Viewsonic 22" VX2235WM Preview, Pics

The brightness on my panel was great, I actually had to turn it down 50%. The colors are decent for a panel of this price, as long as you're sitting *right in front* of it. And since the base isn't adjustable, you'll have to adjust your chair to line up your eyes with the center. DVD playback didn't seem any better/worse than my VP191b, but the colors on my VP191b are a little "fuller". My contrast is just great, I even have it turned down a tad. Maybe I just got a really good batch.

For people putting a different mount on their displays, the screws I used are M4-12 metric.

Hi everybody!
I'm using this monitor since last week and I'm rather happy with it but I noticed something very weird and I don't know if it's due to the monitor, the cable or the PC:
Let's say a windows application is running and it shows a grey background (the classic menu bar available in all windows apps) and some text is written using a black font. I noticed a lighter shadow for all the black letters. The problem is mostly visible on thin lines and the lighter shadow is 2-3 pixels far from the black on grey details. I have the same problem with the separation black lines on the icon bars.
It does not seem to be specific to one particular item as I changed the first monitor because it had three dead pixels and the problem is still there.
As I already said, other than that the monitor performs great.
Thanks for any comment!
aegyssus

coming from a glossy screen the screen door effect on this screen was unreal it was so bad. I could see the pixels from 2 feet away! Needless to say my vx2235 is going back.

Rotten_Necro said:

coming from a glossy screen the screen door effect on this screen was unreal it was so bad. I could see the pixels from 2 feet away! Needless to say my vx2235 is going back.

Click to expand...

Funny how different people judge things. My vx2235 looks fantastic and I see none of the issues many of you point out. Yes I have owned numerous flatscreen of different types but to me you cannot compare a $300 panel to a $600 one.

If $$$ was no object I would have gotten different but for $300 this monitor is better than many costing far more.

As far as seeing pixels. Of course you are going to see pixels with larger monitors! Larger monitors = larger pixels... unless you up the resolution and I don't have a $500 video card that will allow some insane resolution thank you.

Cheap monitors are all about compromise and the vx2235 has no ghosting and looks damn good in games and on the desktop which is what I bought it for. Sure my older Dell 1800fp looked better (diff type of panel) but then again it ghosted a bit... not bad but enough to notice.

Needless to say how about comparing apples to apples here and stop comparing a $300 panel to those costing far more.

I think it's safe to say that this monitor is one of the very best you can get in this size and price range. You want better.... be prepared to pay.

-JB

Hi,
I'm not an expert in monitor imaging. Can anybody tell me if this is what it is called "ghosting"?
Look how especially the last letters are doubled...
I'm really wondering whether this is a second defective monitor that I've got or it's the best that VX2235WM can do?
I'm using a normal VGA adapter. Would DVI make any difference? I heard that not.
And here is one more:

I'm strongly considering to change it for a 22" Samsung...
Many thanks for your comments!
aegyssus

aegyssus said:

Hi,
I'm not an expert in monitor imaging. Can anybody tell me if this is what it is called "ghosting"?
Look how especially the last letters are doubled...
I'm really wondering whether this is a second defective monitor that I've got or it's the best that VX2235WM can do?
I'm using a normal VGA adapter. Would DVI make any difference? I heard that not.
And here is one more:

I'm strongly considering to change it for a 22" Samsung...
Many thanks for your comments!
aegyssus

Click to expand...

That is not ghosting. Looks like an out of allignment CRT.

The bottom one is either a defective monitor or the monitor setting all whacked... I can assure you that mine does not look anything like that.

Not sure what it is you are showing us. I think it's the same monitor I have and I would take it back. As I said before... what you have shown looks nothing like the one I just bought.

-JB

Thanks for your fast reply JB!

jrb531 said:

That is not ghosting. Looks like an out of allignment CRT.

The bottom one is either a defective monitor or the monitor setting all whacked... I can assure you that mine does not look anything like that.

Click to expand...

Well, believe me, this is my VX2235WM monitor I bought from Bestbuy...
So, just to clarify a bit more the images: the first shot is a detail of the Windows menu and the second one is how the entire screen looks with the black screensaver of Windows. I'd say the camera added a blue blend but this is how the lighting is...
As I said, it's a second monitor after returning the first one due to having some dead pixels in the middle of the screen; the first one had also the same alignment problem. Maybe it's just a defective stock the Bestbuy got in my city...
I'll give it another chance and I'll go change it for another one.
Thanks,
aegyssus

aegyssus said:

Thanks for your fast reply JB!



Well, believe me, this is my VX2235WM monitor I bought from Bestbuy...
So, just to clarify a bit more the images: the first shot is a detail of the Windows menu and the second one is how the entire screen looks with the black screensaver of Windows. I'd say the camera added a blue blend but this is how the lighting is...
As I said, it's a second monitor after returning the first one due to having some dead pixels in the middle of the screen; the first one had also the same alignment problem. Maybe it's just a defective stock the Bestbuy got in my city...
I'll give it another chance and I'll go change it for another one.
Thanks,
aegyssus

Click to expand...

