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NEC 23" IPS EA231WMi
- Thread starter adamj023
- Start date
I don't really see how this test method can be used to confirm anything. There are too many variables to consider. You can tilt the screen a couple centimeters off center and produce an image where the uniformity looks off if you compare it in a photo.
You have so much chance for error in these photos. You are relying on another piece of technology, a camera, which operates under a completely different set of principles with regard to processing color.
For example your results might vary enough to show discoloration if:
you tilt the camera
have extraneous light, reflections or shadows,
have a lens imperfection
have a slightly less than perfect CCD in your camera
I have a hard time buying this as a "testing" procedure. Maybe I am wrong but you may not find a result that shows conformity using this technique.
Um, I appreciate your scientific approach, but the "method" I lauded as Genius is Genius specifically because it shows so well on-screen what I (and others) can see with our eyes. It may not be accurate given all the variables, but it's certainly not creating something from our imaginations - it's showing things as we're trying to describe them. To that end, the method is perfectly suitable and highlights to those for whom it isn't obvious what, for some, is an irritating trait in these LG panels. I'm sure you can appreciate that.
Mine came in Friday.
Uniformity
The color uniformity is a bit off. The left side is bluer and the right side is yellower. I don't know if I can deal with this. I already went through this crap with the Dell 2209WA. After six tries, I kept the one with the worst backlight bleeding because it was the only one without other problems that had decent color uniformity. I'm still not happy about that, especially since the color uniformity still wasn't perfect, but it's much better than what I got with this NEC. I don't understand how manufacturers can remain so oblivious when the uniformity problems are so widespread. This wasn't a common problem with older IPS panels.
This image was not enhanced in any way:
Other than the color uniformity, it's a decent monitor, but the uniformity is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.
Brightness & Contrast
This monitor can go down to a very low brightness without losing contrast. I'm talking like below 40 cd/m², at which point the black point is below 0.05 cd/m². You don't have to worry about burning your eyes out on this monitor.
The native contrast is around 1000:1. I actually measured 1022:1 at 135.928 cd/m² (0.133 cd/m² black point), but the contrast will vary from unit to unit, and even on the same unit in different parts of the screen, or even in the same part of the screen at different times.
Calibrating to a non-native white point will also reduce the contrast. The first time I calibrated, I got around 870:1 at 118.329 cd/m² (0.136 cd/m² black point). It looks like the black point has improved since then, so it'd probably be around 900:1 now.
This is the highest-contrast IPS monitor I've seen so far, but PVA monitors can still do better.
Colors
The native gamma is a bit darker than 2.2, like around 2.4. This is the opposite of what I usually see with IPS monitors. Usually the native gamma is a bit lighter than 2.2.
Here is the gamma correction chart:
The native white point is a bit green, but the color adjustments work relatively well. They affect colors more evenly than most IPS monitors, and there's no banding or visible dithering with any color adjustments.
The gamut is close to sRGB, but there's one thing that's been bugging me slightly: the blues are a little cyan/green. I also noticed this on the NEC LCD2490WUXi and the 24" iMac, but I didn't think much of it at the time. Now that I understand gamut better, I can see what's going on.
Measurements confirm what I'm seeing (NEC EA231WMi vs. Dell 2209WA):
The Dell has blues closer to sRGB, which the NEC can't reproduce. Honestly, it's not a huge difference, but the Dell is slightly more accurate in this case.
Backlight Bleeding
There's a hint of bleeding in the corners, and mine has a small bright spot in the bottom-right corner:
Viewing Angles
The viewing angles are typical of IPS panels, except I also see the darkening at extreme vertical angles that some people have reported on the HP LP2475w, Dell U2410, and NEC LCD2490WUXi2. It only happens beyond 40 degrees vertical, so it's not a problem from a normal viewing position. For some reason, the Dell 2209WA doesn't do this.
There's also the typical glow:
Coating
The anti-glare coating looks exactly the same as the Dell 2209WA to me. I don't know why some people are saying it's not as grainy. It's definitely not the mild coating I saw on first-generation H-IPS panels. I wish LG wouldn't use such an aggressive coating, but it's not a big deal to me.
Video Resolutions
This monitor handles the PlayStation 3 perfectly without screwing with the colors or distorting the aspect ratio.
1080p is perfectly 1:1 mapped without any banding or distortion, no 24 Hz support though
1080i is supported but the deinterlacing isn't great
720p is scaled properly
480p can be scaled to 16:9, something most monitors can't do, but aspect scaling is still 3:2
None of the modes have overscan.
Response Time
The response time is slightly worse than I expected. I can see why they rated it 14 ms. It doesn't have overdrive. There's a little bit of trailing compared to the Dell 2209WA, but it's nowhere near as bad as the Samsung F2380. The NEC is actually usable in comparison.
One example: in Mega Man 9, the stars in the background of Galaxy Man's stage would disappear on the Samsung when scrolling, and there would be a dark trail when jumping in front of the red backgrounds. That's not a problem at all on the NEC.
