Official BenQ FP241W Thread !!! Info, Pictures, Reviews

So how's the monitor when you move your head around or look at it from different angles?
 
rabhw said:
When you get a chance could you hook up a DVD player to it and let me know if when it stretches the video to fullscreen if it keeps the aspect ratio of 4:3 (or even 16:9), or whether it forces external devices to stretch to fit the entire screen?

You probably missed this a couple pages back so I'll requote it ;) !
 
Without reading this whole thread, can I ask how the input lag is on this thing?
 
Well, I dont see any (are you really) but for the blatenly obvious input lag..its non-existant. As far as comparing to a CRT..I dont have one at my disposal but i can compare to my 17" viewsonic which the input lag is meh. Viewing angles are superb. I remember the Apple @ the apple store and it feels like it angles wise. The colors are still live and vivid no matter which angle you are at. I have HW to do but once I get done, Ill write a review/summary. As far as the brightness, its WAY surpasses the viewsonic and anything ive come across. More to come.
 
I suppose all inputs are stretched to fill?, HDMI/DVI/components and other analog inputs.. no matter the resolution... are stretched to 1920x1200 pixels?? can anyone confirm
 
I believe most gfx cards will allow you to choose how you select non native resolutions. Mine does:

yeah.png
 
DangerIsGo said:
I believe most gfx cards will allow you to choose how you select non native resolutions. Mine does:
Not everyone has Nvidia cards or running Windows for that matter. Or will solely use the monitor on a computer(s).
 
a) is the screen glossy or not? I dont really mind either way

b) does plugging a dvd player in cause it to stretch as has been asked. Anything like a dvd player or Xbox where you dont have a pc controlling the resolution.
 
It's official about 1:1 Pixel Mapping

Lack of 1:1 Pixel Mapping: The absence of this feature from the FP241W is strange, and might well be an issue to potential buyers. Without it, the image is always stretched and scaled to fill the screen rather than offering options to maintain the aspect ratio or map the pixels 1:1 via the hardware itself. It has been confirmed in the FP241W manual that this option is not available, and also by BenQ support. There may still be hope if you need to use such options, as some software (including NVIDIA display drivers) can achieve this instead.

Source:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/benq_fp241w.htm
 
Well how would this effect say a xbox360? It wouldnt be stretched to much would it realistically?

Its bothersome but i dont know if i want to wait another 6 months. Ive been waiting since this time last year for a 24" monitor and this is the 1st decent one. a hundred or so pixel stretch on a 360 title I could probably live with id say, even if its not ideal.
 
I'm still holding on to my order from Newegg, BenQ FP241W.

Looking at other options, like the Dell UltraSharp 2407:
- Has 1:1 and 4:3 fixed aspect ratio options, which is good, however if you use them you get horrible horizontal tearing. Full screen mode never tears.
- The fixed aspect ratio options are disabled at 1600x1200. So if your games don't support 1920x1200 you'll always get 1600x1200 stretched to 1920x1200, which makes everything/everyone look short and fat as the image is strecthed by 20% extra in the horizontal.
- If you do set a fixed aspect ratio when you change resolution it is forgotten. E.g. I play a game at 1280x1024 set to 1:1, if I exit the game to windows at 1920x1200, the next time I go back to that game/resolution it's strechted to full screen again. This also applies to Alt-tabbing to windows, when you tab back in you're back in stretch to full screen mode and have to go through the menus and select 1:1 again!
- No HDMI HDCP, No 1080p

Source:
http://forumz.tomshardware.com/ce/Viewsonic-VP2330-Dell-2407-Samsung-244T-Help-ftopict51420.html

- About HD signal, MORE BAD NEWS for Dell UltraSharp 2407:
You should add another part to this, in that 16:9 signals that do not have 1920 across get stretched, they should add a 16:9 option for scaling to all modes (supposedly one of the still heavily banded modes does this, not sure though). Currently if you are on desktop setting and plug in a 720p HDTV signal, Xbox or whatever, you get a 16:10 stretched image with no way to force 16:9 (sadly current alternative monitors also seem to fail to have given this option). this kind of stuff i really don't understand, since this part and what you mention would cost ZERO money to impliment in addition to what they already have and furthermore take only about 30 seconds of time to code! and yet monitor after monitor has something to do with aspect ratios left out or bungled in some way or another.
- I tried it with 1024x768, a true 4:3 resolution instead of a 5:4, as well... also without success.

