HP DreamColor LP2480zx - Blotchiness

W

webzeb

n00b
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
53
Hi,

I bought an HP DreamColor LP2480zx monitor.
The unit was in revision GHG001, July 2008, made in China.
It suffered from important color temperature variations accross the display. With an X-Rite i1Display 2 colorimeter, I measured a difference of 1120K (!) between the two left corners. Actually, there were several cold and warm blotches accross the display.

Several replacement units followed:
  1. 1st replacement unit: Refurbished, revision GHG001, made in China, July 2008. Green to red tinge accross the display, very similar to the HP LP2475W issue. See this photo.
  2. 2nd replacement unit: Refurbished, revision GHG001, made in China, July 2008. Yellow/cyan blotchiness. See these measurements.
  3. 3rd replacement unit: Refurbished, revision GHG001, made in China, August 2008. Yellow-green/purple blotchiness.

I read some comments about uniformity issue with the first revision of this monitor. Could anyone confirm this?
From my point of view, such color temperature variations are not tolerable on such a monitor. What do you think of the measurements performed on the second and third unit ?

Regards,

lélé
 
Forget the DreamColor. Get the NEC LCD2490WUXi2 or LCD2690WUXi2. Those monitors have a feature called ColorComp, which mostly eliminates those kind of uniformity issues.

Every monitor with an LG IPS panel seems to be suffering uniformity issues lately. I don't know why LG has so many QC issues.
 
ToastyX said:
Forget the DreamColor. Get the NEC LCD2490WUXi2 or LCD2690WUXi2. Those monitors have a feature called ColorComp, which mostly eliminates those kind of uniformity issues.

Every monitor with an LG IPS panel seems to be suffering uniformity issues lately. I don't know why LG has so many QC issues.
Click to expand...
I can't switch, because I can't be refund and I can't sell a monitor with such a uniformity issue.

The NEC MultiSync LCD2490WUXi² comes with an LG-Philips H-IPS panel too, does'nt it?
 
webzeb said:
The NEC MultiSync LCD2490WUXi² comes with an LG-Philips H-IPS panel too, does'nt it?
Click to expand...
Yes, but the correction is done digitally, a feature that the HP doesn't have.
 
ToastyX said:
Yes, but the correction is done digitally, a feature that the HP doesn't have.
Click to expand...
Right...but I can't switch for the monent.

I think that the "blotchiness" results from the RGB LED backlighting.
Actually, in the absence of local correction (that you highlighted;)), deviations in the LED characteristics can resultat in a difference in color temperature.

The question is: do recent revisions benefit from a better QC in LED sélection and thus less color temperature variations?
 
I remember once reading on this forum about a NEC rep replying by email that colour casts tend to reduce on their displays after a few weeks of use.

I'm not sure how much truth there is to be found there, nor whether it is applicable to the 2480zx.

edit - Refurbished? no wonder why.
 
Last edited:
Last replacement unit :
hpdreamcolorlp2480zxser.jpg

Pathetic results, aren't they?

:(
 
Just curious, was the first monitor you had refurbished as well, before the first replacement?

We have about 8 of these at work, sent some back for uniformity issues, I have a suspicion that people send them back to HP, someone looks at them from HP and says they are acceptable, and HP just sells them again refurbished without actually doing anything.
 
To bad you didn't get the 2490wuxi2 it was good enough even without the polarizer.
Plus,there has been alot less QC issues reported with Nec 90 series then any HP monitor.
Knowing you cant get an NEC monitor at this point i really don't know what you can do now.
 
Given the cost of the monitor, very sorry to hear of the troubles. Feature wise the Dreamcolor series held a lot of promise.

Maybe worth getting HP on the phone again and getting yet another replacement, reminding them you are unhappy and this experience is steering a lot of folks like me, well clear of anything HP in the way of monitors...

Sooner or later you have to get a good one.
 
psyside said:
Yes, but the 2490 was in hes buying options, he decide to go with 2480zx (refurb)
Click to expand...
Yes.

The A-TW polarizer, the ability to get very low brightness level and finally the ability to switch between different color spaces were appealing...
 
Well, even NEC *90 is not ideal. My 2690 has actually badly implemented ColourComp, turing it on makes the upper half of the screen pinkish. But without it it is quite OK. But I managed to buy a special "review" piece, I saw a "normal" 2690 and it had eight blue bad sub-pixels.

Anyway as for LP2480zx it should offer a perfect screen, it has S+R+G LED backlight, so it should offer the best. I think you should contact the local HP manager and explain him the situation, so they finally send you a good peiece and send these crappy monitors for proper re-adjustments. I bet they can adjust the backlight.
 
I had to replace my unit as well. The unit that came as a replacement has the same issue mentioned here. Especially upper and bottom left corners are a complete disaster. The difference between them is more then 1000k and its clearly visible. So if someone wonders how's the thing with newer revisions, you've got it because this unit is a completely new revision GHG011 manufactured on December 2009. The same issues all the way.

Well, one thing has been improved. Contrast is a bit better on the new unit. The last one had contrast of 900 to 960 across the screen. The new one has 980-1100. I don't know whether it's just this unit or the new revision, but even A-TW polarizer seems to be more visible, especially the green tint on black colors. All measurements were made on calibrated ARGB 75cd D65 and gamma 2.0.

I can't decide whether to try another replacement, which takes time and does not necessarily bring good results, or to sell it. It's pity that we finally have great LCD with
top angle, black level uniformity, contrast... and all is screwed up by RGB LED quality control which ruins everything. So sad...
 
So, I replaced the unit again and the one that came has almost the same problem. It's not as visible as on the previous unit, but the upper right corner has higher white point temperature. Its about 800K difference. The worse thing is that the black level is terrible on this unit. Contrast is mostly between 800:1 900:1. But there are places where I measured even under 800:1.

I think that webzeb was completely right about HP refurbishing returned monitors and using them as replacements, becouse the first unit I bought was clearly the best and none of the replacements were even close to it.

So I'm completely disappointed with the HP and this monitor because there is probably no way of getting proper unit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top