Go DVI. That shadow could be an analog echo on the cable.

my black light doesnt look anything close to that.. something is wrong with ur monitor =/

aegyssus said:

I'm not an expert in monitor imaging. Can anybody tell me if this is what it is called "ghosting"?
Look how especially the last letters are doubled...
I'm really wondering whether this is a second defective monitor that I've got or it's the best that VX2235WM can do?
I'm using a normal VGA adapter. Would DVI make any difference? I heard that not.

Click to expand...

Yes, that's ghosting, and DVI will eliminate that. What most people call "ghosting" is actually trailing, which causes motion blur. DVI wouldn't eliminate motion blur.

YEP!
Thanks a lot guys! I've just got a DVI card and it works beautifully
However, I have another VX924 that works just fine with VGA... that's why I didn't think it's the interface.
Greetings,
aegyssus

Damn, I really want to get this monitor since all the B&M stores around here seem to carry it. I've gone to BestBuy, Circuit City, Office Depot, etc and I didn't think the monitor looked ugly at all. Unfortunately it seems like there is alot of bad reviews.

I've made my mind up that I 100% want 22" and not 24" or 20.1" though.

I just got this monitor from Costco when it was 299. I am all new to these LCD monitors. Under my display properties, I have a choice of analog or digital. what is the difference between the two and which should I choose. I have it on digital now. Also is digital the same as DVI?

I find none of the issues some people have found. There is a scant amount of light at the top and bottom of my screen. I fixed the hard to use button isssue real easy. I cut up some clear stick on foot pads to the shape of the buttons and they work great, one fell off with an uneven press but it s stuck back on now. Super glue would keep them in place. My local computer repair tech said Viewsonic is the best you can get. Go to "techtree.com" east Indain site for review. The real issue is picture quality and dead pixel policy. Try asking Samsung about thier return for exchange dead pixel policy. There has to be a group of them in a line or touching in a group! Think about this ,you can see the pixels on TV set, even crts if you get close enough. The money factor really matters as some 20" screens cost as much as a whole desktop PC. I'd like a $5K gaming PC and a $5K Viewsonic screen, but then agin I'd like a Bently Continental too! Be realistic about comparisons.

zanthia said:

I just got this monitor from Costco when it was 299. I am all new to these LCD monitors. Under my display properties, I have a choice of analog or digital. what is the difference between the two and which should I choose. I have it on digital now. Also is digital the same as DVI?

Click to expand...

Digital = DVI (Digital Video Interface?)

DVI is better.

-JB

Ok ... questions for other 2235 owners ...

Ive had my 2235 for about 10-12 days and have time to play various games (using DVI on a 7900GTO / 91.47 drivers) .

Iam definitly getting some fast turn "bluring" and noticeable "ghosting" mostly in BF2 and Sin Emergenge .Ive tried plenty of differant settings and resolutions all with the same results . Mostly using 1680X1250/ AA= 2X or 4X ; AF=16X for all games (BF2 = 1600X1200) . Ive tried sync/on/off .
Still testing with other games as we speak ... C&C Generals , Star Wars Empire at War , Ghost Recon AF . Quake 4 seemed ok .

Anyone have/seeing problems with the first two games mentioned ?

TIA

stereo55 said:

Ok ... questions for other 2235 owners ...

Ive had my 2235 for about 10-12 days and have time to play various games (using DVI on a 7900GTO / 91.47 drivers) .

Iam definitly getting some fast turn "bluring" and noticeable "ghosting" mostly in BF2 and Sin Emergenge .Ive tried plenty of differant settings and resolutions all with the same results . Mostly using 1680X1250/ AA= 2X or 4X ; AF=16X for all games (BF2 = 1600X1200) . Ive tried sync/on/off .
Still testing with other games as we speak ... C&C Generals , Star Wars Empire at War , Ghost Recon AF . Quake 4 seemed ok .

Anyone have/seeing problems with the first two games mentioned ?

TIA

Click to expand...

Unless you are using a CRT there will always be some compromise as far as refresh under current technology. As I have posted before... I switched from an older 24ish ms Dell 1800fp to the Viewsonic and saw an improvement. Now when I bought a 1905 Dell that supposedly had a better refresh than the 1801 I noticed it was horrible on browns and blurred so bad I gave it to my daughter and kept the 1801 for another year.

