating, and sharp text, but it hasn't exactly blown me away otherwise.

If I were to return this, are there *any* other decent options available now? It'd probably have to be another TN, since all of the new H-IPS panels now seem to have insane 500 cd/m2 backlights and wide gamut -- both of which would probably be more annoying than any of the V2400W's faults -- and I don't like VA panels.

I'm mainly looking for something with decent gaming performance (low input lag/ghosting), a matte screen, a backlight that isn't blinding even at zero brightness, and at least decent if not great image quality (I'm not expecting wonders from a TN there). Price isn't really an issue. Have I been missing something, or is there anything other than the BenQ that even comes close to these requirements?
 
You might need to settle on the HP LP2475W (~$650) or the NEC LCD2490WUXi (~$1,200) both of which I am considering for my secondary PC that I use from time to time.

Both are normal gamut monitors and both use S-IPS panels.
 
Thanks, but the LP2475W actually has an even wider gamut than the Planar/DS 26" IPS panels. I was interested in it up until that became known.

As for the NEC, I should probably clarify what I meant by "price is not an issue": I was really only referring to TN panels that are 24" or smaller, since I've ruled out the high end stuff due to wide gamut or other problems, and none of them are very expensive. If an IPS panel came along with none of those issues, a reasonable price, and decent gaming performance I'd be interested in it, but I don't think I'd be willing to spend more than $700-800.

The 2490 also has a fair amount of input lag, so I really couldn't justify spending that much money on it even if it's nearly perfect otherwise.
 
I rather suprised you decided to upgrade to V2400W from G2400W while is if fairly well known, that G model has lower input-lag :) Why habe you done so?
Are you absolutely sure you don't own somehow damaged V2400W? The difference to G2400W should not be that big and surely it should allow you to change the colour temperature to 9300K. Take look into its PDF manual.
Well, if you want to do some more research, take a look here.
 
Tosan, I felt the exact same way as you with my V2400W. So it's not that you "damaged your monitor", but that everyone sings it high praises and then you feel wrong when it doesn't fit the bill.
 
Concerning your dislikes:

1) Viewing angles on other TNs are likely no better. You can try a Samsung 2493HM which is widely available and see what you think of it. It is also basically standard gamut. Because of its wide availability you should find it at a Best Buy with their lenient return policy

2) BenQ eschewed vibrant colors for accuracy. Again, the 2493HM might have more saturated colors which might appeal to you more. Other options are to mess with the different picture/color modes on the V2400W.

3) Input lag: The 2493HM is at least as fast and averages out to about the same

4) 9300K is "bluish" color mode on the BenQ. Other monitors also have this capability too, D65, or approximately 6500K is the standard for sRGB, which always looks "warmer" or more red than 9300K. Your other option is "user mode" in the color menu to play around with temperature.

Good luck.
 
I did not own a G2400W, I was using a CRT before this. The G2400W is supposed to have almost no input lag though, and it's disappointing that the V2400W has so much more even with overdrive and dynamic contrast off.

Thanks for replying 10e, I was hoping you'd stop by. I don't think the 2493HM is available anymore. Samsung seems to be in the habit of releasing new 22 and 24" TNs approximately every week and then discontinuing the old ones, and the 2493HM has been replaced by the laggy T240HD at all of the local stores around here. I can't even find a reputable store selling one online, actually.

I wasn't expecting a TN to have great vertical angles, but I had hoped that the problem wouldn't be so pronounced even when sitting directly in front of and level with it.

I tried the bluish mode on the V2400W, but it's quite... blue. I have a CRT and a different LCD here that look "normal" to me at their default 9300K settings, but the V2400W is crazily blue at that setting, to the point where standard actually looks better. I'd play around with user mode, but I have no idea how those values correspond to color temperature and I've just made things worse by changing it.

The color saturation isn't that big of a deal for me, I just thought it looked a little dull even compared to the five year old TN I have on my secondary computer and my old CRT. I don't want a ton of saturation though, which is why I've avoided wide gamut monitors.
 
