Shopping for a LCD panel

[Rolexusn1]

**Episode 1 - TN Adventure**
I have been using my LG 19" LCD S-IPS panel since 2005. Its a great monitor, but bigger and wider flat screens caught my attention! So I go to my local Circuit City to purchase an Acer 22" (Model: AL2216WBD). I was skeptical of TN panels, since they are not 8-bit color panels. However, this one has HI-FRC which claims to produce 16.7 million colors (or close to it). The colors are definitely better, but my eyes still see the colors are washed out. Not a bad monitor (no dead or stuck pixels), but I am way too sensitive to colors, and HI-FRC technology does not produce good enough colors for us S-IPS fans.

**Episode 2 - Return of the PVA**
I decided maybe I’ll exchange something bigger, since all 22" LCD panels on the market are off springs of TN technology. I step up to the plate and exchange the Acer for the 24" Gateway (Model: FPD2485W). This thing is huge! It was the first time a monitor put a smile on my face. I had a PVA monitor before, but returned it because when you look to the left hand side of the screen, it does a weird "shifting" effect (its like when you look at a LCD panel sideways). But this one was a S-PVA panel, so I was praying they improved on the technology and the weird shifting is gone. I guess I didn't pray enough. The panel produced great colors, no dead/stuck pixels, no lag, and very fast response rate. However, it does have that weird "shifting" effect that PVA panels still haunt me.

Back to the store it went, and less 15% restocking fee... ouch!

**Episode 3 - Back to the S-IPS**
I decided maybe TN and PVA panels weren't for me. I will stick with S-IPS! But theirs one big problem... all major manufactures have stopped producing them! The only ones left are the 30" models from Dell and Apple and the 23" model from Apple. After doing a little research, I decided to go with the HP 23" LCD panel(Model: L2335). After doing some research on the forums here, I saw some people posted they had dead / stuck pixels. I have LCD OCD disorder. No matter how small a dead or stuck pixel is, if their is 1 of those things on my monitors, I return it. So I ordered a HP L2335 from eBay. The colors on the HP 23" are awesome as expected! Just as good as my old LG 19" S-IPS panel. Fast response times and clean/clear crisp images (using native 1920x1200). Finally, the search has ended.... so I thought....

1 dead pixel in the lower right hand side. And a green lit stuck pixel towards the middle. Back on eBay it went.

**Episode 4 - Night of the living Dead Pixels**
I decided my quest for the perfect 23" HP monitor will continue. So I purchased another HP 23" panel from a company that resells old equipment from other corporations. The HP monitor was rushed to me. And the first thing I did was check for dead/stuck pixels. I couldn't believe it.. 2 stuck green lit pixels and 4 dead pixels near the top of the panel... back in the box its going, waiting to be returned and exchanged for another one... I will update everyone when I get my exchange.

**Conclusion**
- TN panels are simply horrible at color production. HI-FRC can not save TN panels.
- S-PVA panels still have the weird shifting in the panels.
- S-IPS monitors are simply the best LCD technology. But because of the high cost involved in making S-IPS panels, and LCD manufactures are in a civil war, LCD manufactures have shifted to PVA panels.
- Dead pixels on any LCD panel can not be accepted. Manufactures are able to produce perfect LCD panels, but because they have to keep costs down during this LCD civil war, they rather make them and deal with the RMA's later. A law should be passed by mandating LCD manufactures to accept returns even if 1 dead/stuck pixel is found.

 

[Weenis]

Problem is the people in the legislative branch of our government generally don't understand most of the tech, or care. Especially when those companies probably do a good amount of lobbying lining their pockets.

 

[Dunan]

Wow, that sucks

for the record, the benq 241W i bought was (aside from calibrating it) flawless out of the box.
M-PVA panel. From someone who *HATES* LCD's i'm actually happy with the picture, although as with all LCD's, the blacks are lacking. I really think they will never get it right, if they even can.

Can we get some different monitor technology PLEASE!!!!!!

