HP ZR2440w, any reviews?

eslu

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Hey. I am looking for user impressions or reviews of HP ZR2440w, but i haven't found anything yet.
My retailer have had it in store for 2 weeks already, but i want to make sure its a good IPS gaming monitor before i order it.

Do any of you already have the monitor? and can give your impression of it?
or are there any reviews available of this monitor? I have already checked with tftcentral.co.uk, they don't have it.
 
You could save some money and get the HP LP2475W, I use it and I game just fine (usually Top 3 in CoD so ghosting is hardly an issue).
 
Not going to buy a monitor, which is about to get "outdated". Unfortunately :)
I know its a good monitor, a friend of mine uses it. But why should i buy it, when there are other better monitors with even less ghosting and less input lag.

Anyway, i read on the forums of TFTCentral, and found this!
"Simon Baker - Administrator: Yesterday at 14:46:21 you may also want to wait for the review of the 24" ZR2440w which is coming soon"
 
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The review says:

"The bigger issue though is the reduced color gamut. Since many people are buying IPS displays for their color representation, the reduction of color gamut is significant especially for those using the display for graphics work.
[...]
Dell [U2412M] does offers a slightly better color gamut. Of course, if color is your primary need, then the older ZR24w probably offers the best value as it has dropped below $400 and has better color than both of these new LED based displays."

But they don't specify how they came to that conclusion. According the HP website, both ZR24w and ZR2440w are specified as having 72% NTSC color gamut.

I almost get the impressions that the reviewers thought the ZR24w was a wide gamut monitor, which it isn't.
 
yes that does look misinformed really. The ZR24W used the LM240WU7-SLB1 panel which is CCFL standard gamut and covered 72% NTSC, 75.2% AdobeRGB, and 96.7% sRGB spaces. The ZR2440w is a W-LED backlit unit using the LM240WU8-SLA1 panel and covers 71% NTSC, 74.3% AdobeRGB, and 95.8% sRGB. Those stats have come from the panel spec sheets and from TFTcentral's panel database. so pretty much identical in terms of colour gamut. The DELl U2412M uses the LM240WU8-SLA2 panel which has the same colour space coverage as LM240WU8-SLA1, so again pretty much the same as the ZR24W / ZR2440w.

Many modern IPS panels are standard gamut as well, mostly due to the use of W-LED, but not entirely (e.g. 24" Dell U2412M, NEC P241W, 23" Dell U2312HM, all the other HP ZR models...). In fact wide gamut IPS panels are probably less common than standard gamut now. Of course anyone wanting to work in a colour space beyond sRGB will want a wide gamut screen
 
One thing to note is that the new LED models (such as Dell U2412M and HP ZR2440w) are not true 8-bit like the older CCFL models (such as HP ZR24w). They are 6-bit + A-FRC (Advanced frame rate control) which simulates 8-bit. In theory this means that the older CCFL models will produce better colors. However, in reality the difference is hard to distinguish.
 
@noam
Are you sure ZR2440w is 6-bit + A-RFC? Because you make it sound like every LED is 6-bit.
Which is not true, hence ZR2740 is 8-bit + A-RFC and LED.

However, like you said it is hard to distinguish.
But where is 8-bit, really "needed"? I don't do proffesional photo editing, but i plan to paint and draw pictures with a drawing tablet.

TFTCentral: Finally put the ZR2440w review, as "Coming Soon" on the frontpage


and here is a korean/chinese forum, where a user has posted photos of the ZR2440w.
http://5i01.com/topicdetail.php?f=350&t=2431757&last=31796605
small photos, but hey.. :)
 
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the LM240WU8-SLA2 was used in the Dell U2412M and was 6-bit+AFRC. The panel in the ZR2440w is the LM240WU8-SLA1 so it would be logical to assume this is the same. as said though, in practice not always possible to tell any difference really.
 
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/14145_na/14145_na.pdf


HP says the ZR2440w supports up to 16,7 million colors (** With the use of FRC technology)
-> so its 6-bit+FRC like most actual e-IPS panels...

You will not see any difference between true 8-bit and 6-bit+FRC!


LM240WU8-SLA1 and LM240WU8-SLA2 are most likely the same.
Only backlight intensity is different:
SLA1 (350cd/m²)
SLA2 (300cd/m²)


Big question for me is:
Does the ZR2440w suffer from PWM-flickering when reducing brightness??!
 
