NEC 23" IPS EA231WMi

Sunspark said:
Your bleeding photos confuse me. On my laptop I can't see anything except a completely black screen with a little blue light in the corner. You need to enchance the photos somehow by using a slower shutter speed.. I'm curious to see how it compares to mine..
Click to expand...
Then your laptop has severe black crush. There's plenty of detail in the photos. If I enhanced it, it would look much worse than it really is. Backlight bleeding is not a major problem on the ones I've received, but there is a little bit.

Sunspark said:
Also toastyx, if you still have both (or even 1) of the units, could you please push on the upper left or right corners of the panel and tell me if you feel a bit of give?
Click to expand...
I don't feel any give in the corners on the original, but it's not uncommon in IPS monitors. That shouldn't cause any problems.
 
Wow, those dust particles are shameful.

I see the uniformity differences. You're not crazy.

I also concur from my own experience the Dell 2209WA was much better on that front.

Still a great monitor for the price, though. Best wishes on the RMA.

ToastyX said:
The pictures are bugging me because they're deceiving. From looking at the pictures, the new one doesn't seem so bad, but I swear it looks worse in person. I decided to enhance the pictures that I posted to make it more obvious:


Original:
ea231wmi-uniformity-enhanced.jpg



Replacement:
ea231wmi-uniformity-2-enhanced.jpg


The enhanced picture shows what I've described. The brightness uniformity is worse, and the brighter spot near the middle is in an area that is greener.


For comparison, here is an enhanced picture of the first Dell 2209WA vs. the one last one that I kept:

2209wa-first-last-enhanced.jpg


As you can see, the first one was awful. The one that I kept has significantly better color uniformity. You can still see differences but keep in mind these are exaggerated pictures, so the differences are very small. It's still much better than the NECs I've seen so far.
Click to expand...
 
chrisliv said:
Hey,

That's very cool of you to make your profiles available for download.

I tried them, and they work fine, even on my Mac computer. They are probably better kept on a PC/Microsoft system, though.

I've been using a canned Adobe or AppleRGB profile lately, but some of the other canned ones worked good for me too. When I follow the Apple calibration method to create a "calibrated" profile, they seem to turn out brighter or more washed-out than I like at 50% brightness and contrast.

It's nice to hear that you're enjoying your EA231WMi, too. I liked mine from the beginning, and I like even more now.

Peace to you,
C. Livingstone
Click to expand...

I'm happy my calibration profiles can help you. :)
This is the profile for 9300K gamma 2.2:
http://rapidshare.com/files/306035850/EA231WMi_9300K.icc.html

Monitor RGB settings for 9300K profile:
Red: 82,8%
Green: 81,8%
Blue: 100%

I "generally" suggest to not touch the default contrast setting.
Because the contrast is only a "fake" on LCD.
Changing the contrast "generally" is an easy way to cause banding problems.


P.S.
I love this monitor too.
Especially considering the price.
It's not the best LCD I have seen for backlight uniformity.
But I don't have any backlight issue.
 
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Yeah,

I agree, the backlighting uniformity while on a dark screen reveals a little more brightness emanating from the four corners, mostly.

But, it's still a great upgrade, for me. I mean, my former monitor was a well-rated IPS Dell panel (2005 WFP), which had much less uniformity on dark backgrounds or scenes. And I think I even paid more then for that Dell panel, which was smaller and costs more to run.

Of course, upgrading to an HDCP-compliant panel is something that the Intellectual Property Lobby has almost coerced onto customers. So, I was happy to get an even better value on this NEC than my previous display.

Even with Wash DC cranking out printed fiat currency like Zimbabwe, in the form of Federal Reserve Notes, Treasury Bills, Car Sales Subsidies, Stimulus Checks, and other debt instruments against US citizens/taxpayers, computers and LCD displays from poorer Economies, like China, India, etc., are able to provide a lot of value to customers, like me and you, at least for the moment.

Peace to you all,
C. Livingstone
 
I started a thread that got no replies :(

Is this monitor a good choice for a trimonitor setup for gaming, coding and general internet usage?

Seems like it has a somewhat thin bezel, only concern is 1080 vs. 1200 resolution, will a trimonitor seem to thin?

