Sick of IPS Glow, looking for best TN monitor under 200

tigim101

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Currently have a Dell P2414H,

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_p2414h.htm

And im tired of the IPS Glow, it makes dark scenes look horrible. Heard most VAs in this price range have big problems of their own, so I'm willing to step down to TN.

Problem is there are tons of TNs in this price range that people don't bother to review them. I don't really view my monitor off axis so I don't need the better viewing angles of IPS.

I'm looking for decent color accuracy and good contrast with some calibration and LOW backlight bleed.

Thanks.
 
You find occasional IPS glow worse than the 24/7 HORRID colors and viewing angles of a TN? Sheesh...
 
The viewing angle problems of TN are still there when viewed head on. They have a bad vertical gamma shift so the top of the screen is darker than bottom, especially noticeable when viewing dark content. Like night time situations in games where stars seem to darken and disappear as they travel towards the top of the screen. And color accuracy and contrast are definetly not a TN panels forte. Though I heard that the latest true 8-bit TN's are bit better but I have no experience with one myself.

I say give VA panel a chance. Samsung Ultra Wides and 27" normal screens seem to be quite problem free from what I have read. Atleast they are not TV factory second panels or such. Backlight bleed varies from monitor to monitor so its always a gamble no matter what panel or brand.
 
You find occasional IPS glow worse than the 24/7 HORRID colors and viewing angles of a TN? Sheesh...

TN's don't look like someone spilled liquid Cheetos on the edges of the monitor in four corners on black scenes, like some of the current bad samples of gaming IPS monitors look. Yes, I have a 27" TN 1080p monitor I game on and I would NOT trade it for a 144hz IPS *EVEN IF YOU GAVE IT TO ME FOR FREE.*

So yes, I'll take the 'bad' viewing angles over orange Cheetos light bleed, thank you very much.
 
TN's don't look like someone spilled liquid Cheetos on the edges of the monitor in four corners on black scenes, like some of the current bad samples of gaming IPS monitors look. Yes, I have a 27" TN 1080p monitor I game on and I would NOT trade it for a 144hz IPS *EVEN IF YOU GAVE IT TO ME FOR FREE.*

So yes, I'll take the 'bad' viewing angles over orange Cheetos light bleed, thank you very much.

I agree. If you look at some of the recent reviews on TFT central for TN panels they are pretty good once calibrated. Hell the monitor I used to have that was a TN wasn't all that bad, the change in color accuracy was subtle, but there.

With that being said does anyone have any recommendations?
 
TN's don't look like someone spilled liquid Cheetos on the edges of the monitor in four corners on black scenes, like some of the current bad samples of gaming IPS monitors look. Yes, I have a 27" TN 1080p monitor I game on and I would NOT trade it for a 144hz IPS *EVEN IF YOU GAVE IT TO ME FOR FREE.*

So yes, I'll take the 'bad' viewing angles over orange Cheetos light bleed, thank you very much.

LOL
 
Personally I would avoid Acer due to the terrible warranty conditions but that might be different in other countries. In the UK the warranty states that it is a carry in warranty which means that YOU are responsible for getting the monitor to them so that they can repair it. They don't pay for or arrange the shipping like may other companies do. A cheap ass company IMO.

With regard to TN panels, I am considering them myself after trying a VA/AMVA+ panel which had terrible blurring and resulting flicker.

I would only consider an 8 bit panel

200 what? $ £ € other? I very much doubt that you will get a half decent TN panel for such an amount of money.

One that I have come across that looks fairly promising is the ViewSonic VG2401mh which is a 144Hz true 8 bit TN with dual HDMI (120Hz limit), Displayport DVI-D and VGA USB 3.0 hub, VESA mount, fully adjustable stand and 4 year warranty (3 standard) once registered but it costs about £260 here. There is a 2nd model ViewSonic VG2401mh-2 which is slightly cheaper at about £230 but I cannot find any information on whether it is an 8 bit panel as the Viewsonic webpage only says 16.7 million colours and does not state "true 8 bit" like it does on the ViewSonic VG2401mh webpage. The cheaper price makes me question this fact.

