Gateway FPD2485W - 24" HD LCD

I haven't tested a PS3 or 360 on this monitor yet, but I noticed when I was testing and ran it on 1:1 mode in non-native resolution that I get some serious tearing in movies. It looks like everytime an action sequence happens that you almost get the scene split in half with a line. I went back to the native resolution and didn't have this tearing.

I'm hoping that when I run my PS3 and 360 in 1080 mode that this doesn't happen. Otherwise, I was happy with this monitor so far other then the slight bleed in the right corners and the black levels which weren't quite as good as my NEC. Hopefully, the 360 and PS3 will look alright otherwise this guy will ahve to go back. Oh yeah, no real buzzing noise for me yet.
 
You should not get tearing, I've watched quite a few movies so far and haven't seen that. I did have tearing on my 360 when I Frist set the resolution there is one time fix if you do to just turn on and off the display. Since then PS3 and 360 don't tear and look phenominal.
 
I plugged in a PS3 over component and 1080p doesn't work on either of the inputs. I remember people saying it doesn't over Component 1, but I thought it was supposed to work on Compononet 2. The screen gives me a "signal out of range" message. in 720p scaled it looked good though. I'll play with it more at lunch.

Also, the rotation did an odd thing the other night. I think I had EzTune 1.4 installed. I rotated the screen and it adjusted the image, but there were black bars on the top and bottom and the screen scrolled, indicating that it wasn't able to show the whole desktop. When I turned it back to the normal orientation, it kept the black bars on the sides. I ended up having to unplug the monitor and plug it back in to fix it.

Also, EzTune lets you control PiP from the right-click menu if you are using DVI.
 
Lord T.

That's typically a dispaly driver issue. Update your dispaly drivers to current versions and I bet it goes away. If not, let me know what graphics card you have.

Darv
PDI Support.



Lord Twilight said:
I plugged in a PS3 over component and 1080p doesn't work on either of the inputs. I remember people saying it doesn't over Component 1, but I thought it was supposed to work on Compononet 2. The screen gives me a "signal out of range" message. in 720p scaled it looked good though. I'll play with it more at lunch.

Also, the rotation did an odd thing the other night. I think I had EzTune 1.4 installed. I rotated the screen and it adjusted the image, but there were black bars on the top and bottom and the screen scrolled, indicating that it wasn't able to show the whole desktop. When I turned it back to the normal orientation, it kept the black bars on the sides. I ended up having to unplug the monitor and plug it back in to fix it.

Also, EzTune lets you control PiP from the right-click menu if you are using DVI.
Click to expand...
 
For what it's worth, we have several of these monitors in the QA lab where they undergo a great deal of testing and frankly we are a lot harder on them than the average person would be. We get the montiors before they ship and thus far, the Gateway monitors have been perfect. In fact, I have been so impressed with them that I went out this last weekend and purchased the FPD2485W for my own personal use. I have a wide variety of monitors to choose from and I'm using the 22" version here at work. In short, I don't think you have a lot to worry about as far as long term quality of the Gateway monitors go. If I did, I wouldn't have bought one myself.

Darv



Neuritis said:
ID64, I'm still undecided on what to do with mine. My escapades last night did not give me much faith in the long term quality of the Gateway. Did you get it at Futureshop when it was on sale for $699? Can I ask where you got your BenQ from? FS as well?
Click to expand...
 
Neuritis,

There were several changes from 1.3 to 1.4.

1) New updated and improved GUI but then I am a bit biased as I had a small part in the design and look.

2) PIP controls were added.

3) Vista support was added.

4) And of course some bug fixes that affected specific graphic cards and systems. Nothing that most people would notice unless they were totally failing with version 1.3.

Cheers,
Darv

PDI Support.


Neuritis said:
I'm pretty sure I rebooted after uninstalling v1.3. What's the advantage of v1.4? I'm not sure I want to go through that again.
Click to expand...
 
Ferris,
The buzzing noise some people have reported isn't from a vibration but probably from a high voltage converter that supplies power to the backlight. Some people reported on the 21 inch models that adjusting the brightness affected the sound of the buzzing. I've checked our monitors here in the office and I have to get my ear right up to the edge of the monitor to hear anything. Some people must have some really quiet computers to notice this. At least in my case my computer fans are much louder than anything I hear from my Gateway monitor.

