Best 30 inch LCD?

Dell 3008WFP

Apple Cinema M9179LL/A

Samsung LTM300M1P02

Sony maybe?

... price is somewhat of a factor. Need a general idea of what monitor is best quality and what monitor is the best purchase.

Use is web design, gaming and TV (through my pci capture card).

have you checked this one?
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...9&sku=A0970148

6ms response time! Better than the Dell 3008 and almost half the price.

If you're going to buy now, I'd go with the Samsung 305T.

For the money and response time, the Samsung 305T is the best! Perhaps it doesn't have all the connectors that the Dell 3008 has, but who cares? The only connector that I need is for the video card to see what the hell I'm doing in the computer. For movies, well, a good blu-ray player and the Samsung LN-T5281F is the one to get:
http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/d...=LNT5281FX/XAA.

The dell is a IPS, so the response time is naturally going to be slower than the PVA based samsung. In addition IPS beats PVA in picture quality and input lag. I would go with the Dell 3007 or 3008.

I've yet to read any review that puts the 3007-HC ahead of the 305T. Now that Dell has hoisted the 3007's price to $1399, the 305T looks even better.

i cant say enough about the 305t - its a great monitor- no nonsense, fast big giant screen

Originally Posted by FragMan

i cant say enough about the 305t - its a great monitor- no nonsense, fast big giant screen

How do games perform on your 305T? I'm probably going to use my tax refund to get one.

If all you're hooking up is a PC, then the Dell 3007 without a doubt.

The dell panel is better than the samsung panel.

Typically the factory default of the samsung 305T is better than the dell 3007WFP, but with calibration the S-IPS in the dell beats the S-PVA in the samsung.
Without a doubt, the dell has better color accuracy than the samsung. A lot of people think the samsung "looks better" due the artificial color saturation.

You can see the results for yourself at
http://www.digitalversus.com/duels.p...&p2=2303&ph=11

Plus the 3007 is cheaper. Also there are other 30" S-IPS monitor brands like apple and hp if you really don't want a dell.

How do you go about calibrating a monitor?

The 3007-HC's response time is double that of the 305T (and my 2407WFP). Isn't that a pretty steep and noticeable difference? I'm not absolutely firm on the 305T. I want the best 30"er strictly for PC use (games and lots of writing/editing).

Originally Posted by Mr. Wolf

How do games perform on your 305T? I'm probably going to use my tax refund to get one.

i play hl2 and oblivion @ 1900- its beautiful! - i guess i could game at 2560 x 1600 too, its gorgeous at this resolution, sli would help at this high rez

Originally Posted by Mr. Wolf

How do you go about calibrating a monitor?

The 3007-HC's response time is double that of the 305T (and my 2407WFP). Isn't that a pretty steep and noticeable difference? I'm not absolutely firm on the 305T. I want the best 30"er strictly for PC use (games and lots of writing/editing).

S-IPS panels are way better for color reproduction than the other technologies. I've had them side by side and the difference is huge. I've got the older Dell 3007WFP and it is fast enough for gaming. I quite enjoy gaming on it actually. The 3007WFP-HC is even better as I understand it.

Originally Posted by Mr. Wolf

If you're going to buy now, I'd go with the Samsung 305T.

Why would you recommend waiting?

Originally Posted by Mr. Wolf

How do you go about calibrating a monitor?

The 3007-HC's response time is double that of the 305T (and my 2407WFP). Isn't that a pretty steep and noticeable difference? I'm not absolutely firm on the 305T. I want the best 30"er strictly for PC use (games and lots of writing/editing).

I do not recommend the 305T for gaming based on the input lag alone!!!!! Also the contrast shift is the worst you will ever see on a 30" panel, 40% of the screen is the wrong tone even after calibration, the calibration assumes you are looking 0 degrees on the whole surface of the monitor.

thank me later.

Originally Posted by gwu168

The dell panel is better than the samsung panel.

Typically the factory default of the samsung 305T is better than the dell 3007WFP, but with calibration the S-IPS in the dell beats the S-PVA in the samsung.
Without a doubt, the dell has better color accuracy than the samsung. A lot of people think the samsung "looks better" due the artificial color saturation.

You can see the results for yourself at
http://www.digitalversus.com/duels.p...&p2=2303&ph=11

Plus the 3007 is cheaper. Also there are other 30" S-IPS monitor brands like apple and hp if you really don't want a dell.

So is this absolutely true ?
I looked at the picture an the S-IPS does look better but is that all that matters?
It's just that this is the first time I've heard someone say Dell is better then Samsung for 30" LCD's or anything for that matter. I've been under the assumption that Samsung has always had superior LCD's. But I've only owned ViewSonics myself so far.

I've wanted to get a 24" or 30" LCD screen to leave the 19" realm behind but I want the best product for my money. Also, wouldn't the new Dell 3008 be better then the old Dell 30" ? Why get the 3007-HC over the 3008 ?

thanks

IPS is superior to PVA, PVA is a flawed LCD technology and is something that should of been scraped long ago. Samsung need to get back to basics and start producing panels that can match IPS, the professinal market is there and its upto them whether they want to join in.

I do not recommend PVA based monitos and never will, too each his own.

Originally Posted by kleox64

I do not recommend the 305T for gaming based on the input lag alone!!!!! Also the contrast shift is the worst you will ever see on a 30" panel, 40% of the screen is the wrong tone even after calibration, the calibration assumes you are looking 0 degrees on the whole surface of the monitor.

thank me later.

Nah, I'll thank you now. I finally got a look at the 305T. The guy who showed it to me pointed out the drawbacks of PVA and strongly discouraged it as a gaming screen. Since I don't want/need all the inputs of the 3008, it looks like the 3007-HC is the screen for me... unless Dell updates the 2707 within the next couple of months.

Originally Posted by kleox64

I do not recommend the 305T for gaming based on the input lag alone!!!!! Also the contrast shift is the worst you will ever see on a 30" panel, 40% of the screen is the wrong tone even after calibration, the calibration assumes you are looking 0 degrees on the whole surface of the monitor.

thank me later.

I play Oblivion, HL2 and watch movies and TV on my 305T- input Lag? no such thing - mine works great, Tv , movies you name it - the 305T takes second place to no other 30 inch screen

Originally Posted by FragMan

I play Oblivion, HL2 and watch movies and TV on my 305T- input Lag? no such thing - mine works great, Tv , movies you name it - the 305T takes second place to no other 30 inch screen

I think not. I'd put it behind any display using an S-IPS panel.