Tosan said:
I bought a V2400W a few weeks ago, and I'm not too impressed by it...
Click to expand...

I too recently purchased the V2400W only to be disappointed by it's weaknesses. I wasn't sure if I was being overly critical of it or not. I even went be Best Buy yesterday to look at LCDs to see if my Benq was a lemon or not. I'm glad that someone more articulate than myself described the issues in detail. I now see I am not being too picky.

The most annoying thing for me is that colors are fairly dull and it's impossible to get whites to appear 'white' instead of off white.
 
Well, Tosan, if you were used to work with CRT you can have a hard time to get accustomed to ANY LCD no matter what it is.
Even highly apraised LCD2490WUXi has larger input-lag compared to any CRT and its black is not black, it is more grey.
PVA/MVA LCDs have better blacks, but also gamma shift and usually higher input-lag.
 
I just bought a V2400W and haven't noticed any input lag at all while gaming. I dont use AMA and I dont know what DC means. Vertical angles arent the best but I didnt want to spend $600 or whatever for one with better angles.
 
bitbum said:
The most annoying thing for me is that colors are fairly dull and it's impossible to get whites to appear 'white' instead of off white.
Click to expand...

Yeah, "off white" describes it perfectly. I guess there's nothing that can be done about it. I don't suppose you saw anything at BB that was any better looking?

Biges said:
Well, Tosan, if you were used to work with CRT you can have a hard time to get accustomed to ANY LCD no matter what it is.
Even highly apraised LCD2490WUXi has larger input-lag compared to any CRT and its black is not black, it is more grey.
PVA/MVA LCDs have better blacks, but also gamma shift and usually higher input-lag.
Click to expand...

I'm not expecting it to be better than my CRT in any way other than size and sharpness, I'm just trying to find something I can live with until a better technology is available. So far, I haven't had much luck and I've tried and returned about four different LCDs in the past year and a half (though going by some other people's experiences here, that isn't that many).

Still not really sure what I'm going to be doing with this one, since I haven't been able to find any other possibilities.
 
How does the BenQ compared in brightness to your crt? What model is your crt?

I'm still using a crt right now and am basically just wondering if it is dull compared to a crt aswell or just dull compared to other LCD monitors?
 
The CRT I was using before is a Dell P992, which is essentially a Sony G410. The BenQ is significantly brighter at the 50 brightness I've been using it at, but my P992 is probably about 6 years old now (I don't know the exact date since I bought it refurbished) and the tube's lost quite a bit of brightness. I have no complaints whatsoever about the BenQ's brightness though, unlike most LCDs it really can go quite low.

It definitely looks dull compared to the CRT, as well as the LCD I'm using on my secondary computer (a Sony SDM-HS53). Even though the Sony LCD is a five year old model and a TN to boot, I think I'd actually have to say it has a more pleasing picture overall.
 
You can use custom color to change the color temperature. You choose "user" color and set the RGB levels accordingly.

The higher the color temperature the white will be more blue, and the lower the temperature, the more red. So to raise the color temperature you can add more blue or reduce the red in the "user" mode color. I have also generally reduced contrast to 46 on the V2400W to avoid bright color washout. 50 seems a bit too washed out in lighter colored hues.

Unfortunately you're right about the 2493HM (in the U.S). It's still available in Canada but not for long.

My only complaint about the V2400W's whites are that there is a very slight horizontal gamma shift giving them a bit more of a "3d" effect. I only noticed it recently in direct comparison to my BenQ FP241VW (A-MVA) monitor.

Compared to my NEC, the whites on the V2400W are (concerning color temperature) almost exactly the same, and the NEC is an H-IPS panel.

My issue right now is recommending you another panel that is standard gamut, low input lag, and not TN. They seem to be falling off the wayside.

Maybe the Samsung T240? If you don't need console capabilities it may be a good alternative and doesn't seem to suffer from overly excessive input lag, and it's standard gamut. The T220 has similar input lag to the V2400W, so I'd assume the T240 is the same too. Mind you it will work with consoles, but stretch everything to 16:10.