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If the Dell U2412M suffers from PWM flickering...

Unfortunately it does! Someone on www.amazon.de made the finger-test with the U2412M and confirmed a stroboscope effect at lower brightness settings.

A guy on prad.de posted something about eye-strain with the ZR2440w - he thinks it´s caused by IPS-technology but i think it´s caused by PWM-flickering...

I think i have to wait for better technology before i can buy a new display.
Almost all new LED-Monitors have this backlight-flickering problem...
 
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Probably been asked already but since I see up through 27 inches in this new -40 series from HP, is there a 3040w forthcoming?
 
Unfortunately it does! Someone on www.amazon.de made the finger-test with the U2412M and confirmed a stroboscope effect at lower brightness settings.

A guy on prad.de posted something about eye-strain with the ZR2440w - he thinks it´s caused by IPS-technology but i think it´s caused by PWM-flickering...

I think i have to wait for better technology before i can buy a new display.
Almost all new LED-Monitors have this backlight-flickering problem...


Strange. I see it a bit on my NEC monitor (stroboscope effect) but not on the LED back-lit Samsung S27A850D.

Is this the effect that makes it look like my fingers have multiple defined edges when I swing them in front of a white screen?

Because I'm definitely seeing it in front of the CCFL back-lit NEC, but not the W-LED Samsung.
 
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Is this the effect that makes it look like my fingers have multiple defined edges when I swing them in front of a white screen?

I'm guessing it's that too. I can perceive multiple edges on the U2412M from about brightness 32-34 and below. I use them at 40, though. I can't say it caused me any eye strain at low brightnesses, though I can see how it would to those sensitive to it.

Might have a play with some CCFL screens tomorrow.
 
Strange. I see it a bit on my NEC monitor (stroboscope effect) but not on the LED back-lit Samsung S27A850D.

Is this the effect that makes it look like my fingers have multiple defined edges when I swing them in front of a white screen?

Because I'm definitely seeing it in front of the CCFL back-lit NEC, but not the W-LED Samsung.


really strange... i never saw this effect on CCFL monitors. Normally CCFL reacts too slow that PWM can cause visible flickering.
Maybe the Samsung doesn´t use PWM for dimming - some (very few) LED monitors use backlight dimming by reducing the power.

The ZR2740w doesn´t flicker too (regarding to www.prad.de)
So maybe currently only big LED panels are flicker-free ?
 
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I notice they haven't written anything about PWM flickering on any LED monitor reviews i have read, from TFTCentral.co.uk
Surely, if it was a big issue it would be a usual "con" with these monitors?

@Q-BZ
Very unlikely at the moment, there is no information yet.
 
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I notice they haven't written anything about PWM flickering on any LED monitor reviews i have read, from TFTCentral.co.uk
Surely, if it was a big issue it would be a usual "con" with these monitors?

Many people don´t notice it - but there are also many getting eyestrain or headache.
Maybe tftcentral-testers are not sensible to PWM-flickering

www.prad.de includes a PWM-flickering test in all new reviews.. it is a big issue for many people - believe me.

this guy also tests it:
http://samsungs24a850dw.blogspot.com/
The S24A850dw seems to be flicker-free!

Some don´t know why they get eyestrain and some think it´s caused by AG-coating or other things...
I would claim that most problems concerning eyestrain come from too bright backlights and from backlight-flickering.
 
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could you please point out where in the prad.de reviews, the PWM test is?
been searching for a while, im not german, google translating is doing a decent job tho.

trying to test if my current monitor is flicker free, i find it hard to tell tho.
not entirely sure what to look for, waving a pencil infront of my monitor atm.
i notice motion blur, and pencil jumping back and forth(because of the speed), but nothing related to the monitor hm.

EDIT:
I am using a TN panel, Benq E2400HD
U2410, is so much more comfortable to use.

- Is it these, "lines"?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGXpNwCd1po&hd=1
 
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could you please point out where in the prad.de reviews, the PWM test is?
been searching for a while, im not german, google translating is doing a decent job tho.

Currently only one (the first) PWM-Test ist online (as preview) for that display:
http://www.prad.de/new/monitore/test/2011/test-hp-compaq-le2202x.html

but here is some info about PWM flickering:
http://www.prad.de/new/monitore/specials/backlight.html
http://www.prad.de/new/monitore/specials/backlight-teil2.html


not entirely sure what to look for, waving a pencil infront of my monitor atm.
you know the stroboscope effect in discos?
if you pencil looks like that your backlight flickers... if it only looks blurry your backlight is flickerfree.



i think there is no flickering...



