NEC LCD2690

Majed said:
That's Good News.
so..this Monitor along with "SpectraView Kit – Colorimeter and Software" from the US-NEC site. i think this will be good.

Thanks alot for your value advise/Information which helped me alot to make my mind.
Click to expand...

You are welcome.
Just checked the source.
They talk about last year "european" non-SV NEC which "conditionally" works with Profiler and has no problem with SVII regardless SV settings On/Off.
So you will probably be the first to 100% clarify this question with regard to latest models.
 
albovin said:
You are welcome.
Just checked the source.
They talk about last year "european" non-SV NEC which "conditionally" works with Profiler and has no problem with SVII regardless SV settings On/Off.
So you will probably be the first to 100% clarify this question with regard to latest models.
Click to expand...

Does your source knows from which firmware version does not euro 2690WUXi support SV activation?
 
Hi everyone,long time lurker here,i must say that [H] must be one of the most valuble forums with regards to LCD information. Thanks to all the posters who have contributed their valuble experience and info. I too am very interested in this LCD,and i managed to source it in Singapore for SGD 1.8k or around USD 1.325k which i feel is quite reasonable.
It will be replacing my Dell 2007FP S-PVA.
Intended usage is mainly PC Gaming & PS3. Colour accuracy/calibration options etc is good but not really vital as i don't do any DTP/Digital photography.

I have a few questions:
1)In order to use this monitor with the PS3,is the HDMI-DVI cable all that is needed?

2)Is it possible to connect the PS3 and the PC at the same time via the two DVI ports? So that i need not switch connections physically and is able to switch display inputs via the OSD?

3)The various issues such as noise,backlight bleeding etc. Any way to check manufacturing batch/date/revision version for verification? As i am not too sure wether i am allowed to test it before purchase. We don't have such robust consumer protection rights in Singapore and i am afraid to be stuck with a lemon or go thru the RMA merry-go-round.

Your input will greatly influence my purchasing decision.
Thank you.
 
1. Yes
2. Yes
3. The noise issue only affected the very first version. There shouldn't be any of those floating around anymore. Backlight bleeding is not particular to any revision.
 
Well just got it today,initial impressions,i am not even scratching the surface of the OSD options.

Pardon my noobish observations!

Big box with all the contents about 13kg,extremely sturdy adjustable stand,isn't gonna tip over anytime soon.

Monitor info:Version 4 Rev f

Default factory settings: Brightness 100% & Contrast 50% Color mode native (Wide Gamut),Overdrive off.

This monitor is bright! At 100% brightness against white backgrounds this is a retina scorcher. Google or Ebay all day and you'll go blind. It is also runs quite hot,estimated temps at the top of the LCD based on my overclocking probe fingers at around 65 degrees.
(PS:This is in an AC room at 25 degrees ambient)

Quality issues:Zero dead/stuck pixels. No/very little noise. However there is a small blemish on the top left corner of the screen,thank god it is not in the middle or i'll go crazy! It is not a dead pixel more like a shadow of foreign particle(s). I recall reading here that this is due to dirt or whatever being caught in the LCD during mfg process. Backlight bleeding is quite visible on the top right and bottom center. However when using the monitor in desktop,movies or games this is not too noticible and i am not fussy (coming from a Dell 2007fp) so it is acceptable for me. Wonder wether is it the placebo effect of finally choosing an LCD after long nights of reading forums and reviews.

Subjective tests: (hey this whole post is subjective,nothing is professionally measured)

Pictures: Didn't really notice the color of my pictures and favourite websites change alot due to the wide gamut. Seems to be slightly more vibrant. A pass in this section.

Video: DVD is excellent,it really a pleasure coming from 20",but other than increase in size this monitor does not give quarter to poor sources. For eg.Utada Hikaru United 2006 Concert is a very good DVD in terms of picture quality and color,watching it on the 2690 is really a good improvement over my previous LCD. But when viewing other DVDs which were previously good on the old LCD,the 2690 reveals and magnifies various shortcomings such as blurriness,video noise and poor color separation.