Otherwise I can post you a color profile I created for the V2400W that might help you and JPInard.

Let me know. Good luck.

Tosan said:
I did not own a G2400W, I was using a CRT before this. The G2400W is supposed to have almost no input lag though, and it's disappointing that the V2400W has so much more even with overdrive and dynamic contrast off.

Thanks for replying 10e, I was hoping you'd stop by. I don't think the 2493HM is available anymore. Samsung seems to be in the habit of releasing new 22 and 24" TNs approximately every week and then discontinuing the old ones, and the 2493HM has been replaced by the laggy T240HD at all of the local stores around here. I can't even find a reputable store selling one online, actually.

I wasn't expecting a TN to have great vertical angles, but I had hoped that the problem wouldn't be so pronounced even when sitting directly in front of and level with it.

I tried the bluish mode on the V2400W, but it's quite... blue. I have a CRT and a different LCD here that look "normal" to me at their default 9300K settings, but the V2400W is crazily blue at that setting, to the point where standard actually looks better. I'd play around with user mode, but I have no idea how those values correspond to color temperature and I've just made things worse by changing it.

The color saturation isn't that big of a deal for me, I just thought it looked a little dull even compared to the five year old TN I have on my secondary computer and my old CRT. I don't want a ton of saturation though, which is why I've avoided wide gamut monitors.
Click to expand...
 
If you don't mind dropping down to 22" and wide gamut I would look at the LG L227WTGPF

It gets a lot of attention on another LCD forum I follow as a gaming monitor. It also was reported to have near 0ms input lag at Prad.de .... what's interesting though is digital versus reported the same monitor to have 20-30ms of input lag so im not sure who to believe. Prad.de reported the V2400w in the 15-30ms range.

I have the V2400w and overall am fairly satisfied with it. I don't mind the color as I value accurate colors although wide gamut doesn't bother me. I do still notice the input lag when playing PC and console... im very sensitive to it and it still doesn't have that real tight feel like the CRT. When I hook up my 360 to play Halo on the V2400w and CRT at the same time (switch the cord back and fourth) .. it still feels night and day different to me. My skills are much better on the V2400w vs my larger Westinghouse and Sony RPTV though as the input lag is much less.

I really am interested in the LG panel and I may try it out in another month or two and see how it is input lag wise. Let us know what you decide and how it works out.
 
10e:

I'll try playing around with the user mode settings. For some reason, the RGB values displayed for normal mode (98/96/100 for me) look completely different from normal when inputted into the user mode setting. This is somewhat annoying since I'd like to start from normal mode's settings and then perhaps increase the blue a bit to raise the color temperature -- it seems as if merely selecting user mode makes some hidden changes to the color values that you can't adjust. Setting the contrast to 46 did seem to help slightly.

I'm actually not entirely sure what to make of the V2400W's input lag. In several of the shots I took earlier, it was neck-and-neck with my CRT, but then occasionally you'd see something like this where the difference was ~33ms. It seems as if the minimum is rather low, but it has occasional spikes to two frames of lag.

Most of Samsung's new LCDs have higher minimums as well as maximums, and I suspect that the T240 isn't any different in this regard. I can't find any numbers for it (and not the T240HD) however, so I'm not sure. It's too bad the older models have been discontinued, since the new ones don't seem to bring anything worthwhile to the table.

Console compatibility isn't at all important to me, whatever I buy will be used strictly as a PC monitor. The quality of the monitor scaling won't be a factor either, as I always use video card scaling.

10e said:
The color profile would be great if you could post it.
Otherwise I can post you a color profile I created for the V2400W that might help you and JPInard.
Click to expand...

That would be great. Thanks!

wxkid23 said:
If you don't mind dropping down to 22" and wide gamut I would look at the LG L227WTGPF
Click to expand...

I wouldn't mind dropping down to 22" or below at all, but glossy screens and wide gamut both drive me nuts. The L227 sounds like a decent monitor otherwise, but those two things have pretty much ruled it out for me.