Source:
http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache...ct+ratio&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=27&lr=lang_en


The Samsung 244t:
- Also missing is a hardware way to access 1:1, aspect ratio or fullscreen stretch scaling functions, leaving you to rely on your graphics card’s control panel. This means if you hook up through component/composite/S-Video that you’ll not be able to set the scale of the image, and will have to deal with it at fullscreen stretch.
- No HDMI

Source:
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/article.asp?CIID=59594




Conclusion:
BenQ FP241W is still the best bet! Because I'm a developer too, looking at a developer perspective, 1:1 pixel mapping (fixed aspect ratio) is a complex feature to have. I think that is why it ain't very popular and very rare to have completely working, Dell UltraSharp 2407 came close, but no cigar. And, on the software-driver level, only Nvidia have it for now and few movie players.

Seeing Dell, Samsung, and BenQ dealing with 1:1 pixel mapping (fixed aspect ratio) unsuccessful, in my opinion, I don't think this feature will come at all. I guarantee you there is no perfect LCD monitor than Dell, Samsung, and BenQ have to offer. Maybe SED, but pricey.
 
DieHardcc said:
Conclusion:
BenQ FP241W is still the best bet! Because I'm a developer too, looking at a developer perspective, 1:1 pixel mapping (fixed aspect ratio) is a complex feature to have. I think that is why it ain't very popular and very rare to have completely working, Dell UltraSharp 2407 came close, but no cigar. And, on the software-driver level, only Nvidia have it for now and few movie players.
How about EIZO`s S2410W or ColorEdge CG221 both are professional monitor (1920x1200 res) with 1:1 pixel mapping and fix aspect ratio. All manner of colour control. Ratio at 1600x1200 at 1:1 is possible (even on 2405fpw) but at 1920x1080 cannot be confirmed. Dual dvi inputs... HDMI to DVI converter ... u will get HDMI... however, no HDCP.
 
I'm not forking thousands of dollars for a "professional" LCD monitor. It does make sense they have 1:1 pixel mapping (fixed aspect ratio) feature, if they don't what's the point of paying thousands of dollars.

Read the post again, 1920x1080 is confirmed (aka 16:9).
 
Eizo S2410W can be had for just under 1k USD... at least in Japan (about 900 USD).. and I suspect a few online retailers as well.
 
DieHardcc said:
The Samsung 244t:

- No HDMI HDCP, No 1080p

Source:
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/article.asp?CIID=59594

The Samsung supports HDCP over DVI. All you need is an HDMI to DVI adapter and you're good to go.

"Yes, the DVI port on the Samsung 244T is HDCP compliant, so you’ll have no problem playing back HDCP protected HD-DVD or Blu-ray discs. It also means that protected video under Windows Vista won’t be a problem either, since that will also require HDCP support. Of course we still haven’t got HDCP compliant graphics cards, but considering that a good monitor – especially one this size – should last you a long time, the HDCP inclusion should give you some real peace of mind."

Source: http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=2662
 
DieHardcc said:
Froogle it, correcting you again, $1500, here's the link sorted to cheapest. I can buy two LCD Dell UltraSharp 2407, 24 inch, with that price:
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q...lmode=online&scoring=p&sa=N&lnk=next&start=10

Google it, read the review, it's missing other features.

I rest my case, if you like it, go buy the Eizo S2410W. Eizo who? I'll stick with Dell, Samsung, BenQ, and Viewsonic. Thank you!

You cant really compare an Eizo S2410W or the new NEC 2490 to something like Dell, Smasung, BenQ or Viewsonic. The Eizo and NEC have a huge list of features not to mention better panels, that none of the others you mentioned have. You have to think about what is driving it and the ASIC's it uses. That is what drives up the costs.

If you dont need those features and are ok with lower color reproduction than you should buy one of those other brands but there are customers who need their monitor to be color critical and therfore need the features of the Eizo or NEC.
 
It's official about 1:1 Pixel Mapping
I don't think it's official. At tftcentral we've got only the detailed summary of features. Noone confirmed that there is incorrect scaling. I still have hope that at least analog input (maybe HDMI) will have correct aspect ratio, look here at chenesse review - HDTV with BenQ FP241. There are definatelly correct black bars for 720p and 1080i signal.