HD video is from the HD PS3 MGS trailer played back from PS3,which is quite stunning in fullscreen. I am sold!


Gaming: PC gaming was tested with COD4,Elder Scrolls:Oblivion and Company of Heroes on a E6850 & 8800 GTX.

One word,the scalar in this LCD is excellent! The in game-settings were all 1600 x 1200 resolution scaled to full screen. There was absolutely no hint of distortion or blurring.
Very satisfied!

Input lag and Ghosting: Well even coming from a Dell 2007FP S-PVA which i did not notice much of the above issues,the 2690 also does not exhibit these ploblems too much.


PS3:Tested GTA4 (1080p),Ridge Racer 7(1080p),Heavenly Blade(720p). No ghosting,picture quality is better than my LCD TV. Although u have to get a HDMI-DVI cable to connect to PS3. And fiddle around with the PS3 Display settings until you get the optimal resolution.

The viewing angles on this LCD is excellent. Nuff said.

Overall very satisfied. Thanks to all the wonderful people on [H] who have kindly shared their tips,experience and info.
 
Hi all,

So, I just hooked up my new 2690 and calibrated with SV. And now I'm having a mild panic attack. Compared to my iMac (the new 24" 3.06 Ghz) screen the 2690 looks flat and low-contrasty. I certainly didn't have a "wow" experience like so many others on here have described.

Is there something I'm doing wrong? I've go the NVIDIA card....maybe it can't support the second monitor too well? Also, I used the "Photo Editing" target on the Spectraview software.


Any help is greatly appreciated!
 
I can think of several reasons for that:

1. If white looks like a dull gray on the NEC compared to the iMac, then you have the brightness lower on the NEC. Try calibrating to 200 or 250 cd/m². Also, the minimum brightness of the LCD2690WUXi is somewhere around 170-180 cd/m². If you calibrate it lower than that, it starts to eat away at the contrast.

2. I don't know what gamma the photo editing target uses, but the lower the gamma, the more washed out the colors will appear. Try calibrating to gamma 2.2, white point D65. That's the most common calibration these days.

3. The 24" iMac has a really good panel. I find that the 24" panel used in the LCD2490WUXi and the 24" iMac is slightly better than the 25.5" panel used in the LCD2690WUXi, but it shouldn't be a huge difference. The 24" iMac also has a glossy screen which makes the contrast pop, especially in a lit room. You won't be able to match that effect with the LCD2690WUXi.
 
Thanks for the tips. I tried recalibrating with a different brightness. The default photo editing target had me at 140. I then tried 225, 200 and then 100. However, most of the forums I've found suggest setting the brightness to around 100, maybe a little higher.

I'm not sure what that means then, if the minimum brightness is only 160/170.

P.S After calibrating to 150, the contrast is 334:1.
 
What calibration probe did you use?
I can't help you much there, I'm in the phase of buying a calibration kit :)
I think you should post some screens comparing the same photos/test patterns on 2690 and the Apple. Of sourse, you have to use a good camera.
Well... maybe even the probe may be faulty, I read somewhere it happens quite often.
Oh! When calibration, choose L* gamma curve. (or try even different settings.)
 
DougInMSN said:
Thanks for the tips. I tried recalibrating with a different brightness. The default photo editing target had me at 140. I then tried 225, 200 and then 100. However, most of the forums I've found suggest setting the brightness to around 100, maybe a little higher.

I'm not sure what that means then, if the minimum brightness is only 160/170.

P.S After calibrating to 150, the contrast is 334:1.
Click to expand...

From my experience, the NEC2490 саn achieve 800:1 CR outside SV calibration and up to 750:1 with SV.
The 2690 is expected to have minimally less, not much.