I have not yet read any reviews of it so I do not know whether it is as promising as it sounds. If you look and find anything then please share the links as we both seem to be in a similar position. ;)
 
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One question is whether HDMI and which version that Viewsonic has can do 120Hz? I doubt that v1.4 could do 120Hz@1080p due to insufficient bandwidth. A video review on youtube did say that the HDMI is capable of 60Hz which corresponds with another TN panel that I looked at. However the Viewsonic website does state HDMI @120Hz but it does not state the resolution
Frequency:

Fh = 24 ~138 kHz ; Fv = 50 ~120 Hz for HDMI
Fh = 24 ~160 kHz ; Fv = 50 ~145 Hz for DVI / DP

There is a short article on the blur mentioned in that review showing the blurbusters saucer blur test which looks fairly good located @ 5'50".
 
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i use an P2314H and i don't find the glow that annoying, especially when you watch it on 90 degrees.
 
I'm using a Dell U2515H and a BenQ BL2411, both IPS monitors, and I see no white glow. I am immediately annoyed by gamma shift on any TN panel I look at. Maybe you've only ever seen defective IPS monitors?
 
The viewing angle problems of TN are still there when viewed head on. They have a bad vertical gamma shift so the top of the screen is darker than bottom, especially noticeable when viewing dark content. Like night time situations in games where stars seem to darken and disappear as they travel towards the top of the screen. And color accuracy and contrast are definetly not a TN panels forte. Though I heard that the latest true 8-bit TN's are bit better but I have no experience with one myself.

I say give VA panel a chance. Samsung Ultra Wides and 27" normal screens seem to be quite problem free from what I have read. Atleast they are not TV factory second panels or such. Backlight bleed varies from monitor to monitor so its always a gamble no matter what panel or brand.

The 8-bit TN panels are actually really good for overall image quality, the only drawback is that vertical viewing angles aren't that great but you don't notice them unless you stand up or severely slouch in your chair. Horizontal viewing angles are ok, no color inversion or anything like that.

I wish they had given some extra letters for the technology name to separate it from the absolute crap you see in many PC laptops and cheap TN displays. It's night and day difference.

In OP's price range VA panels would be a better option as there's no way he can get 8-bit TN at that price.
 
Hmm. I guess there is a possibility I got a defective screen, but it's hard to tell because the amount that bothers people is so subjective, and there seems to be a lottery with every display. Is there a definitive way to tell whether it's BLB or IPS Glow? Either way I'm stuck with this thing.

If I were to stick with this and save up and increase my price range to say $400-500, what are my options now? If I compare the amount of glow in the tft review to other newer ips panels reviewed by them, it's the same or worse. The monitor with highest constrast was the Eizo F2421, but that's $500 for 1080p without gsync..
 
BLB usually shows around the edges of the screen and is noticeable on a black screen. IPS glow shows all over on black/dark screens.

Most IPS type screens exhibit glow, it is extremely common on those types of panels. Just read reviews on tftcentral/pcmonitors and they always mention the amount of IPS glow and often show pictures of it. Anyone who says that theirs doesn't show it must have become accustomed to it and is no longer noticing it. It affects the vast majority of IPS type panels to some degree on anything which does not have some form of filter fitted to reduce it. Eizo does this on some of their IPS screens but those cost high $ £. I did read that PLS panels were meant to have lower amounts of glow but whether that is true I do not know as the tech is very similar.

Why do you need G sync? Are you a gamer? It adds a high price premium to any product that includes it and you are not going to get such a screen for that type of money.
 
Hmm. I guess there is a possibility I got a defective screen, but it's hard to tell because the amount that bothers people is so subjective, and there seems to be a lottery with every display. Is there a definitive way to tell whether it's BLB or IPS Glow? Either way I'm stuck with this thing.

Backlight bleed changes intensity as you change the brightness of the screen. IPS glow changes intensity when you watch the screen from different angles.
 
Well, I liked going from ips to amva(iiyama x2483hsu-b2) but it sure have drawbacks.
It's still nowhere near as bad as TN. YOu will get good black levels but have to deal with gamma shift which at least for me is less intrusive than ips glow but it can be highly subjective I guess
 
You find occasional IPS glow worse than the 24/7 HORRID colors and viewing angles of a TN? Sheesh...