Regards
 
DieHardcc said:
Because I'm a developer too, looking at a developer perspective, 1:1 pixel mapping (fixed aspect ratio) is a complex feature to have. I think that is why it ain't very popular and very rare to have completely working. Dell UltraSharp 2407 came close, but no cigar. And, on the software-driver level, only Nvidia have it for now and few movie players.
It's not about the complexity. It's about keeping the price down & attractive.

According to the info supplied from BenQ, this monitor doesn't support the proper pixel scaling and you may have the problematic situation with the HDMI port as even 1080p content will be stretched because of the 16:10 aspect ratio of the monitor. Regardless of the input video interface, this monitor really should have the options to:

1. upscale to the full size of the panel
2. upscale as much as possible whilst not touching the aspect ratio (good for 720p sources, 4:3, 480i, 576p ... etc)
3. not to upscale at all (for pixel perfect 1080p and pixel perfect low resolutions if you don't mind black borders around).

In reality, it's always upscaling the video source (regardless of aspect ratio) and we are not sure about the scaler chipset quality as picture quality may suffer because of this. Even much cheaper 20" LCD monitors (and better quality LCD TV sets) have support for all 3 modes and imho that should be the norm for the multimedia monitors of this type ... unless they decided to cut the corners here and there because of the price. Usually, implementation of high quality pixel scaler and deinterlacer chipset in the monitor itself is resulting in inevitable price increase. In my opinion it would be better that they removed that charming HDMI port and for the price difference focused on some other aspects.

So, to summarise:

- We are not sure about the scaler chipset quality in BenQ case (maybe it's good, maybe it's not).

- It's problematic if you use external HD players or gaming consoles (unless they can are supporting the 16:10 aspect ratio and they will take care of the upscaling - less likely)

- It's problematic if you don't have enough GPU muscle to run games in native 1920x1280 resolution. Again, we are not sure about the upscaling quality and I'm also sure that people with lowspec rig are not potential users of this monitor.

- Software media players will correctly control pixel scaling for the video streams, so you shouldn't have problems there. This is in case that you are playing movies from PC and via DVI port.
 
DieHardcc clasified absence of the HDMI port as monitor minus. I have to disagree on that one.

I noticed that many people are keen to have it but on the other hand some people would like to know if additional HDMI cost is really worth it. If "one day" you will have HD-DVD or Blue-ray PC drive, your PC and media player software will take care of the video playback and pixel scaling problems and you are pretty much safe. In that sense, if your DVI input will eventually take care of PC desktop display, PC Games, HD movies playback ... you don't need the HDMI that much. I guess that gaming consoles and HDTV broadcast are left problematic ? You may need the HDMI for HDTV broadcast and gaming consoles (PS3) but then you may have the problem because you don't have enough HDMI ports! and solutions for this are rather expensive. As gaming consoles don't require HDMI for HD gaming (you may use VGA/component input) ... you may still get away with this obstacle, but sacrifice picture quality. Honestly, I would rather plug expensive HD separates (and that includes gaming consoles, high end HD players or even HDTV broadcast) into the big ass LCD TV then "small factor" 24" PC monitor itself, but that's just me and you have people who can't afford LCD TV and BenQ is just stop gap in the meantime.

In essence, BenQ HDMI business is a nice thing (for marketing too), but at the sime time it's bringing the confusion on board ... especially if at the end is not THAT important - rationally. Even if it's important it may happen that in some cases one is not enough. Not to mention that you can buy the HD video switch (with the remote too :) ) which includes the switching capability of 5xHDMI ports to single HDMI/DVI out port (which you connect to the any LCD monitor with DVI), and prices for such devices are very similar (if not the same) as the actual price premium your are paying for the BenQ HDMI port! In this case, need for the integrated HDMI port in the monitor itself defies any logic, as this is much better solution and you have more ports too! (and don't care about the monitor video inputs). Something like "monoPrice 5X1 Enhanced HDMI Switch with built-in Equalizer":

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...cs_id=1011002&p_id=2777&seq=1&format=2&style=

You have excellent and technically in-depth customer review too!

