Which LCD monitor would you buy? Samsung p2270 or BenQ e2200

[olson]

As far as the contrast ratio goes, I'd be surprised if the human eye could even tell the difference. Since its a ratio, the larger it gets the less each increment matters.

http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/contrast-ratio.html

Considerations like the warranty and support, color gamut, panel type (TN, PVA, etc.), and connections are more relevant things to consider than contrast ratio. Not very familiar with BenQ but I know from many occasions that the warranty and support from Samsung is top notch. Cheers!

[Nevolutionize]

Check this site out
http://www.digitalversus.com/duels.php?ty=6&ma1=36&mo1=498&p1=5095&ma2=48&mo2=348&p2=3277&ph=1
They dont have the E2200HD so i cant guarantee the difference between HD and WA versions.

I have been using it for quite a few years and its a great resource for monitor comparisons (among other things) where they perform visual tests. The first problem i notice with the Samsung is that the quality of grey's rely heavily on blue. The color gamut on both seems very close so i doubt you'll notice a major difference there.

As Olson pointed out, the contrast ratio is not too important (specially dynamic contrast which i have noticed causes severe color-shade loss and strains your eyes when you sit behind a screen for countless hours), i made the same mistake when buying my monitor; i thought contrast ratio was important but after a few months i ended up calibrating my monitor and my dynamic contrast is disabled and contrast is lowered down to 80. So much for contrast.

I currently use a viewsonic vx2240w (http://www.digitalversus.com/duels.php?ty=6&ma1=41&mo1=302&p1=2920&ma2=48&mo2=348&p2=3277&ph=1) and it has an amazing balance of grey's, gamut and contrast at the sacrifice of being 1680x1050 and i got it for $200 half a year ago. Im sure theres newer models out now that support 1080p so take a look at some viewsonic models as well, they have some of the best monitors out there.

[thp777]

u should go with this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009157

[Tinson]

I was planning to buy the Benq monitor today. I like it because it is HD, 2ms response time, different kinds of input signal, D-sub/DVI-D/HDMI1.3/Audio in/Headphone Jack. With these, I can toggle between computer and PS3. It is $211 CAD plus tax.

However, yesterday in class, people around me said samsung has good quality monitors and dynamic contrast is a big deal. Then I couldn't decide which to buy.

That samsung p2270 is $279 plus tax. It costs alot.

After you guys saying opinions about dynamic contrast, I think I will get that Benq monitor.

thanks for help!

[Nevolutionize]

I was planning to buy the Benq monitor today. I like it because it is HD, 2ms response time, different kinds of input signal, D-sub/DVI-D/HDMI1.3/Audio in/Headphone Jack. With these, I can toggle between computer and PS3. It is $211 CAD plus tax.

However, yesterday in class, people around me said samsung has good quality monitors and dynamic contrast is a big deal. Then I couldn't decide which to buy.

That samsung p2270 is $279 plus tax. It costs alot.

After you guys saying opinions about dynamic contrast, I think I will get that Benq monitor.

thanks for help!

I really have to disagree with them. Dynamic contrast causes unnecessary over/under exposure and the technology was meant for better visualization in darker rooms, although now its become nothing more than a marketing buzz word.
For gaming and movies it may definitely be useful (once again based on preference). For gfx work though i personally think its a joke to spend time calibrating your monitor and gamma and then contradict your work by enabling dynamic contrast; it sort of defeats the purpose.
The contrast you want to be looking at is STATIC contrast which many manufactures fail to mention these days. A great Static contrast ratio is 1000:1. If you can find something higher, even better, but you wont notice it much.

I was under the same impression that samsung "had" good quality monitors but they have outsourced their lcd panels for each model to so many companies that you get 3-4 different versions of the exact same monitor; all branded under Samsung (hence the B, BW, C, CW, N, NW after the model number) and you get major issues of things like a dominant blue. I found out about this when i purchased a Samsung 226nw last year and replaced it twice in a week without any luck. Eventually i called Samsung to find out wth was going on and they told me about how the series work. So much for quality, i ended up returning it and getting my viewsonic :)
I think you made a good choice with the benq as well. Good luck with it.

