monitor recommendations

[wolf30]

I'm looking to buy a monitor to hook up to my laptop to use as a desktop at home. My budget is around $200. I'm looking for an led monitor. Not really interested in acer's, gateway, viewsonic, hp's. I'm thinking about going with a samsung monitor. Anyone got any recommendations?

[george__]

You can't go wrong with a IPS monitor... The Deal section has a HP IPS on special.

I'm personally using a Dell U2312HM + another cheap Dell 23" Monitor. I picked up the Dell U2312HM for roughly ~$200 during one of those Dell Sales

Why do you want a Samsung monitor?

edit: HP IPS too expensive sorry

[NewsyL]

For a laptop, via HDMI?

Dell U2212HM
... 21.5" 1920x1080
... e-IPS TFT LCD panel
... LED Back light
... no HDMI port but you can get a DVI to HDMI adapter for under $20
... should be on sale during the current 10 Days of Dell promotion for about $169-179
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/dell-day-1-deals-targus-16-laptop-backpack-15-99-ocz-agility-3-120gb-ssd-85-a-1205880/


LG IPS231P
... 23" 1920x1080
... e-IPS TFT LCD panel
... LED Back light
... no HDMI port but you can get a DVI to HDMI adapter for under $20
... currently $189.99 at NCIX
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=59771&vpn=IPS231P-BN&manufacture=LG%20Electronics


HDMI/DVI Adapter
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=20564
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=48126


Reviews:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews.htm
http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/reviews.html

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[Dwight10]

I think SAMSUNG monitors are best and your decision is right. So, My recommendation to you is SAMSUNG monitor.

[Mark77]

If you do a lot of work with text -- I'd really try to aim for an IPS (eIPS/S-IPS) unit instead of Samsung S-PVA. There's quite a bit of difference. For graphics, there's not much difference.

LG (makers of most IPS panels), and Dell are good outfits to deal with for finished screens.

[george__]

You can also get a 16:10 IPS still :D. Like from Dell

[Jimboski]

ASUS Is pretty good too!

[wolf30]

What's so special about ips monitors? I keep on hearing people recommending them over traditional monitors. Considering that they cost significantly more than the regular monitors, I want to know if the high price tag is worth it.

[george__]

What's so special about ips monitors? I keep on hearing people recommending them over traditional monitors. Considering that they cost significantly more than the regular monitors, I want to know if the high price tag is worth it.
http://www.creativeplanetnetwork.com/dv/feature/ips-led-oled-latest-advances-flat-panel-video-monitors/59962/

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/51995-dell-ultrasharp-u2312hm-23-monitor-review.html

^^ I own that

[NewsyL]

What's so special about ips monitors? I keep on hearing people recommending them over traditional monitors. Considering that they cost significantly more than the regular monitors, I want to know if the high price tag is worth it.

Usually better image processing and colors stay accurate at wider viewing angles as compared to a TN panel gaming type monitor.

Open these links in separate browsers and flip back and forth and the difference will be obvious.

IPS panel per HP ZR2440w in TFT Central review:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/images/hp_zr2440w/viewing_angles.jpg


TN panel per BenQ XL2420T in TFT Central review:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/images/benq_xl2420t/viewing_angles.jpg


You should notice with the XL2420T central image that the top of the screen is a bit darker than the centre. Even looking straight on there will be a color/gamma shift between the top and bottom of the screen.

TFT Central Reviews:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews.htm

[george__]

@Newsyl - mine is easier on my eye compared to my LED 23" Dell monitor. The 23" Dell LED is wayy to bright / hard on my eyes for long term viewing :S

[NewsyL]

@Newsyl - mine is easier on my eye compared to my LED 23" Dell monitor. The 23" Dell LED is wayy to bright / hard on my eyes for long term viewing :S

mmmm.... I'm not sure what monitor you are referring to when you say "mine". :?::?:

I do agree that the Dell U2312HM is too bright. It is a bit like the ZR24w in that its' minimum adjustment for brightness does not take the white luminance value low enough. And unlike the ZR24w where the CCFL back light is fairly dim when first turned on, when the U2312HM first turns on it is pretty much as bright as when it has finished warming up 20 to 30 minutes later, which can be hard on the eyes.

At "0" Brightness it will have a measured white luminance value of about 115 cd/m2. This is still too bright for use in a dark room. The only way to deal with a monitor like this is to keep a 800 lumen lamp or two on in the room.


Here's a rough method for determining the proper monitor brightness.

Eyeball Technique

A rough method of setting brightness is to grab a sheaf of white printer paper (several pages thick) and hold it up next to your monitor while it is displaying a white screen (full screen Notepad works well) and while the room has its' typical lighting used while you edit. If the paper looks brighter than your monitor, then your monitor is too dark. If the paper is darker, then the monitor is too bright or perhaps you need to increase the ambient lighting of the room. Imho, it is less than ideal to edit in a near pitch black room.