I'm not sure what that means then, if the minimum brightness is only 160/170.
Click to expand...
Your monitor has three modes of brightness regulation.
The regular mode is based on backlight intensity.
You can easily measure the minimal brightness in this mode (or any other modes) using your SV software and the colorimeter. Open Tools-Colorimeter window and take direct measurements using Color Picker. Then calculate CR.

Low Brightness mode in Advance Menu adds digital reduction, so brightness of white drops by 50% while depth of black does not - thus CR is reduced.
Advanced Low mode reduces brightness by further 50%.
Finally minimal brightness of your monitor will be about 60-70 cd/m2 at most.

SV calibration may utilize different ways to achieve target configuration. In most cases it leads to CR reduction.

It depends on the purpose of your calibration.
Target brightness you set before calibration has to be justified by something you are going to do with the monitor.
It does not matter what "forums" say about "recommended brightness".
Often people hear the bell but don't know where it is.
Return your monitor to factory default settings.
In Edit the Target Settings leave Contrast Ratio to monitor default.
If you want just straighten colors for everyday use, there is no need to set target brightness at all. Make sure you choose Edit-Preferences-Maximize Contrast Ratio (not Best Grey scale).
Now you know how to measure brightness. Find what is appropriate for your activity and set the level.

If you are going to do something color important in a low lit room - that's a different story. Target your brightness and try other 100 variations SV and the NEC give to us.
 
Biges said:
What calibration probe did you use?
I can't help you much there, I'm in the phase of buying a calibration kit :)
I think you should post some screens comparing the same photos/test patterns on 2690 and the Apple. Of sourse, you have to use a good camera.
Well... maybe even the probe may be faulty, I read somewhere it happens quite often.
Oh! When calibration, choose L* gamma curve. (or try even different settings.)
Click to expand...

I think you should post some screens comparing the same photos/test patterns on 2690 and the Apple
Click to expand...
Wasting time for nothing.

When calibration, choose L* gamma curve
Click to expand...
This calibration makes visible every little bit of detail in SV test pattern.
 
I also notice that my OSM menu seems "limited". I don't see several of the options that the manual refers to (eg., auto brightness). I made sure that those controls weren't locked down with the OSM Lock feature. Is there something I'm missing? The controls didn't appear when I reverted to factory presets, either.

I dunno folks...what are the black levels supposed to look like here? I know there is something to be said for seeing detail in shadow areas, but this is a little ridiculous. I feel like I've got a small, cheap LCD TV from Circuit City. The blacks are much darker and richer than they are on the 2690.

Again, maybe that's the point?
 
I also notice that my OSM menu seems "limited". I don't see several of the options that the manual refers to (eg., auto brightness). I made sure that those controls weren't locked down with the OSM Lock feature. Is there something I'm missing? The controls didn't appear when I reverted to factory presets, either.

I dunno folks...what are the black levels supposed to look like here? I know there is something to be said for seeing detail in shadow areas, but this is a little ridiculous. I feel like I've got a small, cheap LCD TV from Circuit City. The blacks are much darker and richer on my iMac than they are on the 2690.

Again, maybe that's the point?
 
DougInMSN said:
I also notice that my OSM menu seems "limited". I don't see several of the options that the manual refers to (eg., auto brightness). I made sure that those controls weren't locked down with the OSM Lock feature. Is there something I'm missing? The controls didn't appear when I reverted to factory presets, either.

I dunno folks...what are the black levels supposed to look like here? I know there is something to be said for seeing detail in shadow areas, but this is a little ridiculous. I feel like I've got a small, cheap LCD TV from Circuit City. The blacks are much darker and richer on my iMac than they are on the 2690.

Again, maybe that's the point?
Click to expand...

Most of the options you can find in the advanced menu (power on the screen while holding the input button in. Press menu and you'll see the advanced menu).

Blacks are good on this screen. After factory reset: Leave the black level control on 50% (standard menu) or 128 (advanced menu). In advanced menu, tag 5, have gamma on PRG. Tag 6 have color control on P. Tag 7 try first with color comp off (if white is uniform, there is no need to use it). Don't touch other settings for now.