I don't think most people will be bothered by the response time, but it's not as fast as the Dell 2209WA, which has a very well-tuned overdrive. The response time is more like the Apple displays (also rated at 14 ms) and the DoubleSight DS-263N (erroneously rated at 5 ms).
Lag
This monitor doesn't bother me, so it has to be less than a frame. I will do a precise test later, but lag is not something you have to worry about on this monitor.
Refresh Rates
Bad news: I can't get it to do 75 Hz at 1080p over DVI.
Good news: It can do up to 74.6 Hz at 1080p over DVI and 81 Hz at lower resolutions without skipping frames! It can also do 81 Hz at 1080p over VGA, but VGA is a bit blurry. I bet it can do 81 Hz at 1080p over DisplayPort, but I don't have a DisplayPort card. I will get one to test this.
These are the timing parameters I used to get 74.6 Hz at 1080p:
Horizontal active: 1920
Horizontal front porch: 25
Horizontal sync width: 35
Horizontal back porch: 45
Horizontal total: 2025
Vertical active: 1080
Vertical front porch: 3
Vertical sync width: 4
Vertical back porch: 5
Vertical total: 1092
You can also use those settings to do 72 Hz at 1080p.
For 1080p at 81 Hz over VGA, I just used the default timing parameters:
Horizontal active: 1920
Horizontal front porch: 88
Horizontal sync width: 44
Horizontal back porch: 148
Horizontal total: 2200
Vertical active: 1080
Vertical front porch: 4
Vertical sync width: 5
Vertical back porch: 36
Vertical total: 1125
You can also use those parameters for lower resolutions over DVI, like 720p at 72 Hz:
Horizontal active: 1280
Horizontal front porch: 88
Horizontal sync width: 44
Horizontal back porch: 148
Horizontal total: 1560
Vertical active: 720
Vertical front porch: 4
Vertical sync width: 5
Vertical back porch: 36
Vertical total: 765
That also works for 720p at 81 Hz.
Other Stuff
This monitor has three video inputs: DVI, DisplayPort, VGA
There are speakers, but I have not tested them. They're not in plain view.
The power LED is blue, but you can adjust the brightness and even turn it off.
The bezel is inset and reflects the screen slightly like the Dell 2209WA, but it's not a problem for me since the bezel is matte. It's nothing in comparison to glossy bezels, which act like a mirror.
A little bird told me the panel is an LG Display LM230WF2 (SL)(A1).
Uniformity
The color uniformity is a bit off. The left side is bluer and the right side is yellower. I don't know if I can deal with this. I already went through this crap with the Dell 2209WA. After six tries, I kept the one with the worst backlight bleeding because it was the only one without other problems that had decent color uniformity. I'm still not happy about that, especially since the color uniformity still wasn't perfect, but it's much better than what I got with this NEC. I don't understand how manufacturers can remain so oblivious when the uniformity problems are so widespread. This wasn't a common problem with older IPS panels.
This image was not enhanced in any way:
Other than the color uniformity, it's a decent monitor, but the uniformity is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.
Brightness & Contrast
This monitor can go down to a very low brightness without losing contrast. I'm talking like below 40 cd/m², at which point the black point is below 0.05 cd/m². You don't have to worry about burning your eyes out on this monitor.
The native contrast is around 1000:1. I actually measured 1022:1 at 135.928 cd/m² (0.133 cd/m² black point), but the contrast will vary from unit to unit, and even on the same unit in different parts of the screen, or even in the same part of the screen at different times.
Calibrating to a non-native white point will also reduce the contrast. The first time I calibrated, I got around 870:1 at 118.329 cd/m² (0.136 cd/m² black point). It looks like the black point has improved since then, so it'd probably be around 900:1 now.
This is the highest-contrast IPS monitor I've seen so far, but PVA monitors can still do better.
Colors
The native gamma is a bit darker than 2.2, like around 2.4. This is the opposite of what I usually see with IPS monitors. Usually the native gamma is a bit lighter than 2.2.
Here is the gamma correction chart:
The native white point is a bit green, but the color adjustments work relatively well. They affect colors more evenly than most IPS monitors, and there's no banding or visible dithering with any color adjustments.
The gamut is close to sRGB, but there's one thing that's been bugging me slightly: the blues are a little cyan/green. I also noticed this on the NEC LCD2490WUXi and the 24" iMac, but I didn't think much of it at the time. Now that I understand gamut better, I can see what's going on.
Measurements confirm what I'm seeing (NEC EA231WMi vs. Dell 2209WA):
The Dell has blues closer to sRGB, which the NEC can't reproduce. Honestly, it's not a huge difference, but the Dell is slightly more accurate in this case.