Until they come out with 100% "apples to apples" specs on these monitors we will always have to judge them by looking at them but having said all of this I have noticed no blur or ghosting with the view sonic under Everquest, BF1942, BFV, BF2 nor in movies (how people can see ghosting in 24 or 30fps movies and not in 60+ fps games is beyond me LOL)

Now sync should always be on... the only time to turn it off is for testing or for people who somehow think that having framerates greater than 60 or 75 (whatever you have your refresh set to) means something LOL. Unless you have some crazy speed video card you may want to be carefull using 2x or higher aa as driving a true 1680x1050 resolution can be taxing on many systems. On some less intensive games I turn on 2x (but no more) but I have found that with my GF 6800 Ultra that I am often better off turning off 2x aa.

Look at it this way... to drive a resolution of xxx at 60fps you need to pump out:

1024x768 = 47,185,920
1280x1024=78,643,200
1680x1050=105,840,000

So the bump in resolution can kill slower cards and once you turn on 2x or 4x aa you cut into your speed at least 20-25% and for some cards even higher. Lowering your resolution to a non-native LCD resolution can make the screen blurry and less sharp so I don't want to do that unless I have no choice.

Well back to what I was saying... I see zero ghosting on this monitor and none of what people have been talking about here. Now before you take my word or anyone elses here I suggest you take a look at the monitor yourself (for those who have not bought it) instead of letting people who have bought other products sway you from even looking at this excellent monitor. While not perfect, it's one hell of a monitor at $299 or $349 for which it was designed.... games and general use. If you are so into photography and professional graphics why in the world are you looking at a $299 monitor?

-JB

P.S. I've watched numerous movies on this think and it looks great. Why do "some" people have to prop up their buying decisions by trashing the opposition? Just because you picked something else does not automatically mean that everything else is or was bad IMHO. You bought a monitor costing twice as much... you better believe that a $500 or $600 monitor is better than a $300 one but the next time you trash a $300 22" monitor... well provide a better "$300" suggestion LOL.

P.P.S. I have read that some older video cards may have issues driving such high resolutions. Anyone know what they are referring to? Something about making sure your DVI is dual something.

Wow this is very interesting. I might have to go with a Viewsonic.

jrb531 said:

Funny how different people judge things. My vx2235 looks fantastic and I see none of the issues many of you point out. Yes I have owned numerous flatscreen of different types but to me you cannot compare a $300 panel to a $600 one.

If $$$ was no object I would have gotten different but for $300 this monitor is better than many costing far more.

As far as seeing pixels. Of course you are going to see pixels with larger monitors! Larger monitors = larger pixels... unless you up the resolution and I don't have a $500 video card that will allow some insane resolution thank you.

Cheap monitors are all about compromise and the vx2235 has no ghosting and looks damn good in games and on the desktop which is what I bought it for. Sure my older Dell 1800fp looked better (diff type of panel) but then again it ghosted a bit... not bad but enough to notice.

Needless to say how about comparing apples to apples here and stop comparing a $300 panel to those costing far more.

I think it's safe to say that this monitor is one of the very best you can get in this size and price range. You want better.... be prepared to pay.

-JB

Click to expand...

HAHAHAH, errr no. Buy the NEC 20WGX2 and you will see that you cant see the pixels. Im talking about native res. Also as 1680 x 1050 is meant for 20" screens not 22 it seems, the pixel pitch is poor on the vx2235. I spent 340 on the viewsonic, then replaced it with the NEC which was 390 for 80 dollars more. Worth it? Yup


Personally, I'd rather have a great 17" glossy screen monitor than the VX2235, thats how much i disliked the monitor. But hey different strokes for different folks.

Rotten_Necro said:

HAHAHAH, errr no. Buy the NEC 20WGX2 and you will see that you cant see the pixels. Im talking about native res. Also as 1680 x 1050 is meant for 20" screens not 22 it seems, the pixel pitch is poor on the vx2235. I spent 340 on the viewsonic, then replaced it with the NEC which was 390 for 80 dollars more. Worth it? Yup


Personally, I'd rather have a great 17" glossy screen monitor than the VX2235, thats how much i disliked the monitor. But hey different strokes for different folks.

Click to expand...

I still fail to see how you can compare a 17" non-widescreen that costs $80 more to a 22" widescreen.

go figure

-jb

ey>? Simple, the way you would compare a ferrari to a hummer, the hummer is a big piece of shi.t, it may be bigger, but still looks and goes pretty slow, and the ferrari is a better performing, better looking car. ta da.

The sony was 360 dollars UK price. The viewsonic is 612 UK price. If i was forced to choose between the viewsonic or the sony, and i get to keep the change from the viewsonic, id have the glossy screen one.

Some people clearly arent that picky with SDE, I am. heh.

Yet again we see that some people need to trash everything else to justify "their" purchase.

While the Viewsonic is not the best monitor by any means it is still a pretty good monitor yet with each post you seem to find new ways to degrade it.

