BenQ V2400W In Depth Review

10e said:
1080P and the Black Border Lines

A number of users here have been concerned with the pulsing dark grey lines at the bottom of the G2400W image with 1080P. The V2400W also has these lines. They appear both top and bottom in the black bar area around the 1080p image on these two BenQ monitors. I would prefer that BenQ include an option to “black out” this area when using 16:9 1080P content on this 16:10 monitor, though they have never bothered me. I have watched dark movies with the lights out, and after a few minutes these lines seem to stop pulsing and stabilize. The reason the bottom lines are visible is because TN LCD technology brightens when viewed from above, making them more visible at the bottom.

I will show these lines as accurately as possible. You be the judge on whether or not they are a nuisance to you:

2578642646_ef6b26deb7.jpg


2577809871_10c968f8d7.jpg


The lines do not occur over any other resolution (not even 1080i). At one point I was playing Grand Turismo 5 Prologue and the lines disappeared at 1080p and the borders were pure black. After I left and re-entered the game, they returned. I'm one to believe they are some sort of HDCP by-product, since they only happen at 1080p. They also occur on Xbox 360 over HDMI, but only with 1080p here too.

Continued in Part 3!
Click to expand...

Do these only happen when connected to a PS3 or such? Do they happen when watching a 1080P film on ur computer from an internal blu ray player, or anything? lol
 
Thanks for the review 10e and others that reviewed this monitor. I made the purchase on Wednesday last week and I'm having a blast.
 
Do you guys have a suggestion for calibration tool I can use to get the greys and olors better? I'm having some issues along those lines and need something to help me out. I thought the Nvidia control panel had one, but with the new drivers it appears to be missing?
 
Just got this monitor in last week. Bought from amazon.com 400 + like about 70 for S&H * i live in japan. i'm loving this coming from a 19inch standard, so much more room. So far i dont think i have any dead / stuck pixels. and i'm unsure if i want to run the test cause once i know its there i bet it will bug me. I'm buying a new desk and setting up my spare room as a gaming room so i'll post some pics probally in the show you lcd forum later this month.
 
I've been running this monitor for 4 weeks now and loving it.

One thing I'm not sure if it was mentioned here:

Its about the monitor driver that comes on the CD or from the Windows website.

I installed it and the monitor showed as BenQ 2400W in device manager but I noticed that darker pictures have a high contrast to them and they are more darker and have more shadows. Pictures that were taking with no flash (taken with ISO1000) showed up as more grainy after I installed the driver.

I played around with the monitor settings but none fixed the issue.

I reverted to the "default monitor" driver and all went back to normal.

Not sure if anyone else installed the driver and experienced the same issue.

To recap, the grainy/more shadows/more contrast/darker images/ issue shows up with lower quality pictures.
 
This was by far the most helpful review of the BenQ I am about to purchase today from Newegg. Thank you so much.
 
itachi183 said:
Do these only happen when connected to a PS3 or such? Do they happen when watching a 1080P film on ur computer from an internal blu ray player, or anything? lol
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Late reply, but I have to assume that these are only when a 1080p device is connected. That area is where the monitor is filling in the extra pixels. On a computer, you would output the full 1920x1200 resolution, and the video card would fill in the area outside the movie with black.

I have almost decided to buy this monitor. Actually, I would get the G2400WD because I like the symmetrical stand better, but it's the same panel, right? I would be connecting a computer and PS3, and I was wondering how I should connect them.

Obviously, the simple thing would be to just use HDMI for PS3 and DVI for computer, but I already have an HDMI switch and any cables I would need (such as HDMI to DVI, and more than one HDMI cable). So, I have some options. Currently, I use a DVI to HDMI cable for the computer to the switch, and another HDMI to DVI cable to DVI on my monitor.

So, I just wanted to ask if there is a reason I might want to connect them the opposite way: PS3 to DVI and computer to HDMI, or even both to one connection as I do now. Are there any issues with the PS3 that only crop up with the HDMI or DVI connection? I won't be using sound with the monitor, so that's not a factor.
 
I am torn between the V2400W and the E2400HD. I am going to be using the monitor primarily for PC-gaming. Can anyone help me make a decision here?
 
What's the best 24" monitor for gaming?