Open tools, colormeter window in Spectraview. Make a white patch on your IMAC and then measure the brightness of it by pressing measure in the colormeter window.

Calibrate the screen using white point: D65, gamma curve 2.2, Intensity spesific level with the settings measured on the Imac, contrast ratio: monitor default. Save this settings.

In preferences, maximise contrast ratio, andhave primary colors crom.. at factory measurement unless you have a colormeter with filters for wide gamut.

Lets see how it goes now. :)
 
Tamlin_WSGF said:
Most of the options you can find in the advanced menu (power on the screen while holding the input button in. Press menu and you'll see the advanced menu).

Blacks are good on this screen. After factory reset: Leave the black level control on 50% (standard menu) or 128 (advanced menu). In advanced menu, tag 5, have gamma on PRG. Tag 6 have color control on P. Tag 7 try first with color comp off (if white is uniform, there is no need to use it). Don't touch other settings for now.

Open tools, colormeter window in Spectraview. Make a white patch on your IMAC and then measure the brightness of it by pressing measure in the colormeter window.

Calibrate the screen using white point: D65, gamma curve 2.2, Intensity spesific level with the settings measured on the Imac, contrast ratio: monitor default. Save this settings.

In preferences, maximise contrast ratio, andhave primary colors crom.. at factory measurement unless you have a colormeter with filters for wide gamut.

Lets see how it goes now. :)
Click to expand...

I can confirm that it is best to leave the contrast and teh black level on the factory default.

May I ask, what is the difference between D50 and D65? And why not use L* gamma curve? And which calibrators are "wide-gamut" ready? (Yeah, I still have to solve this :) - And I can't buy SV kit from NEC USA and NEC Europe does not sell its own SV kits :( )
 
Biges said:
I can confirm that it is best to leave the contrast and teh black level on the factory default.

May I ask, what is the difference between D50 and D65? And why not use L* gamma curve? And which calibrators are "wide-gamut" ready? (Yeah, I still have to solve this :) - And I can't buy SV kit from NEC USA and NEC Europe does not sell its own SV kits :( )
Click to expand...

Difference between D50 and D65 is 6504K on the daylight curve and 5003K on the daylight curve. The L star is very much like the 2.2 tonal response curve, but more perceptually accurate stepping, 2.2 is more standard and s-rgb tonal response curve even more standard. Why to use the 2.2 is that its probably the one used for the Imac for comparison. :)

The only wide gamut calibrators I can think of is the Spyder 3 and the NEC/Pantone eye1 display 2 thats custom build for the 21 LED screen. The rest is generic for sRGB so far.
 
So I applied the settings you suggested, and I *think* the color is better. :)

However I've now encountered a new, unrelated problem that's preventing me from doing a good comparison between monitors. For some reason I can't get the 2690 to display in its native resolution, no matter what I do in the display setup in Mac's settings.

Instead, the screen is "stuck" on 1600x1200 so everything is flattened slightly. There were a lot of threads about this on Apple's support forums...some kind of bug with 10.5.2. However, I just upgraded to 10.5.3 and I'm still having the problem.

One suggestion was to delete a display settings file in the Library/Preferences folder, then reboot. I tried this to no avail. Nor did disconnecting the display, rebooting, and plugging in the monitor.

I'm hoping that one of you kind souls has run into the same problem and has devised a solution! Thanks again for this excellent thread and your wonderful suggestions!
 
DougInMSN said:
So I applied the settings you suggested, and I *think* the color is better. :)

However I've now encountered a new, unrelated problem that's preventing me from doing a good comparison between monitors. For some reason I can't get the 2690 to display in its native resolution, no matter what I do in the display setup in Mac's settings.

Instead, the screen is "stuck" on 1600x1200 so everything is flattened slightly. There were a lot of threads about this on Apple's support forums...some kind of bug with 10.5.2. However, I just upgraded to 10.5.3 and I'm still having the problem.

