BenQ BL2710PT Review: 2560x1440 Matte AHVA (AUO's Version of IPS/PLS)

[NCX]

I still have mine, it's FS but I haven't sold it yet. I didn't notice any dust stuck under the coating but the S27A850D I used to own had around four obvious dust/dirt specks which were visible when viewing whites. Others have reported seeing dust/dirt under the coating on a few different 1440p monitors.

Your picture is far to over-exposed.

 

[kenox]

Sorry about the picture quality, I don't really know much about working the camera I have around. The bleed did mostly appear as it does in the picture though. It manifested as a series of grey horizontal lines on the right side, wider towards the bottom right corner and narrowing to pretty much a single vertical line as it went up the right side. The uniformity of the panel seemed otherwise good though, when looking at solid black/white/red/green/blue.

I already returned the monitor to Best Buy earlier today (two hours after that post) so I can't provide any better pictures.

About the s27a850d you owned before, is there any reason you kept it instead of returning it to the retailer or manufacturer for replacement? Assuming "used to own" meant that you had it for a decent period of time.

 

[NCX]

About the s27a850d you owned before, is there any reason you kept it instead of returning it to the retailer or manufacturer for replacement? Assuming "used to own" meant that you had it for a decent period of time.

I didn't notice the dust spots until around six months after I purchased it. Samsung Canada only exchanges monitors if they are defective or broken. Mine eventually started dropping frames and it took nearly three months to get it replaced...and they replaced it with the 970D which I didn't want and sent me a bill a few months later for the 850D which they claimed I didn't return. Full exchange story.

Good thing you returned the BenQ, it shouldn't have such weird issues.

 

[kenox]

Just read through that thread, and I've read before elsewhere that Samsung Canada has horrible customer service. To be honest, I have always felt that Samsung isn't really a quality brand with quality products. But we can't really do much about Samsung and LG being the two main manufacturers of PLS/IPS panels. (I think the only other manufacturer is AU Optronics with the panel used for the bl2710pt.) Of course, buying a monitor from a different manufacturer that happens to use Samsung panels means there should never be a need to deal with Samsung's poor customer service, but I still feel like Samsung products are of poor quality.

I have written some further details of why I purchased the bl2710pt below, if you're curious:

I am currently using an u2713hm purchased in January this year, with manufacture date December 2013 andrevision a00 (which might not mean much because I believe the revision numbers were reset after the panels used in the monitor were changed). I think the current revision fixes most of the problems that were prevalent with the earlier revisions, but it replaced them with an even stronger overshoot from an aggressive overdrive implementation that cannot be changed. I had been looking into the bl2710pt because the strong overshoot from the poor overdrive implementation on the u2713hm was distracting when browsing on pages with alternating black/white/grey bands, which would correspond with the default theme of most forums.

I didn't test the bl2710pt much since that speck of dust meant I would have to return the monitor. (I discovered the backlight bleed later on, but not until I was about to turn it off and pack it back into its box.) Even without extensive testing though, I would say that the difference between the two monitors seemed negligible in practice. I had the two monitors as duplicated displays while I ran Eizo's monitor test program to check for bright or dark pixels (I somehow missed the backlight bleed the first time through the test patterns) and the Blur Busters UFO test for ghosting. So all I saw were solid colors, gradients, and a few webpages. But with the u2713hm set to custom with 93-99-100 for r-g-b (not calibrated, just personal taste) and the bl2710pt at standard, 2 gamma, and warm color temperature (the default standard color temperature on mine had a noticeable magenta tint), I felt that there wasn't much difference in the colors I saw on each screen. The black to white gradient in the Eizo test program showed some banding with the bl2710pt where the u2713hm had none, but it wasn't noticeable in actual use. This was all without any adjustments to AMD's driver color management settings to keep things a bit more fair.

Aside from the overdrive issues, I am otherwise satisfied with the u2713hm I am currently using. The colors are adequate and while I've read many cases online of people having bleeding issues with their u2713hm, the one I have has no significant problems with the backlight. Ideally, I would like to purchase a monitor that has similar characteristics to the u2713hm but without the serious overdrive problems. I would consider buying the bl2710pt again in the future if I can't find anything better, but I would prefer to have a standard gamut monitor that shows no banding at all.