Not all TNs are created equal. There are some truly terrible ones out there, but also some pretty good ones in terms of color accuracy. Of course they won't ever quite match a great IPS display but they can get close enough that it won't matter for a lot of people.

It's also worth noting most displays (both TN and IPS) are horribly calibrated out of the box, and the presets are often pretty bad too. If you actually calibrate your display you can make it look a lot better.
 
Not all TNs are created equal. There are some truly terrible ones out there, but also some pretty good ones in terms of color accuracy. Of course they won't ever quite match a great IPS display but they can get close enough that it won't matter for a lot of people.

It's also worth noting most displays (both TN and IPS) are horribly calibrated out of the box, and the presets are often pretty bad too. If you actually calibrate your display you can make it look a lot better.
Well said. I will also add that it's not only TN panels that CAN have bad colour because many cheaper IPS panels are also 6 bit+FRC which leads to poorer image quality. There are some 8 bit IPS panels but it can be difficult separating them. PLS tends to be 8 bit.

TN are largely 6 bit+FRC but there are some 8 bit panels which should help image quality.
 
The problem with TN panels under $200 is that they are more than likely going to be bad enough that it's not really worth trading off IPS glow for it.
 
Currently have a Dell P2414H,

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_p2414h.htm

And im tired of the IPS Glow, it makes dark scenes look horrible. Heard most VAs in this price range have big problems of their own, so I'm willing to step down to TN.

Problem is there are tons of TNs in this price range that people don't bother to review them. I don't really view my monitor off axis so I don't need the better viewing angles of IPS.

I'm looking for decent color accuracy and good contrast with some calibration and LOW backlight bleed.

Thanks.

I'm sorry that you got so much flak for asking for a TN. Looking for any monitor at or below the $200 price point is asking for compromises, but you seem willing to make them. Even though you're asking for TN, I wholeheartedly recommend the BenQ EW2750ZL. It's an AMVA + panel, 27" 1080p, and typically hovering at $190 (I got one for $175 a short while back). Good color accuracy, good contrast, LOW backlight bleed (all of your requirements), no IPS corner glow, and better viewing angles than TN panels. Also a very light matte/semi-gloss coat. The only issues are:
  • basic stand, tilt adjustment only (no rotation, no VESA)
  • limited inputs (1x VGA, 2x HDMI)
  • speakers are bad even by budget monitor standards
  • ghosting, especially during dark transitions, bothersome for some, most won't notice

Definitely worth a look. Whatever you go with, best of luck in your search and enjoy!
 
The viewing angle problems of TN are still there when viewed head on. They have a bad vertical gamma shift so the top of the screen is darker than bottom, especially noticeable when viewing dark content. Like night time situations in games where stars seem to darken and disappear as they travel towards the top of the screen. And color accuracy and contrast are definetly not a TN panels forte. Though I heard that the latest true 8-bit TN's are bit better but I have no experience with one myself.
I tried the dell gsync SG27" that is 8bit. it was NOT good.

like you said, even head on the colors were different when they should've been the same.
 
I have an ASUS VN279Q which is $189.99 after $30 MIR at Newegg and I love it. It's a AMVA+ panel and is fantastic in my opinion. I think the 24" version is only a little cheaper.
 
I tried the dell gsync SG27" that is 8bit. it was NOT good.

like you said, even head on the colors were different when they should've been the same.

if it wasn't calibrated then yeah it probably wasn't good because the dell's factory calibration sucks compared to its asus counterpart according to tftcentral. calibrated properly they look almost identical to an IPS, i did a side-by-side when i got mine with my QNIX and they are indistinguishable in a lot of cases. the only time you're going to notice the viewing angles is when you're viewing something where a single color takes up a lot of space on screen or dark scenes where the gamma at the top is kind of fucked. regardless i would take it over IPS glow ANY day. these new generation TNs are overall superior monitors for media compared to IPS. until OLED becomes commonplace the best compromise is getting a big VA television for movies and/or slow, dark games and a S2716DG/PG278Q/XB270HU abprz/equivalent Freesync for everything else.

in OP's case i wouldn't even bother buying something for less than $200. it's not worth it. save up and buy something worth the money.

edit: ALTHOUGH the TN panels are a bit duller compared to IPS but this is easily fixed by a little digital vibrance/saturation increase.
 
