shadowlord
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received my silver/grey one today. works great, no dead pixel so far. i still need to tweak the settings a bit.
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NEC 23" IPS EA231WMi
- Thread starter adamj023
- Start date
Pictures please. I'm going black all the way to match my case, but I understand that some people have silver/aluminum cases.
Got mine today, just hooked it up. At first it was set at 1152x864 because that is what I had my CRT screen set to. In Control Panel > Display settings I can't set it higher than 1280x1024 though. So I went into ATI catalyst control center and under Displays Manager I was able to set it to 1920x1080. Looks better now. Is this what I was supposed to do? I'm not damaging my monitor am I? heh. This is my first LCD screen.
1920x1080 is the native resolution for this monitor, so you should set it to that. I don't know why you couldn't set it from the Windows control panel, though.
shadowlord
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here are some pictures of my silver model:
i just got my last night. no dead pixel at all. I had to update my nvidia driver to the latest one.
I love this monitor. I am still tweaking the setting. This monitor is set to Eco mode right out of the box. really dim look. After I changed it to regular mode. perfect !
I love this monitor. I am still tweaking the setting. This monitor is set to Eco mode right out of the box. really dim look. After I changed it to regular mode. perfect !
No displayport cable is included.
here are some pictures of my silver model:
Looks pretty nice. But it doesn't much your accessories at all! (black keyboard, black mouse, black speakers.)
Is your computer case silver or why'd you decide to go for that color?
shadowlord
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i thought that the black model would look too massive on the desk. The silver model had a shorter shipping time as well.
I will look for a silver keyboard and maybe paint the speaker grills.
I will look for a silver keyboard and maybe paint the speaker grills.
drbenjamin
n00b
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(edit) Actually 1, I see that the VESA question is answered in the thread (/edit)
Can anyone who owns this monitor help me out, I am looking to replace an old multisync 2080UX that is too heavy for my monitor arm.
1) Does this monitor have the 4 VESA mounting holes? 100mm apart?
2) How much does it weigh without the stand? Most specs include stand weight.
Much appreciated!
Can anyone who owns this monitor help me out, I am looking to replace an old multisync 2080UX that is too heavy for my monitor arm.
1) Does this monitor have the 4 VESA mounting holes? 100mm apart?
2) How much does it weigh without the stand? Most specs include stand weight.
Much appreciated!
This monitor does seem to be very nice overall.
I wish it had a TV/Monitor like the LG, which is only a TN panel unfortunately and also no local stores have the NEC to see in person or buy.
Considering the EA231WMI was the most recent new model sans Viewsonic equivalent, nothing else IPS or anything else for that matter has come out.
The LG TV/Monitor combo is from April 2009 so it is old already. EA231WMI from NEC is more recent considering its August 2009.
I guess before you know it the 2010 models will be out, including the NEC P231W which will be an improved model over the EA231WMI albeit at a higher price point.
I wish it had a TV/Monitor like the LG, which is only a TN panel unfortunately and also no local stores have the NEC to see in person or buy.
Considering the EA231WMI was the most recent new model sans Viewsonic equivalent, nothing else IPS or anything else for that matter has come out.
The LG TV/Monitor combo is from April 2009 so it is old already. EA231WMI from NEC is more recent considering its August 2009.
I guess before you know it the 2010 models will be out, including the NEC P231W which will be an improved model over the EA231WMI albeit at a higher price point.
Whoisthisreally
[H]ard|Gawd
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Recency is useless as a criteria for judging monitors.. A top performing monitor like the lcd2490wuxi came out back in 2006. Hell, I'd rather take a Sony SDM-P232W from 2002 than use one of today's joesonic shovelware models.
True which is why I have a 10 year old Hitachi CRT 19" which is still running strong and haven't bought a monitor yet.
The latest trend in monitor technology appears to be LED backlighting over CCFL but the truth is LED isn't a technological breakthrough. Think about changing a bulb from CCFL to LED. While its not a gimmick and LED is slightly superior to CCFL and a little more expensive in initial cost then you save in the back end with energy cost.
The current crop of monitor models is pretty weak across the board. Loads and loads of competitors and models, but the truth is the market has way too many different makes and models with everyone competing against each other. Monitors in the 23" range are now more like commodities than anything else.
Would be nice to see a stronger selection of newer technologies rather than a plethora of useless TN models all over the place made by various brands which truth be told are probably all made in the many of the same factories although to slightly different specifications as chosen by the vendor.
The NEC in Silver really does look like a nice monitor though. Seems like its made better than the Samsung I saw which I didn't like but if that is true then why isn't NEC allowing the item to be found in stores and is just selling them mail order. B+H and J+R and other NEC vendors, even Newegg doesn't have it unless it just added them recently.