More importantly, what users will use this monitor REALLY for, if we exclude the show off factor with that oh-so-trendy HDMI port, will probably answer the HDMI to-be-or-not-to-be question properly.
 
How well is the OSD in allowing the user adjust color settings? Does it have many options that can be changed?

I'm torn between the 244t and this.
 
travbomb said:
You cant really compare an Eizo S2410W or the new NEC 2490 to something like Dell, Smasung, BenQ or Viewsonic. The Eizo and NEC have a huge list of features not to mention better panels, that none of the others you mentioned have. You have to think about what is driving it and the ASIC's it uses. That is what drives up the costs.

If you dont need those features and are ok with lower color reproduction than you should buy one of those other brands but there are customers who need their monitor to be color critical and therfore need the features of the Eizo or NEC.

What NEC 2490, how can you compare if it doesn't exist.?
 
paviko said:
I don't think it's official. At tftcentral we've got only the detailed summary of features. Noone confirmed that there is incorrect scaling. I still have hope that at least analog input (maybe HDMI) will have correct aspect ratio, look here at chenesse review - HDTV with BenQ FP241. There are definatelly correct black bars for 720p and 1080i signal.
BenQ UK confirmed the absence of 1:1 pixel scaling. Unfortunately, TrustedReviews didn't test this properly, so for now we are unable to confirm how HDMI and pixel scaling itself is operating until we have few more reliable reports. For such tests, you need to have proper HD source and equipment for testing ... apart from the monitor itself. For example, I have the (hardware based) HD network media player with HDMI & component out, and this device is capable to produce any video signal starting from 470i to 1080i/p. I can borrow separate HD processor and I have 1080i Sony HD camcorder too. I can easily test all video inputs, but don't have the FP241W with me ... sorry :)

I wouldn't jumping to some conclusions too early.We still don't have the new "English" reviews of this monitor and unfortunately TR review was not that in-depth. So .... no rush! People should simply wait for more reliable information and then we can have final thoughts about the FP241 establishment. I've seen people around making impulsive judgments too early. It's not everything in numbers, specs and marketing. Especially when we consider the fact that people have to look a bit forward and realise what exactly they want to do (and how) with their monitors. After all the hype, sometimes is happening that even particular flaws are maybe not that important at the end, when we consider the definitive and practical usage for some users.
 
Heinz68 said:
What NEC 2490, how can you compare if it doesn't exist.?
You didn't got the point I'm afraid. It's not just about the comparison of what does "exist" or not. It's about differences in R&D, strategies and concepts between the companies itself.
 
DVL73 said:
You didn't got the point I'm afraid. It's not just about the comparison of what does "exist" or not. It's about differences in R&D, strategies and concepts between the companies itself.
R&D strategies means nothing if the product doesn't exist, so why even bring it up to compare.
 
travbomb works at NEC so I am pretty sure he knows a lot more about NEC monitors than we do.
 
What are the odds that the FP241WZ will have some other additions/fixes come late Novemeber? I haven't read anything to suggest it, but if there enough issues/minor annoyances with the inital release of the FP241W, then you never know.

An OSD menu option for scaling settings would be nice for the additional inputs and/or PIP...

What else would be holding this monitor back except for the 1:1 scaling issue? I need something in the form of a 24" widescreen gaming monitor to hold me over until I can get an SED monitor (yes, I'm holding my breath until 2k8).
 
Once again, the "big lag problem" for 244t seems to be affecting only a few users. There are far MORE users who have no problem, than there are those who say they do. I just got the 244t last month, and am thrilled with it. No lag problems for me, and I am an avid gamer. Unfortunately, this seems to be a case of a few people who stated they had input issues, and then others picked up on it quickly and spread the rumor, without actually ever trying or owning the monitor for themselves. I say for those considering the 244t, if you are swayed by reports of "input lag," find the monitor on display somewhere and give it a try. Then see what you believe. The picture on the 244t is incredible, and I find it very hard to tear myself away from playing games on it (both pc and xbox360.) When the PS3 comes out, I'll get a DVI switchbox, HDMI to DVI adapter for the PS3, and run both my PC and PS3 through the HDCP compliant port on my 244t. I currently have my Xbox360 running through the VGA port, and the picture on it is mind numbingly good. If you write off the 244t due to "input lag" without trying it for yourself, you are doing yourself a disservice, and missing out on one of the best 24" lcd's that is currently available.
 
paviko said:
I don't think it's official. At tftcentral we've got only the detailed summary of features. Noone confirmed that there is incorrect scaling. I still have hope that at least analog input (maybe HDMI) will have correct aspect ratio, look here at chenesse review - HDTV with BenQ FP241. There are definatelly correct black bars for 720p and 1080i signal.