Let's just agree to disagree. The diference between someone being objective and someone trash talking lies in how you can rate "all" products... even those you passed up, and remain fair and unbiased.

I have no problems saying what the Viewsonic is... a large inexpensive widescreen gaming LCD that has fantastic response yet uses a 6-bit panel in order to keep both the price down and the response high. It is not for graphic artists, those with $$$ to burn, those who are going to watch movies at less than idea viewing angles nor those that sit so close to the screen that the larger pixels will bother them.

It is, however, one hell of a steal for gamers at $299 or even $349 and offers outstanding value and performance for the cost.

I'm sorry you do not care for it but others just might appreciate it's lower cost and features even if you personally find the compromises to be too much for your taste.

I also respect your personal opinion that you would rather trade the much larger widescreen for a smaller 17" monitor of normal dimensions with what you beleive to be a better picture.

No amount of "examples" of large ugle cars or glossy vs whatever will change "my" opinion that this is one hell of a monitor for the price.

There are alot of people buying the very same type of 6-bit panels due to the low cost that suffer many of the same faults so I wonder if you attack "all" 6-bit panels that suffer the compromises as the viewsonic.

Either way I suspect that you will reply with some one-liner adding more insults to the Viewsonic and the only reason I am even bothering to post anymore is that I want those who may read this to at least give this monitor a chance by observing it in person. If, like you suggest, the monitor sucks ass, then let them decide for themselves.

However, if someone is looking for an inexpensive large widescreen gaming LCD then they just might be very happy with this model as I, and many others, are.

-JB

More opinions? Considering this screen, but the widescreen format scares me?

jrb531 said:

Yet again we see that some people need to trash everything else to justify "their" purchase.

While the Viewsonic is not the best monitor by any means it is still a pretty good monitor yet with each post you seem to find new ways to degrade it.

Let's just agree to disagree. The diference between someone being objective and someone trash talking lies in how you can rate "all" products... even those you passed up, and remain fair and unbiased.

I have no problems saying what the Viewsonic is... a large inexpensive widescreen gaming LCD that has fantastic response yet uses a 6-bit panel in order to keep both the price down and the response high. It is not for graphic artists, those with $$$ to burn, those who are going to watch movies at less than idea viewing angles nor those that sit so close to the screen that the larger pixels will bother them.

It is, however, one hell of a steal for gamers at $299 or even $349 and offers outstanding value and performance for the cost.

I'm sorry you do not care for it but others just might appreciate it's lower cost and features even if you personally find the compromises to be too much for your taste.

I also respect your personal opinion that you would rather trade the much larger widescreen for a smaller 17" monitor of normal dimensions with what you beleive to be a better picture.

No amount of "examples" of large ugle cars or glossy vs whatever will change "my" opinion that this is one hell of a monitor for the price.

There are alot of people buying the very same type of 6-bit panels due to the low cost that suffer many of the same faults so I wonder if you attack "all" 6-bit panels that suffer the compromises as the viewsonic.

Either way I suspect that you will reply with some one-liner adding more insults to the Viewsonic and the only reason I am even bothering to post anymore is that I want those who may read this to at least give this monitor a chance by observing it in person. If, like you suggest, the monitor sucks ass, then let them decide for themselves.

However, if someone is looking for an inexpensive large widescreen gaming LCD then they just might be very happy with this model as I, and many others, are.

-JB

Click to expand...

actually i found your post very well written. I didnt mean to 'trash' the monitor. I was feeling the need to vent my frustration at being as dissapointed as I was. I can aggree with you, that yes it is a bargain for its size.

Well this thread could have degenerated into something less than optimal *smiles* and I want to thank you for your mature and level headed response.

I am sitting here miffed as I try and figure out how my monitor can look so good to me yet to yourself and some others look so bad. Did my monitor slip through the cracks and I got one of the good ones? Did you get one of the bad ones? Are you being super critical or am I being super forgiving?

I am running mine on a two year old Nvidia GF 6800 Ultra in DMI mode. I sit directly in front of the monitor at about 18 inches from the screen. I do not use Microsoft's cleartype as I do not care for it and I am used to the razor sharp text that non-cleartype brings. I wonder if you tested it with or without cleartype as I noticed both on the Viewsonic as well as my older Dell that turning on Cleartype may make some text look a bit better, it can also add some halo type off-colors to the text.

Is there something about my setup that allows this monitor to shine? Maybe my old eyes just cannot see some of the flaws that you do. Now I moved from a Dell 1800FP which in it's day was considered a pretty good monitor and that monitor was not a cheap 6-bit panel that I could tell.

IMHO maybe I am being a bit forgiving at the same time you are on the bit critical side (half full vs half empty? LOL)

Either way I hope you find your perfect monitor. I know I am still looking for one but until that time I'll enjoy some kick-ass games in high resolution widescreen with the viewsonic

-JB

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

jrb531 said:

Well this thread could have degenerated into something less than optimal *smiles* and I want to thank you for your mature and level headed response.