Darv

PDI Support


Ferris23 said:
Interesting I had the 21" Gateway and never had any back light issues. And regarding the buzzing, so many electrical components buzz, usually it is a vibration or something, but rarely is it a sign of a defective product. That being said if you can hear it over your PC, then there is a problem.
Click to expand...
 
Darv said:
For what it's worth, we have several of these monitors in the QA lab where they undergo a great deal of testing and frankly we are a lot harder on them than the average person would be. We get the montiors before they ship and thus far, the Gateway monitors have been perfect. In fact, I have been so impressed with them that I went out this last weekend and purchased the FPD2485W for my own personal use. I have a wide variety of monitors to choose from and I'm using the 22" version here at work. In short, I don't think you have a lot to worry about as far as long term quality of the Gateway monitors go. If I did, I wouldn't have bought one myself.

Darv
Click to expand...

I do appreciate the comments you provide in this thread - they've been very helpful. And, I like the features EzTune provides, especially version 1.4. However, some folks are having real issues with their displays. Mine was fine for a number of weeks, but then the backlight bleed-through became visible, and only got worse (particularly in the corners). So, I think some of the issues are very real.

Again, thanks for your comments, and thanks for the work on EzTune. I like that the PIP features are available via software in v1.4.
 
I just got my FPD2485W today and so far it seems great - only problem is that I can't get it to run at 1920*1200 - it doesn't show up in the windows display options. I have a GeForce FX 5600 and I'm running windows Xp. I'm pretty sure the 5600 chipset can support this resolution because I believe other 5600 based cards can do it (I cant find documentation specific to my make and model of card). I'm downloading EzTune right now, but if that doesn't work am I stuck having to upgrade my graphics card? Can anybody reccomend a cheap AGP graphics card that supports this resolution? I really can't afford to upgrade my whole computer now, since I just bought this monitor...:rolleyes:

Also, I'm running a dual monitor setup with the Gateway on DVI and another monitor on VGA.
 
Did you do the following ? (Right click on desktop-select-PROPERTIES-select-SETTING-select-ADVANCED-select-MONITOR-now un-check the box that say's "HIDE MODES THIS MONITOR CAN'T DISPLAY .
 
water1 said:
Did you do the following ? (Right click on desktop-select-PROPERTIES-select-SETTING-select-ADVANCED-select-MONITOR-now un-check the box that say's "HIDE MODES THIS MONITOR CAN'T DISPLAY .
Click to expand...

That box is greyed out on my control panel. My monitor is showing up as "Plug and Play monitor" and not as the gateway, is this normal?
 
fullcollapse,

The resolution is strictly handled by the display drivers and EzTune is not going to help in that regard. However I believe you are correct that the GeForce 5600 should support the 1920 x 1200 resoltuion at least on the VGA connection. I am not sure it supports it on a DVI connection though. I've seen a few posts on other forums that indicate that people have not been able to set it this high on the DVI connection.

You have to be careful to check the supported resotluions for each connection in the specs since they vary. What you want to see is resolutions listed that are above both teh X and Y values of your monitor. If it supports greater than 1920 width and geater than 1200 height, you should be OK.

It is correct for the monitor to show up as a Plug and Play monitor. This is the proper driver. What this means is that the Plug nad Play driver in Windows goes out and reads a specific address in the monitors firmware. That address contains what we call the EDID. Basically just a text file that tells the dispaly drivers what resoltuions and refresh rates are supported as well as some color based information. If the monitor does not show up as a Plug and Play, then you have an issue.

Since you are seeing the Plug and Play, my guess is that you are using DVI and that DVI only supports up to 1900 resolution. Thus the 1920 is too high for the DVI connection. If you have a VGA connection, give it a try and see if it works. I still recommend you get something that does DVI at resolutions of at least 1920 x 1200.

NOTE: In Windows XP, the NVIDIA drivers have an option to allow you to force the resoltuion. If it will not accept the 1920, it means the card can't do it. Use the forced method at your own risk. It's only advised if you know exactly what you are doing.