Regards

They almost certainly tested with a PC video card input that did the scaling for the monitor. I have yet to see a review that properly runs the external inputs through their paces.

Just a note - if all you are looking for is a big PC monitor and thats it, there are quite a few (arguably) cheaper and better 24" monitors out there than the Benq.
 
Just a note - if all you are looking for is a big PC monitor and thats it, there are quite a few (arguably) cheaper and better 24" monitors out there than the Benq.

I'd love a list with in-depth feature comparisons and user reviews/pics, etc...
 
Fox1966 said:
Once again, the "big lag problem" for 244t seems to be affecting only a few users. There are far MORE users who have no problem, than there are those who say they do. I just got the 244t last month, and am thrilled with it. No lag problems for me, and I am an avid gamer. Unfortunately, this seems to be a case of a few people who stated they had input issues, and then others picked up on it quickly and spread the rumor, without actually ever trying or owning the monitor for themselves.

No, it affects all users whether they realize it or not. Just because most people don't notice the problem doesn't mean they don't have the problem. I'm tired of people claiming their monitor doesn't have the lag just because they don't notice it. Go test for it. It's there.
 
Hey, DangerIsGo, since you don't have a a DVD player or game console to test the stretching of 720p or 1080i content to match the native resolution but you do own the monitor, could you call BenQ's technical support and ask them about 1:1 pixel mapping? It's worth a shot.
 
Ok, back on topic:

As far as the monitor goes, I watched The Sentinal last night (dvd shrinked i think) and it looked pretty good. I took the Lost Season 2 direct ISO (non shrinked) and that looked better than any shrinked DVD (obviously). The only HD movie I have is a 720p rip I found of Minority Report but the quality of the movie isnt that great. The resolution is, but the quality isnt. So here goes:

OSD: There are no options for 1:1 pixel mapping. It stretches unless you specify in the nVidia control panel in XP (Im not sure about ATi). Its fairly easy to navigate but the button controls for it can be better. For example, when you press menu, you get the menu with the different tabs. The up/down buttons cycle through the tabs (and pages) then by pressing enter, you enter the tabs options. Selecting enter again gets you selecting the option and up/down chooses the variables for that option. Its a little tedious but once you get the hang of it, it wont be that bad. As far as the buttons go: THere is power, Enter/PIP (which the PIP is a little small I found for a really big resolution...i havent tried it with a smaller, more native res), up/down (which is also brigtness/contrast selection), menu, input selection, mode selection, and the i key (which i have yet to find out what that is for). There are 4 modes...Standard, dynamic, photo and movie. Heres what I find on stock:
Standard: colors arent bad, but definitely not the brightest/sharpest the monitor can be. Its decent. I also found the text to be a little blurry and the colors themselves just didnt seem right.
Dynamic: Probably the best mode. Colors are the brightest, text is crisp and clear, no banding (as you saw in the HL2 pictures), everything is just excellent...once you select the colors to User Defined. Initially they are a tad on the green side (or was it red) but selecting it to user defined has everything 5 out of 10. There are also different preset colors for every mode and they are standard, reddish, blueish, greenish (if you dont know what they do...im ashamed :p They obviously make your colors more on the red, blue or green side respectively)
Photo/Movie: I really didnt find a difference between these two. The colors were good as was the brightness but definitely not as good as dynamic and definitely better than standard.
If you do get this monitor, Id suggest to turn off standard and select your colors manually as the preset ones..well...suck.

Inputs: At this time, I can only test composite and DVI (I could test VGA, but if your going to purchase this monitor WHY would you use VGA?) So thats out. I do not have any s-video, component, or HDMI devices with HDTV (hdmi or component) so I cannot test those. Youll have to wait until someone does have a device. I can bring my HDTV adaptor for my gfx card from home to school on sunday to test the component but im sure someone will have already done so by then..but then again..more pics isnt a problem here! The DVI is so far really nice. As stated before, the text is crisp and clear and problems free.