Getting a smaller monitor might work out well for me, though. I just managed to fix up one of my Trinitrons that used to have terrible image quality with a Windas cable and I'm probably going to keep that around for gaming, but it's really hard to fit both it (it's 21 inches) and the BenQ on my desk.

A smaller TN should also have less restrictive viewing angles, and some of them support higher than 60Hz refresh rates which would make gaming on the LCD a little less annoying. It's getting pretty hard to find in-depth information on new LCDs that are smaller than 24 inches, though. Are there any 22" (or maybe even 20") models that are worth considering?
 
Stanley Pain said:
What's so bad about Wide Gamut?
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Nothing bad in wide gamut as an idea, but since majority of programs are not color managed, you have a problem because it simply shows wrong strength of color than what it is supposed to show. Im not bothered by it, but mildly sunburnt looking skins in photos, and red-orange cartoonish flames and skins do remind me of it in games aswell. Looks good at correct places, (Actually Doom3 looks bloody awesome in widegamut, probaply because its natively pretty colorless game :) ) but looks bit off at the others especially when extreme colors are involved.

To OP, if widegamut is not something you are bothered of, LP2475w is good screen. Fast, decent input lag though not the most lagless screen out there (from one frame to max two frames averaged), and pretty much unlimited viewing angles = no gamma shift anywhere. If widegamut does bother, you are out of luck atleast until Hazro makes another revision of their monitors with proper backlight control.
 
MaZa said:
Nothing bad in wide gamut as an idea, but since majority of programs are not color managed, you have a problem because it simply shows wrong strength of color than what it is supposed to show. Im not bothered by it, but mildly sunburnt looking skins in photos, and red-orange cartoonish flames and skins do remind me of it in games aswell. Looks good at correct places, (Actually Doom3 looks bloody awesome in widegamut, probaply because its natively pretty colorless game :) ) but looks bit off at the others especially when extreme colors are involved.
Click to expand...


Hrrm, never quite noticed this. I guess since it doesn't bother me no need to worry about it ;).
 
Shameless bump, but does anyone have any thoughts on this? I have about 6 days left to return the V2400W now.

I do like the V2400W's performance in movies and games, but I've found it to be much worse for desktop work than I'd expected due to the viewing angles and yellowish cast. Neither of those problems are particularly noticeable when gaming though, so I have no complaints there.

The lack of height adjustment on the V2400W is really inconvenient as well. The bottom half of the screen doesn't look overly bright if I sit below instead of level with it, but I can't do that comfortably with my current chair and desk. I'm going to look for something to put below the monitor to raise it up a bit, but a 24" TN really should be height adjustable.

If I decide to return it, I'll probably wait a few months to see what else is coming down the line. At that point, I figure I have two options:

1) Viewsonic's 120Hz display is quite interesting to me, and it's supposed to be released by the end of the year. If this isn't merely some frame doubling trick and the monitor has no glaring faults, I'd probably buy one of these. Obviously, if I were to keep the V2400W and this ends up being as good as it sounds I'd be pretty annoyed at having wasted $400. Has anyone heard anything new about this monitor lately?

2) If nothing better is released I could pick up a G2400WD with the Ergotron stand, which would solve the height adjustment problem. The G2400WD might also have less input lag.
 
The G2400WD uses the same panel as the V2400W so input lag should be the same.

Im very interested in the 120hz Viewsonic model but I have heard mixed things on if it's really going to be true 120hz though. If it comes out and is a true 120hz panel with low input lag I will be a buyer immedietely.
 
I would probably return it if I were you, and it seems your preference is to stay away from TN panels, because they all have a lot of vertical color shift (typically), and I haven't seen anything to the contrary yet.

It's possible your unit is not the best example if your whites are yellowish, because mine are on the cold side (bluer) than yellow, but considering the other things I'd advise you to send it back.

Buying monitors is fun, but sometimes so is sending them back :)

Good luck.

Tosan said:
Shameless bump, but does anyone have any thoughts on this? I have about 6 days left to return the V2400W now.