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While i would be the first to poo on Tn, but my old room mate used one for 8 years and played every game under the sun on it and the way he had his desk/monitor set up there was basically no vertical gamma shift to the naked eye, especially in games. And he had a Mitsubishi Diamond for years before that so it's not like we didn't discuss it or notice in fact it was something of much debate. I retreated to room and my fw900. We both hated lcds in general, but he did get his moneys worth out of that that monitor (Samsung Bw ) and it served him well and for that he very much liked it. He has a 27" pls now. And he likes that too. But he doesn't play shooters any more, mostly just rpgs/mmos so it's fine for him.

But for tn it's all how you angle it and the distance you sit from it. I don't know about 27", probably have to have it even farther away, and may not be as easy to get rid of the visible shift, but angle and distance is key, you can't just sit in front of it at eye height flat on the desk.

He had it set up is on a two tier desk. On the top tier, so you would be looking up at it, but the panel was angled downward with a book behind it to get the angle just right with the line of sight at about the top of the panel when kicking back in "game position". Monitor about 4-5 feet away. Same thing as standing up and steeping back from a tn. The vertical shift basically disappears. I have one right here and it's the the same. The range was fairly good so that sitting forward just for reading what you would tend to get is more of a wash, but colors don't need to be good for reading a black and white page of text.

It's just about what you do/play more and can tolerate more. Some people can deal with a certain issue others cannot. But if you play a bunch of different types of games and need fast response in some, and no ips glow in others, like dark games ect, and just want the best performance for gaming, especially competitive gaming ( if you are serious ) knowing the limitations of Tn, it's the best all arounder. You sacrifice colors a bit, and even that can be made to look acceptable. So long as you are not trying to directly compare it to a good ips, which is pointless really. If your goal is more about color fidelity then your choice clear.
 
I find IPS glow the worst of all LCD technologies' flaws. I would try one of the newer VA panels first, though.
 
Yea it looks like I can't get anything worth jack for $200, so Im going to just wait a bit and save up and get something like an 8 bit TN g-sync monitor. I'm graduating college after the summer with an engineering degree so I'll reward myself with something nice. The Dell S2716DG is the one that looks most appealing right now.

I've been playing with the angle/distance that I have with the monitor and it definitely helps, if I tilt my head the glow diminishes so I put a slight upward tilt to the monitor. If I could go back another 0.75 feet the glow practically goes away, but my desk isn't deep enough. Since the angles affect it like this I know it definitely isn't backlight bleed.
 
Yea it looks like I can't get anything worth jack for $200, so Im going to just wait a bit and save up and get something like an 8 bit TN g-sync monitor. I'm graduating college after the summer with an engineering degree so I'll reward myself with something nice. The Dell S2716DG is the one that looks most appealing right now.

I've been playing with the angle/distance that I have with the monitor and it definitely helps, if I tilt my head the glow diminishes so I put a slight upward tilt to the monitor. If I could go back another 0.75 feet the glow practically goes away, but my desk isn't deep enough. Since the angles affect it like this I know it definitely isn't backlight bleed.

Out of curiosity, what's wrong the the recommendation from my prior post?
 
Out of curiosity, what's wrong the the recommendation from my prior post?

That monitor did look nice, someone posted a similar ASUS model, amva with thin bezels, 27 inch around 200$. My main gripe with that would be the screen resolution 1080p for the size, I sit pretty close to my computer and I don't use it for strictly gaming so I will be bothered by the low resolution. My father has a 27 inch 1080p ASUS ips and I only found it nice when watching videos from a distance like a TV. According to the amva thread ghosting seems to be an issue on panels around that price range as well. Thank you for the suggestion, I would actually recommend that monitor or the ASUS amva to family members and the like who ask me for a suggestion, since the colors would pop so much more than an IPS, and likely wouldn't find the low res an issue.
 
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