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HDCP & Me

F

Flayum

n00b
Joined
Dec 23, 2005
Messages
29
I have to make a difficult choice for an upcoming build. I have to choose between the Gateway FPD2185W and the ever-popular Dell 2005FPW. I would use the screen for general use, movies, TV (via tuner), and casual gaming (low response times do not bother me); but does the higher price (and greater amount of defects) justify the HDCP/inputs of the Gateway? I wouldn’t buy a Blu-Ray drive until they got to around ~$150, so I would probably get a PS3/dedicated player before I bought one; but would the 1680x1050 resolution really show an improvement between DVD & Blu-Ray (ie. Do I even need Blu-Ray)? So… Gateway or Dell?
 
Well..I have the Gateway and it's great. The gateway has component input so you can hook up your HD cable box or w/e you have (because it also of course has s-video + rca) and not even need a tuner, unless for recording stuff.

Anyway, you could also wait for a sale. like Circuit city had them for $520 a while ago. And HDCP is "nice" to have though not a must have

btw, i don't know what defects you are talking about. Mine has zero defects and no dead pixels
 
"btw, i don't know what defects you are talking about. Mine has zero defects and no dead pixels"

From the 1000+ post thread:

-Dark Componant Input
-Buzzing Noise from power
-Minor Backlight Bleed
-Dark Center when not off-angle
-"Horrible" banding
 
Unless you're planning on watching HDCP protected content over broadcast TV, I don't believe HDCP will matter much on the PC for a couple of years at least. Vista has been delayed (again) until Jan 2007 at the earliest with a rumored rewrite of most of it's code, HD drives are being delayed and will be very expensive for awhile, there are NO movies out on either format yet, the format war is still on, no graphic cards support HDCP, most people don't even own an HDTV yet ... etc. By the time you actually need HDCP, a new display technology will be out that you will probably want.

The Gateway is an excellent monitor but it has issues like all LCDs seem to have. People have complained of the loss of detail in dark areas when viewing a scene direct-on. Also some hear an annoying buzz at certain brightness levels. Check out the new Samsung 215TW which is believed to use the same panel as the Gateway and has the same inputs and features but is $50 less and has a 3 year warranty instead of 1 year on the GW.

The 2005FPW has it's share of issues too. Many complaints of backlight bleeding that is intolerable. But many fortunate owners don't have the problem. If you are considering the 2005FPW and you are not in a big hurry, it probably makes sense to wait for the 2007FPW to see what it offers. It will likely be the same price or maybe lower than the 2005 and may have resolved the backlight complaints.
 
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