HP LP2480zx

Biges

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Feb 28, 2008
Messages
1,475
HP finally delivered its new flag ship to me. I'd be completely happy, would they also include the special calibrator which they promote to be avalaible for the monitor (maybe it is not yet).

Let me share the first impressions with you.

It is clearly IPS panel with some kind of polarizer, because I don't see a white glow looking off angle, but it is not the same panel as NEC 2490 and 2690 have, since these make a violet hue looking from angle and dark green from another, while LP2480zx has violet from both angles.

It offers really a lot of settings including a quick change of working colour space (full/aRGB/sRGB/Rec.509/DCI P3 (I have no clue what these two later are) and custom), often it is possible to set target luminance and colour temperature.

Pixel mapping includes stretch/aspect/1:1, overscan, some cropping options.

Overdrive can be turned on/off, input lag results will follow.

The monitor is conservative black, good looking and solid stand as we know it from business-class HP models. It has a fan inside, which is quite quiet, but can be annoying to some (not for me), especially if its quality degrades over time... and we know what these small fans can do :(

Edit (2):
- As it is LED-backlight monitor, the brightness can be toned down significantly, OSM says 40 cd/m2.
- Compared to NEC 2690 2480 has much better sRGB mode. Maybe it can be even calibrated, but without the dedicated software I can't check it.
- Contrast can not be set manually in the OSM, a calibrator must be used.
- Also colours can not be directly changed as R/G/B as we are used in the most monitors (but the color temperature control is present).
- Monitor does not have an ambient light sensor to auto-brightness adjustments (at least I didn't find it). Personally I don't use it with my 2690, but as I understand, some people like it.
- Compared to my NEC 2690 I think that the violet hue in the LP2480zx is more apparent (I mean the one when looking from an angle).

Edit (3) - Backlight uniformity
I took some shots of white screen, but they look much worse than the monitor itself. So the white uniformity is perfect, only edges are slightly darker, but so they are on my 2690.
With the black screen, everything was also OK save for two light spots at the left side of the monitor. However in normal use they are not noticeable.



Edit (1) - Some amateurish shots:



And now to what you surely want to know - the input lag :)

I made 11 measurements with the average input lag being ~26 ms (overdrive on).

31, 15, 31, 16, 15, 31, 32, 31, 35, 31, 15
average = 25,7

As you can clearly see, it is mostly two frames, sometimes one. Just what are we used to get from newer IPS monitors.

 
Not sure on Rec 509, I think that's the original NTSC space (as in what it was defined to be, not what displays could handle). DCI P3 is the digital cinema standard. Supposing we ever start seeing digital theatres, that's the space they use.

For reference:

gamut.png


The purple line is NTSC, the dark purple one is HDTV (which is the same as sRGB) and the cyan one is Digital Cinema (the coloured area is a 2690).
 
That monitor's price makes the NECs look like a bargain. Did you actually buy it for yourself?
 
That monitor's price makes the NECs look like a bargain. Did you actually buy it for yourself?

Of course not! I have it for a review :) Alhough here in Czechia this monitor costs the same as NEC 2690 SpectraView, therefore it is much more competitive then on US market.

My current experience is, that I simply get used to the extra 1,5" offered by my current monitor :)
 
So is it much better than the 2490?

I can compare it only to 2690 and really prefer 2690 becuase of the larger size and no violet hue when looking from lefto to right. But I consider 2480zx a good addition to the EU market, because its price is more competetitve here then on US market. Simply because NECs etc. are just much more expensive here.

biges,
you forgot to take off her stola.

???
 
A stola is a long dress, from head to toes. It looks like drapery. Roman woman used to wear it over their tunica (a dress down to the knees).

So I meant that it's impossible to see the monitor in your picture.
Undrape her please. Take her clothes off. This sort of nudity is allowed on the forums me thinks.
On the net there are only low quality jpegs of this puppy.
 
do you notice a higher colour reproduction in the HP compare to the NEC? or does your graphics card don't take full advantage of the HP.
 
do you notice a higher colour reproduction in the HP compare to the NEC? or does your graphics card don't take full advantage of the HP.

You are right, I don't have a 30-bit capable GFX card. I have even only a few aRGB photos, I mostly work in sRGB enviroment.
But I'd like to check the full coulour range of the monitor, for which I need a calibrator, better their adjusted calibrator.
A friend of mine is going to make a review of LP2480zx for a DTP magazine, therefore he borrowed a 30-bit ATI.
 