Most LCD monitors have a native color temperature somewhere near 6500K in order to have whites appear like they would in natural sunlight. Most people still use incandescent or CFL bulbs with a color temperature near 2800K for their room lighting.

Under this traditional lighting the reflected room light off the paper will, in comparison to the monitor screen, appear more yellow (warmer) and this may make you think it is a little darker. You may want to buy some 6000 to 6500K compact fluorescent bulbs, of equal lumen output, for the lighting in your room and use them while attempting this paper method. If these are too blue (cool) for day to day use in your editing room, 5000K bulbs may be a workable compromise.

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[george__]

Both are very bright but when I lower brightness I'm able to see more shades of grey with the Dell U2312HM than I can with the cheap 23" LED from Dell. Which is pretty neat :D

My settings are really weird though. The Dell U2312HM has 35 for brightness and 71 for contrast (i know odd). The other monitor has 71 and 69 (brightness and contrast)
I used http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/contrast.php

With the cheaper LED, the colors near the right blend in but the IPS you can see the lines. If I lower the brightness and contrast on the cheaper LED I have more issues with blending... I don't know what to do (I don't have calibration tools)

[cloakster]

Asus 23" PA238QR: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=69432&vpn=PA238QR&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1261

[Techgeek32]

Yeap, Asus 23" is a great monitor. It comes with good price also.

[oldpro]

LG (makers of most IPS panels), and Dell are good outfits to deal with for finished screens.
Doesn't LG make panels (or maybe, even the whole monitors) for Dell ?

[valinrace]

An LG monitor is really good too or an AOC monitors because I have been using mine for 5years now and it still the same as I bought it. But not like new of course and the dirt also.

[NewsyL]

Doesn't LG make panels (or maybe, even the whole monitors) for Dell ?

That's what Mark77 was saying..... "LG Display" supplies the vast majority of IPS TFT LCD panels to monitor manufacturers worldwide including their sister company "LG Electronics". Dell, LG Electronics, HP, NEC, Viewsonic, EIZO, Lacie, Hazro, ASUS, etc etc etc all buy their IPS panels from "LG Display".

Samsung is/was the primary supplier of PVA panels though they likely have ceased production of the S-PVA panel now that they have developed their new S-PLS TFT LCD panel.

I suspect it is ASUS or the OEM division of ASUS that makes the UltraSharp monitors for Dell. The Dell "E" series and others may come from elsewhere.

.

[bembol]

Looking at Samsung's too. My house is either Apple or Samsung. LOL

The 27" LED Monitor B550V is on sale at Best Buy for $369.99. Anyone here picked it up?

I'm paying $400 to turn my new 13" MacBook Air into an iMac.

[oldpro]

That's what Mark77 was saying..... "LG Display" supplies the vast majority of IPS TFT LCD panels to monitor manufacturers worldwide including their sister company "LG Electronics". Dell, LG Electronics, HP, NEC, Viewsonic, EIZO, Lacie, Hazro, ASUS, etc etc etc all buy their IPS panels from "LG Display".

Samsung is/was the primary supplier of PVA panels though they likely have ceased production of the S-PVA panel now that they have developed their new S-PLS TFT LCD panel.

I suspect it is ASUS or the OEM division of ASUS that makes the UltraSharp monitors for Dell. The Dell "E" series and others may come from elsewhere.

.
Thanks for this - very informative and intersting.

[wolf30]

What do you guys think about these monitors?

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/lg-electronics-lg-23-widescreen-ips-led-monitor-with-5ms-response-time-ips235v-black-ips235v/10195817.aspx?path=0e30ac8f99e85c7c5b98e451f73aa11 0en02

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/samsung-samsung-23-widescreen-led-monitor-with-5ms-response-time-s23b300b-s23b300b/10193159.aspx?path=6427aa81a88899e138ba4d10ef34529 1en02

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/samsung-samsung-23-6-widescreen-led-monitor-with-2ms-response-time-s24b350hl-s24b350hl/10193161.aspx?path=f51c80e6b189a57b6168bdb1eedc08a 8en02

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/asus-asus-25-led-monitor-with-2ms-response-time-ve258q/10201702.aspx?path=a8aacb6264e3fbc206ff902a0a1717e 8en02

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/samsung-samsung-syncmaster-27-led-monitor-with-2ms-response-time-s27b370h-s27b370h/10193166.aspx?path=9f755ce2b74fe3cf93ab270ad03cbb8 1en02

[cloakster]

The only good one of the whole list is the LG IPS monitor. Though, i would still recommend the Dell IPS or Asus IPS instead.