Picture/color: See before. Everything is great. DVDs looks a tad on the blurry side (older ones or shrinked ones) becuase this is not its native resolution (as you all know) so thats just the downfall. I do not have any HD dvds (not HDVD :p) or rips (although I do have HR rips..they look good too) A DVD playing does have the black bars on top and bottom, it does not stretch to fill the whole monitor as someone theorized before. Banding is practically non-existant. Unfortunately, I do not have a CRT to test the input lag to. :( Nor does my roommate.

Aesthetics: The monitor is definitely well built and as is the stand. You can push the monitor up and down with one finger but once it gets to the bottom, it locks. To unlock, press the button on the back of the stand to release. It swivels 45 to the left and right, 5 down and 20 up. I plan on purchasing a monitor arm from ergotron (hopefully) so I can free up deskspace. It has a USB port (with a cover) on top for BenQs webcam, 2 USB ports on the left side, all the ports on the bottom behind, and the feel quality of it just is better than that of the dell 2405 (my firend has it and everytime I touch it, the plastic crackles) Its lightweight. According to UPS, it was 24lbs (so the monitor/stand was like 22ish) but BenQs site says it was 28. I dont have a scale to test it with either but once my friend lets me borrow his arm, I know the weight of his is 22 and it BARELY supports it. WHen he takes it off, i can do a feel test to see which one is lighter and approximate the lbs.

Gaming: Definitely the highlight of this monitor. Its awesome. THeres not really much more to say about it. No ghosting, no noticible signs of input lag, response time is great (even though 16ms could be better) it hasnt made any kind of affect on a fast paced multiplayer in quake 4. (Acutlaly i performed better with this monitor against my friend than w/ my 17"..i dont know if thats cuase i was getting better/he was sucking or becuase of the monitors goodness :p)

Overall: I would DEFINITELY recommend this monitor. Without having hands on of the WZ, I obviously cannot compare the two. This is my first 24" and I am loving it. I just wish the stock colors were set to the best the monitor could handle rather than having a first impression of "these colors could be way better" and" this text is a little blurry" But some adjusting will solve all of that!

I hope that was helpful. Any other comments/suggestions/questions, just let me know
 
blackseed said:
They almost certainly tested with a PC video card input that did the scaling for the monitor. I have yet to see a review that properly runs the external inputs through their paces.

Just a note - if all you are looking for is a big PC monitor and thats it, there are quite a few (arguably) cheaper and better 24" monitors out there than the Benq.

So please enlighten us what other 24" LCD monitors out there that's better than the Benq? I have only see one review for this monitor so far and I don't know how you can say such a thing.

This monitor is pretty tempting but I might hold out for the BenQ FP241WZ
 
Mine is coming Tuesday from Newegg. About testing HD, I have the same problem as DangerIsGo, I only have DVI to test and Nvidia 7800GT.

So, if you have the HD equipment and live in Orlando, Florida, let me know!

I'll do a short review after I get my monitor, it will be more on Fast-Pace gaming and Art/Graphics. I'll test it with Quake4 and Quake3. I'm an ex-hardcore "clan" fps gamer, so I care about how much blur where I aim. I'll test the lagging issue, I have CRT monitor still, my old baby Samsung 955DF. Give me a step-by-step guide to test the lag correctly, if you care?

About BenQ FP241WZ, I'm really skeptical about that feature, black frame between frames. Think about in a FPS gamer perspective, you lose half the frames per time (seconds?), might lag maybe? I don't know. But, very skeptical.
 
Mine just shipped. Will my 7950gx2 be good enough? I have a AMD4600+am2 and 2g of ocz 800 DDR2 on a Asus Crosshair motherboard. The reason I ask is because when I Play Company Of Heroes it turns my system into a punk. Any input or upgrade advice will be helpful. BTW I currently have a Sony G520 CRT Monitor. Other than size is there going to be a big adjustment going from CRT to LCD?
 
menace2society said:
Mine just shipped. Will my 7950gx2 be good enough?
No I'm afraid that it won't be. You'd better loan it to me for a few years until you get a better system...;) :D
 
Back
Top