Should I save up for the ATI 5970 (Eyefinity) or is that overkill?
 
Gee,

Probably nobody yet has tried this in a tri-monitor setup. I think the gamers here, that have used it as a single monitor, say it works fine regarding input lag and ghosting.

I'm not a gamer. And I'm not a rich man either. So, if I wanted to do three monitors for gaming as an EyeFinity-type setup, I'd probably buy three ASUS TN panels at 16:10 aspect ratio, 22-24" size, and about $199 each. They're rated well for gaming and seem like an outstanding value.

Please let us all hear how it goes.

Peace,
C. Livingstone
 
Gagnon said:
I started a thread that got no replies :(

Is this monitor a good choice for a trimonitor setup for gaming, coding and general internet usage?

Seems like it has a somewhat thin bezel, only concern is 1080 vs. 1200 resolution, will a trimonitor seem to thin?

Should I save up for the ATI 5970 (Eyefinity) or is that overkill?
Click to expand...

Well I just got in my new NEC EA231wmi and I am trying it out in Portrait mode right now! It feels kinda weird having 1920 vertical pixels but it's kinda awesome too. You can see so much text and without scrolling! Just scan your eyes up and down!

I'm not sure how 3 of these would do in 3x1, because the bottom bezel is slightly fatter than the top bezel, so in portrait the bezels might look kinda weird imo. But I've heard that people tune them out?

3240x1920 resolution. I wonder what it would look like? Not going to go triple display till I get a 5970 though. Need more graphics power to run that kind of setup smoothly imo.

PS my NEC doesn't seem to have that weird color tint issue that some have experienced and I haven't found any dead pixels yet so it seems like a really sweet monitor thus far!
 
that might be worth checking out, the aspect ratio would be like 16 x 9.48 (halfway between 16x9 and 16x10) - it might be worth checking out
 
The adjustability of the NEC is top notch. I love this stand! Plus the built in cable management is great. And it comes with a cover to hide the mess as well! Excellent overall ergonomic design!
 
vjcsmoke said:
The adjustability of the NEC is top notch. I love this stand! Plus the built in cable management is great. And it comes with a cover to hide the mess as well! Excellent overall ergonomic design!
Click to expand...
Oh, yeah! The stand and the back cover to hide the mess is really nice!
 
Gee,

The EA231WMi is now only $319.00 at B & H Photo, No tax (outside NY) + Shipping: $33.70 (to the Rocky Mtns) = $352.70, Total.

When I got mine from B & H, it was $369, No tax + Shipping, with a Total of: $400.40.

Basically, it's $50 cheaper now then when I paid for it at the pre-order price only two or three months ago, which makes it an even better value. Of course, I'm not a shill for NEC, just a happy customer, even at 50 more scraps of paper that show the images of dead slaveholders.

Peace to you all,
C. Livingstone
 
Yeah,

Some things do get better, especially if Buy.com doesn't act as an unpaid Tax Collector, to most every location, for lazy and hostile State politicians and bureaucrats, needlessly, like Dell does.

Peace,
C. Livingstone
 
sippm said:
Wow, those dust particles are shameful.

I see the uniformity differences. You're not crazy.

I also concur from my own experience the Dell 2209WA was much better on that front.

Still a great monitor for the price, though. Best wishes on the RMA.
Click to expand...

Don't be too quick to change the monitor, because the backlight uniformity can improve with time.
It's not a joke.
It's a well know behavior of some CCFL lamps.
I'm seeing an appreciable difference after a month of use.
Obviously I can not guarantee...
 
Ok, I joined the club, picked one up from Provantage to replace my HP L2335 which I bought 4 (?) years ago for around $1k. Surprisingly "on paper" other then the contrast ratio the specs for this monitor do not seem like that much of an upgrade and for only 1/3 the price. I am expected to be blown away from the differences though. Amazing how prices come down by so much and quality goes up.

I think when the HP L2335 first came out it was one of the few quality LCD widescreens on the market so that is why I early adopted and paid so much. I looked into the 2940, PX2611w, even a few others like the HP and the Dells. I'll take some pictures side by side when I get it, my intent is to get 2 more after christmas and drive them with ATI's 5970 and build a new system around it. :giddy:
 
Are the speakers removeable? This monitor looks like she might be the one for me, but not if she's got crappy speakers glued to her butt. Anyone know?
 