Backlight Bleeding
There's a hint of bleeding in the corners, and mine has a small bright spot in the bottom-right corner:
Viewing Angles
The viewing angles are typical of IPS panels, except I also see the darkening at extreme vertical angles that some people have reported on the HP LP2475w, Dell U2410, and NEC LCD2490WUXi2. It only happens beyond 40 degrees vertical, so it's not a problem from a normal viewing position. For some reason, the Dell 2209WA doesn't do this.
There's also the typical glow:
Coating
The anti-glare coating looks exactly the same as the Dell 2209WA to me. I don't know why some people are saying it's not as grainy. It's definitely not the mild coating I saw on first-generation H-IPS panels. I wish LG wouldn't use such an aggressive coating, but it's not a big deal to me.
Video Resolutions
This monitor handles the PlayStation 3 perfectly without screwing with the colors or distorting the aspect ratio.
1080p is perfectly 1:1 mapped without any banding or distortion, no 24 Hz support though
1080i is supported but the deinterlacing isn't great
720p is scaled properly
480p can be scaled to 16:9, something most monitors can't do, but aspect scaling is still 3:2
None of the modes have overscan.
Response Time
The response time is slightly worse than I expected. I can see why they rated it 14 ms. It doesn't have overdrive. There's a little bit of trailing compared to the Dell 2209WA, but it's nowhere near as bad as the Samsung F2380. The NEC is actually usable in comparison.
One example: in Mega Man 9, the stars in the background of Galaxy Man's stage would disappear on the Samsung when scrolling, and there would be a dark trail when jumping in front of the red backgrounds. That's not a problem at all on the NEC.
I don't think most people will be bothered by the response time, but it's not as fast as the Dell 2209WA, which has a very well-tuned overdrive. The response time is more like the Apple displays (also rated at 14 ms) and the DoubleSight DS-263N (erroneously rated at 5 ms).
Lag
This monitor doesn't bother me, so it has to be less than a frame. I will do a precise test later, but lag is not something you have to worry about on this monitor.
Refresh Rates
Bad news: I can't get it to do 75 Hz at 1080p over DVI.
Good news: It can do up to 74.6 Hz at 1080p over DVI and 81 Hz at lower resolutions without skipping frames! It can also do 81 Hz at 1080p over VGA, but VGA is a bit blurry. I bet it can do 81 Hz at 1080p over DisplayPort, but I don't have a DisplayPort card. I will get one to test this.
These are the timing parameters I used to get 74.6 Hz at 1080p:
Horizontal active: 1920
Horizontal front porch: 25
Horizontal sync width: 35
Horizontal back porch: 45
Horizontal total: 2025
Vertical active: 1080
Vertical front porch: 3
Vertical sync width: 4
Vertical back porch: 5
Vertical total: 1092
You can also use those settings to do 72 Hz at 1080p.
For 1080p at 81 Hz over VGA, I just used the default timing parameters:
Horizontal active: 1920
Horizontal front porch: 88
Horizontal sync width: 44
Horizontal back porch: 148
Horizontal total: 2200
Vertical active: 1080
Vertical front porch: 4
Vertical sync width: 5
Vertical back porch: 36
Vertical total: 1125
You can also use those parameters for lower resolutions over DVI, like 720p at 72 Hz:
Horizontal active: 1280
Horizontal front porch: 88
Horizontal sync width: 44
Horizontal back porch: 148
Horizontal total: 1560
Vertical active: 720
Vertical front porch: 4
Vertical sync width: 5
Vertical back porch: 36
Vertical total: 765
That also works for 720p at 81 Hz.
Other Stuff
This monitor has three video inputs: DVI, DisplayPort, VGA
There are speakers, but I have not tested them. They're not in plain view.
The power LED is blue, but you can adjust the brightness and even turn it off.
The bezel is inset and reflects the screen slightly like the Dell 2209WA, but it's not a problem for me since the bezel is matte. It's nothing in comparison to glossy bezels, which act like a mirror.
A little bird told me the panel is an LG Display LM230WF2 (SL)(A1).
vick1000
2[H]4U
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2007
- Messages
- 2,443
Thanx Toasty, nice review.
After reading this review, it looks like I'll wait to get a better monitor than this NEC.
Still not up to snuff. Was heavily leaning towards this one but it just isn't good enough. Hopefully other makers or models come out with a monitor that exceeds this with displayport or hdmi in a 23" IPS for a good price.
Thanks all. Looks like this isn't the right monitor for me but was close at first glance.
I waited and decided against it. My next hope is to see what other IPS 23" come out next in the future that have displayport and/or HDMI
Still not up to snuff. Was heavily leaning towards this one but it just isn't good enough. Hopefully other makers or models come out with a monitor that exceeds this with displayport or hdmi in a 23" IPS for a good price.
Thanks all. Looks like this isn't the right monitor for me but was close at first glance.
I waited and decided against it. My next hope is to see what other IPS 23" come out next in the future that have displayport and/or HDMI
I don't think it will happen anytime soon. The problem with all current ips panels seems to be lg. All of their IPS panels seem to have some flaws no matter the brand.