Edit:
If i turn down my CCFL backlight to <40% (Samsung 940B) i can see very very light stroboscope effect too.
My camera also can catch it in terms of grey bars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjRC3Olv6lQ - but my eyes don´t realize it under normal conditions.

It´s nothing compared to current LED Monitors like the Eizo EV2335W - which caused very bad eystrain for me.
 
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Strange. I see it a bit on my NEC monitor (stroboscope effect)

I can also see it on my CCFL backlit NEC 2190UXp when the brightness is below about 10%. Seems less pronounced than on the U2412M, and the relative brightness is lower when it becomes noticeable. I guess that'd make sense with the afterglow on CCFL being longer..

10e: how much lower than normal are you running your 2690wuxi before it becomes apparent?
 
Hi Eslu

Yes PWM is something we are aware of but we have not written much about it before as it is not something
which affects many users at all and is quite an unknown topic. I notice conversation of it has cropped up online at a few places recently
so we will look into it a bit more where possible and include in future reviews.

Thanks
Simon

So, tftcentral might look into it :) For you who are sensitive to PWM.
 
hi there. i created an account just to give you my impression of this new HP monitor. i work in an it-department where we have a lot of demanding architects etc which needs good monitors.

I've compared HP LP2475w to this new ZR2440W.

Mind you, there is no VGA-port on the ZR. The power-usage is, thanks to LED, a lot lower. We could feel a lot less heat from the ZR.

Comparing images we found LP2475w to be a tiny bit warmer in color (e.g. more red where it's red etc) than ZR2440W. Also, the default factory setup was a bit more light-intensive, but lowering brightness fixed this. The difference was very little.

Other than this, we found no problems with this new ZR monitor. As this ZR-monitor is cheaper, I will recommend it as a new standard-choice monitor for us.
 
I can also see it on my CCFL backlit NEC 2190UXp when the brightness is below about 10%. Seems less pronounced than on the U2412M, and the relative brightness is lower when it becomes noticeable. I guess that'd make sense with the afterglow on CCFL being longer..

10e: how much lower than normal are you running your 2690wuxi before it becomes apparent?

Minimum backlight is where I run it, right before digital darkening takes place. I'll check again if there is a point where it becomes more apparent. It was my LCD2490WUXi2 I tested yesterday, tonight I'll look at my 26".

It becomes apparent on my U2412M when I lower brightness to 84 or lower. The U2412M is an SLA2 revision LM240WU8 versus the HP being an SLA1 so there is a possibility it's different.

This is painfully bright on the Dell. :(

Alternatively the ZR2440W looks far better built internally than the U2412M, so one point for that monitor :)
 
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hi there. i created an account just to give you my impression of this new HP monitor. i work in an it-department where we have a lot of demanding architects etc which needs good monitors.

I've compared HP LP2475w to this new ZR2440W.

Mind you, there is no VGA-port on the ZR. The power-usage is, thanks to LED, a lot lower. We could feel a lot less heat from the ZR.

Comparing images we found LP2475w to be a tiny bit warmer in color (e.g. more red where it's red etc) than ZR2440W. Also, the default factory setup was a bit more light-intensive, but lowering brightness fixed this. The difference was very little.

Other than this, we found no problems with this new ZR monitor. As this ZR-monitor is cheaper, I will recommend it as a new standard-choice monitor for us.

Thanks for sharing your experiences! May I ask if there were any backlight bleeding or panel uniformity issues? Also, how noticeable is the IPS glow? But perhaps you don't notice such problems if you're in a bright office environment, or have you tested the monitors in a dark environment too?
 
just a quick response there. this is no cheap monitor. I would never accept any bleeding/ips glow, however ive not checked in a very dark room. Mind you, this is TFT.

To me that probably do not know better, this is a full LP2475w only with some inputs removed and LED instead of LCD, thus the lower price.
 
@hal077 thanks for your great user impression.
Based on your comparison with the good LP2475w, it seems to me its a definitely buy ;)

I am still going to wait for the first review tho, to really confirm its weaknesses.
 
just a quick response there. this is no cheap monitor. I would never accept any bleeding/ips glow, however ive not checked in a very dark room. Mind you, this is TFT.

