Help choose a monitor

Aaron Jors

I'm considering purchasing one of the following 2 monitors and am looking for input as to weather one is better than the other. To me they seem pretty equal with some minor difference. Thanks for the help.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009113

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001234

Newsy

Aaron Jors wrote:

I'm considering purchasing one of the following 2 monitors and am looking for input as to weather one is better than the other. To me they seem pretty equal with some minor difference. Thanks for the help.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009113

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001234

Acer AL2416Bsd vs. Samsung 245BW

Those are both monitors that use a TN panel. If you are using your monitor mostly for photo editing I'd stay away from them. Especially with the larger panel sizes you are likely to notice a gamma/contrast/colour shift from the top of the screen through to the bottom. You may even see an effect like a dark band at the top, lighter area in the middle, and a dark band at the bottom - kinda like those mirrored sunglasses.


If I was you I'd go a step down in size to this monitor because it has an AS-IPS panel which is much more accurate for photo editing.

NEC 20WMGX2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824002319
open box... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824002319R
- one knock against it is its' glossy glass showing reflections

OR...

Samsung 215TW
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001078
- uses a S-PVA panel
- HOT!! price of $349 after mail in rebate



OR if you have the budget....

NEC LCD2490WUXi-BK 24" AS-IPS panel
NEC LCD2690WUXi-BK 26" AS-IPS panel

Samsung 244T 24" S-PVA panel
Samsung 275T 27" S-PVA panel


OR...

Go dual panel with one good 20" for images and a lesser second LCD for your tools and palettes.


Here is a great thread on monitors...
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=31&threadid=2049206&enterthread=y


A couple of sites to check panel types...
http://www.flatpanels.dk/panels.php
http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/index2.html


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Poseidon

What is the consensus on panel types, I know TN is the worst for Photo editing, but how do the S-IPS, M-PVA, etc stack up to one another?

HarlanBear

Poseidon wrote:

What is the consensus on panel types, I know TN is the worst for Photo editing, but how do the S-IPS, M-PVA, etc stack up to one another?

Hi Mike,

I've had a Dell 1905FP 19" Monitor for a couple of years and am very happy with it. I calibrate it routinely and it matches prints and the web beautifully. That model has a PVA panel.

Newsy

Poseidon wrote:

What is the consensus on panel types, I know TN is the worst for Photo editing, but how do the S-IPS, M-PVA, etc stack up to one another?

From what I've read and seen, and I have not seen any of the monitors larger than 27" or > $1200, for photo editing the "general" concensus is....


AS-IPS (best)
S-IPS
S-PVA
S-MVA
IPS (old tech)
PVA (old tech)
MVA (old tech)
TN (worst)

and I'm sure I've missed a couple of sub-types.


Keep in mind that the Look Up Table (LUT) offered is critical for calibration.

A 12 bit LUT with a S-PVA panel may be superior to an 8 bit S-IPS for colour calibration. Most inexpensive TN panel monitors use an interpolated 6 bit LUT for colour.

Generally speaking, the PVA panels are said to "crush" the blacks a bit as compared to the IPS panels. I would agree with this, knew of the issue, but purchased a Samsung 215TW which uses a S-PVA panel with an 8 bit LUT and am quite satisfied with it. Close enough to "very good" quality and at the end of the day most of my relatives and friends view my photos on uncalibrated ancient CRT's or overly bright uncalibrated 6 bit TN panel LCD's.

If you want to see some of the issues with viewing the monitors from various angles, check out the monitor reviews on this site:
http://www.behardware.com/html/cat/22/

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Poseidon

Thanks Newsy! That is just what I wanted.