This would be a great monitor if LG would just get their act together and fix the color uniformity problems that have been plaguing their panels lately.
Powerstrip, or with NVIDIA cards, you can add a custom resolution in the driver control panel.Xec said:
Hannstar and Chuangwa Picture Tubes, Ltd. both also do Inline Plane Switching panels.
NEC has the advanced polarizers on the 24" which are more pricey and they also use better panels than the E-IPS ones.
Hannstar has cross licensing agreements with Hitachi. Unfortunately, Hitachi got out of the game by making their own monitors.
I dont know which models are IPS of Hannstar and Chuangwa and how they perform compared to LG Counterparts.
I believe Hannstar is IPS on its LCD TV's only as I just checked the website. LG could be the only one. I will see what Chuangwa has.
NEC has the advanced polarizers on the 24" which are more pricey and they also use better panels than the E-IPS ones.
Hannstar has cross licensing agreements with Hitachi. Unfortunately, Hitachi got out of the game by making their own monitors.
I dont know which models are IPS of Hannstar and Chuangwa and how they perform compared to LG Counterparts.
I believe Hannstar is IPS on its LCD TV's only as I just checked the website. LG could be the only one. I will see what Chuangwa has.
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vick1000
2[H]4U
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2007
- Messages
- 2,443
The only othe IPS panels are in TVs.
NEC is top grade engineering for displays so my guess is that the e-IPS line of their monitors is the issue and there is a reason why cost is under $400 for the NEC 23" e-IPS while the 24" are $900+.
I still like NEC as a vendor though. Will see if later batches of IPS Panels show improvement. Spending $900+ just isn't an option right now so I'll see what happens.
I still like NEC as a vendor though. Will see if later batches of IPS Panels show improvement. Spending $900+ just isn't an option right now so I'll see what happens.
Thanks for the review, Toasty.
I have to to ask you, going by memory, how would you say the responsiveness of the NEC EA231WMi compares to the NEC 20WMGX2? I remember reading your review of that monitor a few years back. I currently own one and this 23" NEC is the best replacement option I've seen so far.
I have to to ask you, going by memory, how would you say the responsiveness of the NEC EA231WMi compares to the NEC 20WMGX2? I remember reading your review of that monitor a few years back. I currently own one and this 23" NEC is the best replacement option I've seen so far.
The 20WMGX2 had overdrive, but I remember it being not as well tuned as the Dell 2209WA. I'd say the response time was somewhere between the Dell and this monitor.
The 20WMGX2 couldn't do higher refresh rates properly, while the Dell and this monitor can, which helps with the responsiveness.
None of these monitors have any significant lag.
The 20WMGX2 couldn't do higher refresh rates properly, while the Dell and this monitor can, which helps with the responsiveness.
None of these monitors have any significant lag.
Thank you very much for the answer Toasty.
I didn't know that a higher refresh rate could help with the responsiveness of a monitor. So then the EA231wmi at 81Hz could potentially be around the 20WMGX2's level?
I'm going to try get this NEC and see for myself.
I didn't know that a higher refresh rate could help with the responsiveness of a monitor. So then the EA231wmi at 81Hz could potentially be around the 20WMGX2's level?
I'm going to try get this NEC and see for myself.
Great review ToasyX, thanks for all the tech details!
Since it's pretty clear to us that LG is the weak link here and that if they got their act together, we would all have surprisingly close to "perfect" monitors, what can we do about it? Can we contact LG directly and would it make any difference? What i'm trying to say is that we won't have much luck just waiting for LG to realise something that either they aren't aware of or don't care about because it's not affecting sales. If they are the only vendor to make IPS panels then that seems to me to be the reason for shoddiness in QC right there: no competition! The squeaky door gets the grease, as they say!
I think it's pretty undeinable that these NEC monitors have these uniformity issues and I think that if enough of us who have bought them use our next-business day swap warranty with NEC (They bring you the new one and pick up the old one the next day - i.e. you won't be without a monitor and very little inconvenience usually) and also e-mail NEC or call them maybe they will feed this back to LG. No company wants people sending things back because of faults and if enough of us simply feed back to NEC these problems they will hopefully start to take notice. What i'm trying to say is that none of this will change if none of us do anything to let NEC know that we're not happy with the quality of the LG panels they are using. Doing something in this case is also as easy as calling them:
0870 1201160 (UK)
or e-mailing them including a picture showing the problem (middle cut out helps!) along with your serial number:
[email protected]
And by the way, they are very friendly and polite.
You would be doing yourself and all of us here a massive favour. Who's with me?
Since it's pretty clear to us that LG is the weak link here and that if they got their act together, we would all have surprisingly close to "perfect" monitors, what can we do about it? Can we contact LG directly and would it make any difference? What i'm trying to say is that we won't have much luck just waiting for LG to realise something that either they aren't aware of or don't care about because it's not affecting sales. If they are the only vendor to make IPS panels then that seems to me to be the reason for shoddiness in QC right there: no competition! The squeaky door gets the grease, as they say!