To me that probably do not know better, this is a full LP2475w only with some inputs removed and LED instead of LCD, thus the lower price.

I also have this monitor at work and am mostly digging it.

However I have some issues with what looks like backlight flickering but I only notice it on certain webpages, http://news.ycombinator.com is one of them. Do you notice the same?

The flickering is more pronounced on dvi than display port for me, but that may also be because I'm connecting a windows box on dp and osx on dvi. Unfortunately, I don't have the mini-dp to dp dongle to try display port on my mac to see if it's an OS problem.
 
I also have this monitor at work and am mostly digging it.

However I have some issues with what looks like backlight flickering but I only notice it on certain webpages, http://news.ycombinator.com is one of them. Do you notice the same?

The flickering is more pronounced on dvi than display port for me, but that may also be because I'm connecting a windows box on dp and osx on dvi. Unfortunately, I don't have the mini-dp to dp dongle to try display port on my mac to see if it's an OS problem.

Curious what you mean by the backlight is flickering. Does it have a strobe light effect?

Out of curiosity, check out the test here and see what happens: http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/inversion.php
 
I can also see it on my CCFL backlit NEC 2190UXp when the brightness is below about 10%. Seems less pronounced than on the U2412M, and the relative brightness is lower when it becomes noticeable. I guess that'd make sense with the afterglow on CCFL being longer..

10e: how much lower than normal are you running your 2690wuxi before it becomes apparent?

All my monitors are set to 160 cdm/2. The reason for this, is because both the LCD2690 and 2490 have limitations to how low the back-light will go, and both seem to be around 160cdm/2 before the brightness gets lowered digitally, robbing contrast.

It's also comfortable for my eyes. Out of my NEC screens, the 2690 has the least strobe effect. At the lowest back-light (160cdm/2 whites) it's the most subtle between it, the U2412M and the 2490WUXi2.

So far, the best is the S27A850D with no strobe effect down to 20 brightness.

I guess it's a strobe light effect. In the inversion test, box 4a is flickering.

These tests tend to show the most flicker with any screen that employs FRC so it doesn't necessarily mean you are suffering from a strobing back-light. Even 8-bit + FRC (pseudo 10-bit panels) show this too.

I tried that web site you said flickers, and it doesn't flicker on my NEC monitors at all. I'll check the U2412M as well later.
 
> http://news.ycombinator.com is one of them. Do you notice the same?

No I see nothing. We have dual monitors, one LP and one ZR and we see no difference between them. We compared for 2 minutes and saw no difference.
 
just a quick response there. this is no cheap monitor. I would never accept any bleeding/ips glow, however ive not checked in a very dark room. Mind you, this is TFT.

To me that probably do not know better, this is a full LP2475w only with some inputs removed and LED instead of LCD, thus the lower price.

No, ZR2440w is not TFT, it's IPS (see here). And every IPS monitor has IPS glow (although those few with AT-W polarizer have less, but there are hardly any IPS monitors with AT-W polarizer produced anymore). Also note that IPS glow is not the same as backlight bleed. The former changes a lot with the viewing angle, but the latter doesn't.

Check this: Turn on the monitor in a dark room and display a black image, then watch the display from different angles and see how it glows. This is what to look for:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eA2IjlotJU
 
Damn, still nothing about input lag.
I wonder if its in the 2240 (25-30ms) or in the 2740 (10-20ms) class. The former would be unusable for me...
 
So how does the HP ZR2440w compare to the Dell U2412M?

My impressions based on the review:

ZR2440w:

+Better contrast (~1200 vs ~1000 for U2412M according to TFT central review)
+HDMI connector
+Supports 1080p letterboxing

-More expensive (~$400 vs ~$300 for Dell U2412M)

Anything else? What about panel uniformity and black levels?

TFT Central should have a review out pretty soon, I'd just wait and see then. It seems to me like the main reason to get the ZR2440w over the U2410m is the built-in scaler, which the U2410M does not have.

To be sure about whether the contrast is actually higher or not I'm waiting for the review from TFT Central to see how their measurement comes out, because they'll use the same method/equipment they used with the U2410M, hopefully giving us a better comparison between the two. If their contrast measurement comes out the same as the german rewview, black levels should be lower on the HP.

If this falls well under $400 it may end up being a better buy than the Dell for some users :)
 
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