[Tinson]

For gaming and movies it may definitely be useful (once again based on preference). For gfx work though i personally think its a joke to spend time calibrating your monitor and gamma and then contradict your work by enabling dynamic contrast; it sort of defeats the purpose.
The contrast you want to be looking at is STATIC contrast which many manufactures fail to mention these days. A great Static contrast ratio is 1000:1. If you can find something higher, even better, but you wont notice it much.

I was under the same impression that samsung "had" good quality monitors but they have outsourced their lcd panels for each model to so many companies that you get 3-4 different versions of the exact same monitor; all branded under Samsung (hence the B, BW, C, CW, N, NW after the model number) and you get major issues of things like a dominant blue. I found out about this when i purchased a Samsung 226nw last year and replaced it twice in a week without any luck. Eventually i called Samsung to find out wth was going on and they told me about how the series work. So much for quality, i ended up returning it and getting my viewsonic.

I definitely dont want to return monitor after unpacking it. Today, it is very hard to buy monitors. What I mean is those computer stores and big companies like best buy or future shop don;t know how to sell monitors. Every time I went to check out their monitors and see their differences by eyes. I gave up eventually because they show nothing except a very flat 2D advertisment on the screens! Why can't they show videos from Discovery HD,Oasis HD or planet earth. I believe that our eyes can tell what is a good monitor. Because of the pointless way of selling monitors, I never have a chance to compare any of it. I am glad that I can find people who knows monitor in cgtalk. And also I went to youtube and seach that benq e2200hd. I saw and heard positive feedback about it.

[Nevolutionize]

Heh, i spent the last 4 years of my life in retail, i know exactly what you mean. It's great how the tv's using monster cables are always set up to an hd feed while the others are just set up to dvd players;)
Also, the lighting in a retail store makes any monitor look 10 times better than it actually is; they even made the cheapest acer/asus look good. The way they display them there are just for regular consumers who "cant" notice a difference, making it easier to upsell them. I bet the first thing they'll try to sell you is a monitor with the highest contrast ratio or resolution. If you really want to test some monitors out in a retail store, u have to do basic calibration tests using websites on all of them...most of them wont have a problem with it, if they see you are interested in buying.

Also Check out DirectCanada.com or NCIX if you're ordering online, they don't charge PST on anything coming into Ontario.

[bombertaylor]

OK I want to buy a monitor for 2D works, what specifications I should look at ?

From Evan we look at viewing angles

More over a quick way to tell if a display is a TN one (no good for graphic arts use) is to look at viewing angles. If they are 160 it is most certainly a TN. If 178 might be either sPVA o S IPS. Althought the IPS have greater real viewing angles.

The other way is check the price.. If its quite cheap for its size, guess what? The IPS are on the higher price range although you can get a 24'er for around 500.

But I am not quite sure why viewing angles effect the quality of the image.I mean viewing angles only effect the position we face the monitor , doesn't it?

[Nevolutionize]

A low viewing angle will need you to be centered to a monitor almost always. Otherwise you will see colors getting lighter or darker similar to a gradient, based on the angle you're sitting at. This gets very frustrating (one of the reasons i miss my crappy crt's :sad: ) when you're working on a high res image, stretched across the screen and decide to lean back in your chair.

The other things you have to look for are:
Response time: (2-5ms is good if you play games or animate, though it wont mean anything for 2d work) usually better quality panels have higher ms and are bad for gaming

Monitor Brightness: 200-300 cd/m2 is max for lcd's

STATIC Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 is usually a great find, if you find anything higher, it may be worth going for. This is different from Dynamic Contrast because it will not over/under expose images.

Gamut: The higher the range, the better. If a gamut is too low, you will get a lot of color banding issues, see examples of color banding on google. It's a horrible problem to face for gfx work

Grey Quality: This helps you determine if a monitor can properly display shades of grey. A lot of monitors (expensive and cheap) have a color dominance issue, mostly with blue or red.

[bombertaylor]

What feature stand for grey quality?