I think it's pretty undeinable that these NEC monitors have these uniformity issues and I think that if enough of us who have bought them use our next-business day swap warranty with NEC (They bring you the new one and pick up the old one the next day - i.e. you won't be without a monitor and very little inconvenience usually) and also e-mail NEC or call them maybe they will feed this back to LG. No company wants people sending things back because of faults and if enough of us simply feed back to NEC these problems they will hopefully start to take notice. What i'm trying to say is that none of this will change if none of us do anything to let NEC know that we're not happy with the quality of the LG panels they are using. Doing something in this case is also as easy as calling them:
0870 1201160 (UK)
or e-mailing them including a picture showing the problem (middle cut out helps!) along with your serial number:
[email protected]
And by the way, they are very friendly and polite.
You would be doing yourself and all of us here a massive favour. Who's with me?
NEC is a Japanese firm with an old time management firm. In fact if one flew into Japan they could meet the executives at a free event. NEC is an outstanding company doing the best they can with their monitors. The EA series is a business class line and not the premium grade which are truly exceptional monitors.
The problem is isolated to the price equilibrium they decided for these monitors as well as the inherent design flaws of the e-IPS panel. NEC is not to blame here at all. These monitors were designed from the ground up to be "Business Class" monitors and even with the current flaws seems to fit this mold.
The advanced IPS and polarizers and other items add significant cost which is why we are seeing the 24" top tier ones at a price of $900+.
The new panels come out every few years, not every year so NEC in my own guess is unlikely to be able to do anything.
NEC has made a good product at a good price point for those who need an IPS panel today, and can live with its shortcomings.
From Wiki:
Super-IPS S-IPS 2001 LG.Philips remains as one of the main manufacturers of panels based on Hitachi Super-IPS.
Advanced Super-IPS AS-IPS 2005 Increased contrast ratio with better color gamut.
Horizontal IPS H-IPS 2007 Improves contrast ratio by twisting electrode plane layout. Also introduces an optional Advanced True White polarizing film from NEC, to make white look more natural. This is used in professional/photography LCDs.
Enhanced IPS E-IPS 2009 Improves diagonal viewing angle and further reduce response time to 5ms
The e-IPS panels are all used in the cheaper monitors and are not an improvement. They reduce cost and have all the flaws we know about compared to current H-IPS counterparts. Previously ever 2-4 years we had a design change in the panel types. So it is likely that e-IPS is just limited and will always be what we see with the NEC models.
The $300-$400 range right now is a cPVA vs eIPS choice. And people are making that eIPS choice today. But for me, realizing that a new panel or monitor with a nice pricepoint lower than the NEC 24"'s at 900+ is not going to happen today or in the coming months because the NEC IPS is where its at will wait this round out as long as I can.
Newer panels will emerge in due time and/or prices on the H-IPS panels will drop in price as we get further into the evolutionary stages.
Could take a few years yet however. It is reasons like this I never wound up swapping out this CRT because it continues to work. The evolution of LCD has been nice and while the masses use the product on a daily basis, I think in terms of the evolutionary stages and what this monitor will do for me.
So off I go back into the waiting room, and will step into the marketplace to reevaluate my choices at a later point in time.
If this Hitachi CRT broke today and I needed an immediate replacement, the EA231wmi would have likely been the monitor I got. But its still kicking fine and so I will still hold out.
NEC is doing quite well on this monitor in sales even without my purchase and I could nab one right now for $360 shipped. However monitor is consistently selling and supplies are very low. Samsung F2380 is the opposite with loads of inventory in stock which isn't selling so well leading to drops in prices on a brand new model.
F2380 is not good enough for me and neither is EA231wmi unfortunately. The pricey NEC's are but the prices are trending too high at this point in time. Will wait for the new models come October/November 2010 or a closeout on one of the NEC H-IPS models if any bargains exist.
The problem is isolated to the price equilibrium they decided for these monitors as well as the inherent design flaws of the e-IPS panel. NEC is not to blame here at all. These monitors were designed from the ground up to be "Business Class" monitors and even with the current flaws seems to fit this mold.
The advanced IPS and polarizers and other items add significant cost which is why we are seeing the 24" top tier ones at a price of $900+.
The new panels come out every few years, not every year so NEC in my own guess is unlikely to be able to do anything.
NEC has made a good product at a good price point for those who need an IPS panel today, and can live with its shortcomings.
From Wiki:
Super-IPS S-IPS 2001 LG.Philips remains as one of the main manufacturers of panels based on Hitachi Super-IPS.
Advanced Super-IPS AS-IPS 2005 Increased contrast ratio with better color gamut.
Horizontal IPS H-IPS 2007 Improves contrast ratio by twisting electrode plane layout. Also introduces an optional Advanced True White polarizing film from NEC, to make white look more natural. This is used in professional/photography LCDs.