I am sitting here miffed as I try and figure out how my monitor can look so good to me yet to yourself and some others look so bad. Did my monitor slip through the cracks and I got one of the good ones? Did you get one of the bad ones? Are you being super critical or am I being super forgiving?

I am running mine on a two year old Nvidia GF 6800 Ultra in DMI mode. I sit directly in front of the monitor at about 18 inches from the screen. I do not use Microsoft's cleartype as I do not care for it and I am used to the razor sharp text that non-cleartype brings. I wonder if you tested it with or without cleartype as I noticed both on the Viewsonic as well as my older Dell that turning on Cleartype may make some text look a bit better, it can also add some halo type off-colors to the text.

Is there something about my setup that allows this monitor to shine? Maybe my old eyes just cannot see some of the flaws that you do. Now I moved from a Dell 1800FP which in it's day was considered a pretty good monitor and that monitor was not a cheap 6-bit panel that I could tell.

IMHO maybe I am being a bit forgiving at the same time you are on the bit critical side (half full vs half empty? LOL)

Either way I hope you find your perfect monitor. I know I am still looking for one but until that time I'll enjoy some kick-ass games in high resolution widescreen with the viewsonic

-JB

Click to expand...

as TNT said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.I am in fact VERY critical, when it comes to anything i buy/own. I mean to give you an idea, I cant bare to watch a movie that has even the slighest visible error in the sync with audio and video, my sister will say, i cant see it lol. Im a student who works a weekend job. I get 700 dollars a month or so. Thats mostly why im so picky, I feel that if im going to buy something, i might as well pay more and have no regrets. Again, i am VERY picky lol
Another example, i paid 200 dollars for a pair of headphones so i wouldnt have any regrets.

Hi Guys,

Reading through all the responses in this thread has almost convinced me to go out and buy the VX2235wm. I'm a uni student with a Tecra A4 (Geforce 6600go with an LCD of native resolution 1680*1050).

When I'm at home I dock the laptop so it acts like a desktop replacement, I'm keen to get a display with the same resolution as my laptop display for ease of use.

I don't really game anymore (no time)... I do play the odd bit of starcraft but its mainly uni/office work.

For those of you that have purchased this monitor, would you recommend it to a user like me or am I better off getting the samsung or acer brand? I'm at a bit of a loss when everyone talks about dithering and 6bit displays, I'm assuming the more bits the better the quality?

Thanks for helping out the newbie guys

VoltaGe54 said:

Hi Guys,

Reading through all the responses in this thread has almost convinced me to go out and buy the VX2235wm. I'm a uni student with a Tecra A4 (Geforce 6600go with an LCD of native resolution 1680*1050).

When I'm at home I dock the laptop so it acts like a desktop replacement, I'm keen to get a display with the same resolution as my laptop display for ease of use.

I don't really game anymore (no time)... I do play the odd bit of starcraft but its mainly uni/office work.

For those of you that have purchased this monitor, would you recommend it to a user like me or am I better off getting the samsung or acer brand? I'm at a bit of a loss when everyone talks about dithering and 6bit displays, I'm assuming the more bits the better the quality?

Thanks for helping out the newbie guys

Click to expand...

6-bits basically means that each pixel can change to less colors than an 8-bit panel. Because each color change is less on a 6-bit panel, they tend to be a bit faster than the inexpensive 8-bit panels but they need to dither (trick your eyes into seeing the full 16 million colors) so if you are big time into photpgraphy or graphics then thsi might not be for you. Most people cannot tell the difference between 6-bit dithered to 8-bit and pure 8-bit which is why they still use the panels. They cost less and have a faster response.

This does not mean that you cannot get an 8-bit panel with a fast response... it does mean that you will pay more depending on the size of the screen.

I am happy with my Viewsonic big time but as you read here... some people prefer 8-bit so you may want to see the monitor before you buy. I always prefer to buy locally anyway because of the off chance of having a dead pixel or two and not wanting to have to ship it back even "if" they will taje it back. Some online companies will not accect LCD's back unless they have a large number of dead pixels... to me even one dead pixel is a defect and I am not paying full price for a defective LCD no matter who "tries" to tell me that "they" consider a few "broken" pixels to be normal.

-JB

jrb531 said:

6-bits basically means that each pixel can change to less colors than an 8-bit panel. Because each color change is less on a 6-bit panel, they tend to be a bit faster than the inexpensive 8-bit panels but they need to dither (trick your eyes into seeing the full 16 million colors) so if you are big time into photpgraphy or graphics then thsi might not be for you. Most people cannot tell the difference between 6-bit dithered to 8-bit and pure 8-bit which is why they still use the panels. They cost less and have a faster response.