 

[NCX]

Samsung is also pretty shady: their 1000$ 970 & 971D are either PWM free or use super low, 180hz frequencies which is insulting. Currently they do not offer any decent monitors aside from the 750P A-MVA panels. While Dell is probably the worst of the popular brands in terms of quality control, one can't dismiss their hassle free exchange service.

According to PRAD and =DEAD= (overclock.ru) most of the 1440p monitors suffer from banding when viewing gradients, including models with 14 Bit LUT's like the Dell U2713H and 3014. Banding free models such as the Fujitsu and U2713HM suffer from obvious ghosting and cross-hatching=avoid. Banding is also supposed to be worse on Nvidia GPU's since they lack the advanced dithering AMD offers.

The NEC PA272W and Viewsonic VP2772 should be banding free but the Viewsonic's sRGB mode's brightness and color controls are locked and the NEC is quite expensive.

 

[kenox]

So when people buy the 970 or 970d, they have no way of knowing whether they're getting flicker-free or ridiculous flicker until they power on their monitor? That seems like it would be as horrible for retailers and distributors as it is for the end-user, so I'm surprised distributors don't just refuse to stock it. At the price points these monitors are selling for, it's unlikely that customers would be going into the purchase without an idea of what to expect from a good monitor.

I didn't know the technical details about why Nvidia tends to have more banding than AMD before, but I have seen a few complaints from users that Nvidia doesn't handle gradients well (along with the slightly more common complaint of color corrections not carrying over to fullscreen games). But these complaints tend to get swept aside as most of the discussion on consumer-level graphics is held by passionate gamers who don't seem to hold color accuracy in high regard. That's part of the reason I chose to purchase an AMD card over Nvidia for my recent build. Even with all the absurd markups for AMD graphics currently, I decided AMD would be the better choice based on vague reports of colors not looking right with Nvidia.

I had actually been looking through some of the results of the PRAD p27t review earlier, but you can probably imagine my disappointment when finally I realized it was the same panel with the same issues as the u2713hm. I'm currently considering the viewsonic vp2770 or hp z27i as possible purchases if I don't go out and get another bl2710pt. I couldn't find much information on the z27i, but may I ask you about your personal opinion on how the vp2770 compares to the bl2710pt? I'm not talking about hard numbers since you have already provided all of that in your reviews, but just a general subjective opinion on how the two of them stack up overall. (Granted, this is difficult since you did not own and test the two monitors at the same time but I'm hoping your memory is enough for you to form a solid opinion.) With price not a factor, would you recommend the vp2770 over the bl2710pt? If it would affect your recommendation either way, I should mention that I always run monitors in "user mode" because I like to adjust the color temperature throughout the day. It's generally near the standard 6500k white point, but I will often adjust the settings slightly depending on the time of day and ambient lighting at that time. I read in your review (and every other review of the bl2710pt) that the bl2710pt's user mode isn't quite accurate, but I don't know if that's enough of a reason to choose the vp2770 over it since the vp2770 lacks the 1:1 mapping that I could see myself possibly using in the future. I forgot to test the user mode during the few hours that I had the defective bl2710pt in my possession earlier today.

As for the pa272w and vp2772, I would really prefer to get a standard gamut monitor. I don't see myself ever having a use for wide gamut applications and I feel like standard gamut would be more useful for the very few times when I wish to connect a console to the monitor. (Admittedly, this hasn't happened yet in the month or so of owning this u2713hm.) For some reason, I always think that running a wide gamut monitor in user mode will make console output wildly inaccurate.

 

[Ws60]

On a slight side tangent if I may:

From what I've read, both here and elsewhere, the BenQ seems to be a fairly rock solid choice in the ~$500 price range for non-pro gamers/non-gamers willing to trade higher +120Hz refresh rates for better image quality^ even straight out of the box. Is that a fair assessment? Also how much of a difference did you personally notice going from the stock settings to post calibrating use?