Enhanced IPS E-IPS 2009 Improves diagonal viewing angle and further reduce response time to 5ms
The e-IPS panels are all used in the cheaper monitors and are not an improvement. They reduce cost and have all the flaws we know about compared to current H-IPS counterparts. Previously ever 2-4 years we had a design change in the panel types. So it is likely that e-IPS is just limited and will always be what we see with the NEC models.
The $300-$400 range right now is a cPVA vs eIPS choice. And people are making that eIPS choice today. But for me, realizing that a new panel or monitor with a nice pricepoint lower than the NEC 24"'s at 900+ is not going to happen today or in the coming months because the NEC IPS is where its at will wait this round out as long as I can.
Newer panels will emerge in due time and/or prices on the H-IPS panels will drop in price as we get further into the evolutionary stages.
Could take a few years yet however. It is reasons like this I never wound up swapping out this CRT because it continues to work. The evolution of LCD has been nice and while the masses use the product on a daily basis, I think in terms of the evolutionary stages and what this monitor will do for me.
So off I go back into the waiting room, and will step into the marketplace to reevaluate my choices at a later point in time.
If this Hitachi CRT broke today and I needed an immediate replacement, the EA231wmi would have likely been the monitor I got. But its still kicking fine and so I will still hold out.
NEC is doing quite well on this monitor in sales even without my purchase and I could nab one right now for $360 shipped. However monitor is consistently selling and supplies are very low. Samsung F2380 is the opposite with loads of inventory in stock which isn't selling so well leading to drops in prices on a brand new model.
F2380 is not good enough for me and neither is EA231wmi unfortunately. The pricey NEC's are but the prices are trending too high at this point in time. Will wait for the new models come October/November 2010 or a closeout on one of the NEC H-IPS models if any bargains exist.
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Just got my NEC today. I do like it better than the Dell U2410. I think the grainy coating is less in the NEC. And I like the size better 23 inch is nice. No buzzing coming from it. Colors look nice and no backlight bleed that I can see.
Yeah,
Just got mine today, too.
And it's a keeper!
Gee, the stand raises and tilts so nicely, I almost regret getting an Ergotron Arm a few months ago.
Here's a link to two downloadable photos I took very abruptly, as the initial feedback seems complete already:
http://public.me.com/newjerusalemtimes
One shows the NEC with my Dell 2005WFP. The other shows the NEC with a solid gray desktop pattern, which seems to be the color that shows the problem others have mentioned and shown with their photos.
Mine doesn't seem to be a problem. But, although it may not show it in the photo much, in person it is a bit lighter right on the edge of the panel at the right side when a solid gray background is used. It may be more of a backlight issue than a true color shift. In any event, it's not a problem for me, per se. I did calibrate with the built-in Apple utility, and I selected Adobe 1998 RGB.
I like the 23" size. The 16:9 aspect ratio is good, too, since I can shuffle things off to the side, like an EyeTV window, Photoshop palettes, etc, and HD TV content fits full screen at 1:1. Oh, and now HDCP stuff is playable in HD.
Viewing angles all seem fine to me. There is a little white glow at sharp viewing angles with black backgrounds, but thats not a real problem at all. The IPS Dell was more pronounced and had a purple/blue glow at similar angles.
The USB hub is on the left of the panel. The right side seems more fitting, to me.
So, this panel seems like a satisfying upgrade, to me, and for the price, from my Dell 2005WFP, which was very good for its time, and which did cost about the same as the NEC does now, even with about four or five years of massive State Monetary Inflation/Printing.
Peace to you all,
C. Livingstone
Just got mine today, too.
And it's a keeper!
Gee, the stand raises and tilts so nicely, I almost regret getting an Ergotron Arm a few months ago.
Here's a link to two downloadable photos I took very abruptly, as the initial feedback seems complete already:
http://public.me.com/newjerusalemtimes
One shows the NEC with my Dell 2005WFP. The other shows the NEC with a solid gray desktop pattern, which seems to be the color that shows the problem others have mentioned and shown with their photos.
Mine doesn't seem to be a problem. But, although it may not show it in the photo much, in person it is a bit lighter right on the edge of the panel at the right side when a solid gray background is used. It may be more of a backlight issue than a true color shift. In any event, it's not a problem for me, per se. I did calibrate with the built-in Apple utility, and I selected Adobe 1998 RGB.
I like the 23" size. The 16:9 aspect ratio is good, too, since I can shuffle things off to the side, like an EyeTV window, Photoshop palettes, etc, and HD TV content fits full screen at 1:1. Oh, and now HDCP stuff is playable in HD.
Viewing angles all seem fine to me. There is a little white glow at sharp viewing angles with black backgrounds, but thats not a real problem at all. The IPS Dell was more pronounced and had a purple/blue glow at similar angles.
The USB hub is on the left of the panel. The right side seems more fitting, to me.