This does not mean that you cannot get an 8-bit panel with a fast response... it does mean that you will pay more depending on the size of the screen.

I am happy with my Viewsonic big time but as you read here... some people prefer 8-bit so you may want to see the monitor before you buy. I always prefer to buy locally anyway because of the off chance of having a dead pixel or two and not wanting to have to ship it back even "if" they will taje it back. Some online companies will not accect LCD's back unless they have a large number of dead pixels... to me even one dead pixel is a defect and I am not paying full price for a defective LCD no matter who "tries" to tell me that "they" consider a few "broken" pixels to be normal.

-JB

Click to expand...

Thanks for spelling that out for me, I understand now

I too will be buying locally, the viewsonic definitely sounds like the monitor for me I'm not that fussy on getting the 'perfect colour' I would just like a fast response time (for a bit of gaming) monitor with little to no dead pixels (I'm going to buy locally and yes, if there are dead pixels I will be putting up a fight).

Thanks for your help

I'm enjoying my Viewsonic 22". I would have to say "once you go 22 nothing less will do!" I sit about 30"-35" from it and during gaming you kind of get lost in the screen and don't even notice the blue power light. I've got an old Pentium III, that runs on coal or wood, so sometimes it gets slow in games, but I haven't noticed any blurring of the images. I run V"Vietcong" at 800x600, yeah I get killed alot and quick too! But I'd have to say I am confident that I spent $379 wisely. Now when the new Dell XPS 410 Vista comes out I think I'll enjoy this monitor even more. The Office Depots in my area are sold out of Viewsonic 22", but you can find plenty of Samsungs 22", what does that say about them? I recently saw an HP 21" running an extreme graphics package and the Viewsonic can hold it's own! I don't like to recomened products to friends too often but this monitor is a good choice.

Major Pain said:

I'm enjoying my Viewsonic 22". I would have to say "once you go 22 nothing less will do!" I sit about 30"-35" from it and during gaming you kind of get lost in the screen and don't even notice the blue power light. I've got an old Pentium III, that runs on coal or wood, so sometimes it gets slow in games, but I haven't noticed any blurring of the images. I run V"Vietcong" at 800x600, yeah I get killed alot and quick too! But I'd have to say I am confident that I spent $379 wisely. Now when the new Dell XPS 410 Vista comes out I think I'll enjoy this monitor even more. The Office Depots in my area are sold out of Viewsonic 22", but you can find plenty of Samsungs 22", what does that say about them? I recently saw an HP 21" running an extreme graphics package and the Viewsonic can hold it's own! I don't like to recomened products to friends too often but this monitor is a good choice.

Click to expand...

Rotten_Necro said:

ey>? Simple, the way you would compare a ferrari to a hummer, the hummer is a big piece of shi.t, it may be bigger, but still looks and goes pretty slow, and the ferrari is a better performing, better looking car. ta da.

Click to expand...

Your comparison is also apt in terms of the need for the car or display. For example, TN with 6+2bit due to dithering still tend to be superior for gaming due to the response times in comparison to the other technologies. A photo retouch expert however may want a slower performing but more acurate pannel.

Now where does a Ferrari totally suck in comparison to a Hummer? Off roading. A Hummer driver can take their creame of the crop SUV pretty much anywhere (of Course so can Jeep and other offroad vehicles, but I digress). The Ferrari would perform so poorly offroad it'd likely not survive the experience (especially due to the ground-hugging design for streamlined speed onroad).

I don't own either so I don't really care. I do own a ViewSonic LCD though and feel extremely satisfied with the purchase.

This is a copy of what I posted in the Fat Wallet forums. I felt it appropriate to post here.

I finally got my Sceptre last week after 19 business days. That's almost a month. First of all, I want to thank all of you who have helped me out, especially Coastal Eddy. Unfortunately, there was one dead pixel which I have not been able to revive. I've been using the Sceptre since I got it and I just switched back to the ViewSonic VX2235wm which I've been using for a couple of weeks. Let me relay my experience with the two monitors.

1) Picture quality: I wasn't expecting much of a difference between the two monitors, as they supposedly use the same panels. However, I found the colors on the Sceptre to be off no matter how I adjusted it. The best way I can describe it is that the lighter colors seem washed out while the brighter colors were overly prominent. While I know this sounds like I have the brightness set too high, trust me, I did adjust the brightness levels with no results. With the ViewSonic, I occasionally experience a strange phenomenon where after I run my aquarium screen-saver, green and red dots appear in the dark regions of my desktop. However, these are NOT dead pixels nor stuck pixels. I can open the same picture in photoshop and zoom in on them and the green dots will become larger. I can only attribute this to a driver/video card problem. My video-card is starting to show it's age and this problem manifests only when I have the card set to 32 bit and disappears when I have it set to 16 bit. Otherwise, the picture quality on the ViewSonic is great. The Sceptre's PQ is just OK.