One suggestion was to delete a display settings file in the Library/Preferences folder, then reboot. I tried this to no avail. Nor did disconnecting the display, rebooting, and plugging in the monitor.

I'm hoping that one of you kind souls has run into the same problem and has devised a solution! Thanks again for this excellent thread and your wonderful suggestions!
Click to expand...


I'm happy that you are getting there. :) Make sure also sure that each screen have their own profile loaded, so that both screens doesn't share one. Programs like Firefox 3 with color management enabled also have a problem using only the color profile for the primary screen, so you need to be aware of that if comparing. I've tried it and black was washed out on the second screen because of this.

I'm not so used to Mac, so I cannot advice you there. If you can access you GFX driver settings, it might be an option there somewhere? :)
 
meisterk there is a way to make your monitor SV compatible.

From Power of, start up the monitor by pressing Power + Input, this enters you into the advanced menu.

To Enable Spectra view press menu and choose tag E (its where the information is in the advanced menu.)

Pressing input + down gives you option to turn spectraview settings on/off. Choose on by pressing up.
 
darkerbight said:
meisterk there is a way to make your monitor SV compatible.

From Power of, start up the monitor by pressing Power + Input, this enters you into the advanced menu.

To Enable Spectra view press menu and choose tag E (its where the information is in the advanced menu.)

Pressing input + down gives you option to turn spectraview settings on/off. Choose on by pressing up.
Click to expand...

This does not work on the newer EU versions.
 
They must have caught onto that then, as i have one of the first batch and it works a treat for me!

Sorry if i got anyones hopes up, however its always worth try just in case!
 
darkerbight said:
They must have caught onto that then, as i have one of the first batch and it works a treat for me!

Sorry if i got anyones hopes up, however its always worth try just in case!
Click to expand...

Heh, I was also able to buy older NEC2690WUXi, it has even "Made in China" label, no problem with SV mode activation. Lucky me :)
 
Chalk up another 2690 owner. The SV model just arrived and is all hooked up. My aging eyes are enjoying the larger text compared to the Dell 2408 I was using. I haven't even attempted to calibrate yet and there's one dead red subpixel that's near impossible to see normally. So far, diggin' this puppy! Would love pixel perfection but hey! 'ems a LOT of LEDs.
 
ReelMcCoy said:
Chalk up another 2690 owner. The SV model just arrived and is all hooked up. My aging eyes are enjoying the larger text compared to the Dell 2408 I was using. I haven't even attempted to calibrate yet and there's one dead red subpixel that's near impossible to see normally. So far, diggin' this puppy! Would love pixel perfection but hey! 'ems a LOT of LEDs.
Click to expand...

Heh, that's like me, one red sub-pixel :)
 
Hey,

I have problem with the new 2690 I brought.

After calibration using SV and spyder3, the grey scale value from 250-255 is all white. It even said so at the curve
curve.jpg


Also the monitor gamut is a lot smaller than a lot of screenshots out there (which I believe is less than 90% of aRGB)
gamut.jpg


Is this monitor defective?

Thx
 
Clifton,

Most of the shots of gamma you see from SpectraView II software are coming with the Eye One D2 colorimeter. It is possible the Spyder3 may be playing tricks on it, though I've heard it's supposed to be good for wide gamut screens.

I know that my Spyder2 hooked up to SpectraView II is a far cry from the Eye One in terms of quality in evaluating both black point, and white color temperature. If you can borrow an Eye One D2 somewhere maybe it will give more reliable information back to SVII.

Either that, or reset the monitor back to defaults and just take an evaluation that way in order to ensure the calibration was not changed too much.