A stola is a long dress, from head to toes. It looks like drapery. Roman woman used to wear it over their tunica (a dress down to the knees).

So I meant that it's impossible to see the monitor in your picture.
Undrape her please. Take her clothes off. This sort of nudity is allowed on the forums me thinks.
On the net there are only low quality jpegs of this puppy.

Oh, this one! I really didn't mean to take a shot of the monitor, it looks just like on the promo shots and my room isn't very good for taking photos (it's yellow and my lighttube light died, so I'm using old-school lightbulbs...).

But maybe I'll take some shots once I move the monitor next to my 2690 (right now my girlfriend is working on the HP) :)
 
Apparantly, it's not 30-bit for just the graphics card. It's 30-bits for the graphics subsystem.
from XbitLabs article at http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/other/display/professional-monitors_6.html said:
An interesting feature of the Reference 21, which is missing in the 2190 series, is its 10-bit digital input. If you’ve got an appropriate graphics card (e.g. AMD/ATI’s X1000 series GPUs can give out 10-bit color via DVI), you’ll get a fully 30-bit graphics subsystem (three 10-bit colors) as opposed to the ordinary 24-bit one (three 8-bit colors). This is a useful innovation because the human eye can indeed perceive gradations of 8-bit color on a good monitor. So if the highest-accuracy color reproduction is the goal, the transition from 8 to 10 bits (or from 24 to 30 bits, if you count up all the three basic colors) won’t be excessive.
The third 10-bit, is the software and OS.
Even the old NVidia Quadro FX 3000 and FX 4000 were already 10-bit by default. You still have to switch it off in the driver, so it will work as 8-bit.
Also, I was under the impression that DVI-D was only 8-bits. According to the quote it isn't. Am I wrong ?
 
Oh, this one! I really didn't mean to take a shot of the monitor, it looks just like on the promo shots and my room isn't very good for taking photos (it's yellow and my lighttube light died, so I'm using old-school lightbulbs...).

But maybe I'll take some shots once I move the monitor next to my 2690 (right now my girlfriend is working on the HP) :)
Craps! Too bad.
 
Biges said:
It is clearly IPS panel with some kind of polarizer, because I don't see a white glow looking off angle, but it is not the same panel as NEC 2490 and 2690 have, since these make a violet hue looking from angle and dark green from another, while LP2480zx has violet from both angles.
I've seen both variations on both the NEC and DoubleSight monitors. I'm guessing it depends on the direction the polarizer is put on. You should still be able to see green if you look up from the floor if it's the same panel.

It offers really a lot of settings including a quick change of working colour space (full/aRGB/sRGB/Rec.509/DCI P3 (I have no clue what these two later are) and custom), often it is possible to set target luminance and colour temperature.
Rec. 709 is the standard for HDTV. DCI-P3 approximates the gamut of film, but this monitor can only do 97% of DCI-P3, so it's an emulation.

As you can clearly see, it is mostly two frames, sometimes one. Just what are we used to get from newer IPS monitors.

Assuming that timer is accurate, I'd say the lag is closer to one frame. I can see 672 just barely starting to come in on the LCD just as the CRT updated to 687. I bet if you tested the HP against the NEC 2690, the NEC would be around one frame behind.
 
HP finally delivered its new flag ship to me. I'd be completely happy, would they also include the special calibrator which they promote to be avalaible for the monitor (maybe it is not yet).

Let me share the first impressions with you.

It is clearly IPS panel with some kind of polarizer, because I don't see a white glow looking off angle, but it is not the same panel as NEC 2490 and 2690 have, since these make a violet hue looking from angle and dark green from another, while LP2480zx has violet from both angles.

It offers really a lot of settings including a quick change of working colour space (full/aRGB/sRGB/Rec.509/DCI P3 (I have no clue what these two later are) and custom), often it is possible to set target luminance and colour temperature.

Pixel mapping includes stretch/aspect/1:1, overscan, some cropping options.

Overdrive can be turned on/off, input lag results will follow.

The monitor is conservative black, good looking and solid stand as we know it from business-class HP models. It has a fan inside, which is quite quiet, but can be annoying to some (not for me), especially if its quality degrades over time... and we know what these small fans can do :(

And now to what you surely want to know - the input lag :)

I made 11 measurements with the average input lag being ~26 ms (overdrive on).

31
15
31
16
15
31
32
31
35
31
15
=25,7

As you can clearly see, it is mostly two frames, sometimes one. Just what are we used to get from newer IPS monitors.

