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

Probably that G series they announced a while ago. It's more a budget/business version. No adjustable height, tilt, etc. Might even be a different panel. Supposed to be an environmental model. Definitely a bunch cheaper, going by its 24" model.

No way. It wouldnt be the replacement.
 
No way. It wouldnt be the replacement.

I should hope not. I'm just saying that's all that's been announced thus far. Who knows how long it'll be before we see a new comparable model. I'd figure it'll have at least one newer feature, such as a DisplayPort connection option, esp since future ATI cards are supposed to offer it.
 
So, now we know. Basically, if you can't return/exchange your old unit to your store, the only two ways to get the overscan disabling option are to 1) send your current unit in for a valid repair and hope you get a new one in return or 2) buy a new one from the store and hope it's new stock.


Actually, the 3rd option would be just use DVI for all inputs and get a HDMI/DVI switch. My reasons are:

1) a good HDMI/DVI switch $55-$90 nowadays are cheaper than shipping FP241W to BenQ or back to store. I have a Belkin 3-in-1 and a 5-in-1 HDMI swtiches, and a BAFO 3-in-1 DVI switch for all computer and gaming consoles need.

2) Input switching using HDMI/DVI switch is better than pressing side buttons cycling all the inputs to get back to DVI from HDMI.

3) Also DVI won't go into blue screen if source device is turned off.

4) If you are planning to use XBOX 360 and PS3 at the same time, you need a HDMI switch anyway.

5) Forget all the analog inputs: VGA, component, S-video and composite. In this digital age, who care if analog inputs are not properly displayed. If you mention Wii, why in the world you want to hook up a 720x480 analog device to a 1920x1200 HD LCD monitor, just use an old CRT TV for Wii will do the trick. Besides, the Wii controller doesn't work well with LCD monitors anyway because of LCD input lag, if you have Wii Zapper or Guitar Hero III for Wii then you know what I mean.


Just my 2 cents...
 
So my coworker got his monitor direct from a wholesaler today. Ingram micro and they have Sept 07 stock.

The monitor is beautiful. PERFECT condition. No dead pixels, no backlight bleeding, etc.

I found out NCIX hasn't even shipped my monitor yet!!!!!!!!!!

Damn it.

With the delay they should express ship my monitor.

The rep over the phone said that this is a busy time.

Sure, but wtf I ordered on the 24th of november.

So disappointed.
 
Actually, the 3rd option would be just use DVI for all inputs and get a HDMI/DVI switch.

I just don't consider a workaround an an acceptable option, especially one which makes me spend more money for something to accomplish that which I shouldn't have had to bother with in the first place. Plus I've never intended to have multiple HDMI items connected to the monitor at once anyhow, so a swirch there is overkill for me. I'll just be using two cheap HDMI/DVI cables (one for PC to HDMI, the other for 360/PS3/DVD to DVI) and swapping out whichever device I want to use at the time in the bedroom. In the living room I'll use a switch where all those components will live primarily. Sure, I'm thankful a workaround exists, but I didn't spend $715 just to have to add more to it to get it to work right.
 
I just don't consider a workaround an an acceptable option, especially one which makes me spend more money for something to accomplish that which I shouldn't have had to bother with in the first place. Plus I've never intended to have multiple HDMI items connected to the monitor at once anyhow, so a swirch there is overkill for me. I'll just be using two cheap HDMI/DVI cables (one for PC to HDMI, the other for 360/PS3/DVD to DVI) and swapping out whichever device I want to use at the time in the bedroom. In the living room I'll use a switch where all those components will live primarily. Sure, I'm thankful a workaround exists, but I didn't spend $715 just to have to add more to it to get it to work right.


I totally agree. Plus analog inputs look very good still for these kinds of products like consoles and dvd players, so there isn't any reason why we should ditch them, especially if a product like this is stating it can do what it does.
 
Well my coworker took it home hooked it up via DVI and he's having blackout issues.