Regards,

10e
 
i m planning to buy the 2490 or 2690 in the next 2 or 3 weeks ( i know 10e has be a real helpful to me b4 ( thatz how i come with the conclusion to pick the NECs! ) but i wanna just get a little more feedbacks from different owners ) or is there anyone out there happen to own both 2490 and 2690? that would be even better! ( or i should just go 1 2490 and 1 2690 so that itz only alittle more than 1 3090 but i can have dual monitors and one on the pc and one on the PS3 lol!!! )

so with all the numbers showering on different site and such does the 2490 has better color than the 2690 or they are the same ( i have this thought becuz the price for 2490 the same as the 2690 ) and other than that... what else i need to know the difference between them!

should i stick with the ones that have the NEC colormeter or i m better off with other brands?

jsut to make sure others know what i will be doing with this monitor i will just put it down as well.
mainly for digital photography editing with my computer and watching movies/ playing games with the PS3 ( blah blah blah BluRay )
 
Are you using analog (VGA) or digital (DVI) video to the monitor? You should be using digital if possible. If you must use analog, make sure you are using the v1.0.42 version of the SpectraView software. That could be the cause of the curve issue.

The Spyder devices are notoriously bad at measuring wide gamut displays such as the LCD2690 and give very large errors, as you are seeing with the odd measured gamut size. This is why these devices are not recommend (see the README file).

clifton28 said:
Hey,

I have problem with the new 2690 I brought.

After calibration using SV and spyder3, the grey scale value from 250-255 is all white. It even said so at the curve

Also the monitor gamut is a lot smaller than a lot of screenshots out there (which I believe is less than 90% of aRGB)

Is this monitor defective?

Thx
Click to expand...
 
so with all the numbers showering on different site and such does the 2490 has better color than the 2690 or they are the same ( i have this thought becuz the price for 2490 the same as the 2690 ) and other than that... what else i need to know the difference between them!

should i stick with the ones that have the NEC colormeter or i m better off with other brands?
Click to expand...

Difference between the 2490 and 2690 (besides size) -
2490: sRGB gamut
2690: wide gamut - about 93% coverage of the AdobeRGB gamut.

The colorimeter that NEC supplies is identical to X-Rite's i1 Display 2 colorimeter.
 
Hi,

I am using the newest version for SVII v1.0.42 and VGA instead of DVI.

So should I buy another calibrator? the one from NEC?

Thx
Clifton
 
clifton28 said:
Hi,

I am using the newest version for SVII v1.0.42 and VGA instead of DVI.

So should I buy another calibrator? the one from NEC?

Thx
Clifton
Click to expand...

While testing the NEC 3090WQXI I had same problem with Spyder3 (wrong color gamut report, wrong brightness measurements).
There were no problem with Eye One Display2 from SV II calibration kit.
 
mlewis said:
Difference between the 2490 and 2690 (besides size) -
2490: sRGB gamut
2690: wide gamut - about 93% coverage of the AdobeRGB gamut.

The colorimeter that NEC supplies is identical to X-Rite's i1 Display 2 colorimeter.
Click to expand...

in that case which one would i be needing more?

thanks

KeymaN
 
I would use an i1 Display 2 as that is what NEC would supply you with if you get the Spectraview kit. If you don't want to get one from NEC just get the X-Rite one as it is identical.
 
oh thx but i guess i didnt put it out right
i meant which monitor will i be need more since one has nicer color (?) and more pixel per inch and on the other hand the other one is wide gamut and in AdobeRBG.

thanks!

KeymaN
 
Do you plan to use aRGB? If not, then go probably 2490WUXi way. Unless you like larger pixels :)
 
If you can get the Eye One Display 2 that would be best. Others are supported based on NEC's list here:

http://www.necdisplay.com/SupportCe...ewindows_v1_0_42.html#Supported Color Sensors

Scroll down to see supported color sensors for the colorimeter list.

If you can use DVI, I would advise it, as color is generally a bit more accurate.

You may also want to try and download/install the latest colorimeter drivers from the CD as advised by this page.

Good luck,

10e

clifton28 said:
Hi,

I am using the newest version for SVII v1.0.42 and VGA instead of DVI.

So should I buy another calibrator? the one from NEC?

Thx
Clifton
Click to expand...
 
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