So, this panel seems like a satisfying upgrade, to me, and for the price, from my Dell 2005WFP, which was very good for its time, and which did cost about the same as the NEC does now, even with about four or five years of massive State Monetary Inflation/Printing.
Peace to you all,
C. Livingstone
Forgive my ignorance, but is sRGB preferred for someone who is going to use a monitor primarily for viewing movies, gaming, and just general internet activities. I am seriously considering this monitor except for the few complaints I have read in this thread. I realize there is no such thing as a perfect monitor. Overall, how would you rate this monitor?
XMonkey-v2.0
2[H]4U
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Ya, sRGB is better off for those things. Really, the only use I see for wide gamut monitors right now is if you're a photographer (or anything professional related to color... printing, color grading for film, etc) that works with photos/media that have more colors than the sRGB color space provides. Because movies, games, and most everything on the internet is still optimized for sRGB display it makes the most sense to stick with that for now.
I don't personally have the NEC, so I can't say how I would rate it, but as soon as I can get some money together I'll probably be purchasing it.
Yeah,
I'm digging this new display.
The size is great for me, as it can be viewed close, at around 20", or is also good at 6-10 feet for full screen video.
The Standard and Dynamic DV Modes seem best for general purposes. But on Dynamic all the Eco and Ambient light sensing ability is disabled. Standard is where I'm leaving it for now. There are other settings though, like Movie, Gaming, and Photo, but they seem washed out or make for jaggy text.
The sRGB and Native color modes both seem good. There are other Menu settings that seem to cast odd hues.
The Menu allows switching the audio between the Displayport (probably DVI too) and the audio mini jack cable, for those who are curious about that. My Mac Mini is connected by its mini-Displayport, but Apple does not currently enable the audio over its Displayport, yet. I have sound out to a 5.1 system via an Optical cable, anyway.
This is a nice display and a good value for general purposes, in my unscientific opinion. It's not loaded down with extras and multiple ports like some of the latest 24" Dell models, but I like that it doesn't. That in-depth German review, listed in this thread somewhere, seems to have noted its gray balance deficiency. And apart from that very narrow deficiency, I see no other weakness on this unit after using it for almost a day now. Of course, I'm not saying that this monitor is for gaming, as I'm not a gamer.
Peace to you all,
C. Livingstone
I'm digging this new display.
The size is great for me, as it can be viewed close, at around 20", or is also good at 6-10 feet for full screen video.
The Standard and Dynamic DV Modes seem best for general purposes. But on Dynamic all the Eco and Ambient light sensing ability is disabled. Standard is where I'm leaving it for now. There are other settings though, like Movie, Gaming, and Photo, but they seem washed out or make for jaggy text.
The sRGB and Native color modes both seem good. There are other Menu settings that seem to cast odd hues.
The Menu allows switching the audio between the Displayport (probably DVI too) and the audio mini jack cable, for those who are curious about that. My Mac Mini is connected by its mini-Displayport, but Apple does not currently enable the audio over its Displayport, yet. I have sound out to a 5.1 system via an Optical cable, anyway.
This is a nice display and a good value for general purposes, in my unscientific opinion. It's not loaded down with extras and multiple ports like some of the latest 24" Dell models, but I like that it doesn't. That in-depth German review, listed in this thread somewhere, seems to have noted its gray balance deficiency. And apart from that very narrow deficiency, I see no other weakness on this unit after using it for almost a day now. Of course, I'm not saying that this monitor is for gaming, as I'm not a gamer.
Peace to you all,
C. Livingstone
Sparco.com has more in stock for $360 and in most warehouses across the country for those interested for $360 with free shipping.
BH has its own warehouse at a higher price. Newegg has yet to get this monitor in last I checked.
BH is pretty much ordering these on demand rather than keeping them in stock. Don't look to B+H as a good vendor for these models unless they have it in stock and at the store which they don't. Don't know why they don't, but it seems like this model is mail order only for the most part. BH was the only local vendor I knew and they aren't displaying it.
BH has its own warehouse at a higher price. Newegg has yet to get this monitor in last I checked.
BH is pretty much ordering these on demand rather than keeping them in stock. Don't look to B+H as a good vendor for these models unless they have it in stock and at the store which they don't. Don't know why they don't, but it seems like this model is mail order only for the most part. BH was the only local vendor I knew and they aren't displaying it.
Yeah,
I pre-ordered almost as soon as B & H was accepting orders. And, of course, the release date for the NEC got delayed. But I did receive the display in a nice double-boxed fashion, and I paid no tax.
So, B & H Photo is still a great place to get the NEC since the display has now been released, especially if you order from outside the NY area.
But if Sparco doesn't have a State-licensed "presence" beyond its local area, then $360 with free shipping would be very good as a final price, but not if needless taxes are added. But, if Sparco really does have "warehouses across the country", then they are a bad vendor, to me, because they charge tax, needlessly, to those outside one area, like Dell does. I mean, $360 with tax is about the same as B & H to me in the Rocky Mountains at $369, plus shipping, with $400.40 as a final price, and no tax.
