My BenQ FP241WZ

I had a stuck pixels on my monitor. Try using this software for hours http://udpix.free.fr/ but it didn't do a thing. So i finally went and got a soft paper tissue with damp/warm water, with the monitor off I put pressure on the stuck pixels and when turn the monitor back on its gone!! Nice!!

Anyone with dead or stuck pixels, go to here: http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Stuck-Pixel-on-an-LCD-Monitor

I pretty much happy with the monitor so far. Still not that good for gaming. The buttons on the side is a pretty bad idea. It's a bit of an improvement over my Acer AL2423W. But I have to say the Acer AL2423W is one tough muther of a monitor. I can't believe how solidly it was build.

Anyone here try using the LCD Monitor i key Utility? I run auto.exe, a test pattern displays and press the i key on the monitor but nothing happen.
 
Really? Damn, so there's nothing that can be done to resolve the problem? I wonder if I can return it. It's been a few months now though. I just now confirmed there was a problem. :mad:

Theres other TV`s and monitors that have the same problem so Microsoft may be able to change the signal in some way for it to work but dont count on it.
 
Anyone here try using the LCD Monitor i key Utility? I run auto.exe, a test pattern displays and press the i key on the monitor but nothing happen.

yeah same here

edit: apparently it's disabled when using DVI
 
If I bought this monitor (W, WZ or VW not sure yet), how would the following devices work on these inputs:

PC - HDMI (via DVI-->HDMI adaptor; 1920x1200 native)
PS3 - DVI (via HDMI-->DVI adaptor; 1920x1080 1:1)
360 (non elite) - Component (or should I get a VGA cable and use that ; 1080p 1:1)

Assuming I used the above setup, would I face any 1:1 or other display problems, and if so, what should I do differently? Thanks for the input!


(Alternatively, I could get a DVI switch (more expensive), and connect both the PC and PS3 with DVI)
 
This monitor is really getting on my nerves - while its component input is really good, I can't set the image to a correct aspect ratio when using a PS2. Basically Aspect Mode always makes it use a ratio corresponding to 720x480, which is neither 4:3, nor 16:9. This is even worse than my previous Samsung 215TW, which AT LEAST had the 4:3 option. Is there any way around this? Will the monitor get an update with separate settings for 4:3 and 16:9 in the display mode option at any point in the future?

Edit: After some more testing I found that the monitor distorts any 480p signal through component, same thing happens with my 360. How the hell did Benq let this slide, it's ridiculous!
 
dude, 480i/p IS 720x480 which IS 3:2. the monitor is doing nothing wrong

"Dude", that's exactly what I said. It sets the correct aspect ratio for 720x480, BUT that is NEVER the correct aspect ratio for the actual source. DVDs, games, etc are either 4:3 OR 16:9, the anamorphic 3:2 is never used when viewing them. That is why any decent monitor has to include AT LEAST the option to set it to 4:3, but this Benq one obviously doesn't, despite being hyped as a great thing for both PCs and consoles.
 
what do you want from it?

what monitor supposedly does what you want them to do?

it's displaying exactly the amount of pixels it's being sent (in 1:1 mode). you want it to display fewer horizontal pixels than what it is recieving for display? you want it to cut out information?

and movies are all sorts of aspects, hardly only 4:3 or 16:9
 
Deusfaux said:
what monitor supposedly does what you want them to do?
Samsung 275T - options: Full, 4:3, 16:9 :) I hope the 245T will do the same, I'll buy it immediatelly.

Regards
 
so it lacks "aspect" and "1:1" ?

what kind of tradeoff is that - id like to see this 4:3 and 16:9 functions in action anyways - although the benq already handles 16:9 resolutions properly at your choice of 1:1 or expanded to fit the screen whilst maintaing aspect ratio
 
what do you want from it?

what monitor supposedly does what you want them to do?

it's displaying exactly the amount of pixels it's being sent (in 1:1 mode). you want it to display fewer horizontal pixels than what it is recieving for display? you want it to cut out information?

and movies are all sorts of aspects, hardly only 4:3 or 16:9

You really have no idea what you're talking about, do you?
All NTSC DVDs have a standard resolution of 720x480, which then gets resized to 4:3 or 16:9 by the DVD player or the screen itself. Yes, there are movies with different aspects, but they still get displayed in 16:9, just with black bars.
Again, there are many monitors that support 4:3 and some that support 16:9. This is a must for a product that is advertised as an all in one thing that you can use with both computers, consoles, etc. Which, obviously, doesn't correspond to what customers get.

Btw the more I play around with it, the more I hate the menu of this thing. It's dreadful for making your own settings, as you can't make a custom image preset, you just modify the given ones. Not to mention that the menu is very laggy and hard to access, since it is at the side.

p.s. Thanks paviko :) I'll have that one in mind for the near future :)
 
I'm having even more trouble with this thing. Apparently 480i gets some really dreadful deinterlacing (very reminiscent of what the PS3 was doing with PS2 backwards compatibility a while ago), so as far as my PS2 goes, this monitor is only acceptable for the handful games that support 480p. However, 1080i actually looks perfect, which makes me think that Benq really hasn't paid any attention to proper 480i/p support.
 