NEVER set the monitor for a refresh rate over 60 hz unless it states to do so in the monitor manual. LCD monitors have a backlight and are not subject to flicker due to refresh rates.

Darv
PDI Support




fullcollapse said:
That box is greyed out on my control panel. My monitor is showing up as "Plug and Play monitor" and not as the gateway, is this normal?
Click to expand...
 
Darv, thanks a lot for your reply - I was looking around on the display options and I think you hit it on the head. The monitor I have hooked up to the VGA right now can go up to and higher then 1920*1200 in the display options (even though it doesn't support it), so it looks like on the FX5600 the DVI doesnt go higher then 1900.

Thanks again for helping. Lastly, is there a noticable decline in image quality going from DVI to VGA? I hear that with technology lately, the difference is negligible.
 
Oh, not trying to say people haven't had real issues. Just saying that from the monitors I've seen thus far, I feel they have been reliable long term and we've probably had them longer than anyone save maybe Gateway.

There are bound to be problems with any product. As you have probably guessed, I do support for the EzTune software and on the rare occasion when we have encountered a hardware issue that wasn't related to EzTune, we have to refere them to Gateway tech support. We deal with several monitor companies and thus far, Gateway has been real good at getting them out a working monitor. Another reason I personally choose the FPD2485W for my own system.

Darv
PDI Support.




aaronjb said:
I do appreciate the comments you provide in this thread - they've been very helpful. And, I like the features EzTune provides, especially version 1.4. However, some folks are having real issues with their displays. Mine was fine for a number of weeks, but then the backlight bleed-through became visible, and only got worse (particularly in the corners). So, I think some of the issues are very real.

Again, thanks for your comments, and thanks for the work on EzTune. I like that the PIP features are available via software in v1.4.
Click to expand...
 
I've run two of the 21 inch FPD monitors side by side. One on DVI, the other on VGA and I've swapped them back and forth. In my opinion there is BIG difference in quality.

1) DVI is not subject to geometry issues and thus no need to tweak the settings. If you are running the native resoltuion, pixel 1x1 and pixel 1920 x 1200 are precisely placed where they should be placed. This may not be the case in VGA mode.

2) Digital is faster. No conversion process to go though.

3) The biggest difference I noted. Color!!! A huge difference in the two monitors and even using EzTune to tweak the settings it was almost impossible to get the two to match. Simply put, the DVI had much more accurate color due to the lack of conversion from digital to analog and back.

The color is the big issue for me since I do a lot photography on a semi professional basis.

In short, if at all possible, go DVI. But yes, what you heard is also true. The VGA technology has come a long way and has gotten closer to what you would expect to see in DVI but it will never be as good.

Darv
PDI Support.




fullcollapse said:
Darv, thanks a lot for your reply - I was looking around on the display options and I think you hit it on the head. The monitor I have hooked up to the VGA right now can go up to and higher then 1920*1200 in the display options (even though it doesn't support it), so it looks like on the FX5600 the DVI doesnt go higher then 1900.

Thanks again for helping. Lastly, is there a noticable decline in image quality going from DVI to VGA? I hear that with technology lately, the difference is negligible.
Click to expand...
 
You can get to it from inside EzTune by checking for updates or just go to:

http://www.portrait.com/dtune/gwy/enu/upgrade.html

If you have any issues, we request that you go to the Tech Support link in EzTune and let it fill out the system information rather than hit the Tech Support link on this site. This helps us to determine the cause as it provides us with details on the system.

Darv
PDI Support



XSF said:
where can you download the latest version of ez tune?
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for all the info, Darv! It's great when people who know what they're talking about contribute to places like this. I'll check to see if I have the latest drivers installed when I get home. I'm running an ATI 9800 Pro and installing new drivers always seems to give me trouble these days.. :(

Side note: I got 1080p working from a PS3 into Component 2, I think, though I couldn't get 480p working. :confused: Is there any way to check what resolution the screen is running at from the built-in menu? I can't find it anywhere!
 
Main Menu > Advanced > Information - should show you the current resoltuion of the input you are viewing.

Let me know if that doesn't work.