He didn't even know about this issue, so he's really disappointed, but gives him an excuse to upgrade his computer and get a new videocard. :)

I think he has a 7800GT or a 6800GT I forget.

He's in denial and says it's probably because he was on a pirate website.

HAHAHAHAHA, if only.

Otherwise he's loving it.

Mine just shipped last night "Dec 03, 19:15", and has left Vancouver, BC.

SO HOPEFULLY, it comes before this weekend or I'm going to be super pissed off.
 
Well my coworker took it home hooked it up via DVI and he's having blackout issues.

He didn't even know about this issue, so he's really disappointed, but gives him an excuse to upgrade his computer and get a new videocard. :)

I think he has a 7800GT or a 6800GT I forget.


I have 2 computers hooking up to FP241WZ. One with 7800GT via HDMI has 1 blackout, while the other one with 8800 Ultra via DVI has 0 blackout after 1 month. So yes, I think the blackout has something to do with video cards. Anyway, blackout problem is so minor if it occurs rarely. I also notice my Samsung 275T has blackout too... Therefore, don't bother return the monitor if it only occurs rarely.
 
just became aware of the blackout issues. anyone out there have this monitor hooked up to a macbook? If i get this monitor, i plan on hooking up my macbook through DVI but would like to know if this setup also causes blackouts?
 
I just wanted to run this by RB30, if it has come up before pls forgive my ignorance. Judging from what you say the DVI is the best option right? So would that perform better than running my 360 leet off HDMI?
 
I just wanted to run this by RB30, if it has come up before pls forgive my ignorance. Judging from what you say the DVI is the best option right? So would that perform better than running my 360 leet off HDMI?

It's the same unless you have a non-1:1+overscan FP241W. In that case yes, DVI switch is the best way to go.
 
Is BenQ's pixel policy really that bad? I heard like 50 pixels have to be dead before they'll exchange it...
 
shampoo, is this a sept 2007 build that has black out issues?

I hope not. I was hoping they had fixed it.

Well my coworker took it home hooked it up via DVI and he's having blackout issues.

He didn't even know about this issue, so he's really disappointed, but gives him an excuse to upgrade his computer and get a new videocard. :)

I think he has a 7800GT or a 6800GT I forget.

He's in denial and says it's probably because he was on a pirate website.

HAHAHAHAHA, if only.

Otherwise he's loving it.

Mine just shipped last night "Dec 03, 19:15", and has left Vancouver, BC.

SO HOPEFULLY, it comes before this weekend or I'm going to be super pissed off.
 
does connecting it with VGA resolve the issue?

I have no idea. I have one of these monitors on order, and should see it tomorrow. I will play around with some different cards and see what happens. I will try out an ati 9250, 7600gt, and 8800gt.
 
The Blackout issue is known to be related to "positive sync", apparently, buried somewhere in this thread.

Solutions:
- If you use an OS and drivers that enables you to change such options, good for you.
- If you are using an OS with drivers that gives the problem and do not have the options to change any of this, tough.

Here are my experiences with blackout:

FP241W with pre-Jan '07 firmware
- Blackout using OSX Leopard on a Xeon machine and ATI X1950. (Occurs randomly after 30min or so of use.
- No blackout using Windows XP and ATI's official drivers (no tweak)
- Can be resolved by rebooting the monitor sometimes.

FP241W with Sept '07 firmware
- No blackout in WinXP or OSX
 
I just wanted to run this by RB30, if it has come up before pls forgive my ignorance. Judging from what you say the DVI is the best option right? So would that perform better than running my 360 leet off HDMI?


Well, I have the January built FP241WZ so no overscan option. If feeding XBOX 360 Halo 3 edition via HDMI, I got 4 blackbars around all sides (contrary to another guy who has Jan 07 built FP241WZ + XBOX 360 Halo 3 edition who has shown no overscan problem). Probably he got the new Falcon XBOX 360 and mine is Zypher. I updated the newest XBOX 360 software (Dec 4) didn't help either. Therefore, DVI is best for me.