2) Back-Light Bleed: Both monitors show minor bleeding but this was not an issue for me. I think back light bleeding becomes more of an issue if you have the brightness set too high; factory settings for example. Or maybe I just got lucky. The Sceptre's was a bit worse, but no big deal.

3) Features: The obvious winner here is the Sceptre. It has the USB inputs, plus the headset and microphone plug. There seem to be more options for viewing non-native resolution content on the Sceptre as well. HDMI is a definite plus if you use the monitor for console gaming as well. I don't, so although it's always better to have the option available, this is not a big issue for me. One major issue I have with the Sceptre is that often, if I turned on my monitor after the computer, the monitor would not recognise a signal from the computer and I would have to restart. Also, if I turned the monitor off while the computer was doing maintenance for example, the monitor would not recognise a signal and I would have to reboot. No such problems with the ViewSonic. Again, this could be a video card driver issue. I currently am using an ATi All in Wonder 8500DV before anyone asks.

4) Interface: The buttons on the ViewSonic are on the front, but are difficult to press; I just use my nails. The buttons on the Sceptre are on the rear, which I don't like but I suppose one could get used to. One problem I had with the interface was that plus is on the bottom and minus on top, which is counter intuitive. I also noticed a typo on the Scepter. Instead of "Information", it says "Infomation". Could be that they couldn't fit that extra letter, but if that were the case, the should have just used "Info". No biggie. The Sceptre also has the blue screen which pops up when switching inputs, but this is not a big issue. Also if one wants to complain, the fonts on the Sceptre have a unpolished look to them as well.

5) Heat: Both units get a little warm, but I found the Scepter to throw a bit more heat.

6) Fit and Finish: The Sceptre with it's flat foil logo where you can see the irregularities of the plastic underneath scream "cheap". The quality of the plastic used is also second rate. The ViewSonic has a nice piano black finish and feels much better built. Personally I've always liked the little birds. Of course the plain bezel of the Sceptre lends itself to portrait mode use, if you have a stand like the Neo-Flex, but then again, I'm not sure how effective these TN panels are when viewed in portrait mode. The blinking blue light on the Sceptre's standby mode is in fact annoying. When reading other people's comments on this, my thought was, how annoying could a bliking light possibly be? Well quite annoying it turns out. The Viewsonic glows a steady amber which does not scream "Look at me! Look at me!"

7) Stand: Which brings me to the stand. The Stand on the ViewSonic is no award winner, but the stand on the Sceptre as mentioned by many before is downright crappy. The problem is a combination of poor materials and design. The stand is all plastic and hollow in the middle of the base, and because of the way the weight is distributed, the front end lifts off the table a bit. So, you end up with a wobbly stand. The ViewSonic at least has a steel plate in the bottom of the base giving it stability. Which brings me to the Neo-Flex Stand. A++. It is a great stand. It swivels left to right, pivots to and fro, raises up and down, and rotates for portrait mode. If you can get it for $20.99 like I did, it's an absolute steal and a must have, especially for the Sceptre. Although the Sceptre website comparison chart would indicate otherwise, I was able to attach the Neo-flex to my Viewsonic. It has the appropriate mounts in the back. The challenge is removing the stand. If anyone is interested, please let me know and I will post instructions on how to remove the ViewSonic stand. Since I had purchased the Neoflex, with thanks to the posted Staples on-line price, this was not a deciding factor for me.

8) Sound: I hooked up a cd player to both monitors, and although neither was spectacular, the ViewSonic lived up to it's name and sounded much better than the Sceptre. It had more bass and was louder as well. I don't currently use the speakers in the monitor, but I may use it as a center channel in the future, so this may come in handy.

9) Other notes: The dimensions listed for the Sceptre on their website are wrong. The Sceptre is only 19-7/8" wide and 13" in height. Also, note that the Sceptre logo is silver, not the hideous orange as appears on their website.

10) Conclusions: With the dead pixel, the Sceptre was definitely going back, but now, that I have used both monitors for a few days, I do not plan on re-ordering another Sceptre either. The picture quality and the syncing problems are unacceptable to me. I really don't need the extra ports on the monitor, and as mentioned before, do not plan on using the monitor as a TV, and therefore do not need the HDMI port. Also, I don't feel a pressing need to use the monitor in portrait mode. If, on the other hand, you plan on using the monitor not only for your computer but for console gaming or watching TV, the Sceptre might just fit your bill. The only recommendation I can make across the board is to buy these things at Costco where they will take them back no questions asked. Personally, one dead pixel is one too many for me, and it would kill me to have to live with a monitor that I can't return even though it has a couple of dead pixels. While both monitors have their merits, for my needs the Viewsonic fits the bill.

can anyone with this monitor tell me what settings they are using with regard to brightness, contrast and color settings ( red green blue). i have the colors at the default and they just don't seem right especially the greens. i have no idea what srgb, 9300, 7500, etc mean so i have no idea how to change it. also any other settings you may have changed either on the monitor itself or if you have an nvidea card on its control panel would be extremely helpful to me( gamma, digital vibrance, sharpness, etc). otherwise if i cannot get the glare and colors corrected i am afraid it will have to be returned which is why i wanted to get a monitor at costco ---easy return.

thank you.