^Unless one wants to play Wheel of Fortune, Korean edition it seems.

 

[NCX]

So when people buy the 970 or 970d, they have no way of knowing whether they're getting flicker-free or ridiculous flicker until they power on their monitor?

Correct

But these complaints tend to get swept aside as most of the discussion on consumer-level graphics is held by passionate gamers who don't seem to hold color accuracy in high regard.

Most GPU reviewers use wide gamut 30" to test gpu's and review games graphics...

I'm currently considering the viewsonic vp2770 or hp z27i as possible purchases if I don't go out and get another bl2710pt. I couldn't find much information on the z27i, but may I ask you about your personal opinion on how the vp2770 compares to the bl2710pt?

While the BenQ's User mode isn't quite as accurate on paper (high Delta E) I thought it looked more natural since it covers the sRGB color space more accurately and evenly while the VP2770 tended to over-saturate red which was obvious when viewing certain images on both the VP2770 and Qnix QX2710.

I also don't recall noticing any glow on the VP2770 I tested but assumed I became used to it. I've read a few recent customer reviews on Amazon which mention the lack of glow which leads me to believe Viewsonic might be using the same glow free panel the Eizo EV2736W and some matte Qnix QX2710's (example) use.

I always think that running a wide gamut monitor in user mode will make console output wildly inaccurate.

One can customize the PA272W's color gamut using the included software and change all of the settings which are saved internally, so console use won't be a problem.

On a slight side tangent if I may:

1.) From what I've read, both here and elsewhere, the BenQ seems to be a fairly rock solid choice in the ~$500 price range for non-pro gamers/non-gamers willing to trade higher +120Hz refresh rates for better image quality^ even straight out of the box. Is that a fair assessment?

2.) Also how much of a difference did you personally notice going from the stock settings to post calibrating use?

1.) Yes, it's definitely the best sub 600$ , multi-input 1440p monitor. If you want to same some $, the HP ZR2740W has lower input lag than the BL2710PT and will work if the consoles are set to 720p before connecting it, but it does have slower pixel response times.

2.) Visually the difference is nearly negligible on mine

----

PS, my nearly perfect, calibrated BL2710PT is for sale in the FS section.

 

[Ws60]

1.) Yes, it's definitely the best sub 600$ , multi-input 1440p monitor. If you want to same some $, the HP ZR2740W has lower input lag than the BL2710PT and will work if the consoles are set to 720p before connecting it, but it does have slower pixel response times.

2.) Visually the difference is nearly negligible on mine

----

PS, my nearly perfect, calibrated BL2710PT is for sale in the FS section.

The HP may have lower lag but I wonder if its truly significant amounts. Also yes I am quite aware about the unit you have for sale. However I got less back in tax returns then expected and thus forced me to postpone my planned monitor upgrade till the spring. Though I am working on ways to possibly speed that up...

 

[kenox]

While the BenQ's User mode isn't quite as accurate on paper (high Delta E) I thought it looked more natural since it covers the sRGB color space more accurately and evenly while the VP2770 tended to over-saturate red which was obvious when viewing certain images on both the VP2770 and Qnix QX2710.

I just thought of something about the bl2710pt that I'd like to know if you still remember from your testing last year. I had tested the one I had a few days ago on standard mode only and I noticed that the three color temperatures for normal, warm, and cool (I believe labelled "red" and "blue" in the OSD) were respectively magenta-tinted, neutral, and blue-tinted. On your monitor, the normal color temperature in standard mode is the most accurate, correct?

Is it possible that the current bl2710pt has a slightly different revision of the AUO panel?

 

[NCX]

1-On your monitor, the normal color temperature in standard mode is the most accurate, correct?

2-Is it possible that the current bl2710pt has a slightly different revision of the AUO panel?

1-Yes

2-Possibly but it is more likely unit variation or personal, visual perception differences.