- Moderate gaming (CoD4, Crysis, etc)
- Moderate graphic work
- Moderate video editing

- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (3.6GHz)
- ATI HD4870 512MB
- Corsair HX-620W

I was headed with the Samsung 2493HM, although, not sure now, as that lacks the 1:1 pixel mapping. And that's pretty much all the cons. What about the BenQ V2400W/G2400WD? Are there any cons about them too? If so, please state them, so I'm aware of them.

Don't know what to get, please recommend me an excellent 24" gaming monitor! Thanks in advance!
 
I'll post some 720p vs 1080p images for the Xbox360 later tonight.

So far I've noticed that 720p in aspect mode actually looks better than using native 1080p in some games. Keep in mind that the 360 always renders at the same resolution (720p or even 640p for some games) and scales the image to fit the desired output resolution.
 
ZenErik said:
What do you mean?

Use 1:1 for any movies. Aspect ratio causes tearing in some movies.

I wish the PS3 would scale games that output at 720p to 1080p. Because it doesn't, I need to switch the screen from 1:1 to aspect ratio for any games that only output at 720p. It's just an annoyance.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking about getting this monitor or the G2400WD. i plan on using it for pc gaming and ps3. So does using 1:1 for games and movies on the ps3 really cause frame rates to drop and/or tearing? If so how bad is it?
 
The V2400W is an excellent gaming monitor. Low input lag, pleasant image and fast response. Text is excellent, and would be a good pairing with the 4870. I used it with an Asus 4870 without issue.

Some prefer the look of the Samsung 2493HM, but the "V" has more accurate color out of the box. The Samsung has slightly stronger colors, but I like accuracy over "wow" factor. Also the V2400W is standard gamut, so no oversaturated sRGB images.

The "best" depends on your price range, but the V2400W is useful for all your purposes.

I have been trolling around the stores looking at the new stuff, and have yet to see anything I like better.

danExclusive said:
What's the best 24" monitor for gaming?

- Moderate gaming (CoD4, Crysis, etc)
- Moderate graphic work
- Moderate video editing

- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (3.6GHz)
- ATI HD4870 512MB
- Corsair HX-620W

I was headed with the Samsung 2493HM, although, not sure now, as that lacks the 1:1 pixel mapping. And that's pretty much all the cons. What about the BenQ V2400W/G2400WD? Are there any cons about them too? If so, please state them, so I'm aware of them.

Don't know what to get, please recommend me an excellent 24" gaming monitor! Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
 
10e said:
The V2400W is an excellent gaming monitor. Low input lag, pleasant image and fast response. Text is excellent, and would be a good pairing with the 4870. I used it with an Asus 4870 without issue.

Some prefer the look of the Samsung 2493HM, but the "V" has more accurate color out of the box. The Samsung has slightly stronger colors, but I like accuracy over "wow" factor. Also the V2400W is standard gamut, so no oversaturated sRGB images.

The "best" depends on your price range, but the V2400W is useful for all your purposes.

I have been trolling around the stores looking at the new stuff, and have yet to see anything I like better.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply!
Do you have MSN or something I could talk to you easier with?

& also, looking at this, http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=31&threadid=2049206, why does the OP recommend the G2400WD? And also, out of all the G2400W models, which would you recommend? I really like the style of the V2400W, although, I've heard one or few of the G2400W 'replaces' it? Hmm?

Should I also wait for the release of 120Hz monitors? And is it better off also waiting for new releases of 16:9 aspect ratio 24" monitors? Since, 16:9, don't you GAIN picture and despite losing 'pixels'? And you'll get a 'wider' image too? Hmmm ...

Well, I hope you can suggest something good for me!

P.S. I will NOT be doing any PS3/XBOX 360 connection via HDMI through my monitor, as, I assume a full HD TV would be much more better?

& what's the best within warranty?
Can you please state out the warranty (including dead pixels/etc) of both manufacturers?
 
wxkid23 said:
I really feel for all those players that are playing games on higher lag displays and don't know it and crack it up to just being bad... input lag is a real problem if you are a serious player.
Click to expand...

I know exactally how u feel

I'm a twitch fps player and I play the likes of SERIOUS SAM, UNREAL TOURNAMENT, PAIN KILLER etc..