Got mine 5 days ago.

I've yet to game on it extensively and to connect my 360 to see what gives but I've been quite busy of late.

So far, I'm quite happy with this monitor, no problems to report. The brightness was quite a bit on the high side (it's been adjusted now) but other than that, I didn't have much to calibrate.
 
several hundred posts read.... no answer yet to this quesion:

If I plug in a directv or whatver hdmi into this VW or WZ, will it NOW do 1:1 mapping and give me 1080p with bars on top and bottom?

anyone?
 
I just bought a WZ from TigerDirect.com this past week and it correctly displays HDMI at 1080p set to 1:1 on a Playstation 3.

Yes, that's correct - mine DOES correctly do 1:1.


However, I do have one question - has anyone ever gotten a horribly garbled signal for a few seconds over DVI after turning the monitor on? I left my computer on, it went into sleep mode, I turned on the monitor then "woke" the computer, and for a few moments (maybe 30 seconds) there would be discolored lines of pixels going vertically, sometimes horribly scrambled pictures, and sometimes dead black. After wobbling through these odd displays, it's now working just fine.
I'm not sure if a loose DVI cable could do that (for some reason the screws won't mount into the monitor's DVI port, but it stays in there fine), but I set it in as best I could and the problem seems to have gone away.

Hope I haven't encountered the infamous "blackout" problem...
 
If you want a wide screen (16:9) picture when this monitor gets a 1080p signal you put it in 1:1, right? When it gets a 720p or 480p signal you set it in aspect mode, right?

Some claim it still overscans, some claim it works perfectly. What does it really? Does it depend on what input you use?

Quote from Pigster WIki:

Firmware Revision 2 (March 2007)
Black bars on all sides have been fixed. No more black borders in 1:1 mode, but unfortunately the image is slightly too large and gets cropped. gregaori0 has some interesting news about Benq covering up the overscan issue. Default colour values are changed for standard mode.
 
You really have no idea what you're talking about, do you?
All NTSC DVDs have a standard resolution of 720x480, which then gets resized to 4:3 or 16:9 by the DVD player or the screen itself. Yes, there are movies with different aspects, but they still get displayed in 16:9, just with black bars.
Again, there are many monitors that support 4:3 and some that support 16:9. This is a must for a product that is advertised as an all in one thing that you can use with both computers, consoles, etc. Which, obviously, doesn't correspond to what customers get.

I think I may understand what you were getting at now - maybe you didnt explaind it in a good way.

So although the monitor sees everything over composite and s-video as NTSC, which is a 3:2 signal, and so is 480i/p.... 1:1 would not actually be what we want.

These are the only signals really where we want to change the aspect of the signal being sent... specifically to either a 4:3 or 16:9 aspect.

I understand normally it's the tv or whatever that due to a combination of overscan and resizing, gets the wider 3:2 aspect signal to display as a narrow 4:3 aspect signal (in the case of 4:3 sized tvs)

If you tell the source device to turn on widescreen mode, the signal will still be the same 3:2 aspect, but actual IMAGERY within that signal is squished from the sides, because it is expected to be displayed on a widescreen (16:9) display, where it will be expanded outwards, and the images will then appear normal.

when NTSC/480i/p is left in 1:1 mode. REGARDLESS of the source device's setting to "standard/widescreen/letterbox/etc" it will always show a squished image one way or another.


Now I understand why these monitors need a mode to scaled to 4:3 or 16:9 aspect, in ADDITION to 1:1/aspect/full modes, at least for NTSC and 480i/p signals.

(all other signals you generally want the aspect the signal comes in, so 1:1 and aspect handle them good)
 
I've read this whole thread, and it's helped me alot.. I see alot of stress over a few things, but a big issue to me is gaming lag.

Like someone posted a review of Dell and BenQ, and the BenQ lag was 33ms. How is that? I've never been very good with really understanding how bad and good ms play a factor, but a HUGE reason I'm getting this monitor is cause of gaming. I'd be gaming mostly on my 360 through component, and also all my others consoles through component.

Has anyone for example, tried Guitar Hero 2 on 360 on this monitor? I think that would truly give an idea at how the lag works on this monitor. I have a Plasma HDTV, and I can't even play GH2 cause the lag completely throws the rhythm off, so it's unplayable on the TV.

And seeing as you probably couldn't return this to get your money back, EXACTLY knowing how the lag is is a BIG BIG thing I'd like answered if someone could..
 
what is even worse is the only source on the net that has tested the fp241vw is that french site with comparison tables. It shows the vw as being more laggy than the wz. something completely contrary to the base assumption that the two monitors are identical except for how the stand/structure works.
 
what is even worse is the only source on the net that has tested the fp241vw is that french site with comparison tables. It shows the vw as being more laggy than the wz. something completely contrary to the base assumption that the two monitors are identical except for how the stand/structure works.

Very wierd taking into account that the VW is supposed to be a gaming monitor....:confused:
 
yes, I know.