With that being said, LED is coming to LG panels for 23" for 2010 and from others in the 23.6" size range so I am waiting till 2010 to see what is out at a minimum. It could be we see LED IPS in 2010/2011 and a 23" OLED in 2011/2012. By the time we get to OLED at a decent pricepoint, this CRT is toast. Before then, will see what emerges. The next monitor to see is the NEC P231W. After that, who knows what will be released. We will likely have a bunch of new models.
That Sony is hard to get a hold of. Used it sells for 2,000 give or take. Not many around. They didn't make too many of them.
The crop of pricey monitors is just out of my reach as they are too expensive by a long shot.
For me I am looking for a quality monitor for as little as possible, and an added TV Tuner would be a bonus if it had one. Can always add a tuner card via the PC and get an IPS monitor but having it built into the unit itself is more convenient than having the outputs in the PC.
This NEC EA231WMI pricing is pretty much where I want to be. The LG with TV Tuner is so close though. Will see what 2010 brings.
For LED monitors XL2370 Samsung overtakes the LG lines. The 23" non LED LG overtakes the Samsung's. So only time will tell how the 23" LG's fare with LED backlighting. IPS would be nice though.
Panasonic had a 23" TV with IPS but resolution is not optimal and it would work as a Monitor.
The latest trend in monitor technology appears to be LED backlighting over CCFL but the truth is LED isn't a technological breakthrough. Think about changing a bulb from CCFL to LED. While its not a gimmick and LED is slightly superior to CCFL and a little more expensive in initial cost then you save in the back end with energy cost.
The current crop of monitor models is pretty weak across the board. Loads and loads of competitors and models, but the truth is the market has way too many different makes and models with everyone competing against each other. Monitors in the 23" range are now more like commodities than anything else.
Would be nice to see a stronger selection of newer technologies rather than a plethora of useless TN models all over the place made by various brands which truth be told are probably all made in the many of the same factories although to slightly different specifications as chosen by the vendor.
The NEC in Silver really does look like a nice monitor though. Seems like its made better than the Samsung I saw which I didn't like but if that is true then why isn't NEC allowing the item to be found in stores and is just selling them mail order. B+H and J+R and other NEC vendors, even Newegg doesn't have it unless it just added them recently.
With that being said, LED is coming to LG panels for 23" for 2010 and from others in the 23.6" size range so I am waiting till 2010 to see what is out at a minimum. It could be we see LED IPS in 2010/2011 and a 23" OLED in 2011/2012. By the time we get to OLED at a decent pricepoint, this CRT is toast. Before then, will see what emerges. The next monitor to see is the NEC P231W. After that, who knows what will be released. We will likely have a bunch of new models.
That Sony is hard to get a hold of. Used it sells for 2,000 give or take. Not many around. They didn't make too many of them.
The crop of pricey monitors is just out of my reach as they are too expensive by a long shot.
For me I am looking for a quality monitor for as little as possible, and an added TV Tuner would be a bonus if it had one. Can always add a tuner card via the PC and get an IPS monitor but having it built into the unit itself is more convenient than having the outputs in the PC.
This NEC EA231WMI pricing is pretty much where I want to be. The LG with TV Tuner is so close though. Will see what 2010 brings.
For LED monitors XL2370 Samsung overtakes the LG lines. The 23" non LED LG overtakes the Samsung's. So only time will tell how the 23" LG's fare with LED backlighting. IPS would be nice though.
Panasonic had a 23" TV with IPS but resolution is not optimal and it would work as a Monitor.
Last edited:
More info about that? And did you write that model name right? Because Google search brought only one result - this thread.
Whoisthisreally
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He probably means PA231W.
the_real_7
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im returning my EA231WMi couldn't deal with only gettin it to look good in windows profile and then when playing a game , gettin all washed out and faded .. great monitor non the less especially for photos , but um im just a glossy screen fan back to my 20wmgx and um i actually just ordered two more from nec 
nec rules either way
nec rules either wayWhoisthisreally
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I doubt white LED backlighting is, or will continue to be. more expensive than CCFL. The reason behind its introduction I think is because it has the potential to make monitors more compact and therefore potentially cheaper to produce.
I don't expect white LED backlighting to necessarily make LCDs superior; A monitor with either type of backlight is going to be deficient compared to one with hardware uniformity correction.
Prad.de review has been published in English: http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2009/review-nec-ea231wmi-bk.html
Their website still claims they have nec models, not this one in particular, at best buy and other major retail chain stores. But they don't have any, online or in store. Same goes for staples, office max etc. But I'm afraid the average customer wouldn't notice the difference between the cheaper tn panels without a close inspection, anyway.