Hi biges,
Will we be seeing/hearing more of your review ?
Preferably some screenshots of the image on the monitor. THat's what this monitor is about me thinks. Not how much lag. With all respect, but I don't think it was intended to be used for fragging.
Maybe I hold off my purchase decision until you've come up with a verdict or final thoughts.:)
 
I'm waiting if HP is able to deliver its calibrator specially created for this monitor :)
I'll try to take some photos tomorrow, althought I'm not very proficient it the picture taking :)
 
Just crop anything around the bezel of the monitor.
I/We understand your need for privacy.

That's not really a problem, I just moved some cups and a milk off the desk :)
But I have to get better with the camera, there are some shots, if you want them so much:

 
Biges,

Thanks for the photos.
When I wrote earlier "On the net there are only low quality jpegs of this puppy.", I was referring to this review of the LP2480zx.
I haven't found another yet.
I was looking for similar photos, but better quality (sharper), of the monitor itself and its image quality. Like the sets of 2 and 4 photos at the bottom of the review.

But it doesn't matter.
I get to see the LaCie 526 this Thursday or Friday. Then I'll compare it side-by-side to the LP3065, and LaCie 324. Then I purchase a set.

If I decide to go for 2 x LP2480zx now, instead of 2 other (lower priced) monitors now and a HP 8730W workstation notebook in September, I'll probably suffer from buyer remorse.
 
Well, I told you I'm not an expert photographer. Also I'm not sure what do you expect to see from the photos. I think they are useful mainly to see how the monitor behaves when looking from an angle and the homogenity of the backlight (which photos I'm going to make).

Anyway, personal experience is something you can't replace with photos.

As I said before, the calibrator for LP2480zx is still not avalaible, I think it may be better to wait for it before buying the monitor.

What's a "buyers remorse"? My English still needs a lot improving it seems :)
 
Well, I told you I'm not an expert photographer. Also I'm not sure what do you expect to see from the photos. I think they are useful mainly to see how the monitor behaves when looking from an angle and the homogenity of the backlight (which photos I'm going to make).

Anyway, personal experience is something you can't replace with photos.

As I said before, the calibrator for LP2480zx is still not avalaible, I think it may be better to wait for it before buying the monitor.

What's a "buyers remorse"? My English still needs a lot improving it seems :)
The photos in the linked review I referred to show on-screen colour patches, and yes, things like homogeneity, etc.

And you're right with your remark about personal experience.
I have already agreed with the shop to visit their distributor together, so we can have a look at the LP2480zx. They also want to see it in action before ordering one for their showroom. After all it costs EUR 2700.

Copy the following into Google to find out about buyer's remorse :
define:buyer's remorse
 
Well, you are from Europe, you can always return the monitor(s) if buy it internet.

Added these remarks to the first post:
- As it is LED-backlight monitor, the brightness can be toned down significantly, OSM says 40 cd/m2.
- Contrast can not be set manually in the OSM, a calibrator must be used.
- Also colours can not be directly changed as R/G/B as we are used in the most monitors (but the color temperature control is present).
- Monitor does not have an ambient light sensor to auto-brightness adjustments (at least I didn't find it). Personally I don't use it with my 2690, but as I understand, some people like it.
- Compared to my NEC 2690 I think that the violet hue in the LP2480zx is more apparent (I mean the one when looking from an angle).
 
Maybe. Are you willing to pay the restocking fee of 15% ?
Once I've opened it, they can't sell it as a new monitor anymore, so they charge a re-stocking fee.

And, I meant that even the owner of the shop doesn't want to pay so much money without having seen it in action. To be sure that they can sell a complete and working 30-bit colors graphics subsystem to their customers, the 2 guys from the shop will take several cards and software with them, I can remember that they mentioned an ATI FireGL V7700 512MB graphics card (the one that can do 8, 10, or 16-bits per RGB-color, so times 3.) And with this card they want to hook it up to the monitor via Displayport (10-bit).
And a Bluefish444 HD Lust graphics card (SDTV and HDTV editing and coloring).
And a couple of Matrox cards.
They are really worried about the OS and software part (incompatibilities).
So they also bring along Premiere Pro, Silverstack, etc.