And, like I said before, I'd even pay a little more to deny hostile, lazy State politicians and bureaucrats a figurative fix, not of drugs, but of of revenue, which they seem to always require more and more of from their host, like junkies. So, as you see, oftentimes there are ethics involved in my purchases, which causes me not to obsess about the lowest price, too.
In any event, the NEC EA231WMi is a great IPS display value at the current prices offered by various vendors.
And, again, NEC the EA231WMi is proving, to me, to be a great upgrade to my Dell 2005WFP, which was also great, for its time. So, I'm very satisfied, and the unit is now saving me on electricity costs, too. Yippee!
Peace to you all,
C. Livingstone
I pre-ordered almost as soon as B & H was accepting orders. And, of course, the release date for the NEC got delayed. But I did receive the display in a nice double-boxed fashion, and I paid no tax.
So, B & H Photo is still a great place to get the NEC since the display has now been released, especially if you order from outside the NY area.
But if Sparco doesn't have a State-licensed "presence" beyond its local area, then $360 with free shipping would be very good as a final price, but not if needless taxes are added. But, if Sparco really does have "warehouses across the country", then they are a bad vendor, to me, because they charge tax, needlessly, to those outside one area, like Dell does. I mean, $360 with tax is about the same as B & H to me in the Rocky Mountains at $369, plus shipping, with $400.40 as a final price, and no tax.
And, like I said before, I'd even pay a little more to deny hostile, lazy State politicians and bureaucrats a figurative fix, not of drugs, but of of revenue, which they seem to always require more and more of from their host, like junkies. So, as you see, oftentimes there are ethics involved in my purchases, which causes me not to obsess about the lowest price, too.
In any event, the NEC EA231WMi is a great IPS display value at the current prices offered by various vendors.
And, again, NEC the EA231WMi is proving, to me, to be a great upgrade to my Dell 2005WFP, which was also great, for its time. So, I'm very satisfied, and the unit is now saving me on electricity costs, too. Yippee!
Peace to you all,
C. Livingstone
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$400 is still a fair price considering what you get.
I paid $700+ for my NEC 20WMGX2 (May 2006) and had absolutely no reservations about that. It was the best of the best and in some regards can still hold its own against displays of today.
It seems I'll probably be joining you guys and buying this bad boy. My NEC has developed the dreaded top screen stain and it has very noticeable yellow tinting on the right side that was not there when it was brand new. I think the backlight might be starting to get dimmer also.
Guess 14000 hours might do that to a monitor.
The old girl could still be useful as a standard cable TV set though, since it has the right parts for the job.
I paid $700+ for my NEC 20WMGX2 (May 2006) and had absolutely no reservations about that. It was the best of the best and in some regards can still hold its own against displays of today.
It seems I'll probably be joining you guys and buying this bad boy. My NEC has developed the dreaded top screen stain and it has very noticeable yellow tinting on the right side that was not there when it was brand new. I think the backlight might be starting to get dimmer also.
Guess 14000 hours might do that to a monitor.
The old girl could still be useful as a standard cable TV set though, since it has the right parts for the job.
Update:
I recieved my replacement unit from NEC 2 days ago. Unfortunately, this one too has the color uniformity issue albeit not as severe as the original (RHS of screen more red than the LHS which is more blue). The bottom RH corner also has some backlight bleed.
All in all I have decided to stick with this one for now because I need to use it for work, seeing if I can get used to it. At the sametime I'll wait to see if the next batch/revision fair any better and maybe ask for another swap over then.
For potential buyers. Aside from the color uniformity issues (from what I have read most people with this issues see the RHS is more red/yellow and the LHS more blue) this is a good monitor for the money. However if you are using it for color critical work, I would wait to see if NEC will ship out a revised version or wait to see if the next batch fair any better avoiding the gamble.
I recieved my replacement unit from NEC 2 days ago. Unfortunately, this one too has the color uniformity issue albeit not as severe as the original (RHS of screen more red than the LHS which is more blue). The bottom RH corner also has some backlight bleed.
All in all I have decided to stick with this one for now because I need to use it for work, seeing if I can get used to it. At the sametime I'll wait to see if the next batch/revision fair any better and maybe ask for another swap over then.
For potential buyers. Aside from the color uniformity issues (from what I have read most people with this issues see the RHS is more red/yellow and the LHS more blue) this is a good monitor for the money. However if you are using it for color critical work, I would wait to see if NEC will ship out a revised version or wait to see if the next batch fair any better avoiding the gamble.
Thanks ToastyX - as usual your posts are very informative, but this is one of the best reviews I've read of this or any other monitor (including the professional reviews), being both comprehensive yet succinct, which is a rare combination. You've answered most of my questions before I could even ask them - nice job!