Average people that buy in big chain B&M stores like Best Buy generally don't have an eye for quality. A few people would buy them, but not enough to waste inventory space in the back. Inventory space = money, so its much more profitable for the stores to fill them up with TN panels instead.
This is why high end indie retailers or Apple stores are the only places where they stock good IPS displays. Those customers are looking for higher quality displays and are willing to drop the cash for it.
2 sets even.
Dunno about the screen, but the stand is 2.5kg (~5.7lbs).
I have it on an Ergotron Neo-Flex arm.
Weight and dimensions found by a bit of googling.
http://ca.buy.com/PR/Product.aspx?sku=211579088
most pertinently
http://ca.buy.com/PR/Product.aspx?sku=211579088
most pertinently
drbenjamin
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Awesome, guys I appreciate the info. Sounds like I'll be safe, the 2080UX is nearly 24 lbs, and makes my Ergotron flop forward at the ball joint.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
the_real_7
[H]ard|Gawd
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I have that arm and it held really good actual y held better than it held my 20 inch , just tighten up as much as you can where the head tilts
Preface:
First up please forgive my noobtastic noobiness. This is my first post on these forums though I have trawled here for a while. I merely felt I could contribute something useful re: my experience with this monitor.
This is not an unbiased review/rant (biased because I am loving my NEC). Forgive the length of this post but there is a lot to cover much of which is pertinent and interesting re: the monitor’s performance.
I am not a professional reviewer. I have just calibrated monitors in the past and like accurate colors.
And no..I am not trying to promote Avatar….I just like the wall paper
First up. Why did I buy this monitor?
Aesthetic design is what sold me. Combined with price and performance and the generally positive reviews on this forum.
I could have bought the NEC 2490wuxi, Eizo sx2462. Money wasn’t the major deciding factor.
So why didn’t I buy the 2490 or Eizo ?
2490: At the end of its life cycle so if you have problems and want to exchange (and they do have problems) I would have ended up with the inferior (by all accounts) 2490wuxi2. Also could not be guaranteed original 2490wuxi (limited/no supply in my country).
Also to me the 2490 just has an unappealing industrial design quality to it. It just seems better suited to engineering applications etc as NEC originally intended. I also question its value at approx $1000.
Eizo: Also unappealing brick like aesthetic design. Perfectly suited to professional uses, just not on my desktop (just too industrial looking as well). For this type of money I want something that looks good too.
Besides which it just does not seem right to be using a monitor that was originally intended for serious purposes (medical, engineering) and of this quality, for trivial activities such as movies/games or having pretty ladies grace your screen!
But the price in the end helped as well. Eizo at $1800.00 is just hard to justify.
Initial impressions:
I was struck by the thicker than normal (compared to my old Dell 228WFP anyway) bezel of the EA231. But this impression quickly passed and compared with the Dell this monitor just is plain nice to look at.
First up…..So what’s bad with this monitor?
TBH Very little. For a start I am a very picky person. I went through 4 craptastic Dell U2410’s all of which were returned. From my experience, shockingly under-whelming monitors. Bright pixels, MASSIVE screen uniformity issues, backlight issues and yes they have a thick grainy coating to them. You can’t know what this is like until you see it up close and compare to monitors without the grain. /rant
And the good?
From Prad:
Yes the joystick makes calibration a breeze.
http://users.tpg.com.au/avh16//displaycontrol.JPG
The Dell U2410 also can’t hold a candle to this monitor in this regard. Decidedly average looks and design. Happy to be rid of this monitor despite the extra inch. Grrr….
Again from Prad:
Out of the Box Experience:
Worth mentioning first up is the out of the box experience as many will not have a calibration device.
This really surprised me. I have calibrated maybe 7 other monitors and none produced/delivered such accurate results out of the box as the NEC (in sRGB mode though, other modes not so good). You could see it even without calibration though. Calibration merely confirmed my subjective impression. The colours were vivid and vibrant without being oversaturated. It just looked right. I took a screenshot of my calibration results in sRGB.
Again I have to say this is an outstanding result. You have extremely good color fidelity straight out of the box in SRGB. I cannot emphasise enough how pleasing this is to see in a monitor.
Prad summed it up best:
However during testing my test results were very much so in opposition to what Prad experienced with their testing. Their monitor in sRGB mode produced quite inaccurate colour results when tested:
This is not what I experienced in regard to this monitor. Maybe these monitors factory calibration settings vary considerably from sample to sample?