I just got my ViewSonic VX2235. The only problem I have with this monitor is that it is very tall and is not height adjustable. As it is it blocks the line of sight to one of my speakers. I figured I could get around this by mounting it on vesa desktop style arm that allows me to drop it down closer to desktop level. (Raising the speakers are not really an option) The base comes away from the stand very easily but the stand itself seem to be built in to the screen. I recently killed my 19 inch Sony LCD by messing with it so I am a bit gun shy about messing with the new viewsonic. Don't want to do anything that will prohibit me from returning it to Costco, like snapping the stem off. Any one have any advice on removing the stand from the screen. I paid 350 for this one but might consider dropping another 50 for a better 22 inch monitor that is height adjustable if that is ultimately easier. Any ideas either way? Just wondering if I should consider the future purchase of a PS3 and the need for HDMI? My TV is fine and won't need replacing any time soon. I have a Dual G5, non intel with a Radeon X800XT. Thanks....

zanthia said:

can anyone with this monitor tell me what settings they are using with regard to brightness, contrast and color settings ( red green blue). i have the colors at the default and they just don't seem right especially the greens. i have no idea what srgb, 9300, 7500, etc mean so i have no idea how to change it. also any other settings you may have changed either on the monitor itself or if you have an nvidea card on its control panel would be extremely helpful to me( gamma, digital vibrance, sharpness, etc). otherwise if i cannot get the glare and colors corrected i am afraid it will have to be returned which is why i wanted to get a monitor at costco ---easy return.

thank you.

Click to expand...

Keep in mind these Chi Mei built 22" TN panel monitors that are flooding the market are 'budget oriented' and not of the greatest quality and are notorious for their mediocre if not awful default color and image settings.

Like you I initially found my VX2235's color and brightness/contrast settings seriously lacking... until I checked out the lengthy thread about the Westinghouse 22" LCD (uses the same 22" panel as the VX2235) here in Hardforum.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1030411381#post1030411381

Strange as it sounds by manually setting the RGB color values to maximum (100/100/100), Brightness to 100 and turning down Contrast completely I finally managed to achieve acceptable, if not impressive results. Colors are much more vivid now and not the least bit washed out or 'overdone' (to my eyes). Brightness is a bit too much for white/light backgrounds and text but I find it it's great for graphics, games and movies. Unless I'm going nuts I'm inclined think things are a tad too blue now so I may decide to set the Blue value lower, maybe somewhere between 95 and 100.

I suppose I could tweak the monitor's settings a bit more but I'm happy at the moment. To fine tune things a bit further I used ATI's software control panel to lower my desktop gamma by .5 to 1.0 points and set up a hotkey configuration for gamma settings in 3D games. The hotkey configuration allows me to manually set the gamma setting (I believe it does it in .5 point increments) while playing a game withouth having to stop and change the gamma from within the in-game menus.

Don't forget that in order to make the most of your VX2235 be sure to use the DVI connector and install Viewsonic's latest monitor drivers.

Above all try to stick with Costco for LCD purchases. Costco's incredible return/exchange policy makes the whole process a helluva lot easier.

ok, so i somewhat skimmed thru some of this thread. I see that costco sells both the Sceptre x22wg gamer and the Viewsonic VX2235 for $299. Now, i love to play games and watch movies on my monitors. Do they both run HD? Which would be better?

So i take it that CeiMei is the maker of the actual LCDs and all the major brands use it. SO picture quality will be the same on all of them? What is good/bad about ceimie?

Rev. Night said:

ok, so i somewhat skimmed thru some of this thread. I see that costco sells both the Sceptre x22wg gamer and the Viewsonic VX2235 for $299. Now, i love to play games and watch movies on my monitors. Do they both run HD? Which would be better?

So i take it that CeiMei is the maker of the actual LCDs and all the major brands use it. SO picture quality will be the same on all of them? What is good/bad about ceimie?

Click to expand...

not sure about the Sceptre but then Vewsonic does do HD though ive never got to on mine because i dont have a HD Drive =/

r3g said:

not sure about the Sceptre but then Vewsonic does do HD though ive never got to on mine because i dont have a HD Drive =/

Click to expand...

ah yes...but if you dl them then its all good


What HD does the viewsonic do? 720 or 1080? I or P?