Well,

The speakers are not removable, but they're not visible, either.

I've not even hooked them up to see how they sound, as my sound goes out to a 5.1 system.

So, they're there if you need them, but if you don't, they won't be in the way or even noticeable.

Peace to you,
C. Livingstone

PS: Take a look at the NEC website for the release photos.
 
Is this IPS LCD good for gaming? I'm looking to replace my square NEC MultiSync LCD1970GX 19" gaming LCD with a 20-24" widescreen monitor (1920x1080, 1920x1200) strictly for gaming. What I want is an OptiClear or shiny screen, Can't go back to the matt finish screens!
 
I enjoy gaming on it fine. Looks great and I don't really notice any ghosting or input lag (which is well documented above). It is matte finish though and not glossy. Excluding Apple products, I don't think there is any IPS glossy on the market today in NA, but I could be wrong and I don't know about other regions very much...
 
I just tried a diplay port cable and i'm getting "no signal" come up. This is plugged into HD5850 crossfire, any suggestions? Do i have to reinstall the drivers?
 
Well,

Maybe you do. Try it.

Of course, the EA231WMi seems to need no drivers, as mine didn't even come with a CD. I suppose it's in firmware somewhere on the monitor itself, as the unit is newer than my Mac OS, which apparently didn't contain a driver/profile for it.

So, your video card is undoubtedly a place I'd look. Although, in the display Menu>Tool>Video Detect area, there is a choice of First and None, which may be worth trying.

Peace to you,
C. Livingstone
 
I'm running the same card (ASUS) in single form over DP with no special setup. Can you get it to work on one card w/out xfire? Maybe can start there as I know that works based on my setup. Of course check to make sure the input on the panel is set to DP via the OSD. Otherwise I don't have your dual card setup and can't help, good luck...
 
Thanks for the reply sippm. I've tried both manually selecting DP in the OSD and letting it find it automatically but "no signal" both ways. Perhaps I'll uninstall the drivers, take out the second card, reinstall and try again.
 
If you can try running it over DVI first as a last test before doing more hardware/software rejiggering, that might be a good idea. It might be just that the ATI driver for xfire is not yet mature enough to run over DP, but will over DVI.
 
Glad to hear (relatively speaking). Sounds like ATI just hasn't put it in their drivers yet. This is the first real & complete generation of cards with DP, so not unexpected.
 
I pulled one of the 5850's and still no go. Swapped it for the other one, again no signal, looking more like a cable/monitor issue now.
 
I thought I'd take ToastyX's settings for a spin and go for a higher refresh rate, unfortunately Control strip doesn't support the 5850. I can load it up but the box for making the adjustments is grayed out. After a bit of digging it seems that it is indeed, not supported. Is there anything else out there that'll work?
 
Please, as many people as possible, provide me with your input to my following inquiry:

Which monitor should I get Dell 2209WA or NEC MultiSync EA231WMI?

I am really torn over which monitor to get and I am hoping that you guys can help me out. I am a HUGE photo-enthusiast and I try to be a perfectionist with each shot. Photgraphy is my number 1 passion! So, I need a monitor with excellent color rendition so that, when calibrated, my prints match what I see in photoshop. Also, I am not sure how necessary it is to have a 1080p monitor for the most accurate post processing, but I am assuming it wouldn't hurt.

Also, I am a hardcore gamer! With this said, the NEC monitors frightens me somewhat due to its 14ms recorded response time. I ask you all (who have this monitor) "When playing a fast paced First-Person shooter (Such as Modern Warfare 2), or in a raid on World of Warcraft, do you notice any ghosting or input lag? I can see myself getting frustrated with this, even if the problem is even mildly noticeable.

What I dislike about the Dell 2209WA is that it is not 1080p and has no HDMI or Displayport. Whereas, in the NEC monitor, I only dislike the 14ms response time, everything else seems good to go. As for the color uniformity and other technical issues on both monitors, I am hoping someone who has experience with one or the other, or both, may provide me with a more accurate comparison.