Calibrated Result:
Please note that for calibration I used BasICCcolor 4.1.17. This may explain some of the differences between my monitor calibration and Prad’s but it can’t account for all of the variation. I intend to calibrate with another program to verify these results/observations.
I wanted to see if the NEC could do better, particularly in Custom Mode where I could adjust RGB values accordingly.
Again I was impressed. DeltaE average was now down to 0.34 with a maximum of 0.87 and black level of 0.15 giving a not too bad contrast of 813:1. This is a stellar result for any monitor at any price. Needless to say I am a happy chappy!
Below DeltaE of 1 colors are considered to be theoretically accurate with imperceptible differences to the naked eye.
Again I achieved better results with my sample than Prad (I had Eco-mode turned off though, maybe this made a difference?) :
http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2009/review-nec-ea231wmi-bk-part8.html
I think some clarification is needed here. I was not trying for a direct side by side comparison review (with exact same calibration program, settings etc) but merely trying to point out what the monitor is capable of if you strike lucky in terms of panel quality and can calibrate it. I strongly suspect Prad did not receive a very good sample of this monitor and were plain unlucky.
Edit: Found another review on the net that confirmed my suspicions. The fellow here:
http://davidnaylor.org/blog/2009/11/nec-ea231wmi-review.html
seems to indicate that his monitor in sRGB is producing accurate colours out of the box(did he calibrate though?). Also has minimal uniformity issues compared to Prad's sample.
Also tried calibrating at brightness 28% (approx 120 cd/m2) and attempted black level of 0.13. Colors were a little less accurate but still excellent but black level was better. It’s a trade off I guess, extremely accurate colour or better black level and contrast.
It's also heartening to compare to black level results to the vaunted 2490wuxi:
I was also curious to see how the color accuracy compared to the 2490wuxi. From TFTcentral:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/nec_2490wuxi.htm
Again confirmation that this monitor at this price is producing amazing results. Only with Hardware calibration (using the 2490wuxi's in built look up table) was the 2490 able to produce slightly better results. And it costs something like 3 times the price.
I really am blown away by the monitor on my desk ATM.
I was also curious to see how low the black level could go. I set the brightness to 0. Luminance was a poor 60cd2/m. Not nearly enough to work by. Black level reached 0.05.
Prad went lower:
I concur. The monitor can get quite dim and is not at all too bright even out of the box, especially compared with U2410. But at this brightness the monitor is hardly useable.
One thing I can say having seen various pics of peoples screens is that it appears the NEC exhibits MUCH better uniformity than the Dell U2410 based on:
1)The number of reports of colour uniformity issues re: the 2 monitors
2)My own experiences with the Dell U2410 x4 all of which had much worse uniformity than my own NEC and as compared to the pics of other EA231’s posted on this forum
How bad is my EA231 in regards to uniformity? I think I got lucky here. Based on subjective impression (what else is there to test this?) on the standard grey background, I can see some green tint on the right (yes it is there), and maybe very minor pink tint on the right (it doesn't come up so well in the photos but it is there).
I’m really looking for this flaw now and took a lot of photos trying to draw out the tint more, but it hasn’t happened. Tested on varying brightness and shades of grey (can’t change saturation though). I think I am just going to say it’s not as bad as I think it may be. I’m trying to put this monitor through it’s paces! But it seems to be keeping up!
Prad was less successful with their test sample. It seems I truly do have a keeper of a monitor!
How do I know the tint is better than the Dell U2410?
The U2410 tint was so bad that it even appeared on white background. It was very pronounced. Fully one half of the screen was pink and the other half was green. I regret not having taken a picture of the terrible uniformity to show it side by side with the NEC.
Maybe LG Display has finally come around to addressing this issue with their newer e-IPS screens?
It’s not perfect but it seems to be getting better.
I really struggle to see any uniformity issues on a white background with the Nec.
Uniformity as compared to my Dell 228WFP:
Virtually identical backlight uniformity to my TN Dell 228WFP:
I have not tested with regards to responsiveness, lag and movie watching. Maybe later.
Gaming (Batman Arkham Asylum) was a pleasure on this monitor. Need to test with more games though.
Conclusion:
Has NEC converted me forever with this monitor? No… its still not that good. Maybe with an extra inch, A-TW polarizer, colour comp for say double the price?
In the end, what is this monitor? Is it the god monitor, the holy grail, the perfect monitor?
No…you could almost say of course not. I do not believe the perfect monitor is due any time soon, especially not for this price anyway.
Maybe with the new NEC models on the way, maybe with OLED, new technologies…who knows?
This monitor is certainly better than their review would seem to suggest.
