My Dell ST2220T arrived!! - subjective analysis of IPS panel

euskalzabe

euskalzabe

[H]ard|Gawd
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May 9, 2009
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So, my Dell ST2220T arrived!! Thanks to some awesome notice from Hardforum user Bladestorm, I got a 30% discount which took the price down to 230$. Sweet deal. So, I've been playing with this monitor for a couple of days and I can say I'm absolutely in love with it. Obviously miles away from any TN panel, also much improved from the S-PVA that I've been using as my monitor for quite some time. The Dell is, as you probably know, glossy - I used to hate this years ago, but they're now so commonplace that (specially since I bought my last laptop 2 years ago) I have got used to it and "learned" to like it... forced habit I guess, but I now really like how much "pop" and impact the glossy finish gives the colors in the screen... indeed it looks very nice.

Now, onto the problems. Or, should I say, problem. There's really just one, and it really doesn't bother me at all: there is a slight backlight bleed on the upper and lower left corners (more so on the upper than the lower). It is ever so slight, and frankly I'm much happier that this is the only "problem", since having dead pixels would have bothered me immensely. Thankfully, there is no single dead pixel in the panel, so the only inconvenience is the backlight bleed. However, as I said, this is only noticeable - slightly so - when the screen outputs pure black. Since this is a rare scenario, it doesn't bother me a single bit - but I feel I must say there is some bleed, since I know some other users are really bothered by this kind of defect. I took a picture (see below) of the panel outputting pure black, the picture doesn't really show the bleed. I made a copy and pushed the brightness of the picture as far as I could, and then you can notice the bleed at both left corners. Please do keep in mind, the monitor does NOT look like that second picture, that's just exposure of the shot pushed as far as it would go so that you could see that there is in fact a slight bleed. Without any tweaks to make this evident for you guys, as you can see in the first picture of the black panel, the bleed is barely noticeable.

Now, onto some pictures. I tried to adjust the shots so that they would best convey what I was seeing for each image. Any distortions you may see in the pictures come from the camera (taking pictures of an LCD will always create some distortion due to the sensors inability to resolve all its subpixel detail), so please keep this in mind. All the photography you see as backgrounds/images is photography of my own, which I put there in order to showcase the intensity/quality of colors. I'm very much into photography, and I must say, upon connecting this IPS panel and looking through my files, I noticed that SO MANY of my pictures were incorrectly balanced/calibrated - of course, I never noticed this in my S-PVA panel, but in this more color-accurate IPS Dell, well... flaws are very, very obvious, so I have some work to do now tweaking my photographs :D

Gaming is also not a problem, but then again I have low standards. Overdrive is enabled by default to achieve 8ms, there's no artifacts that I noticed and games flow perfectly (HL2, Portal 2, Crysis Warhead, Crysis 2, Call of Duty (2, MW, MW2, Black Ops)... I know many people demand 120h and 2ms or stuff like that, but if you're not that picky... I can game perfectly as I always have. My PS3 is connected via HDMI, and my PC via HDMI-cable-to-DVI-adapter. Touchscreen works very well, not Apple capacitive iPod style well, but excellent nonetheless: might not be perfect for gaming, like playing Angry Birds for PC (I honestly rather do it with the mouse), but for clicking etc, it's perfectly usable. Obviously, attempting to control win7 via touch is plain dumb, it's difficult and cumbersome because it's not designed for it, but come win8 I'll be more than glad I invested on this monitor.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the following images, I know this analysis is very subjective, I really don't know how to test anything other than "how it looks", and I can easily say this is a very recommendable monitor, specially if you get a nice discount like I did. I hope this was helpful for somebody, let me know if you have any questions.