Darv



Lord Twilight said:
Side note: I got 1080p working from a PS3 into Component 2, I think, though I couldn't get 480p working. :confused: Is there any way to check what resolution the screen is running at from the built-in menu? I can't find it anywhere!
Click to expand...
 
Heh.. yeap, that worked. I think I have seen that before, I was just thrown off because I've been trying to get a PS3 working in 1080p and the monitor doesn't display anything there even though it's supposedly displaying a 1080p image.
 
Darv said:
Oh, not trying to say people haven't had real issues. Just saying that from the monitors I've seen thus far, I feel they have been reliable long term and we've probably had them longer than anyone save maybe Gateway.
Click to expand...
I just started noticing today that the backlight bleeding in the top right corner seems to be getting worse. After almost two weeks, when I power the monitor on, the corner stays whiter for about 15 minutes and then once the monitor is warm, it goes away completely. Is this normal for everybody? Darv, Did your test units do this too?
 
Darv said:
Oh, not trying to say people haven't had real issues. Just saying that from the monitors I've seen thus far, I feel they have been reliable long term and we've probably had them longer than anyone save maybe Gateway.

There are bound to be problems with any product. As you have probably guessed, I do support for the EzTune software and on the rare occasion when we have encountered a hardware issue that wasn't related to EzTune, we have to refere them to Gateway tech support. We deal with several monitor companies and thus far, Gateway has been real good at getting them out a working monitor. Another reason I personally choose the FPD2485W for my own system.

Darv
PDI Support.
Click to expand...

So what is your relationship with Gateway...do you work as a subcontractor or subsidiary of Gateway.

2nd question to all - I got a 24 inch Gateway from BBuy for xmas but 2 of the usb ports didnt work so I took it back....after reading the comments on this forum I decided not to risk getting another one. The model I had was made in November.

So is the December or newer models have fixed all of the problems? I have been back to best buy and they have yellow and blue stickered boxes in stock. And does having eztune 1.4 fix all of the color problems too?
 
GMaxx said:
I haven't tested a PS3 or 360 on this monitor yet, but I noticed when I was testing and ran it on 1:1 mode in non-native resolution that I get some serious tearing in movies. It looks like everytime an action sequence happens that you almost get the scene split in half with a line. I went back to the native resolution and didn't have this tearing.

I'm hoping that when I run my PS3 and 360 in 1080 mode that this doesn't happen. Otherwise, I was happy with this monitor so far other then the slight bleed in the right corners and the black levels which weren't quite as good as my NEC. Hopefully, the 360 and PS3 will look alright otherwise this guy will ahve to go back. Oh yeah, no real buzzing noise for me yet.
Click to expand...

What were the conditions that you saw the tearing? VGA or DVI? Resolution? Were you playing a game or a movie?

Tim-in-CA
 
Tim-in-CA said:
What were the conditions that you saw the tearing? VGA or DVI? Resolution? Were you playing a game or a movie?

Tim-in-CA
Click to expand...

THis tearing was via dvi in non-native resolution via 1:1 mapping with a movie. I'm going to try to get some gaming in on this guy later on tonight.
 
fullcollapse said:
I just got my FPD2485W today and so far it seems great - only problem is that I can't get it to run at 1920*1200 - it doesn't show up in the windows display options. I have a GeForce FX 5600 and I'm running windows Xp. I'm pretty sure the 5600 chipset can support this resolution because I believe other 5600 based cards can do it (I cant find documentation specific to my make and model of card). I'm downloading EzTune right now, but if that doesn't work am I stuck having to upgrade my graphics card? Can anybody reccomend a cheap AGP graphics card that supports this resolution? I really can't afford to upgrade my whole computer now, since I just bought this monitor...:rolleyes:

Also, I'm running a dual monitor setup with the Gateway on DVI and another monitor on VGA.
Click to expand...


Here is a web page from Nvidia that lists those cards
http://www.nvidia.com/page/technology_extreme_hd_gpu.html

I have noticed that when I set it at its lower resolutions, like 1680x1050 and 1440x900, it comes in just fine for the most part, but text, in all applications, is noticably reduced in quality.

Whats up with that?
 