I use to play on a CRT and when I switch over to LCD years ago I use to just think it's ghosting problem and never knew about input lag until 2 weeks ago when I started reading on this forum.

since playing on several LCD displays (dell 2001fp, westinghouse 42" LCD HDTV) I got my rear handed to me playing UT2004 by the bots at difficult setting. (I though I was just getting older and sucky)

a week ago I got the G2400WD (based on favorable reviews of it here) and I pretty much consistantly beat the bots in ut2004.

(either that or my now I can see a MUCH WIDER field of vision with the matrox triplehead to go :p

but I do notice my mouse movement even in windows is very responsive.

thnaks to everyone for opening my eyes.
 
danExclusive said:
Thanks for the reply!
Do you have MSN or something I could talk to you easier with?

& also, looking at this, http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=31&threadid=2049206, why does the OP recommend the G2400WD? And also, out of all the G2400W models, which would you recommend? I really like the style of the V2400W, although, I've heard one or few of the G2400W 'replaces' it? Hmm?

Should I also wait for the release of 120Hz monitors? And is it better off also waiting for new releases of 16:9 aspect ratio 24" monitors? Since, 16:9, don't you GAIN picture and despite losing 'pixels'? And you'll get a 'wider' image too? Hmmm ...

Well, I hope you can suggest something good for me!

P.S. I will NOT be doing any PS3/XBOX 360 connection via HDMI through my monitor, as, I assume a full HD TV would be much more better?

& what's the best within warranty?
Can you please state out the warranty (including dead pixels/etc) of both manufacturers?
Click to expand...

Well, it says there that the v2400w has been replaced by the G2400WD, so I imagine they just removed references to the v2400w to keep it current. I don't know if the v2400w has really been discontinued or not, but actually someone on the Shoryuken forum was told by BenQ recently that it's no longer available. The G2400WD is supposedly the same panel, and a bit cheaper as well, so you could get that one. If you like the styling of the v2400w better, there are other places where you could still buy it. You'd want to check on their return policies though.

BTW, the G2400W (without the D at the end) is a different, older monitor that is no longer available. Well, I did see it on eBay from a seller in Hong Kong, but it's not something you can still buy from a typical online retailer.

As for 16:9, it's all about personal preference. The image would be a little bit bigger than the 16:9 portion of a 16:10 monitor, but the difference would be so slight that I wouldn't use it as a determining factor.
 
G2400WD and V2400W are electronically identical monitors with a different casing and a slightly different price. The G2400WD is often preferred because it has VESA mounting capability for monitor arms like the Ergotron arms and stands that people here like. The U.S. BenQ site still has them up.

Even if you don't use Xbox 360 or PS3 the HDMI is still very useful and can support them very well. It also works very well even with another PC through an HDMI to DVI cable with its only flaw being that power save just gives a blue screen in HDMI.

Everyone asks about 120hz (including me). From what I've seen from TVs it might be great, but only if I can turn it off and it doesn't add input lag. Remember, the monitor will be artificially producing frames using a processor which could very likely contribute to input lag, making it a high lag monitor with very smooth motion.

I still consider the V2400W/G2400WD better than the E2400HD and E2200HD. They are cheap monitors that are great for consoles and cable boxes, but less useful for PC than 16:10 monitors.
 
Yeah, I think the motion interpolation would introduce input lag. Think of it this way: in order to display the fake frame, it has to see the next real one. So, it has to wait for frame #2 to be rendered before it can calculate and display "frame 1.5" (the fake one in between 1 and 2). That's not a problem for movies/TV because the sound could be delayed to compensate. HDMI 1.3 even has a "lip sync" feature to query the display to find out how much processing lag it has, so that the receiver can be adjusted to compensate.

BTW, I got the Ergotron stand with mine, but the hole in the back isn't big enough for the ferrite cores on my cables. Maybe I'll file them down or something. :)
 
Drexl said:
Well, it says there that the v2400w has been replaced by the G2400WD, so I imagine they just removed references to the v2400w to keep it current. I don't know if the v2400w has really been discontinued or not, but actually someone on the Shoryuken forum was told by BenQ recently that it's no longer available. The G2400WD is supposedly the same panel, and a bit cheaper as well, so you could get that one. If you like the styling of the v2400w better, there are other places where you could still buy it. You'd want to check on their return policies though.

BTW, the G2400W (without the D at the end) is a different, older monitor that is no longer available. Well, I did see it on eBay from a seller in Hong Kong, but it's not something you can still buy from a typical online retailer.