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Black panel:
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Exposure intentionally pushed to show bleed - THIS IS NOT HOW IT LOOKS IN REAL LIFE
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Front:
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Up:
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Right:
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Left:
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I had read that IPS contrast was generally not good, I can say that the 1000:1 in this panel is way, way better than the supposed - though obviously fake - 30.000:1 from my previous S-PVA panel:
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As you can see here, contrast in a dark scene is excellent:
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And the glossy screen brings many of my pictures to life beautifully, giving them depth:
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Portal 2:
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CoD:MW2:
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Crysis Warhead:
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Trine:
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World of Goo:
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HL2:Ep2:
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I looked at the Dell website and noted they didn't show any of the cable management stuff, just how it "looks like a tablet" and you can do all sorts of stuff with the a-frame. Is there a separate power supply? Can you show a picture of the signal cables & power and how they look on your desk in light? Looks interesting just in that its the only glossy ips I know of.
 
senna89 said:
well very good if u play in the dark.
and in the morning ? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

These pictures were taken at 7am, there was plenty of light in the room. However, as I indicated in my post, these pictures have been taken at a variety of settings to show what I was seeing as best I could. Many pictures where taken at 1/500 exposure, which is why the room looks so dark yet the monitor bright: it is in fact a very bright monitor, had I gathered the normal light in the room, the monitor would have appeared completely overblown. This is photography 101: exposure compensation.

So yes, the monitor plays very well in the dark indeed, and so does during daylight. So you can go roll your eyes somewhere else and be a little more respectful with your posts. You don't know everything.
 
sippm said:
I looked at the Dell website and noted they didn't show any of the cable management stuff, just how it "looks like a tablet" and you can do all sorts of stuff with the a-frame. Is there a separate power supply? Can you show a picture of the signal cables & power and how they look on your desk in light? Looks interesting just in that its the only glossy ips I know of.
Click to expand...

As you can see in this image below, there is no power supply. There are two little "lids" so to say, which can be lifted so that you can put your cables through them, that way they're more out of the way and not directly below the monitor. The stand is really sturdy and flexible when needed, though I have only tried to push it down to see how it worked, I keep it in upright position for normal use.

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This second picture is a close-up of the cables. You can see the cables moved to the side through those "lids", as well as the power cord, the DVI cable (pc) and the HDMI one (ps3).

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And here are a couple more pics, trying to show both daylight and screen image, trying to preserve detail in both:

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Not bad, not bad at all. I'm glad to read that you like it. I might have to get one myself. :)

Can you review the touch screen abilities of this monitor? I have a capacitive touch screen netbook that I really enjoy, and I wouldn't mind having a 2nd monitor with the same ability.
 
Well, the touch control is there, it's good, but not perfect. It's definitely not as responsive as a capacitive screen like the iPod/iPad/iPhone, but it's good. The thing is, this screen uses infrared for touchscreen, meaning, the screen is a little deeper than the bezel, so when you touch the infrared rays triangulate your position. So, it's not as perfect as a capacitive, but it's perfectly usable.

So, for example, playing Angry Birds for pc isn't very comfortable with the touchscreen, since the infrared, while fast, is not as immediate as a capacitive display. For normal everyday use however, like clicking things etc, it's perfectly usable. And that's considering how bad win7 is when you try to touch anything.
 
For some reason I had thought the ST2220T was capacitive touch.:eek: I guess that explains the lower price.
 
Of course, infrared is the cheap way for doing multitouch. However, unless you're doing something that requires quick action (like, as I mentioned, playing Angry Birds), you would never know it's not capacitive, it's practically as immediate. In any case I don't plan on using it a lot, but come win8, it will be a nice thing to have. I still prefer my mouse/keyboard setup, but sometimes it's useful to be able to just tap the screen instead of moving the mouse all the way to where you need it to. It has already proved useful when pausing videos that don't accept the space key as a pause "button".
 
so you upgraded from an spva? i am interested in this one too. currently, my spva lp2275w is pretty impressive with blacks and contrast, but i'm looking for a glossy display at a reasonable price. i just wish this thing had the option to hook up a different stand :eek:
 
Yeah, I upgraded from a S-PVA Samsung LCD tv. I would say the contrast is still better in very dark situations in the SPVA panel, but blacks are much more impressive in the IPS - I mean, it looks like those black areas are off, it's impressive. Overall I like this IPS better than the SPVA, mainly because the colors are so much better.
 
