Benq BL3200PT (32" 1440p)

There's nothing inherently wrong with the technology, older BL3200PTs like mine don't show any of the flickering/flashing issues of current ones. AU Optronics have obviously had a run of faulty panels that their QA system didn't pick up on, which is why Samsung and Acer models using the same panel are affected.

They'll get it sorted out (probably already have done) but it'll take a couple of months for old stock to get moved and the new fixed monitors to reach retail.


After 3 bad panels I am waiting until next year to see what other options come out....I never did hear back from Amazon technical support but they refunded all costs for the three faulty monitors.....
 
Bought mine about a month ago from Amazon. Very happy with it. I tend to buy up from what typically need but it suits what I prefer. Got a great price $598 (was $619 for a short period and their was a credit for AmEx points). Still getting used to the size. Been playing with Dexpot and find myself using virtual windows more. The color on this monitor seems amazing IMO. Love the colors and clarity. I researched this monitor like crazy and results weighed positive for this unit. Blacks are great. Port locations, the puck is kind of handy although I don't use it. It's cool you can go portrait for this thing at 32". I've not found any issues with this and consider myself to be pretty picky. I did make the recommended tweaks to this monitor that I thought were helpful.
 
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Hi. I think you are right. Out of interest have you tried scrolling Google earth where K2 is? Or dragged this window across your screen:

http://www.gdargaud.net/Hack/DeadPixel/GreenMagenta.html


Could you confirm that it is OK on your monitor?

Cheers,

Jeff
Sorry for the late response.

I can confirm that Google Earth doesn't flicker at that location on my monitor. If I view the snowy mountain range near the Shaksgam Valley, I don't see any visual artifacts during zooming, scrolling or moving the browser window. However, my monitor does flicker if I move my browser window with the gdargaud.net dead pixel test open. With the dead pixel test open, I see lots of vertical lines across my screen as well, and a big horizontal band.

I'm not worried about it, because the dead pixel test produces a very unusual pattern on my screen that I will never encounter in everyday use. I've had the BenQ BL3200PT for several months now and I haven't seen any flickering or other visual peculiarities during gaming or browsing.

My monitor (service menu):

Vender: Qisda
Panel: AUM320DVN01.0
Scaler: MST 9687D
F/W Version: V01/20140124

My monitor (back):

Model ID: BL3200-B
Type: BL3200PT
Rating: 100-240V~.50/60Hz 1.20A
Mfg. Date: March 2014
Rev.: 00-120-BA
P/N: 9H.LCxxx.xxx
S/N: ETS3xxxxxxxxx

My settings:

Brightness - 17
Contrast - 50
Sharpness - 5
Gamma - 2
Color Temperature - User Define (R 100, G 94, B 99)
Hue - 50
Saturation - 53
AMA - High
Picture Mode - User
 
My monitor (back):

Model ID: BL3200-B
Type: BL3200PT
Rating: 100-240V~.50/60Hz 1.20A
Mfg. Date: March 2014
Rev.: 00-120-BA
P/N: 9H.LCxxx.xxx
S/N: ETS3xxxxxxxxx

My settings:

Brightness - 17
Contrast - 50
Sharpness - 5
Gamma - 2
Color Temperature - User Define (R 100, G 94, B 99)
Hue - 50
Saturation - 53
AMA - High
Picture Mode - User[/QUOTE]

I tried on that brightness level but its WAY too low for me. Had to move it to 35
 
I tried on that brightness level but its WAY too low for me. Had to move it to 35
Maybe the ambient brightness is higher in your room. If so, the brightness of your monitor should be higher too. So 35 could be right for you.
 
Keep in mind it also takes a while to adjust. I tried lowering my brightness to that level and I thought that it was way too low also. So I bumped it back up a bit (not as high as the factory brightness which was blinding) and then tried lowering it again a few days later. It did take me a day or two to adjust, but eventually I did. At first it does seem way too dim, but if you can stick with it you may end up being comfortable there.
 