As for 16:9, it's all about personal preference. The image would be a little bit bigger than the 16:9 portion of a 16:10 monitor, but the difference would be so slight that I wouldn't use it as a determining factor.
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Thanks.

10e said:
G2400WD and V2400W are electronically identical monitors with a different casing and a slightly different price. The G2400WD is often preferred because it has VESA mounting capability for monitor arms like the Ergotron arms and stands that people here like. The U.S. BenQ site still has them up.

Even if you don't use Xbox 360 or PS3 the HDMI is still very useful and can support them very well. It also works very well even with another PC through an HDMI to DVI cable with its only flaw being that power save just gives a blue screen in HDMI.

Everyone asks about 120hz (including me). From what I've seen from TVs it might be great, but only if I can turn it off and it doesn't add input lag. Remember, the monitor will be artificially producing frames using a processor which could very likely contribute to input lag, making it a high lag monitor with very smooth motion.

I still consider the V2400W/G2400WD better than the E2400HD and E2200HD. They are cheap monitors that are great for consoles and cable boxes, but less useful for PC than 16:10 monitors.
Click to expand...

Therefore, basically, the V2400W and G2400WD are basically have the same sort of specifications, although, most people prefer the G2400WD because it's VESA compatible? Hmmm. Does the V2400W have anything else good? Cause I really like the looks of it, although, generally, quality/performance should matter most and not appearance. The Samsung 2493HM looks nice, can you state the PROS/CONS about it?
& if possible, V2400W and G2400WD PROS and CONS, for comparison. :\ I really want a 24" monitor ASAP; just having a hard time with these monitor dilemmas.
 
I'd really like a comparison between the V2400W and the G2400WD as well. Gonna be building a whole new system soon with an upgrade monitor from 21" to 24".
Great review 10e btw.
 
I'm having the same dilema as you guys. From what I can tell this two monitors are a very good all around option. Low delay with good image quality, Not the best but perhaps decent enought.
Anyway I found a forum post regarding the V2400W vs G2400WD. There are some points brought there but sure would like to have more opinions on this.
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1032779655

I think I'm beggining to lean towards this too. Of course if anyone has any suggestion for a good gaming lcd with good image quality for movies I'm interested to hear
 
theNoid said:
What the general idea for calibrating this monitor? Which setting? sRGB? Currently my eyes are liking the Movie setting, Brightness 60, Contrast 50. Can anyone with this monitor give me some advice?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, I had mine on 'standard' and not totally satisfied, now on 'movie' and I like it much better. Thanks. :p
 
thnx for the review.you ended one week of reading for me.
I went with the G2400WD. So far it's great.
Haven't tried gaming yet.
I was wondering if there's any software available to calibrate the grey and colors?
 
Standard or sRGB for PC use. brightness whatever you are comfy with, contrast between 45 and 50.

Usama said:
I just got this monitor today, what settings?
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Usama said:
The review on the first page are the colours really that good?
Click to expand...

Accurate, yes. Good is up to you. If you like over saturated "hot" colors then probably not. I always found them to be as accurate as can be seen on a TN panel without super strong reds, greens, and blues.

You might want to comment, as I know you have tried E2400HD, Dell SP2309W, S2409W, etc... and let us know what you think specifically.
 
10e said:
Standard or sRGB for PC use. brightness whatever you are comfy with, contrast between 45 and 50.





Accurate, yes. Good is up to you. If you like over saturated "hot" colors then probably not. I always found them to be as accurate as can be seen on a TN panel without super strong reds, greens, and blues.

You might want to comment, as I know you have tried E2400HD, Dell SP2309W, S2409W, etc... and let us know what you think specifically.
Click to expand...

I like it it seems pretty good so far. Look's nice and is very thin. I will put up some pics of it up next to the Dell SP2309w.
 
10e, thanks again for a great review. I too was in the market for a new monitor, and this review certainly helped narrow my choices. Ordered one today, should be here by weeks end. Looking forward to seeing what its all about.
 
ok, I really hate to bring up this topic again but I'm still on the edge concerning input lag.

http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1032641965&postcount=1
This review here states V2400W has very close to CRT level, almost no input lag from the stopwatch photos, yet

http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2008/review-benq-v2400w-part8.html#Lag
This one claims the V2400W is on average 1 frame behind a CRT, sometimes even 2 frames delay. Both reviews seem legit with their testing and photo proof and I'm confused...why the different results?