Nice review of an amazing screen! I tested one of these at work in a dark room, had it standing next to a Dell U2410 (which i also own) and i have to say, the ST2220T beats it hands down. Picture is so much clearer, colors are more vibrant (although they look very correct in "custom mode" compared to U2410 in "sRGB mode") and the picture just pop more. Contrast ratio is great. The small pixel pitch is also a big plus in my book, but then again its also only 21.5" big. Too bad its not coming in larger sizes like 24" and 16:10 aspect ratio. I dont care about touch, so i didnt even test it. Design is also kinda bad. Still, im gonna replace my Dell U2410 with ST2220T. Its that good. :)
 
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Extremely nice screen indeed!
I have one too, and your expierience are exactly the same as yours!

Dell should put glossy screens onmore (and larger) IPS monitors! It's just that this monitor didn't have an AG coating that makes it's so much better than a U2410
 
good job man. haters can do their own reviews.

Appreciate it. I am trying to find something I can live with. Currently rocking a CRT after giving up on TN panels.
 
Funny thing. If there were no downsides to a matte coating of the screen like som users on this forum claim, why would Sony have a glossy coating on their amazing new 17" and 25" OLED studio monitors;
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REAC0c1tGzw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REAC0c1tGzw[/ame]

Only 29000$ for the 25", ill get two! :D
 
Frameless said:
Only 29000$ for the 25", ill get two! :D
Click to expand...
I always wonder if someone is actually paying those prices. I can imagine some oil tycoon picking up a few for his kid's PS3 and his wife to watch Oprah.

@OP, very cool monitor. Amazing deal for $230:)
 
euskalzabe: According to TFT central the screen uses 6-bit + AFRC supposedly. Do you see any temporal dithering on gradations? Cause i cant see any form of dithering being used in all my testing. Ive seen the noise from dithering in all the TN-screens ive used, so i should be able to notice if the Dell ST2220T used some kind of temporal dithering. I mean, it cant be that hard to notice up close. Maybe it uses some special kind of dithering thats not noticed by the naked eye? Or maybe its actually a true 8-bit screen without dithering?

Try this link to test; http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/black.php
 
I've been using my new st2220t for a few days. It's been awesome so far. I'm using the dell as a desktop monitor for my Asus N82jv laptop which has the turdiest of turd TN panels (every Lagom test fails miserably). I don't have any IPS panels to compare it to, but it is the nicest TFT panel I've ever used.

No games yet, but movies and text look good.
Mine arrived with zero dead pixels and only a small backlight bleed in the top left corner. It doesn't bother me.
 
Hi there, could anyone tell me if this monitor crops the borders of the image when I use the HDMI input? When I usually use my PS3 in a LG HDTV through HDMI, if I set a 16:9 aspect ratio in the TV, I get the borders cropped (overscan). I only get to see the full image if I set the TV to "Just scan" apect. I've seen that the ST2220T has only two options for aspect ratio: "Fill" and "4:3". If I use the "Fill" option, do I get the whole image or do I get an image with overscan? Thanks in advance! ;)
 
it is a 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz screen, feed it a 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz signal and it won't overscan.

I have a 2209wa with the exact same fill options and all it does is "fill" the entire screen or smoosh it into a 4:3 aspect in "4:3' mode and if I feed it a 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz signal it doesn't overscan, most monitors don't most TVs do
 
I love the reviews with plenty of pictures, thanks for that.

Indeed looks like a great panel; I'm not much of a fan of 16:9 though.
 
undermined said:
it is a 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz screen, feed it a 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz signal and it won't overscan.

I have a 2209wa with the exact same fill options and all it does is "fill" the entire screen or smoosh it into a 4:3 aspect in "4:3' mode and if I feed it a 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz signal it doesn't overscan, most monitors don't most TVs do
Click to expand...

But there's one thing you have to take in account: your 2209WA does not have a HDMI input. If you're talking about feeding a 1920 x 1080 at 60hz signal from your computer, certainly it won't overscan. Have you ever connected some other external device such as Blu-ray player, a gaming console or any other thing that uses HDMI output in your 2209WA's DVI input?

I've checked Dell's website and in the ST2220T's Q&A page, a guy from Dell said that it overscans through HDMI. Anyone that owns the ST2220T could confirm that, please?
 
illli said:
what is so special about having glass?
Click to expand...
It's just another personal preference that the OP goes on to describe in his first paragraph ;)

He used the alternate term "glossy" to describe it, whereas those who don't prefer glossy will often call it "reflective".
 