Regarding to blackout using MacBook.... I have both DVI and VGA adapters for MacBook and I had tried them both. Just stick with DVI, it looks nicer. Even though it had blackouts with MacBook (at that time it was OSX Tiger), it didn't bother me because FP241WZ looks really nice with MacBook. Later I bought Samsung 275T to hook up to that MacBook (for my wife) and 2 PCs in bedroom, and moved the FP241WZ to downstair computer room for my personal use. I notice Samsung 275T also had blackout once when hooking up to the PC in bedroom, so I thought it could be something to do with power or cable in my bedroom.

Blackout is not a scary thing. It just blinks out for 1-2 sec and comes right back, just like changing the channel. If you do experience blackout, just try a different computer and see.

I only tried VGA very briefly so can't comment on whether if there were blackout using VGA. IMHO, I got 24" and 27" monitor because I want to escape from VGA, otherwise I would just continue use my 19" NEC CRT which has no input lag and can scale from 640x480 to 2650x1440 without any problem.
 
hey guys, my coworker is having major blackout issues.

He's noticed it happens when he has IE open and in window mode, but when he maximizes it, or goes full screen, everything comes back.

He has a 6800GT.

I told him to try setting his drivers to Single Performance Mode, and if that doesn't work then try compatibility mode.

Also told him to try that option in recent drivers with the whole What type of monitor is it thing. HD or not. I told him to set it to HD.

Also told him to use the primary dvi port.

Hopefully something works out for him or he's going to have to buy a new videocard and spend more money, since 8800 series cards so far are known not to have any blackouts, according to this thread and user feedback.

He's going to try a new high quality cable, but we'll see.

I'll keep you guys posted.

Oh yeah, his is a FP241W not WZ, Sept 07 build.

Edit: Oh yeah when we were playing with the monitor briefly at the office, via VGA, there were no blackouts experienced with browsing and watching some videos encoded in divx/xvid and wmv.

Edit: Oh yeah, he sent me a video on youtube of a guy with a WZ model blacking out while using a Xbox360. i'm wondering what output he was using? Component or HDMI? and what input on the monitor?
 
I notice the nVidia drivers setup for 7800GT and 8800 Ultra are not the same, so it might not be same for 6800GT as well. I suggest your friend to hook up his FP241W to some other computer for a while (hopefully a 8800 series). Mind you though, using a 6800GT to drive a 1920x1200 monitor, gaming will be too slow anyway, so upgrade his video card is a must.

Check out the new 8800GT and G92 8800GTS 512MB before investing in old GTS/GTX/Ultra.

EDIT: Also, I hooked up my XBOX360 to FP241WZ via HDMI swtich -> DVI input for few days and 0 blackout.

EDIT: generally on older nvidia card ie 7800GT, the 2 DVI outputs - one could be a single link and the other dual link. Therefore your friend should try both DVI outputs one at a time and limit to single monitor mode.
 
I notice the nVidia drivers setup for 7800GT and 8800 Ultra are not the same, so it might not be same for 6800GT as well. I suggest your friend to hook up his FP241W to some other computer for a while (hopefully a 8800 series). Mind you though, using a 6800GT to drive a 1920x1200 monitor, gaming will be too slow anyway, so upgrade his video card is a must.

Check out the new 8800GT and G92 8800GTS 512MB before investing in old GTS/GTX/Ultra.

EDIT: Also, I hooked up my XBOX360 to FP241WZ via HDMI swtich -> DVI input for few days and 0 blackout.

EDIT: generally on older nvidia card ie 7800GT, the 2 DVI outputs - one could be a single link and the other dual link. Therefore your friend should try both DVI outputs one at a time and limit to single monitor mode.

Any idea if I'm not having any problems with single-link DVI, does dual-link offer anything else? Can I use a higher refresh rate or something?
 
Any idea if I'm not having any problems with single-link DVI, does dual-link offer anything else? Can I use a higher refresh rate or something?