If I had to buy another monitor ATM this would be it. It’s just the thick bezel preventing me from setting it up in dual/triple monitor configuration. I think I will wait for borderless LCD’s for that. But until then this monitor will do just fine.
To quote Shrek: “That’ll do donkey. That’ll do”
First up please forgive my noobtastic noobiness. This is my first post on these forums though I have trawled here for a while. I merely felt I could contribute something useful re: my experience with this monitor.
This is not an unbiased review/rant (biased because I am loving my NEC). Forgive the length of this post but there is a lot to cover much of which is pertinent and interesting re: the monitor’s performance.
I am not a professional reviewer. I have just calibrated monitors in the past and like accurate colors.
And no..I am not trying to promote Avatar….I just like the wall paper
First up. Why did I buy this monitor?
Aesthetic design is what sold me. Combined with price and performance and the generally positive reviews on this forum.
I could have bought the NEC 2490wuxi, Eizo sx2462. Money wasn’t the major deciding factor.
So why didn’t I buy the 2490 or Eizo ?
2490: At the end of its life cycle so if you have problems and want to exchange (and they do have problems) I would have ended up with the inferior (by all accounts) 2490wuxi2. Also could not be guaranteed original 2490wuxi (limited/no supply in my country).
Also to me the 2490 just has an unappealing industrial design quality to it. It just seems better suited to engineering applications etc as NEC originally intended. I also question its value at approx $1000.
Eizo: Also unappealing brick like aesthetic design. Perfectly suited to professional uses, just not on my desktop (just too industrial looking as well). For this type of money I want something that looks good too.
Besides which it just does not seem right to be using a monitor that was originally intended for serious purposes (medical, engineering) and of this quality, for trivial activities such as movies/games or having pretty ladies grace your screen!
But the price in the end helped as well. Eizo at $1800.00 is just hard to justify.
Initial impressions:
I was struck by the thicker than normal (compared to my old Dell 228WFP anyway) bezel of the EA231. But this impression quickly passed and compared with the Dell this monitor just is plain nice to look at.
First up…..So what’s bad with this monitor?
TBH Very little. For a start I am a very picky person. I went through 4 craptastic Dell U2410’s all of which were returned. From my experience, shockingly under-whelming monitors. Bright pixels, MASSIVE screen uniformity issues, backlight issues and yes they have a thick grainy coating to them. You can’t know what this is like until you see it up close and compare to monitors without the grain. /rant
- Dead Pixels:
Normally I would return a monitor in an instant with dead pixels. The monitor I received had 2 dead pixels. Would I even consider returning it? Not a chance.
This is a testament to how good a monitor this is (but I will get to the good points later).
I am picky. I returned a Dell U2410 with 1 bright pixel (and some backlight issues).
In the end the whole package of this monitor outweighs even 2 dead pixels. The colour accuracy, decent black level, aesthetic design (I have the silver/white one) and good subjective image quality has reigned in my easily provoked return twitch.
Besides which I bought from halfway across the world. I don’t think a return would be all that straight forward!
And the good?
- Design:
I have already mentioned this but it needs re-iteration. It is a very well designed monitor. Cable management is beautiful. I can't emphasise enough how good this monitor looks on my desk.
From Prad:
Yes the joystick makes calibration a breeze.
http://users.tpg.com.au/avh16//displaycontrol.JPG
The Dell U2410 also can’t hold a candle to this monitor in this regard. Decidedly average looks and design. Happy to be rid of this monitor despite the extra inch. Grrr….
Again from Prad:
- Build:
Extremely good build quality. The monitor just feels solidly built. It tilts swivels etc flawlessly.
- Color Accuracy:
I have calibrated this monitor in varying modes (SRGB and custom) and brightness levels. All I can say is that I am simply amazed that a monitor at this price point can produce such good (even outstanding) results
Out of the Box Experience:
Worth mentioning first up is the out of the box experience as many will not have a calibration device.
This really surprised me. I have calibrated maybe 7 other monitors and none produced/delivered such accurate results out of the box as the NEC (in sRGB mode though, other modes not so good). You could see it even without calibration though. Calibration merely confirmed my subjective impression. The colours were vivid and vibrant without being oversaturated. It just looked right. I took a screenshot of my calibration results in sRGB.
Again I have to say this is an outstanding result. You have extremely good color fidelity straight out of the box in SRGB. I cannot emphasise enough how pleasing this is to see in a monitor.
Prad summed it up best:
However during testing my test results were very much so in opposition to what Prad experienced with their testing. Their monitor in sRGB mode produced quite inaccurate colour results when tested:
This is not what I experienced in regard to this monitor. Maybe these monitors factory calibration settings vary considerably from sample to sample?