More testing on games:

Only experiencing the flashing on my heavily graphically modded skyrim when the enb causes flora to be very bright. No flashing on Farcry 3 (well it did once with AMA on premium - flashing is far less severe on skyrim when AMA is off), Rome 2, Crusader Kings, Planetside, and any PS4 game (the interpolation prevents it).
 
So I bought three Qnix 320QHD which seem to have the same panel as the BenQ.... Well Here is proof:
1000


Believe it or not I got the flashing issue on the one on the left... ONLY if I enable game mode... if disabled it goes back to normal.
 
Does it change depending on to which video inputs monitor is connected / from which gpu output it's connected? (to strike out gpu / gpu output differences / gpu fw glitches & maybe monitor different input port capabilities/glitches).
Is it possible to get from these QNX when their panel was made to start drawing some statistics?
 
[X]eltic;1041234757 said:
I can confirm that Google Earth doesn't flicker at that location on my monitor. If I view the snowy mountain range near the Shaksgam Valley, I don't see any visual artifacts during zooming, scrolling or moving the browser window. However, my monitor does flicker if I move my browser window with the gdargaud.net dead pixel test open. With the dead pixel test open, I see lots of vertical lines across my screen as well, and a big horizontal band.

July 2014 panel here - no flickering in games. If I move that gdargaud.net window around, however, the contents of the window seem to flicker a bit. However, I tried it on two other monitors - BenQ XL2420TX and a HP 2711x and got the same flickering within the window.

Google Earth is fine too. Also, I've yet to see any unusual vertical lines.
 
So I bought three Qnix 320QHD which seem to have the same panel as the BenQ.... Well Here is proof:
1000


Believe it or not I got the flashing issue on the one on the left... ONLY if I enable game mode... if disabled it goes back to normal.

This is awesome. I was considering something like this, did you make a post or anything like that about your setup?
 
After some tests, my monitor is now not flickering/ flashing anymore with google earth, but at titanquest it is.
 
AMA off massively lessens the flickering in skyrim for me, and it also lowers input lag by 4-5ms.
 
I have had EDID problems with the BenQ BL3200PT. I sent the monitor back and received a replacement but it had the same issue.

$ get-edit | parse-edid
reports checksum failed. In everyday usage sometimes the full set of resolutions is not detected and it defaults to 1024x768 which is really quite annoying. With two other BenQ monitors (both GW2765) there is no problem.

This occurs with different graphics cards and different DisplayPort cables.

Has anyone else noticed a problem?

Apart from the edid problem the monitor is great. It's used as a workstation, not gaming, so I can't comment about the speed/lag.
 
Just got the monitor today. It looks great. I used Philips 42" last 5 years and I have to say I was afraid that 10" less will make my immersion in games less. But since I can sit closer to the monitor, I have no such a problems:)

Now I just need to adjust picture... I am not very good in adjusting the picture settings. I searched on net and found few icc and picture adjustments, but it seems it was OK for first panels back in April.

I have screen produced in September.
Rev.: 00-122-BA

Can someone suggest settings for playing games?

I am also confused with so many different icc profiles where brightness level and RGB levels are so different...

Thx very much for help.
 
Thats because every monitor is different and using someone else's profile is a pretty worthless endeavor. Also brightness will depend on your ambient lighting. It will make you feel better though that with a calibrator you hardly have to touch any RGB settings on this monitor out of the box, at least with my experience with 2 different units.
 
Thats because every monitor is different and using someone else's profile is a pretty worthless endeavor. Also brightness will depend on your ambient lighting. It will make you feel better though that with a calibrator you hardly have to touch any RGB settings on this monitor out of the box, at least with my experience with 2 different units.

Thx very much for the answer.

So what should I do? Which original profil to use? sRGB? Normal?

Thx for help.