I don't think blackout has anything to do with single-link or dual-link as single-link can display 1920x1200 and HDMI is single link as well. I am just saying that since some older video card has 1 single-link DVI output and 1 dual-link DVI output, so they are physically built different. Currently my 8800 Ultra is hooking up as follows:

8800 Ultra output #2 => Belkin 6' Blue series dual-link cable => generic DVI-HDMI adapter => Belkin Pure AV 3-in-1 HDMI switch => BAFO 3' short thin HDMI cable => Belkin Silver series HDMI-DVI adapter => DVI input of FP241WZ.

I am doing this elaborate connections for more than a week now just to test that single-link connections, still picture perfect and no blackouts.

EDIT: You will need dual-link if you want to display 2650x1400+ and higher on those 30" monitor.
 
Hello,

I'm thinking of buying this monitor primarily for my Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 because of the 1:1 pixel mapping.

If I order the monitor from here:
http://www.ncixus.com/products/19235/FP241W/BENQ/ (it says it has Updated firmware with 1:1 Pixel mapping support):

Will I be able to fully enjoy my Xbox 360 without issues? All I want is proper HD on 360 with
1) Black borders on top and bottom and no stretching
2) No cropping or other image oddities
3) Good image quality without glaring flaws (no blocky or blurred image or anything)

Do I get that with this monitor on Xbox 360 if the monitor has the 1:1 pixel update?

I've heard about HDMI issues and 1080p not working or something like that. Keep in mind 360 has VGA, component, and HDMI (later I can't use b/c my 360 doesn't have the port). Surely, one of these modes in some resolution (720p or 1080p) needs to look great right?
 
Hello,

I'm thinking of buying this monitor primarily for my Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 because of the 1:1 pixel mapping.

If I order the monitor from here:
http://www.ncixus.com/products/19235/FP241W/BENQ/ (it says it has Updated firmware with 1:1 Pixel mapping support):

Will I be able to fully enjoy my Xbox 360 without issues? All I want is proper HD on 360 with
1) Black borders on top and bottom and no stretching
2) No cropping or other image oddities
3) Good image quality without glaring flaws (no blocky or blurred image or anything)

Do I get that with this monitor on Xbox 360 if the monitor has the 1:1 pixel update?

I've heard about HDMI issues and 1080p not working or something like that. Keep in mind 360 has VGA, component, and HDMI (later I can't use b/c my 360 doesn't have the port). Surely, one of these modes in some resolution (720p or 1080p) needs to look great right?


The problems you mentioned over component, VGA and HDMI are fixed with Sept 07 manufactured firmware. Before check the outside box that you have Sept 07 build before opening up, otherwise just return it.
 
The problems you mentioned over component, VGA and HDMI are fixed with Sept 07 manufactured firmware. Before check the outside box that you have Sept 07 build before opening up, otherwise just return it.

Problem is I can't find it anywhere in my area so I can only order it from NCIXus.com. So it's sort of a gamble. I do now that someone here:
http://www.bexox.com/showdown.htm
says that another version of the monitor (FP241WZ) can display 720p images without cropping issues on older firmware, which might be ok for my uses. Otherwise I'll have to go through a great deal of hassle.
 
I can confirm that Newegg is shipping out September 2007 units, as mines just arrived today in great condition (the box). The monitor is nice (bright!), and has zero dead pixels.
 
I can confirm that Newegg is shipping out September 2007 units, as mines just arrived today in great condition (the box). The monitor is nice (bright!), and has zero dead pixels.

Good for you! Isn't it Newegg has very bad dead pixel policy on monitor? So lucky you!
 
I can confirm that Newegg is shipping out September 2007 units, as mines just arrived today in great condition (the box). The monitor is nice (bright!), and has zero dead pixels.

Joshua13, how much did you pay total (shipping and tax) when buying from newegg?
 