 

[kenox]

My u2713hm developed a dead subpixel today (a red one) and it's still within the return period so I will return this monitor soon. At the time, I was looking at a mostly white scene in a video (watching an old episode of Community, where lighter scenes are actually kind of rare) and noticed that a small dot appeared to turn cyan. Testing with solid colors quickly revealed a persistent black dot on a pure red background that didn't appear on blue or green.

I will probably try purchasing a vp2770 next. Not because I disliked the bl2710pt's performance in those few hours I had it, but because at this point I've seen a panel each from AUO and LG, so I figure I should give a Samsung panel a chance next. If the vp2770 has any issues though, I will probably try my luck with another Benq afterwards. Based on your descriptions of the two, the bl2710pt is probably better for my needs, but I would still like to see how panels from each of the three manufacturers look in person.

Sorry about this post being off-topic, but I felt it would be strange to post in the vp2770 thread when this conversation has been in this thread the whole time. If I get a vp2770 though, I'll be sure to post my impressions and questions in the proper thread.

 

[JeffNT326]

NCX - Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into reviewing the BL2710PT. It influenced my decision to purchase one.

Now that I've received this display, I've never seen more stuck sub-pixels in a monitor in my entire life...I've lost count, but there are definitely more than 50 stuck sub-pixels. I'm running JScreenfix overnight to see if that might help at all. Otherwise it's going back..

On another note, the "whites" are definitely not uniform across the screen. It's far bluer on the right side of the screen but then shifts to a warmer white as you move from right to left on the screen.

Has anyone seen either of these two behaviors with this panel?

 

[undertaker2k8]

^ I have seen the huge color temp difference on both specimens I received. NCX may have limited color vision and considers this normal when it clearly isn't.

 

[w123]

I got excellent calibration results! http://i.imgur.com/gkC8Bt0.png?1

Calibrated in standard mode with gamma setting 2, with i1display pro. Xrite software confirmed the contrast ratio. 0.11 cd/m2 black level is the best I've seen personally out of these IPS type panels. Even beats the Asus PLS monitors.

The average deltaE matches the samsung s27b970d which costs $500 more. Calibrating in standard mode gave me slightly better contrast than adjusting the colors myself surprisingly enough. And like NCX notes, the deltaE is much lower in standard. I do note the white point uniformity variation. Max variance is 200K which isn't enormous and about the same as NCX's specimen. So in the upper left i am 200K off compared to the center. In addition to that, i am about 100 cd/m2 in the corner versus 120 cd/m2 in the center, so uniformity isn't this monitor's strong point. TFTcentral's uniformity was better but contrast was way down. So like any monitor there's a lot of variation in what you might get.

Not a dealbreaker IMO but definitely not ideal. Considering how mine has very little backlight bleed and nice black levels, no way im playing the monitor lottery again.. i'm sticking with this beauty.

 

[Nearsite]

Hey NCX - thanks for your reviews of this monitor and the Dell S2740L. I currently own the Dell S2740L since my CrossOver died, but man, I do feel like the CrossOver had better colors (more vibrancy, better saturated) than this Dell, even though the Dell is also an IPS panel.

My question to you is, does the BenQ monitor have better image quality than the Dell S2740L? I know you reviewed both and I know you probably don't have them anymore, but just from memory, do you remember if this is true. I'd rather not spend another $600 on a monitor if it's not going to be much better in the image department than my current S2740L.

 

[NCX]

The Dell S2740L is one of the few monitors I really dislike: the blacks are gray:

Left edge-to-edge glass (same as the S2740L) vs. semi-glossy (same-ish coating as the BL2710PT). More coating comparisons here.

and it suffers from very obvious overshoot ghosting. When displaying content with light colors the S2740L might look better (preset color accuracy has been reported to vary significantly) but the BL2710PT absolutely destroys the S2740L when displaying dark content and it is not a mirror.

 

[Weldzar]

I'm very interested in this monitor but I can find it in my country but with great difficulties: what do you advice that could be a similar or better choice in the same or, at least, superior price segment? This monitor is the best in this category and it is better to take it absolutely?