I do like the V2400W's performance in movies and games, but I've found it to be much worse for desktop work than I'd expected due to the viewing angles and yellowish cast. Neither of those problems are particularly noticeable when gaming though, so I have no complaints there.

The lack of height adjustment on the V2400W is really inconvenient as well. The bottom half of the screen doesn't look overly bright if I sit below instead of level with it, but I can't do that comfortably with my current chair and desk. I'm going to look for something to put below the monitor to raise it up a bit, but a 24" TN really should be height adjustable.

If I decide to return it, I'll probably wait a few months to see what else is coming down the line. At that point, I figure I have two options:

1) Viewsonic's 120Hz display is quite interesting to me, and it's supposed to be released by the end of the year. If this isn't merely some frame doubling trick and the monitor has no glaring faults, I'd probably buy one of these. Obviously, if I were to keep the V2400W and this ends up being as good as it sounds I'd be pretty annoyed at having wasted $400. Has anyone heard anything new about this monitor lately?

2) If nothing better is released I could pick up a G2400WD with the Ergotron stand, which would solve the height adjustment problem. The G2400WD might also have less input lag.
Click to expand...
 
wxkid23 said:
The G2400WD uses the same panel as the V2400W so input lag should be the same.
Click to expand...
What is interesting is I have the V2400W at home and my boss bought me a G2400WD at work, and they both have their pros and cons. Can't put my finger on it but they have distinct appearances.

Tosan said:
Shameless bump, but does anyone have any thoughts on this? I have about 6 days left to return the V2400W now.

worse for desktop work than I'd expected due to the viewing angles and yellowish cast.

The bottom half of the screen doesn't look overly bright if I sit below instead of level with it.
Click to expand...

You have accurately identified the most bothersome issues with this monitor. I'm still deciding if I'm keeping it. I do like it in games and no dead pixels. :)
 
I am going to go home and check, but I don't recall much if any of a color shift in my FP241VW.
 
10e said:
I would probably return it if I were you, and it seems your preference is to stay away from TN panels, because they all have a lot of vertical color shift (typically), and I haven't seen anything to the contrary yet.

...
Click to expand...

Realistically, I don't think I have any choices other than TN if I'm going to be buying an LCD any time soon. All new IPS panels are probably going to be wide gamut (and all of the current ones have too many other issues as well -- I might've at least given the DS-263N a try before it disappeared otherwise), and I don't want a VA.

I have managed to reduce the viewing angle problem quite a bit by propping the V2400W up on a small wooden block. They seem to be much less of a problem when your eye level is fixed about 3/4 of the way up the screen. Real height adjustment would be much better obviously, but I'm not nearly as annoyed by it now as I was before.

wxkid23 said:
Im very interested in the 120hz Viewsonic model but I have heard mixed things on if it's really going to be true 120hz though. If it comes out and is a true 120hz panel with low input lag I will be a buyer immedietely.
Click to expand...

Pretty much exactly how I feel. If they're any good, I'll be buying one and be getting rid of whatever LCD I currently have (and possibly even my CRT, too).

The promise of better LCDs coming out is really what's making me hesitate now. Now that the viewing angles are a bit less annoying, I think I'd probably keep it if I was certain that nothing better would be available for the next six months or more.

bitbum said:
What is interesting is I have the V2400W at home and my boss bought me a G2400WD at work, and they both have their pros and cons. Can't put my finger on it but they have distinct appearances.
Click to expand...

Hmm, do you have a preference for one over the other? I was hoping they'd be nearly indistinguishable, since I'd at least know what I was buying beforehand if I got one.
 
Tosan said:
Hmm, do you have a preference for one over the other? I was hoping they'd be nearly indistinguishable, since I'd at least know what I was buying beforehand if I got one.
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I think overall I prefer the V2400W since I like to game, but IMO the G2400WD has better vertical viewing angle, and better contrast.

I think I'm going to keep the V2400W until something better comes along. I may have to wait a while. I should say that I also have a Samsung 245BW which has served me well. The only reason I'm wanting to replace it is that it's developed some stuck pixels, however at this rate, I think I'll hang on to it for a little longer.
 
go to BB and check out the HP 2408H. it has a glossy screen ,but, the text is ultra sharp very minimal bleeding and the colors really pop for a TN panel. I put my jacket over the monitor and looked in darkness to check out the bleed. The new sammies are pretty pathetic it's rather sad.
 