Problem is I can't find it anywhere in my area so I can only order it from NCIXus.com. So it's sort of a gamble. I do now that someone here:
http://www.bexox.com/showdown.htm
says that another version of the monitor (FP241WZ) can display 720p images without cropping issues on older firmware, which might be ok for my uses. Otherwise I'll have to go through a great deal of hassle.


You got to be kidding! You want to display 1280x720p image on 1920x1200 monitor 1:1 pixel mapping and no crapping?? It has to scale to fit the screen otherwise it will be too small.... If you don't understand this concept then why do you want a 1:1 pixel mapping monitor?

Come on! Don't bother looking at March review. It is outdated, and I have that FP241WZ with January firmware and it won't display PS3 and XBOX 360 properly via HDMI. Another thing is you won't be able to find FP241WZ nowadays anyway.

There is no gamble. Just order FP241W online and make sure to tell them you want a September built, shown right on the box. If you worry about dead pixel, then get from etailer that offers zero dead pixel guarantee (little bit extra cost) for a peace of mind.

I don't know why so many people don't spend time and read through more recent threads....
 
Newegg does not operate in my state so they did not charge tax.

The monitor alone was: $639.99
3 Day Shipping was: $17.93
 
Ah well, here's hoping I never have to use mine for TV. As a computer display, it's great.
 
Those of you that have the Vidigi VGA cable for Wii. How have you set it up to get it to work properly?
 
Do you have the ViDigi cable with you? It should have come with instructions.

The cable has one green striped component plug. Put that into the corresponding component input. Switch your monitor to component input and switch the wii on. The image should come up as black and white. Then go into the wii menu and set the Wii to 480P and 16:9 aspect ratio.

You can take the component plug out. Since the wiiga cable ends with a female vga end, you will need to get an adapter or another regular vga cable and hook it up between your Wii cable and monitor.

Here comes some weird stuff. On the end of the Wii cable where the blue led is should be a little switch box. There are either 4 or 5 switches. There should be a sticker there that shows various settings and tells you witch switches need to be on or off.

The default config should be fine. Turn your Wii on and the wii menu should come up and should display in 640x480 resolution.

The menu may show up off center. Just hit your auto adjustment once and you should be fine. Don't hit it too many times or it go off center again.

Hopefully this helps you out. One thing I noticed with my cable is some sharpness artifacts in the Wii menu (not in game). If you have a sharpness adjust I would tone it down a little.
 
Minor oddness on a low hum emitted by my W: It's really a low hum that gets drowned out by the fans/whir from my laptop and external drives -- so its not a problem for me. But here's the oddness: For now the hum is only emitted in two picture modes: sRGB and Standard. This display is so bright that I've kept it in the lowest Standard mode with brightness turned all the way down! But there is no hum in the brighter Movie, Dynamics, and Photo modes. I would have thought it'd be the other way around. Again, no biggie such that I'll keep it in Standard hum. (I say "for now" because the hum might kick in if I keep it long enough in Movie, Dynamics, or Photo mode.)
 
I have a low hum that goes into high pitched screaming or whatever as well. I plan to do an RMA as I called up benq who told me that's not normal (It should make no noise).
 
I have a low hum that goes into high pitched screaming or whatever as well. I plan to do an RMA as I called up benq who told me that's not normal (It should make no noise).

Yes i knew it. I asked this question sometime ago and the person said that there was NO irritating noise sound at all with BenQ FP241W but this monitor seems to suffer from the same problem as the LG L246W (LG L245WP-BN).

And it probably has the creaking/cracking sound also but some people i guess aren't sensitive to it or has alot of noise from their computer so they are never bothered. I have the computer in another room so for me it is a big deal. I want it to be completely quiet like my 17" tft hitachi is.

For such an expensive piece of equipment i think one should be able to demand that there is no noise at all.
 
There shouldn't be any noise, hums or high pitches or otherwise, coming from LCD monitors. If you do hear it, RMA it.... Or you might have to go see ENT specialist.
 
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