Also I tried few games and it works nice. But I noticed in 1 game I get some screen flicker... Is it something I should be worried about and consider sending this unit back or is it something to do with monitor settings?
 
Sold this monitor, the black crush was too much.. loss of detail in blacks is noticeable compared to IPS.

Add the clouding/banding issue, which ended up driving me crazy and I'm done.
 
There's nothing inherently wrong with the technology, older BL3200PTs like mine don't show any of the flickering/flashing issues of current ones. AU Optronics have obviously had a run of faulty panels that their QA system didn't pick up on, which is why Samsung and Acer models using the same panel are affected.

They'll get it sorted out (probably already have done) but it'll take a couple of months for old stock to get moved and the new fixed monitors to reach retail.

My panel is from September.

First I tried games that I currently play like EVE online and Wasteland 2. No problems whatsoever.

Than I tried games that were mentioned in this thread that cause flashing/flicker.

ARMA 3 - flashing in 3rd person view. Very bad.
Skyrim and Gothic 3 - flashing a lot but not as bad as in ARMA 3

I will return this display and wait for some confirmation that new panel do not have this problem.

It would be good if other forum members could check ARMA3 at least and see if they have same problem
 
here my unanswered videos to the Benq-support:

flash flicker on my Benq BL3200PT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2NktMl4f7k

reduce flash/ flicker in win7x64 with AMA=Off, but not for MacOS 10.9.5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCRq2pbUr8o

Are you going to return it? Also if you find solution or get an answer or new panel that is without problems, please post here.

I will send mine back in a few days. Will not order replacement till I know this issue is solved...
 
Also I tried few games and it works nice. But I noticed in 1 game I get some screen flicker... Is it something I should be worried about and consider sending this unit back or is it something to do with monitor settings?

I did sent my monitor back, you never know whats happening in future programs. Please look at my previous post. i could reduce it with win7x64, but in MacOS it did not work.
 
@kruki

Yes i returned it. the benq service was zero, i sent them all informations, but nothing in return and this monitor does have here 3 years service at home.
 
@kruki

Yes i returned it. the benq service was zero, i sent them all informations, but nothing in return and this monitor does have here 3 years service at home.

Damn, I am happy I am still within 14 day return no question asked...

I hope you will get refund or new correct display.
 
Damn, I am happy I am still within 14 day return no question asked...

I hope you will get refund or new correct display.

I sent it back on 13th day. :) I wait for a while, maybe the next shipcontainer have less problems. :)
 
I finally picked one of these up, since Newegg had it on sale for $599 with coupon code and return until Jan 31st.

Mine does not flicker. Tried the image of ARMA that was posted, Google Maps, etc. No dead pixels.

I'm tried to check for banding, but maybe I'm using the wrong test? I have some backlight bleed or clouding dead in the middle that I can see when looking at it from off angles with the screen black.

Even with that issue, it's a pretty massive upgrade in every way from my old Westinghouse 37W3, which had severe image retention only on the right side somehow. I have until Jan 31st to be sure, so we'll see how I like it over time.

Revision is 00-121-BA
Mfg Date is July 2014

Service Menu Info:
Vender: Qisda
Panel: AUM320DVN1.0
Scaler: MST 9687D
F/W Version: V02/20140324
 
I finally picked one of these up, since Newegg had it on sale for $599 with coupon code and return until Jan 31st.

Mine does not flicker. Tried the image of ARMA that was posted, Google Maps, etc. No dead pixels.

I'm tried to check for banding, but maybe I'm using the wrong test? I have some backlight bleed or clouding dead in the middle that I can see when looking at it from off angles with the screen black.

Even with that issue, it's a pretty massive upgrade in every way from my old Westinghouse 37W3, which had severe image retention only on the right side somehow. I have until Jan 31st to be sure, so we'll see how I like it over time.