Hi there,

Here's a problem I'm hoping someone can help with. Ferris - I got the Monoprice HDMI switch you recommended today. When I hooked it up initially, it seemed as if it was running great! I had my PS3 (straight HDMI) going into one port of the switch, and my PC (8800 GTX card) going DVI to HDMI into the other. Then, HDMI to DVI into the Gateway 24" monitor.

Everything was fantastic (1080p on PS3, PC looked great) until...........I played a PC game that utilized "full screen" mode. My monitor went blank, and had to reboot the PC to see anything again. Then, I tried playing the same game in "windowed" mode, and it worked just fine until I tried full screen mode again and the monitor went blank. The game's resolution was set to 1920x1200, so I am not sure why this is happening. This does not happen when I do straight DVI from the PC into the monitor, but only happens when using the switch.

Any thoughts out there (Ferrris especially, since you have the same switch) on what the trouble could be? I am really hoping that there is some setting that I can change to allow me to use this switch, but I fear the worst. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
Odd, I am off to work so I can't check my switch for a revision # or anything but I have ran all of my PC games at full screen native 1920x1200 without a problem. Without really delving in and looking at my switch compared to yours I would say it sounds like you got a faulty switch, which is annoying but Monoprice should take care of you.

I would try a full power cycle on the monitor and just plug the PC and monitor into the switch, basically narrowing down the problem. But again since I have esentially the same components (minus the video card, I am using an X1900 XTX 512......you DX10 ho ;) ) I would say it sounds like your switch is bad or your video card drivers possibly wonky?


I assume you are on XP?

One other thing, make sure your DVI is set to 1:1 when you run a PC game at native 1920x1200, when you say full screen mode I assume that is what you mean.
 
Neuritis said:
I just started noticing today that the backlight bleeding in the top right corner seems to be getting worse. After almost two weeks, when I power the monitor on, the corner stays whiter for about 15 minutes and then once the monitor is warm, it goes away completely. Is this normal for everybody? Darv, Did your test units do this too?
Click to expand...

This started happening with my display after about three weeks. I'm slated to get a replacement from Gateway, although I've yet to receive a tracking number for the new display.
 
gabbs said:
Here is a web page from Nvidia that lists those cards
http://www.nvidia.com/page/technology_extreme_hd_gpu.html

I have noticed that when I set it at its lower resolutions, like 1680x1050 and 1440x900, it comes in just fine for the most part, but text, in all applications, is noticably reduced in quality.

Whats up with that?
Click to expand...

If you don't have 1:1 pixel mapping set - which would put those smaller resolutions in a pixel-for-pixel "window" in the middle of the display - then running a non-native resolution will produce blurry text and images.

LCDs are designed to be run at their native resolution. Lower resolutions always look worse when upscaled to the native resolution.
 
aaronjb said:
This started happening with my display after about three weeks. I'm slated to get a replacement from Gateway, although I've yet to receive a tracking number for the new display.
Click to expand...
I contacted Gateway and they said I should replace the monitor. I'm going to take it back to Futureshop and see if I can exchange (I'm at my 14th day). If not, I'm going to return it.
 
Mine arrived yesterday and I waited till today to unpack it. Crossing my fingers- "no dead pixels please..." I was (and am) a little bit freaked out unwrapping it when I heard something loose rolling back and forth inside as I handled the monitor. Turned out to be a small screw floating around - who knows where it belongs!?!

I was a little disappointed with the sharpness at first (my 'hi-end' Dell work laptop doesn't have DVI! - thanks Dell! Or a microphone either... but that's another story...) My personal machine does have DVI so no worries. Once I ran the EasyTune setup, and adjusted the phase timing, it looks real sharp now. OH, I just noticed part of the lack of apparent shapness is due to chromatic aberrations from my glasses!!! I am not used to such a wide viewing angle :)

I seem to have one dead pixel - maybe it's dead or it happens to have a VERY narrow viewing angle. But I think I have the dreaded buzzing power supply! It's not terribly loud, but it sounds like a continuous, high-pitch cricket buzzing, and though it's quiet, it's kind of piercing and irritating. Comes from the power supply area. If I put my ear up to the power supply area, it's definitely coming from there. I'll have to see how much it bugs me. This unit has a December 2006 manufacturing date.
 