Calibrated Result:
Please note that for calibration I used BasICCcolor 4.1.17. This may explain some of the differences between my monitor calibration and Prad’s but it can’t account for all of the variation. I intend to calibrate with another program to verify these results/observations.
I wanted to see if the NEC could do better, particularly in Custom Mode where I could adjust RGB values accordingly.
Again I was impressed. DeltaE average was now down to 0.34 with a maximum of 0.87 and black level of 0.15 giving a not too bad contrast of 813:1. This is a stellar result for any monitor at any price. Needless to say I am a happy chappy!
Below DeltaE of 1 colors are considered to be theoretically accurate with imperceptible differences to the naked eye.
Again I achieved better results with my sample than Prad (I had Eco-mode turned off though, maybe this made a difference?) :
http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2009/review-nec-ea231wmi-bk-part8.html
I think some clarification is needed here. I was not trying for a direct side by side comparison review (with exact same calibration program, settings etc) but merely trying to point out what the monitor is capable of if you strike lucky in terms of panel quality and can calibrate it. I strongly suspect Prad did not receive a very good sample of this monitor and were plain unlucky.
Edit: Found another review on the net that confirmed my suspicions. The fellow here:
http://davidnaylor.org/blog/2009/11/nec-ea231wmi-review.html
seems to indicate that his monitor in sRGB is producing accurate colours out of the box(did he calibrate though?). Also has minimal uniformity issues compared to Prad's sample.
Also tried calibrating at brightness 28% (approx 120 cd/m2) and attempted black level of 0.13. Colors were a little less accurate but still excellent but black level was better. It’s a trade off I guess, extremely accurate colour or better black level and contrast.
It's also heartening to compare to black level results to the vaunted 2490wuxi:
I was also curious to see how the color accuracy compared to the 2490wuxi. From TFTcentral:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/nec_2490wuxi.htm
Again confirmation that this monitor at this price is producing amazing results. Only with Hardware calibration (using the 2490wuxi's in built look up table) was the 2490 able to produce slightly better results. And it costs something like 3 times the price.
I really am blown away by the monitor on my desk ATM.
I was also curious to see how low the black level could go. I set the brightness to 0. Luminance was a poor 60cd2/m. Not nearly enough to work by. Black level reached 0.05.
Prad went lower:
I concur. The monitor can get quite dim and is not at all too bright even out of the box, especially compared with U2410. But at this brightness the monitor is hardly useable.
- Uniformity Issues:
Okay here we go. You can judge for yourself in the images whether you think this monitor suffers from uniformity issues.
One thing I can say having seen various pics of peoples screens is that it appears the NEC exhibits MUCH better uniformity than the Dell U2410 based on:
1)The number of reports of colour uniformity issues re: the 2 monitors
2)My own experiences with the Dell U2410 x4 all of which had much worse uniformity than my own NEC and as compared to the pics of other EA231’s posted on this forum
How bad is my EA231 in regards to uniformity? I think I got lucky here. Based on subjective impression (what else is there to test this?) on the standard grey background, I can see some green tint on the right (yes it is there), and maybe very minor pink tint on the right (it doesn't come up so well in the photos but it is there).
I’m really looking for this flaw now and took a lot of photos trying to draw out the tint more, but it hasn’t happened. Tested on varying brightness and shades of grey (can’t change saturation though). I think I am just going to say it’s not as bad as I think it may be. I’m trying to put this monitor through it’s paces! But it seems to be keeping up!
Prad was less successful with their test sample. It seems I truly do have a keeper of a monitor!
How do I know the tint is better than the Dell U2410?
The U2410 tint was so bad that it even appeared on white background. It was very pronounced. Fully one half of the screen was pink and the other half was green. I regret not having taken a picture of the terrible uniformity to show it side by side with the NEC.
Maybe LG Display has finally come around to addressing this issue with their newer e-IPS screens?
It’s not perfect but it seems to be getting better.
I really struggle to see any uniformity issues on a white background with the Nec.
Uniformity as compared to my Dell 228WFP:
- Grain:
Does the NEC have some grain? Yes. Is it better than the Dell U2410? Hell yes! I would agree with previous posts that IMHO it is easily less noticeable than the Dell and is really a non-issue.
- Backlight:
It seems again that I have a good sample here. I took photos at various exposures and monitor brightness levels to try to exacerbate any backlight bleed/clouding.
Again I am struggling to find any flaw. Maybe some light leakage from lower right hand corner or just the characteristic IPS glow. Whatever IMO this is still a good result.