SECONDLY

The difference of G2400W,G2400WD, and V2400W
Reading the input lag test section of page 1 in this thread leads me to believe that G2400W and V2400W are extremely close, if not exaclty the same as each other.
Then I stumbled across this
Originally posted by 10e
Inside, the V2400W and G2400WD are the exact same monitor. The G2400W was the older version. It had less input lag, but a slightly less vibrant panel.
Click to expand...
10e, Would you mind elaborating more on this info please?:confused:
 
splitting hairs...I'd be more concerned about the off angle viewing which aint so good!
 
Different testing hardware can yield slightly different results. Jim tested with one video card, prad with another. I've seen differences between ATI and nVidia, where ATI is a bit more consistent, and nVidia shows a difference based on which port is employed by which screen. This may be different now with HD 4xxx and GTX 2xx than it was with HD 3xxx and 8xxx respectively.

Ultimately the average is the important part, not the peaks and valleys. I would more attribute it to how fast the video card spits out frames to each monitor than monitors having a two frame swing in input lag. I plan to get a VGA or DVI splitter to see if this is different and more accurate.

I couldn't ever see input lag on any of the V or G series with a CRT next to it. I looked and it never showed up until I started using the scaler on the monitor, and even then, I THINK I spotted some.

The G2400W is the older model, and the G2400WD and V2400W are newer. The V2400W and G2400WD are the same internals (basically) and the G2400W is a different panel and has no response time compensation.

They also have differences in how their contrast is modulated and brightness levels at different settings. The original G2400W is pretty much gone now.

ihira said:
ok, I really hate to bring up this topic again but I'm still on the edge concerning input lag.

http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1032641965&postcount=1
This review here states V2400W has very close to CRT level, almost no input lag from the stopwatch photos, yet

http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2008/review-benq-v2400w-part8.html#Lag
This one claims the V2400W is on average 1 frame behind a CRT, sometimes even 2 frames delay. Both reviews seem legit with their testing and photo proof and I'm confused...why the different results?

SECONDLY

The difference of G2400W,G2400WD, and V2400W
Reading the input lag test section of page 1 in this thread leads me to believe that G2400W and V2400W are extremely close, if not exaclty the same as each other.
Then I stumbled across this

10e, Would you mind elaborating more on this info please?:confused:
Click to expand...
 
My advice is to get either a screen with a smaller vertical size like a 16:9 24", or one that is not TN if viewing angles are highly important to you.

welder said:
splitting hairs...I'd be more concerned about the off angle viewing which aint so good!
Click to expand...
 
So 10e, not to beat a dead horse here or anything, but based on your reviews and the information collected, you would give the slight edge to the V2400W over the G2400WD correct. This is based on some contrast, colour, and brightness related differences, and also the appearance. But for all intensive purposes these monitors are almost identical with the exception of exterior appearance and the VESA mounting for G2400WD.
 
The G2400WD and V2400W are identical inside. It's the G2400W non-D that is the older model.

Panel quality on the V2400W and G2400WD is a bit nicer in terms of contrast and color saturation.

-=WooDWorKeR420=- said:
So 10e, not to beat a dead horse here or anything, but based on your reviews and the information collected, you would give the slight edge to the V2400W over the G2400WD correct. This is based on some contrast, colour, and brightness related differences, and also the appearance. But for all intensive purposes these monitors are almost identical with the exception of exterior appearance and the VESA mounting for G2400WD.
Click to expand...
 
Finally got my G2400WD from ncix. Looks great, almost no backlight bleed, great blacks and colors as stated. Unfortunately I have a dead pixel. Luckily I paid for the dead pixel garuntee so I will contact them in a day when Im sure it wont come out. If it was not right near the center I doubt I would even bother.

It is blue on white, black on red. 20m of that java pixel fixer and massaging did not help; I think that stuff only works on stuck and not dead anyway.

But seriously gaming at 1920x1200 is freaking awesome.

I haven't noticed any overdrive artifacting yet. Might not affect every one. But there is some noticable ghosting (about same as my old mva) without the overdrive turned on, so you will want to use it for FPS.
Pleasantly surprised with the overdrive, some descriptions had me expecting super terrible noticable artifacting =)

I have brightness 75, contrast 60, color "normal". Should I use sRGB or normal for color btw =)
 
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