IN SHORT:
1) Are the ghosting and/or input lag effects (im not sure if the two are the same thing) on the NEC monitor too much to handle for an avid gamer?
2) Is the lack of 1080p and HDMI outputs on the Dell 2209WA, result in a decrease of accuracy when editing photos for color or anything else related to post-processing? Basically, does having a high resolution 1080p monitor increase ones ability to post-process a photo (AKA: edit a photo) with greater precision?
3) How does DVI-D compare with HDMI/Displayport?

I have never had experience with such monitors of high caliber. The monitor I have been using for the last few years, prior to an old CRT, was a Samsung Syncmaster with 1440*900 resolution and a 2ms response time using only a VGA input because the DVI signal would transmit an incorrect monitor resolution as a result of an inaccurate EDID. Furthermore, I am aware of the Dell U2410, but that monitor is simply out of my price range, which is a strict $360.00 limit. Basically, my choice HAS to be one of these monitors or the other.

Thank you all for your time and help!

Charlie
 
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^I'm trying to decide between those two myself. I really wish the NEC had overdrive, even if it meant a slightly higher price. The Dell is a pretty good deal when it's around $200, but atm Dell's asking close to the same price as the NEC which makes it a really difficult choice. I'm coming from a CRT also, so I know I'll have little tolerance for any ghosting or input lag.
 
More pics of the NEC. EA231wmi. Please forgive the lack of sharp detail. It's due to the 3.2 megapixel camera and image compression.

Portrait mode:
103_6270.jpg


Landscape mode:
103_6279.jpg


Very little backlight bleed compared to the Dell:
103_6283.jpg


Very nice cable management:
103_6275.jpg


And it covers up nicely too:
103_6271.jpg
 
This is my first post to this forum.

First, let me thank all the posters here. Your input was helpful in my reaching a desision to get one of these.

I got mine from buy.com for $327.99, delivered. (I suggest you use the free shipping option. I did and it was shipped FedEx with tracking with delivery in 2 days.)

My unit is pixel perfect, has no discernable variation in color, and has remarkably even backlighting.

I really like the EA231WMi. Its display looks very good when viewed head-on. But...

The casing is what sold me.

I work with medical grade monitors every day, and compared to them, all the stuff at Best Buy looks like cheap plastic trying to be glass. In a few years, when dusting has put a thousand hairline scratches on it, it's going to look like scratched-up cheap plastic.

The casing on NEC's EA231WMi can almost pass for powder coated metal, and it incorporate a package of adjustments and features that make the unit an outstanding value.

Two of the features I haven't seen mentioned yet are that the stand has a turntable built into its base that allows the unit to swivel smoothly and easily. This looks a lot more professional when your turning the screen to face a client. The other unmentioned feature is that the power light goes from blue to amber when the unit drops into sleep mode.

While I am quite happy overall with my new NEC, I feel in all fairness that its main shortcoming has not been properly addressed.

I believe the lowest black levels generated by the EA231WMi are adequate from head-on and become very poor by the time you are 30 degrees off axis. My understanding is This has always been the biggest problem with IPS designs (see wikipedia on LED Technology).

I think the EA231WMi is an economy IPS panel wrapped in a great, full featured case. As long as you are in its sweet spot you get a great color pallet with a modestly good dark end.

Please note, my only IPS experience is two days with this unit.

I would appreciate it some other owners of this model would try this experiment and comment on your impressions:

Set your optimized screen to a dark centered wallpaper surrounded by a wide jet black border.
Sit in the position you generally work from and note the general contrast and low black levels.
Now stand up. Note the general contrast and black levels.
While standing, step 3 feet to the side and again note the general contrast and black levels.

Thanks for your help.
 
chklin said:
Please scale the images down to around 800x600.
Click to expand...

Do you know of a program that will resize a bunch of pictures fast, like a whole batch at once?

EnormousTurk said:
Set your optimized screen to a dark centered wallpaper surrounded by a wide jet black border.
Sit in the position you generally work from and note the general contrast and low black levels.
Now stand up. Note the general contrast and black levels.
While standing, step 3 feet to the side and again note the general contrast and black levels.