Virtually identical backlight uniformity to my TN Dell 228WFP:
- IPS Glow/Viewing Angles:
Glow:
I cannot see extreme IPS glow from an angle with this monitor. It is there but I can't see any reason for people to complain about IPS glow with this monitor. It is much less obtrusive on the NEC than on the x4 U2410's I returned.
Viewing angles:
Viewing angles are obviously better than my old TN Dell. Viewing angles are still not as good as 2490wuxi. Again I can't see any reason for people to be using any monitor at such extreme viewing angles:
I think pictures speak for themselves:
Just in case the Dell is the one on the right.
And the glow during the day time?:
I have not tested with regards to responsiveness, lag and movie watching. Maybe later.
Gaming (Batman Arkham Asylum) was a pleasure on this monitor. Need to test with more games though.
Conclusion:
Has NEC converted me forever with this monitor? No… its still not that good. Maybe with an extra inch, A-TW polarizer, colour comp for say double the price?
In the end, what is this monitor? Is it the god monitor, the holy grail, the perfect monitor?
No…you could almost say of course not. I do not believe the perfect monitor is due any time soon, especially not for this price anyway.
Maybe with the new NEC models on the way, maybe with OLED, new technologies…who knows?
- Is this a good monitor in comparison to what is currently on the market?
- Is this an uber monitor at its price point, explaining why it is in short supply? Something more than the simple office monitor NEC originally intended it as?
- IMHO Does it deserve better than a “Good” Rating by Prad?
This monitor is certainly better than their review would seem to suggest.
If I had to buy another monitor ATM this would be it. It’s just the thick bezel preventing me from setting it up in dual/triple monitor configuration. I think I will wait for borderless LCD’s for that. But until then this monitor will do just fine.
To quote Shrek: “That’ll do donkey. That’ll do”
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Great review HowzThat. I'm a big fan of this monitor, and think its absolutely unbeatable for the price. Image quality/accuracy is on par with the LP2475W i had before it, and gaming/multimedia performance is MUCH better, Also the cable management is a lot better and the stand doesnt take up half my desk Theres a slight tint on mine noticeable if you actually try to look for it, but like you've said I think Prad had a horrible sample in regards to the backlight, mine seems absolutely fine.
Theres a slight tint on mine noticeable if you actually try to look for it, but like you've said I think Prad had a horrible sample in regards to the backlight, mine seems absolutely fine.-=Antimatter=-
2[H]4U
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2005
- Messages
- 3,343
Got mine yesterday, I'm coming from a 20WMGX2.
First impressions:
- No dead pixels (ordered from buy.com via ebay)
- Unit was set to Dynamic mode out of the box, the auto-brightness was super annoying until I turned it off. I might play with it again.
- I really miss the glossy. Colors just don't "pop" like on the 20WMGX2. It feels like I'm using my 18" Dell again.
- Uniformity is good, but lower left corner is a little bright. Panel is slightly green overall. Needs calibration. Other than this colors look solid, without any crushing of midtones or blacks.
- The E-IPS seems to be affected more by offset viewing angles than the AS-IPS of the 20WMGX2. I can't really lean over in my chair without having one corner of the screen get a little washed out.
- Where the 20WMGX2 was yellowish when viewing off-angle, the EA231WMi just appears to wash out as if the brightness were turned up. Viewing angles from below seem best. HowzThat's pictures show this. I can settle for this, it's far less annoying than having all the colors go wonky like a TN panel:
- A bit of motion blur on video. Haven't tried games since I'm not running a gaming GPU right now. Nothing major but it's definitely slower than the 20WMGX2 if you're sensitive to ghosting. If you sit back 5-6 feet, however, the video looks better overall than the 20WMGX2 thanks to the extra size and detail. A solid choice for multimedia.
- The size is awesome, 1080p videos look huge compared to a 16:10 20" screen. Having the correct ratio really helps the video to fill the screen.
- The cable organizer helps a lot, but it's a little clumsy to squeeze a really thick VGA cable in there. If you're using multiple inputs then you'll have to be careful.
- I miss my remote for switching inputs. I have two computers hooked to my screen and it was really nice to have a simple button for each using the 20WMGX2 remote. What can I say, I'm lazy.
Overall, I'm impressed by the unit for the price. I think E-IPS has a future and it's clearly superior to all the TN crap in the market. I'm giving the monitor till the end of the week, but I'll probably decide to keep it. I like having the DP connector for the future, and the extra size is worth it if you do a lot of HD video watching like I do.
First impressions:
- No dead pixels (ordered from buy.com via ebay)
- Unit was set to Dynamic mode out of the box, the auto-brightness was super annoying until I turned it off. I might play with it again.