Yeah it's a personal preference. The only one besides this monitor with glass is the ACD akaik
 
And the Hazro's. But they are not available in North America, though I think they can ship their monitors.

The Samsung PLS series 8 and 9 are semi-gloss.
 
This screen is a touch screen with 3H glare coating on it, no extraneous glass sheet.

It doesn't have glass like the ACD 27". The ACD has a sheet of glass integrated in the bezel covering the panel which can be removed exposing the glossy panel surface. I assume it's there to protect the panel itself.

The touch screen functionality on the ST2220T works fairly well, but to use it properly it has to be the first monitor in your setup or if you try using the touch screen with it as the second screen, it will move the cursor on the first one, and in weird directions and places.

It also needs to be disconnected when calibrating using a colorimeter as it plays havoc with the mouse when it's on the screen :)

This monitor would be near perfect if it were 16:10 and 1920x1200. Due to its compact size the glossy is far less of an issue than it would be on a larger 24"-27" screen, and it has a SIPS II panel with only a blue glow on blacks off-angle, and far less intense than the white glow of typical H-IPS/P-IPS/eIPS panels. It's also a lot tougher to see at regular viewing distances.

FlatPanels makes note of it, though they didn't seem to pay any attention to it at the bottom of their review here:

http://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1302259660

Mine is hitting 1200:1 contrast so that, plus the less visible blue glow makes it look very good for movie tasks too.

I grabbed one a while back for $199.99 Canadian. At that price it was a no-brainer. The only issue I've seen, as I've had one replacement is a very slight yellowing and bit of BLB on the top left. I think this has more to do with the bezel pressure than anything as the BLB reduces on lower brightness level, presumably due to less heat. This was apparent on both the original and replacement.
 
What about the adjustment range, is it only possible to have this monitor tilted some degree from the vertical?

I would like one that is perpendicular to the desk it's placed on.

I'm not sure if I should get this, which is glossy, high contrast with CCFL lighting (which I prefer), or the larger U2312HM. Would I be sacrificing some contrast or image quality if I got the latter?
 
Is the touchscreen worth the extra premium? It's not a Cintiq by any means, right? You wouldn't bring the monitor down just so you can use it, the way you'd do with a tablet laptop. I'm not sure how often I'd use the touchscreen standing up. But then again, I think 'touchscreen' controls should be on a surface that's easily adjustable. I.e. iPad and Intuos tablets and the DS and whatnot.

I've used Windows 8, and it's quite nice on a tablet. Not so on a desktop, but hey, we'll see.
 
Shurane said:
Is the touchscreen worth the extra premium? It's not a Cintiq by any means, right? You wouldn't bring the monitor down just so you can use it, the way you'd do with a tablet laptop. I'm not sure how often I'd use the touchscreen standing up. But then again, I think 'touchscreen' controls should be on a surface that's easily adjustable. I.e. iPad and Intuos tablets and the DS and whatnot.

I've used Windows 8, and it's quite nice on a tablet. Not so on a desktop, but hey, we'll see.
Click to expand...

First of all, sorry I haven't looked at this thread in forever.

To answer your question, it depends on what you want to do with this monitor. It's not as precise and immediate as a capacitive screen, but it's decent enough. I've been using Windows 8 dev preview and consumer preview since fall 2011 and I find having touch useful. Now, that doesn't mean that I only use touch, but I combine it with keyboard and mouse. It really depends on where my arms/hands are at any specific moment, depending on their position I tend to simply touch the screen or use keyboard/mouse if my hands are already on them. It really makes using the PC a lot more comfortable when you have a 3-way input. I don't use this Dell as a tablet, so no, I don't bring it down, but it's slightly angled and to me it's comfortable to use, once again because I don't always use touch, but a combination of all inputs.

If it's anything to go by, I've owned this monitor for about a year now and I'm considering buying a second one to have a 2 monitor setup - mainly for work productivity and awesomely widescreen gaming. I still love the glossy finish of this panel, I've always preferred the matte ones but I risked it with this Dell and I'm never looking back (then again, you do need to plan how you'll set up the lighting around your desktop so as to avoid reflections).
 
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