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

If you stand up and look straight down at the monitor or look from an extreme sideward angle you can notice some shimmer on the blacks. But this is a known IPS panel phenomenon for monitors without polarizers. If you want a quality IPS panel with a polarizer be prepared to pay $1000 and up. Since I don't generally view my monitor standing up and staring straight down at it, it's not a big negative for me. Colored images such as in movies look great, but I'll admit there's the slight shimmer for blacks.
 
EnormousTurk said:
This is my first post to this forum.

First, let me thank all the posters here. Your input was helpful in my reaching a desision to get one of these.

I got mine from buy.com for $327.99, delivered. (I suggest you use the free shipping option. I did and it was shipped FedEx with tracking with delivery in 2 days.)

My unit is pixel perfect, has no discernable variation in color, and has remarkably even backlighting.

I really like the EA231WMi. Its display looks very good when viewed head-on. But...

The casing is what sold me.

I work with medical grade monitors every day, and compared to them, all the stuff at Best Buy looks like cheap plastic trying to be glass. In a few years, when dusting has put a thousand hairline scratches on it, it's going to look like scratched-up cheap plastic.

The casing on NEC's EA231WMi can almost pass for powder coated metal, and it incorporate a package of adjustments and features that make the unit an outstanding value.

Two of the features I haven't seen mentioned yet are that the stand has a turntable built into its base that allows the unit to swivel smoothly and easily. This looks a lot more professional when your turning the screen to face a client. The other unmentioned feature is that the power light goes from blue to amber when the unit drops into sleep mode.

While I am quite happy overall with my new NEC, I feel in all fairness that its main shortcoming has not been properly addressed.

I believe the lowest black levels generated by the EA231WMi are adequate from head-on and become very poor by the time you are 30 degrees off axis. My understanding is This has always been the biggest problem with IPS designs (see wikipedia on LED Technology).

I think the EA231WMi is an economy IPS panel wrapped in a great, full featured case. As long as you are in its sweet spot you get a great color pallet with a modestly good dark end.

Please note, my only IPS experience is two days with this unit.

I would appreciate it some other owners of this model would try this experiment and comment on your impressions:

Set your optimized screen to a dark centered wallpaper surrounded by a wide jet black border.
Sit in the position you generally work from and note the general contrast and low black levels.
Now stand up. Note the general contrast and black levels.
While standing, step 3 feet to the side and again note the general contrast and black levels.

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

Could you tell me if this monitor has ghosting effects as a result of its 14ms response rate? If you scroll up I wrote a question, that I am still trying to get answered, regarding ghosting effects during gaming. Fortunately, I have already been provided examples showing no significant discrepancies in input lag between a TN monitor and the NEC monitor, however prevalence of ghosting effects have not yet been addressed.
 
solracselbor said:
Could you tell me if this monitor has ghosting effects as a result of its 14ms response rate? If you scroll up I wrote a question, that I am still trying to get answered, regarding ghosting effects during gaming. Fortunately, I have already been provided examples showing no significant discrepancies in input lag between a TN monitor and the NEC monitor, however prevalence of ghosting effects have not yet been addressed.
Click to expand...

Did the test on that website. Something 19/20 times it said 0% frame drop rate. And there was one time that said 2%. This was for both monitors. I'm not sure how it proves ghosting or lack thereof, I took pictures too and it looks identical on both monitors.

This photo was taken while the test was running. As you can see the bar starting to move from the edge of the screen back to the beginning edge, the positions look identical to me but judge for yourself.

103_6305.jpg


Ok, I also fired up some Wolfenstein in clone mode to do some real in game testing. When running straight ahead and fighting/shooting the Dell and NEC feel identical. However if you turn very rapidly, it seems that the Dell is more responsive.

Not too surprising a result considering that one's a TN panel and the other's an IPS. But 99% of the time they look the same except when turning rapidly. Oh and I also noticed the image quality on the NEC impressed more than the Dell. Blacks were blacker, textures looked crisper and better, etc.

The other factor to consider is that the Dell is running off HDMI out and the NEC is running off the DVI. When the 5970 gets in I'll be able to run both off DVI and make a comparison. And then run the NEC off the Displayport and see if that makes it more responsive as well.
I can't wait to get my 5970 in so I can do some testing on a really fast video card. When it does I will report more later, either here or in the video card forum.
 
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