Day 3:

No buzzing
No dead pixels (as far as I can tell)
No backlight bleeding issues (as far as I can tell)


This is a November 2006, week 48 model, so one should NOT assume that if they go to CompUSA, for example, and they say - "we just got in 9 new monitors!" - that those are later than November models.
 
aaronjb said:
If you don't have 1:1 pixel mapping set - which would put those smaller resolutions in a pixel-for-pixel "window" in the middle of the display - then running a non-native resolution will produce blurry text and images.

LCDs are designed to be run at their native resolution. Lower resolutions always look worse when upscaled to the native resolution.
Click to expand...


I have not run across any settings for the pixel mapping, so forgive me if this is a naive question, but:

So how do you go about setting the 1:1 pixel mapping?

I am finding that the 1920x1200 resolution is very handy for large file image editing, and web research where two windows need to be open side by side -- but routine stuff like word processing and writing e-mails, and some casual web surfing might be visually better with a lower resolution for easier reading.

But anyway, I sure would like to have the 1680x1050 and the 1440x900 resolutions available at the same level of quality as the native resolution, if possible.
 
Neuritis said:
I contacted Gateway and they said I should replace the monitor. I'm going to take it back to Futureshop and see if I can exchange (I'm at my 14th day). If not, I'm going to return it.
Click to expand...

They said you should replace it?
 
gabbs said:
So how do you go about setting the 1:1 pixel mapping?
Click to expand...

I'm not at my display right now, so I can't tell you the precise menu location. Maybe someone else can let you know.. I believe it's in the "Picture" menu, though.

gabbs said:
I am finding that the 1920x1200 resolution is very handy for large file image editing, and web research where two windows need to be open side by side -- but routine stuff like word processing and writing e-mails, and some casual web surfing might be visually better with a lower resolution for easier reading.

But anyway, I sure would like to have the 1680x1050 and the 1440x900 resolutions available at the same level of quality as the native resolution, if possible.
Click to expand...

That won't be possible with any LCD panel. The panel has to upscale the lower resolutions, so one pixel of output (at a lower resolution) ends up using more than one physical pixel on the screen. You can adjust until your fingers bleed, but you're completely relying on the display's ability to scale non-native content.

If you find that text is too small at 1920x1200, adjust your font settings to display at 120 DPI instead of the default 96 DPI. In Windows, right click on the desktop, then navigate to: Properties > Settings (tab) > Advanced (button) > General (tab).
 
Does it have the sound of a high voltage transformer, like a neon sign? That's what mine sounds like, and I'm trying to tell if it's the same as others'.
 
aaronjb said:
That won't be possible with any LCD panel. The panel has to upscale the lower resolutions, so one pixel of output (at a lower resolution) ends up using more than one physical pixel on the screen. You can adjust until your fingers bleed, but you're completely relying on the display's ability to scale non-native content
Click to expand...

So it sounds like it is a physical issue with the monitor, and that a better video card would not make any difference then.
 
Ferris,

Thanks for your thoughts on my HDMI switch issue. Was up real late last night troubleshooting, and here are some additional observations:

- Could be the switch, but I am leaning towards some quirk with the 8800 GTX (driver or HW). I am thinking this because, when the problem occurs, I cannot get the monitor image to reappear even when I reattach the straight shot DVI cable into the monitor (need to reboot). It is almost as if the monitor & video card "lose sync" or something during that transition period as the game is launching into full screen mode. It is just strange that this has never happened until using the switch setup.

- Found instances where I could actually get into a game in "fullscreen" mode with no issues. Tried messing with game settings, and was getting tired. However, the last change I made was to manually set the game's refresh rate to 60Hz, instead of Auto. Might just be a coincidence, but was able to get into the game about 7 times successfully. Will try many more later to see if I can repeat the issue.

Will continue to troubleshoot this to try & find an answer, because I really like the setup that the switch enables. And, PS3 looks so much better using HDMI instead of component. Now if I could only resolve this issue I would be set! Please send any additional thoughts. Thanks again!
 
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