I do not normally like anything french except for their cheese and southern countryside.

Maybe their benchmarks are not as good as their goat milk/potato blended cheeses. yum. I have to get some more.

I wonder if benq can answer that.
 
I just picked up a FP241WZ at NCIX.com couple days ago on its regular weekly sale: CDN$609 + CDN$30 for 30 days zero dead pixel warranty. That is probably the lowest ever. FP241VW is on sale for CDN$649 + CDN$32.5 zero dead pixel warranty. Both are cheaper than FP241W this week until Tuesday night.

Unlike FP241W and FP241VW, it seems like NCIX.com is not ordering new shipment for FP241WZ. I saw someone mentioned on Amazon.com that BenQ is not making FP241WZ anymore as the cost is too high. I bet the new 24" or 26" models will be using TN panels since Samsung is doing the same thing to cut the price down.
 
Well after running through 2 monitors due to dead pixels from NCIX, I got a perfect panel in the end. I'm glad I got the no dead pixel policy (It was on sale for $720 + $5 no dead pixels and free shipping, so $725 total) because shipping this thing would have been $40 each way from Toronto otherwise, twice, so yeah.

The monitor's good. Only complaint is lack of a card reader, but that's a minor quibble, more USB ports would have been nice, and front control buttons instead of side mounted ones would have been better; the side mounted buttons get very annoying very quickly.

I do occasionally still get the scrambled picture issue as posted about before and mentioned by another user, but it seems to pop up very rarely and turning the monitor off and then back on usually fixes it (unlike the other monitor, where turning it off then on did nothing).
 
I know I'm a little late but does anybody know where I can find a black FP241WZ in the U.S./ elsewhere?
 
I know I'm a little late but does anybody know where I can find a black FP241WZ in the U.S./ elsewhere?


Looks like FP241WZ is going to be hard to find in North America. Why do you want FP241WZ anyway? BFI technology is kind of useless and that is the only different between WZ and W. According to another poster, you can get the W with newest firmware (Sept 2007) from NCIX for CDN $549 weekly sale + zero dead pixel guarantee. If you like the look of VW without pivot and height adjustment, you can get it for CDN $649.
 
It is pretty useless actually. I have this monitor and seldom turn BFI on. It makes images darker, so you lose detail in certain images. The higher the BFI setting, the worse images get. Plus, I can't tell whether it reduces ghosting anyway. Every displayed image/video looks to run at the same quality whether BFI is on or off.
 
BFI is not the only difference, its a slightly better panel too.

That said, apparently there is a newer firmware out for the W that enables overscan options.

Anyone seen anything like this for the WZ?

One couldnt just take the W's firmware and put it on the Z cuz its not EXACTLY the same, right. Like the BFI feature for example.
 
NCIX has told me they no longer have the ability to do firmware updates for this monitor.

Even if they did, they'd need the firmware from BenQ, who is currently unaware or denying the existence of a firmware newer than the 1:1 update.

BenQ will not update a W (or WZ) if you send it to them for firmware update if you already have 1:1 (even if missing overscan).

They are also denying the WZ is discontinued.
 
My cousin who used to operate a local computer store told me that BenQ's service center in Canada is actually a distributer who volunteered to take on the job of servicing BenQ products, so that he gets pay $50 from BenQ for each product he serviced. So probably that explains BenQ's customer service is not very organized. I don't know if BenQ actually has a company operated service center in Canada or my cousin is only referring to the service center in Vancouver???

Anyway, he picked a Sept 07 built FP241W few days ago without first telling me about it.
 
I can't believe I've had this monitor for over 8 months now, seems like it was just yesterday that I got it. Anyway, I decided to do a short writeup based on my experiences with this excellent monitor after having used it for so long.

So far everything is still the same as the day I first bought it, there are no dead pixels and the blackout issue still occurs maybe once a week for me. The odd thing is I only experience the blackout issue when I am doing stuff in Windows and rarely when I am playing games. In terms of gaming performance, there are very few games that the monitor doesn't kick ass at. TF2, CoD4, HL2, Crysis, etc. all look excellent at 1920x1200 resolution with very little ghosting. The only games that I did notice ghosting were FEAR and Dark Age of Camelot. I should also mention that I have never turned on the "PerfectMotion" feature before so I have no experiences with it. I mainly bought this monitor over the FP241W for the newer panel type.

To sum things up, if you can still find this monitor around (the Z model specifically), I would highly recommend picking it up. Every LCD these days seems to use a crappy TN panel so finding a decent LCD is getting harder and harder. This is definitely one LCD you can't go wrong with.
 
I've just hot my new BenQ FP241WZ which looks like this:

benq.jpg


(photo taken on 1s shutter)

What do you think ? Should I send it back ? Is this might be a reason to get a new one ?
I can see uneven backlight on darker backrounds and it is really annoying.
 
I've just hot my new BenQ FP241WZ which looks like this:

benq.jpg


(photo taken on 1s shutter)

What do you think ? Should I send it back ? Is this might be a reason to get a new one ?
I can see uneven backlight on darker backrounds and it is really annoying.

Definitly.
 
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