 

[trapilales]

...So I purchased another HP 23" panel from a company that resells old equipment from other corporations.... ...
I couldn't believe it.. 2 stuck green lit pixels and 4 dead pixels near the top of the panel...

Really? You couldn't believe that a monitor sold to you by a reseller of old equipment had dead pixels? Shocking indeed!!!

I don't really get the point of your rant. You seem to be well aware of the flaws of the various display technologies, but yet you insist on spending your money and buying it anyway, and then are shocked to discover that what you expected to be true about the technologies...is indeed true.

The way i see it you got three options:
1) Stick with your current monitor and keep waiting till some magical new technology breaks through...you might have to wait a while though.

2) Lower your standards and get used to the current "imperfect" monitors.

3) Continue to buy/return new monitors and pay restocking fees ad infinitum until you find the perfect monitor.

 

[Ghanem]

I can relate to the OP somewhat but, yes, you got to draw the line lest you drive yourself batty, wasting time and money in the process. I absolutely despise wasting my time on returning items to the store, unless there is a gross defect.

For my gaming rig, I finally got rid of my almost decade-old Hitachi CRT a couple of weeks ago, and made the 22"-widescreen LCD plunge. Heard good things about the Samsung 226B here, so I went to Best Buy and scooped it up for a sweet $330. Cost was a big factor. Got it home and was duly impressed by its size and brightness. Could not locate any dead pixels. Alas, there was apparently something wrong with the FRC/dithering chip, since after about 30 min of being powered on, any element in motion on the screen would exhibit a pronounced checkerboard effect. Really hard to describe and only visible when complex, colored textures/pixels are moving on screen, such as smoke from BF2/2142 or Call of Duty 2. Also could see it on the desktop when moving windows around.

Returned that one to Best Buy thinking I got a dud. Was going to replace it, but as luck would have it, there were none left in stock. Actually, there was one, but it was an Open Box and I wasn't going to purchase that since it could've been returned for the same reason.

That's when I found the MAG 2200W 22" widescreen for an even sweeter price of $270! How could I go wrong. Got that one home. Looked great, no dead pixels. Certainly not a perfect display, but a vast improvement from the old CRT. Alas, I begin to notice that the right half of the screen exhibited these FRC/dithering checkerboard effects all the time. Not as pronounced as on the Samsung and only on the right half of the screen, but still distracting and, ultimately, aggravating. I knew that Samsung and MAG both possessed 6-bit TN panels and that FRC was the norm, but this just seemed over the top. I was beginning to think of another dreaded return to the store.

So last night I was perusing Best Buy's website, and lo and behold, they now stock HP's w2207 for $380. A bit more than what I initially wanted to spend, but hey, I was hooked on 22" widescreen goodness. Also heard good things about the w2207 here, so I decided to go pick it up today. I figured I'll keep the MAG at home just in case this checkerboard effect is all par for the course with these 22 inchers.

Fired up the w2207. The glossy screen seems to let a little bit more light from the panel though, which is good, but also increases reflection. No biggie, though, since my gaming rig/office is in the basement. More importantly, the checkerboard effect is practically non-existant, as I think it should be. I say practically, because I stll notice it to a very mild extent anywhere on the screen, like when your eyes dart, but this seems to be the norm for 6-bit TN using FRC, and is certainly no where near as obnoxious as was exhibited on the Samsung and MAG. Also, the OSD on this HP is sweet. The MyDisplay software is a nice touch to, not to mention the 90 degree pivot and sweet stand. Not that those were important features to me. Also, this monitor appears to have the ability to center a non-native resolution which, if so, is important to me in BF2142, since I dont like how 2142 chops the top and the bottom of the screen to acheive widescreen. (Feels like I'm running around with a set of binoculars on!)

Anyhow, I found one stuck subpixel on the w2207 towards the top center of the screen. It can only be seen very rarely and in certain static conditions. Certainly livable, and I'm certainly in no way inclined to keep going back to BB to continue this fiasco in a near fruiless endeavor for a perfect display.

So it's not perfect, but this monitor is certainly livable, and quite good, especially for the price of admission.