Revision is 00-121-BA
Mfg Date is July 2014

Service Menu Info:
Vender: Qisda
Panel: AUM320DVN1.0
Scaler: MST 9687D
F/W Version: V02/20140324


Nice to hear that you are flicker free :) It seems that the problem is with newer panels manufactured in August and September.

I am sending mine back, and will wait to see how things develop. I will maybe try 34" AOC when it is available. I am kinda afraid that height of 34" will be a deal breaker for me... Have to find some pictures comparing 32" 16:9 and 34: 21:9
 
Nice to hear that you are flicker free :) It seems that the problem is with newer panels manufactured in August and September.

I am sending mine back, and will wait to see how things develop. I will maybe try 34" AOC when it is available. I am kinda afraid that height of 34" will be a deal breaker for me... Have to find some pictures comparing 32" 16:9 and 34: 21:9

I would definitely have returned mine immediately if it had the flicker.

If it's purely for games that support it and desktop work, I think you'll like the 21:9. I think they're great for development work.

My display is used for watching movies and shows as well, so 21:9 doesn't really work out for me unless I'd be willing to buy another monitor as well, or keep using the old 37W3 for videos.
 
Well looks like I've run into the "rare" flicker problem... I get horrendous flashing on certain games and browser pages. I can't stomach that for a $600 panel so it's going to go back. Purchased from Newegg.com on 11/24.

Relevant info:

Model name: BL3200PT
Vender: Qisda
Panel: AUM320DVN01.0
Scaler: MST 9687D
F/W Version: V02/20140324
June 2014 Manufacture
Rev: 00-121-BA
 
Well looks like I've run into the "rare" flicker problem... I get horrendous flashing on certain games and browser pages. I can't stomach that for a $600 panel so it's going to go back. Purchased from Newegg.com on 11/24.

Relevant info:

Model name: BL3200PT
Vender: Qisda
Panel: AUM320DVN01.0
Scaler: MST 9687D
F/W Version: V02/20140324
June 2014 Manufacture
Rev: 00-121-BA

Can you link what you were using to test the flicker?

Odd that mine wouldn't and yours would, considering June vs July and everything else being the same. :(
 
Can you link what you were using to test the flicker?

Odd that mine wouldn't and yours would, considering June vs July and everything else being the same. :(

This works reproducibly:
http://www.gdargaud.net/Hack/DeadPixel/GreenMagenta.html

Just open a browser window with that and leave it in windowed mode covering only a portion of the desktop, then try dragging it around. If it flickers only INSIDE the browser window then it's fine (my Samsung T260HD does that too) but if it causes a brighter flash/crosshatch pattern outside the window, it's not.

For me I get the "flashing"/strobe effect when scrolling across or moving light colored backgrounds like that dead pixel test and certain games.
 
This works reproducibly:
http://www.gdargaud.net/Hack/DeadPixel/GreenMagenta.html

Just open a browser window with that and leave it in windowed mode covering only a portion of the desktop, then try dragging it around. If it flickers only INSIDE the browser window then it's fine (my Samsung T260HD does that too) but if it causes a brighter flash/crosshatch pattern outside the window, it's not.

For me I get the "flashing"/strobe effect when scrolling across or moving light colored backgrounds like that dead pixel test and certain games.

Hmmm. On every display I've got, it's making an overlay that extends both ways horizontally outside the window. It is a cross hatching pattern. The overlay is affected by dragging different colored windows over top of it, again on every display.

On my Macbook, switching desktops with it up causes some interesting blue flicker inside the window, and lesser so extending horizontally from it.

It does not extend vertically.

I'm not seeing anything unique to the BL3200PT yet.

If you didn't pack it up yet, I have two questions. Does it do it with sharpness set to 1? Does it do it at lesser resolutions than 1440p?

IIRC some of these cross-hatching patterns are used as sharpness tests when I was looking at a couple calibration web sites.
 
Hmmm. On every display I've got, it's making an overlay that extends both ways horizontally outside the window. It is a cross hatching pattern. The overlay is affected by dragging different colored windows over top of it, again on every display.