Ex this one I dont see any specification indicates grey quality or gamut

Viewsonic 24" VA2413WM-2 BLACK LCD - 2MS / WUXGA 1920x1080 / D-SUB / HDMI / SPKS

Features:



23.6" wide Color TFT Active Matrix LCD 16:9 aspect ratio
1920 × 1080 WUXGA (Full HP)
Brightness 300 cd/m² (typ.)
Contrast Ratio 1000:1 (typ.) ; 16000:1 dynamic
Viewing Angle 170° (H), 160° (V) at CR≧10 / 170° (H), 170° (V) at CR≧5
Response Time 5ms (on/off)
Pixel Pitch 0.2715mm (H) × 0.2715mm (V)
Panel Surface Anti-Glare, Hard coating (3H)
Oh I just search for more info and get colour support 16.7 M (6bit + 2bits Hi FRC)
What you guys think about this anyway?

[Nevolutionize]

What feature stand for grey quality?

Ex this one I dont see any specification indicates grey quality or gamut

Viewsonic 24" VA2413WM-2 BLACK LCD - 2MS / WUXGA 1920x1080 / D-SUB / HDMI / SPKS

Features:






23.6" wide Color TFT Active Matrix LCD 16:9 aspect ratio
1920 × 1080 WUXGA (Full HP)
Brightness 300 cd/m² (typ.)
Contrast Ratio 1000:1 (typ.) ; 16000:1 dynamic
Viewing Angle 170° (H), 160° (V) at CR≧10 / 170° (H), 170° (V) at CR≧5
Response Time 5ms (on/off)
Pixel Pitch 0.2715mm (H) × 0.2715mm (V)
Panel Surface Anti-Glare, Hard coating (3H)
Oh I just search for more info and get colour support 16.7 M (6bit + 2bits Hi FRC)
What you guys think about this anyway?
I use this site (http://www.digitalversus.com) as a guide. With that model unlisted, i really would not be able to tell you more than what you have listed.
From the specs you show, it does seem like a good monitor but gamut and grey's are some of the most important factors in picking a monitor, imho. So if one of those fails, it could be a complete waste of money for you unfortunately. This link (http://www.digitalversus.com/duels.php?ty=6&ma1=36&mo1=278&p1=2617&ma2=41&mo2=102&p2=1025&ph=11) should show you an example of grey's, notice how the model on the left has a high dominance of blue on the greyscale? Personally a monitor is a good investment for me and i do not buy one without seeing what its capable of. I would try to either find the monitor you want to buy in stores or pick a newer model using this website so you know exactly what you are buying.
Their results are very accurate, ive recommended it to many people in the past and it has put their mind at ease; when buying monitors (or pretty much any other hardware listed on their site)

[Tinson]

Nev
I am glad that you understand how I felt about those retail stores. I am very appreciated for your input here! I think I can call you a "monitor expert". What you wrote in my thread is very valueable to me and others who are planning to buy monitors. Not everyone knows how to pick good ones.

Today, I went to pick up my Benq E2200HD at a computer store. It was $211 CAD plus tax, but I ended up paying $251 because of Ontario Electronic Steward fees http://www.ontarioelectronicstewardship.ca/stewards/fees.html :surprised . I just knew it today.

I am too tired to unpack my new monitor at the moment. Later on, I will type a post about it once I test it. Hopefully, I would be impressed. Once again, this is the cheapest 22' HD monitor out there. It is really affordable for a student like me.

[Tinson]

I just test my new monitor and I don't regret that I bought it.
First of all, somebody said it has spelling error, "signal" as "singal". That isn't true!

I want to say how I feel about the built-in speaker. It disappoints me. It is worse that I expected. As soon as I turn up the volume(volume setting in Windows and monitor), it sounds like you are listening someone talking over a walky talky! I don't recommend to use it unless you need to.

The outlook is acceptable except the brand logo. It is a thick piece of plastic sticked on the surface, located in the middle and under the screen.
http://www.ramiris.eu/images/cikkek/BENQ/27309_2.jpg .Here is the side shot of the monitor and you can see the thickness of it. Benq should print it instead.

For the picture quality, it was very redish until I realize there is a Color Temperature setting, redish/normal/bluish/user mode. I set it to bluish as it looks natural to me. I also tweak the contrast and brightness. I played a HD video clip, looks very comfortable to me. I also opened some HD jpgs. They look vivid but I think it is the matter of tweaking the brightning/contrast/ or color setting as well as the display mode. Still, it doesn't bother me much. Overall, I like it and I am goin to stick to it.

[Nevolutionize]

Use this as a guide to calibrate the monitor (http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/). The ones you want to test are the color/greyscale based tests.

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