- I really miss the glossy. Colors just don't "pop" like on the 20WMGX2. It feels like I'm using my 18" Dell again.
- Uniformity is good, but lower left corner is a little bright. Panel is slightly green overall. Needs calibration. Other than this colors look solid, without any crushing of midtones or blacks.
- The E-IPS seems to be affected more by offset viewing angles than the AS-IPS of the 20WMGX2. I can't really lean over in my chair without having one corner of the screen get a little washed out.
- Where the 20WMGX2 was yellowish when viewing off-angle, the EA231WMi just appears to wash out as if the brightness were turned up. Viewing angles from below seem best. HowzThat's pictures show this. I can settle for this, it's far less annoying than having all the colors go wonky like a TN panel:
- A bit of motion blur on video. Haven't tried games since I'm not running a gaming GPU right now. Nothing major but it's definitely slower than the 20WMGX2 if you're sensitive to ghosting. If you sit back 5-6 feet, however, the video looks better overall than the 20WMGX2 thanks to the extra size and detail. A solid choice for multimedia.
- The size is awesome, 1080p videos look huge compared to a 16:10 20" screen. Having the correct ratio really helps the video to fill the screen.
- The cable organizer helps a lot, but it's a little clumsy to squeeze a really thick VGA cable in there. If you're using multiple inputs then you'll have to be careful.
- I miss my remote for switching inputs. I have two computers hooked to my screen and it was really nice to have a simple button for each using the 20WMGX2 remote. What can I say, I'm lazy.
Overall, I'm impressed by the unit for the price. I think E-IPS has a future and it's clearly superior to all the TN crap in the market. I'm giving the monitor till the end of the week, but I'll probably decide to keep it. I like having the DP connector for the future, and the extra size is worth it if you do a lot of HD video watching like I do.
Yeah,
Nice overview, HowzThat.
I've got the Klipsch GMX sound system too. Maybe I would have been better to get the EA231WMi in the silver/white, too, as my Mac Mini would compliment that color scheme further, especially if I got one of the newer Mac keyboards have that same aluminum tone. But most of my stuff is black, so I'm happy with the black. Otherwise, the silver/white NEC version looks great with the Klipsch GMX unit.
Peace to you all,
C. Livingstone
Nice overview, HowzThat.
I've got the Klipsch GMX sound system too. Maybe I would have been better to get the EA231WMi in the silver/white, too, as my Mac Mini would compliment that color scheme further, especially if I got one of the newer Mac keyboards have that same aluminum tone. But most of my stuff is black, so I'm happy with the black. Otherwise, the silver/white NEC version looks great with the Klipsch GMX unit.
Peace to you all,
C. Livingstone
dirtdiggler
n00b
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2008
- Messages
- 42
First impression: Overall this monitor is great for the money.
Some negative and positive observations:
I'm not sure if it's just my screen but when I view the monitor from the right side (at an angle) the screen gets a slightly washy glow to it. When I view from the left side (at an angle) the image gets more contrasty and rich. This is a bit annoying at first but easy to get used to.
That said the overall wide viewing angles are very good, it just that there is more of a sweet spot angle for looking at. To compare: my old SOYO P-MVA screen was very uniform at regular and slightly off-axis angles but faded at extreme angles. The NEC contrast seems to change very slightly from viewing slightly off axis but doesn't get worse the more off axis you view....if that makes sense.
In other words I would much rather have the consistent viewing angles of my old P-MVA monitor, or my old NEC 20" IPS monitor from 4 years ago.
Overall I am very pleased. The colors are great. The screen is easy to look at for long periods of time. The base for it is top notch. For the money this monitor really can't be beat right now, so I'm going to live with the imperfections and just enjoy the thing.
Cheers
Some negative and positive observations:
I'm not sure if it's just my screen but when I view the monitor from the right side (at an angle) the screen gets a slightly washy glow to it. When I view from the left side (at an angle) the image gets more contrasty and rich. This is a bit annoying at first but easy to get used to.
That said the overall wide viewing angles are very good, it just that there is more of a sweet spot angle for looking at. To compare: my old SOYO P-MVA screen was very uniform at regular and slightly off-axis angles but faded at extreme angles. The NEC contrast seems to change very slightly from viewing slightly off axis but doesn't get worse the more off axis you view....if that makes sense.
In other words I would much rather have the consistent viewing angles of my old P-MVA monitor, or my old NEC 20" IPS monitor from 4 years ago.
Overall I am very pleased. The colors are great. The screen is easy to look at for long periods of time. The base for it is top notch. For the money this monitor really can't be beat right now, so I'm going to live with the imperfections and just enjoy the thing.
Cheers