On my Macbook, switching desktops with it up causes some interesting blue flicker inside the window, and lesser so extending horizontally from it.

It does not extend vertically.

I'm not seeing anything unique to the BL3200PT yet.

If you didn't pack it up yet, I have two questions. Does it do it with sharpness set to 1? Does it do it at lesser resolutions than 1440p?

IIRC some of these cross-hatching patterns are used as sharpness tests when I was looking at a couple calibration web sites.

Hmm... if it does it on Macbook then it really may just be a pathological edge case.

Changing the sharpness is something I hadn't thought to try. I'll give that a shot and see if it makes a difference.
 
With sharpness at 1 I don't have issues with the dead pixel test. However, it looks blurry and I still get strobe/flashing effect with the K2/Himalayas map and similar scrolling/zooming operations. I put sharpness back to the default of 5.

Zero issues with Titanfall, CS GO, Command and Conquer Red Alert 3, and Battlefield 4 though. I'll have to test with more games but my issues so far seem pretty limited.
 
With sharpness at 1 I don't have issues with the dead pixel test. However, it looks blurry and I still get strobe/flashing effect with the K2/Himalayas map and similar scrolling/zooming operations. I put sharpness back to the default of 5.

Zero issues with Titanfall, CS GO, Command and Conquer Red Alert 3, and Battlefield 4 though. I'll have to test with more games but my issues so far seem pretty limited.

I didn't try with the Himalayas map, but I had flashing/flickering problems in a games I play like ARMA 3, Gothic 3, Skyrim and Everquest 2. No problems in EVE online and Wastelands2.

The 4 mentioned games are enough for me to return the screen though...
 
I didn't try with the Himalayas map, but I had flashing/flickering problems in a games I play like ARMA 3, Gothic 3, Skyrim and Everquest 2. No problems in EVE online and Wastelands2.

The 4 mentioned games are enough for me to return the screen though...

I've got Skyrim so I can see if that gives me troubles. Was there a particular area or did it occur across the board?
 
Just an update:

I lowered contrast from 50 to 42 and now I get zero "flashing" in the areas I previously did (except the dead pixel test, but that causes all manner of screwiness on other LCDs in my house I've tested and is not unique to the BenQ). Any amount of scrolling/zooming in browser/Google Earth on light backgrounds works fine now with no dithering/crosshatching or flashing.

I've got until January under the "Iron Egg" guarantee from Newegg so I'll keep the monitor for at least another week and tinker with it to see if I can find anything wrong with it.

So far:

Pros:
Good color reproduction and excellent contrast
Better response time and less screen tear than my previous panel
Very immersive experience gaming
I love the screen real estate for desktop use

Cons:
Some uneven panel uniformity/banding - not really a huge deal, but it's there if you look for it
A little bit of black "crush"
The "flashing" issue which I've worked around for now, but which is still in the back of my mind. I'll be trying to reproduce it in games like Skyrim or other "third person" view games (so far no luck there, which is reassuring)
 
Hi guys, new member here and have read this thread from top to bottom and it's been an interesting informative read so thanks to all that have contributed.

Is there anyone here from the UK that has purchased this monitor and found that it has none of the flashing or banding issues that so many of us have experienced?

I wonder if there is a UK retailer that actually has a batch of these monitors in stock that aren't affected by any of these issues?

Could it be that the problem is solely down to to the specific run of VA panels that BenQ is currently fitting inside this monitor?

I can't believe that as customers some of us have had to purchase this monitor on more than 2 occasions in the hope of receiving a model that works 100% correctly, and in some cases from more than 2 retailers!

I can tell you that BenQ are indeed aware of the problem but without going to their HQ and personally picking one of their production line and carrying out our own Quality Control tests how the hell are you supposed to get a monitor that has no faults whatsoever!!

Does anyone have any positive experience having purchased one in the United Kingdom? If so please let us know.
 
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