I'm interested especially in eye care( flicker, antiglare..), matte display, colours, possibly no glow, good contrast. I use it for general use and work, film.. the gaming it's not important.

Thank you

 

[Meorrow]

About to pull the trigger on this one, but I have one thing that I want to confirm. I'm going to run my PS3 into this for gaming at my desk, and I want to confirm that if I run HDMI into the monitor that I'll get the audio from the PS3 out of the headphone jack in the monitor itself. The connection will be PS3 -> Monitor (via HDMI) -> headphones via the jack on the monitor. Will that work?

 

[Nearsite]

About to pull the trigger on this one, but I have one thing that I want to confirm. I'm going to run my PS3 into this for gaming at my desk, and I want to confirm that if I run HDMI into the monitor that I'll get the audio from the PS3 out of the headphone jack in the monitor itself. The connection will be PS3 -> Monitor (via HDMI) -> headphones via the jack on the monitor. Will that work?

Please let me know what you think of the monitor once you've used it for a while!

 

[NCX]

What do you advise that could be a similar or better choice in the same or, at least, superior price segment?

Eizo EV2736W, NEC EA274WMi and Viewsoinc VP2770, the Eizo is the best since it is glow free. This thread (in progress) contains review links for the above monitors.

This monitor is the best in this category and it is better to take it absolutely?

In terms of North American pricing the BL2710PT is the best under 600$ since the other similarly priced options like the:

Acer B276HUL (cross-hatching, 30ms delay)
Asus PB278Q (280hz PWM, more ghosting, no USB 3.0, Asus's shady warranty)
Dell U2713HM (cross-hatching, obvious overshoot ghosting depending on the revision and image retention)

suffer from regular quality control issues (light bleeding and pixel issues) as well as the issues in brackets. The BenQ suffers from regular quality control issues (light bleeding and pixel issues), but so do most other monitors which is why one should buy monitors from retailers with hassle free return and exchange policies.

I want to confirm that if I run HDMI into the monitor that I'll get the audio from the PS3 out of the headphone jack in the monitor itself.

Yes, it works.

 

[Nearsite]

Eizo EV2736W, NEC EA274WMi and Viewsoinc VP2770, the Eizo is the best since it is glow free. This thread (in progress) contains review links for the above monitors.



In terms of North American pricing the BL2710PT is the best under 600$ since the other similarly priced options like the:

Acer B276HUL (cross-hatching, 30ms delay)
Asus PB278Q (280hz PWM, more ghosting, no USB 3.0, Asus's shady warranty)
Dell U2713HM (cross-hatching, obvious overshoot ghosting depending on the revision and image retention)

suffer from regular quality control issues (light bleeding and pixel issues) as well as the issues in brackets. The BenQ suffers from regular quality control issues (light bleeding and pixel issues), but so do most other monitors which is why one should buy monitors from retailers with hassle free return and exchange policies.



Yes, it works.

NCX - if both the Dell and the BenQ had no panel issues, would you say that the Dell would have better image quality?

 

[NCX]

IDK, many owners (exchangers) of multiple U2713HM's (most of the thread members) from the overclock.net thread have reported that the different revisions (multiple exist) have better/worse colors. Almost all of the reviews are of launch units, but they did have slightly better preset colors than the BenQ's User Mode (with User Color Temperature and Gamma 2 setting) and better contrast/black levels than the BenQ's most accurate preset (Standard).

Dell monitors are good for big offices where the 'special' flaws (cross-hatching, image retention) and revision performance (obvious overshoot ghosting, cross-hatching, colors) differences go unnoticed.

 

[tgrimley]

I just got this the other day.. but it seem to give me some eye strain. I put the brightness down to ~40-50 and upped the refresh to 72Hz but it still seems to flicker for some reason. My previous monitors are Dell U2407 and U2408's which caused no strain. Any one have similar problems with this display?

 

[NCX]

Multi-input 1440p+ monitors drop frames when overclocked, so overclocking is 100% pointless unless you like tearing and stuttery motion+mouse movement. Turn the brightness down to 10-20, go away for 15 minutes and come back, it won't see to dim. The BL2710PT does not use LED PWM Dimming/is Flicker Free, if it is flickering it is defective.