Your local Costco may not carry this but, mine still does. Try looking at the Samsung 245BW 24" at your local Costco. Performance in gaming is very good and produces good colors for a TN monitor. It also has height adjustment. This monitor has been out for quite some time but, it is a good TN monitor. At least you can return it at Costco if you find one with a dead pixel or just not happy with it in general.
 
I'm going to stop by a few stores tomorrow and I'll look, but I'd be very surprised if any places around here still carried the 245BW.

I've only got two days left and I'm no closer to a decision, unfortunately. Would I be correct in assuming that most other TN panels are going to have the same issues as this one (such as poor viewing angles that cause either the top to be too dark or the bottom to be too bright)? The viewing angles are really my biggest problem with the monitor at the moment, but if nothing else is going to be any better than this any time soon it'd be silly to return it.

It's amazing how poor the choices for PC monitors have become, and how difficult it is to find something decent. I'm somewhat tempted to keep it just to spare myself the annoyance of searching for another one, but I just know I'm going to be left with the nagging feeling that I might've found something better to spend the $400 on...
 
Tosan said:
I'm going to stop by a few stores tomorrow and I'll look, but I'd be very surprised if any places around here still carried the 245BW.

I've only got two days left and I'm no closer to a decision, unfortunately. Would I be correct in assuming that most other TN panels are going to have the same issues as this one (such as poor viewing angles that cause either the top to be too dark or the bottom to be too bright)? The viewing angles are really my biggest problem with the monitor at the moment, but if nothing else is going to be any better than this any time soon it'd be silly to return it.

It's amazing how poor the choices for PC monitors have become, and how difficult it is to find something decent. I'm somewhat tempted to keep it just to spare myself the annoyance of searching for another one, but I just know I'm going to be left with the nagging feeling that I might've found something better to spend the $400 on...
Click to expand...

Most, yes. I don't know if you're just ignoring me, if you just haven't responded, or if you just didn't see my suggestion, but I'm telling you... I can look at the FP241VW at near 180 degrees from top, bottom, or sides and there is no distortion, color change, darkness, or anything. It's probably the best you can get at around $500-$600.
 
Alai -

Now this could be due to my lack of knowledge about monitors, but how long will the FP241VW be a proficient gaming display?

Honestly, I've heard it's a great monitor, but I'm just not sure how long it will hold up in terms of its use for PC games and I think for some people that may be a deal-breaker. At least, that's why I'm still searching.
 
Alai said:
Most, yes. I don't know if you're just ignoring me, if you just haven't responded, or if you just didn't see my suggestion, but I'm telling you... I can look at the FP241VW at near 180 degrees from top, bottom, or sides and there is no distortion, color change, darkness, or anything. It's probably the best you can get at around $500-$600.
Click to expand...

Whoops, that's what I get for reading the topic in the early morning. Missed your post, sorry.

In all honesty though, I don't think I want a VA. Perhaps some people are more sensitive to it than others, but some of the complaints about the horizontal gamma shift on VAs that I've read here (some directed specifically towards the FP241VW) have convinced me to stay away from them. I also don't think I'd be too thrilled by the loss of detail that VA panels suffer from when viewed dead center.

Additionally, the input lag and response time are almost certainly going to be worse than the V2400W, though I've heard that the input lag might at least be a little lower in more recent revisions.

It's almost certainly going to be TN or IPS for me -- I just don't know if I want to take a chance on returning this and hoping that my choices won't get even worse than they already are.
 
Do you have the necessary funds, time, and/or energy to buy a monitor and then return it if you don't like it? I honestly don't see what kind of complaints one could have against the (possibly newer revision) FP241VW. I have not been able to experience any detectable lag and I almost only play games and movies on this rig. I think you should try it and see. If you can't... well, good luck finding your monitor.
 
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