They think it will take the whole day. Maybe 2 or even 3.:rolleyes:
Luckily their distributor is not too far away. If I get bored I just go home.:p
 
What?! 15 % fee? There is nothing like this in Czechia, I returned monitor and have only to pay a postage to send it back. I think some computer distributors tried to demand 8% "restocking" fee, but customers moved to other sellers. I just think it is illegal.
Of course I'm speaking about monitors in stock, it would be quite immoral to make a seller to order an expensive monitor and then return it back. The better way is to contact a manufacturer and ask him, where his monitor can be seen :)
 
The shop has this policy for products that they have to order specifically for a customer, because they do not normally sell the product. Which sounds quite acceptable to me. In fact 15% is quite low then.
As is the case with the LP2480zx it's not yet in their assortment. And they do not even know if they want to sell it.
The usual re-stocking fee is 5% or 10% depending on what product it is.
If it's a slow mover, you pay 10%.

No need to contact the manufacturer. Their distributor wants to sell. So they will have several demo models available. Trial & Error sessions are only available by appointment to smaller distributors and retailers. I'm lucky to be invited by the shop owner. He himself couldn't go because of other appointments.

I'm only interested to find out if they can setup a fully working 30-bit graphics subsystem. Which hardware and software is working, And what it will cost.
We have to wait until it's our turn for a Trial & Error session.
 
Btw, did you receive a pre-production model or a production model of the monitor ?

It seems to be a normal production version manufactured in April 2008 in China. I doubt that Czechia is that much important to receive pre-production pieces very quickly.
 
Added screen uniformity photo, but it is not very good... :(

Actually I think that's just fine! Look at the photos for other monitors reviewed on this forum, it's really difficult to get the photo to exactly match what you see with the naked eye and the light bleed patterns are usually heavily exaggerated by the camera.

Your comments put the image in context, so the LP2480zx appears to have a tolerable uniformity for the panel type. That said you might demand perfection from such an expensive monitor.
 
Actually I think that's just fine! Look at the photos for other monitors reviewed on this forum, it's really difficult to get the photo to exactly match what you see with the naked eye and the light bleed patterns are usually heavily exaggerated by the camera.

Your comments put the image in context, so the LP2480zx appears to have a tolerable uniformity for the panel type. That said you might demand perfection from such an expensive monitor.

I think it depeneds strongly on the local HP support. I believe somewhere you could persuade them to give you another monitor. I'm also not familiar with their warranty for LP2480zx. (I personally think it would be enough to name the monitor just 2480 :) )
 
Is this the HP Dream Color LP2480zx?

Its about $4000 in Australia.

HP has a LP2465 which is about the same price a NEC 2490.
 
Not that it's designed for it, but, have you tried running any games on it? How does it hold up in first person games or real time strategy ones? Curious to know if it can keep up with them or if ghosting is out of hand. How is movie watching?
 
Not that it's designed for it, but, have you tried running any games on it? How does it hold up in first person games or real time strategy ones? Curious to know if it can keep up with them or if ghosting is out of hand. How is movie watching?

There is no reason for the montor not to perform well playing games and movies. I actually haven't playid games on it, but I did watch some movies and it was pretty good, just as my NEC 2690. I actually noticed more ghosting when scrolling black text on white backgrounf when using one of BenQ's TN monitors :)
 
I have recently contacted HP PR. Now they have the special calibrator, but they no longer have the monitor for review purpouses. There goes my review :(
 
Sorry to bring this old thread to life but i want to know one thing just curious i guess.

Biges,

You have 2690,and this HP model 2480zx i'm thinking of as a best LCD after the 2490/2690
if you have to choose one of them what would be and why? in terms of pure IQ
What is better,and how much? Sorry for bothering but i would love to know thanks ;)
 
Hi psyside!

Well, 2690 is sligtly larger, which can be a bonus, but HP LP2480zx has quite good sRGB mode, which also can be calibrated. I'm not absolutely sure if 2480 has the A-TW filter, however I had not noticed any white shimmering. Actually the only think which bothered be about the HP was that the stand is a little... flimsy, so the mnonitor moves sligtly when I type (I'm used to type with a little more force), but maybe this can be fixed.

Would I have to choose today, I can't really say which monitor I would pick. Without A-TW 2490/2690 are not that great and HP service in Czechia is better than that of NEC. So I'd probably choose 2480zx considering the price difference is not that large here (but it is much higher in the USA!)... NEC 2690WUXi = 29000 CZK, NEC 2690 SpectraView = 44000 CZK (2490 is sligtly less), HP LP2480zx ~41000 CZK.

However nothing beats personal experience.
 
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