 

[etooey]

For those with luminance meters: What are you measuring for minimum native panel luminance (in User mode with all channels 100%)? I seem to recall NCX getting 65 cd/m2. I have the AOC and am trying to figure out if the BenQ goes noticeably dimmer on the backlight control. If it's only 65 cd/m2 then that's essentially the same as the AOC. Some of the reviews quote numbers in the 40s but that's in Standard mode which also seems to be lower contrast than the panel's native performance.

 

[NCX]

Turn the lights on or get a brighter 6500k/Daylight CFL or LED light, then you won't need to use the monitors minimum brightness. Can also reduce the monitors contrast if the minimum brightness is not dim enough.

 

[icor1031]

Just an FYI: This monitor came today, and I hate it.
It's not the monitor's fault, it's mine. I didn't realize that even a semi-gloss AG coating would have a massive impact on text clarity, which is what I wanted it for: reading.

And unfortunately I used NCIX, so I can't return it for refund even though the OSD buttons are broken.

 

[NCX]

NCIX accepts returns and the software on the included CD can be used to change the monitors settings.

 

[icor1031]

NCIX accepts returns and the software on the included CD can be used to change the monitors settings.

Interesting, the guy I spoke to told me 'replacement only.' Maybe I can call again and get someone else who will let me return it.

I tried the software, and it works. But, it resets my other 2 monitor's settings (a dell and a samsung).

 

[icor1031]

I just tried CAM mode on my monitor, check this out:

 

[icor1031]

NCIX accepts returns

We have gotten a response back from mangement and we are going to make an exception for you to have your monitor refunded with no restocking fee.

.

 

[PsyCoil]

Does anyone have good experience with B&H?

 

[you2]

I've used B&H for 15 years and never had a bad experience, Check their reseller ratings.

 

[PsyCoil]

How is their return policy? Did you face any issues?

 

[you2]

For monitors I'm not 100% sure; but for photo equipment they paid return shipping; I once return a lens 3 times without complaint or issues but other than that one lens (and one item I returned un-opened due to change of heart) I haven't had a need to return anything. I would guess I've had 30 or 40 orders with them over 15 years - mostly photographic equipment but more recently tablet/memory card and monitor.
-
For me they are very convient because normal shipping usually arrives the next day; but if you check other forums they are well known and well respected (generally not many complaints but there are a few); the only catch is they do not always have the lowest price in electronics (photo graphic equipment was their bred and butter until recent changes in online shopping.
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Also do not depend on their reps for advice; the ones I've talked to have been honest but what they provided was their personal opionion not expert advice and their knowledge range.
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Last but least they are east coast and paid comission so some of them don't want to spend too much time talking...
-
Also compared to amazon their system is a bit antiquated. Amazon system is very much automated pipe-line; b&h is much more manual (expect some delays when contacting them et all).

 

[you2]

Note that this monitor will be on sale today (monday June 2nd @ 12PM @ Amazon). the current price is $600 so I would guess the sale price iwll be somewhere between $575 and $500 (can never tell with amazon). This is one of those 3 hours sales....

 

[fyleow]

It's on sale right now for $499 on Amazon. Basically the same price as NCIX but better due to Prime shipping and easier returns/exchanges.

 

[PsyCoil]

Got it yesterday from B&H. Overall very pleased with it, no dead pixels and no bleed whatsoever.
Just one problem with it but maybe that's just because I'm sitting too close to the monitor, there are black borders around my desktop, not sure if it's part of the monitor or what.
Touch buttons require getting used to, and the stand is a bit wobbly but stronger than most out there from what I can tell. Build quality is better than VP2770 IMO.

 

[rumthin]

I recently purchased this monitor and it has a distinct blue tint towards the right side of the screen. Everything else about it is great, but the blue tint is very noticeable with any white backgrounds.

Here's a pic.
http://imgur.com/hU3vXyF

I'm mulling over whether or not to return it for another.