Which VA panel, BenQ BL3200PT or Philips BDM4065UC

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Nightingale007

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I'm looking to buy a large display for both desktop real estate, watching movies and casual gaming(to old "31 years" for twitch based shooters). I've been stuck using IPS display's (20wmgx2, dell 2311h)24" for the last 9 years. I can't stand them anymore, the contrast and the IPS glow(dell) is atrocious. The past year I have only been looking at exclusively at VA panels, since they are the only LCD panel type capable of producing decent contrast. I refuse to pay top dollar for crappy 1000:1 contrast panels with horrible bleed and glow. Contrast is so incredibly important, yet so undermined in pc monitors. I can' stand playing these games with alot of dark scenery on ips display, they simply look washed out as well as movies which suffer even more.

The Problem with quality VA panels in respect to PC monitors is they are few and far between. Everything is IPS or TN orientated. Of the few high contrast VA panels available in 27+ size there are some serious pro's and con's. Now I have read up on both the Philips and BenQ threads fully.

I understand that both VA panels suffer from banding issues in certain particular instances and that the Philips display uses PWM for brightness control. I'm trying to figure out here what is my best option between these two display's.

I don't have a gpu that can run high 4k with modern high end games properly( GTX 780ti) however my understanding is that with the Philips you can set custom resolutions by outputting(gpu scaling) to a lower resolution with 1:1 pixel mapping. I am perfectly fine with losing half the real estate in order to play demanding games at an acceptable frame rate.

So here's what it boils down to for me and where i'm sort of at a crossroad.
The Philips is
4k, more future proof.
larger in size
has 5000:1 contrast ratio, much higher than the BenQ
is only $300 more than the 32' 1440p BenQ.

It's seems like a better investment until I look at the more practical side of things.

The BenQ seems like a more seemly hassle free package.
-It uses DC for brightness control(while the Philips you have to use software to lower it)
-better OSD
-no need to mess with custom resolutions
-better factory color presets

Oh yeah and I am running Windows 7. I realize 10 is better for 4k displays(DPI scaling), but if need be I will move over to 10 since I have multiple SSD's with OS installs on them.

I'm curious of those of you that have experience with these displays or not, what do you recommend is the best course of action here. Is the 40' 4K overkill and would you recommend a different model or brand as I think someone was mentioning that the Acer B6 B326HK could be a good substitute.

One final note, I thought I ought to mention that i'm in my early 30's and have to spend 8 hours a day in front of the PC, so it's important that I be able to have the ability to set a comfortable brightness level on these display so not to fatigue my eyes so quickly.
 
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BenQ without a moments thought.

The Philips isn't square. It's a 98:100 rectangle. Something to do with Chinese manufacturing and using the cheapest glass.
 
Is there any reason why you are not considering the Philips BDM3270QP? It seems a less problematic monitor than the Benq. No PWM usage unlike the Philips BDM4065UC.
 
The Benq is a great monitor but that particular model suffers horrible motion blur issues. I just can't stand it. I moved that monitor to my office and replace it in my home with it's big brother: the Benq 3201PT. IPS colors are great and it's night and day difference from the 3200 in terms of motion blur. The movements are smooth in the 3201PT and it scales perfectly well to 1440p and 1080p.
 
I think you may have a faulty unit. My BL3200PT has little visible blur, just some faint trailing in very dark scenes, nothing out of the ordinary compared to other VA monitors I've owned.
 
The Philips has higher contrast, but less vibrant colours since it has a smaller colour space (90-93% sRGB colour space coverage vs nearly 100% for the BenQ), and terrible motion clarity when the brightness is not set to 100% due to the use of PWM (general example & actual example of the Philips). The contrast difference can be negated with the use of a bias light (light placed behind the display). The Acer B326HK has high input while the similarly priced BenQ BL3201PH or PT (last letter varies by region) and does not, and easily beats the VA panels in the image quality department since the 32" AHVA panels barely glow (VA panels suffer from more contrast shift than 32" AHVA panels glow=white glow which appears in the bottom corners when viewing dark content), have faster pixel response times and are free from colour vibrancy reducing VA gamma shift. Best Reviewed 32" 4k Monitors.
 
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NCX, the BenQ BL3201PH intrigues me. In all honesty can one realistically compensate for the poor IPS contrast using light trick's. I mean I have owned IPS panels exclusively for ages and the lack of an ATW polarizer trend is disturbing, when already having to deal with contrast issues, we have glow added. however you mention on this display that it only exhibits minor white glow(of course we all know the amount can very from batch to batch) My older dell IPS had nasty purple glow to it, my 20WGMX2 had less but of course it was a smaller screen.

Also I noticed the BenQ lists it's refresh rate at 76Hz. I wonder can it do 24p via reducing refresh rate to 72Hz. This would defiantly be a huge selling point.

In regards to VA panels, it worries me when I hear you mention bad motion clarity. I get VA's with high contrast usually tend to have long transition times from black to white, resulting is leaving a distinct trail. This has become a frustrating and nerve ending search for me. What I really wanted at the end of the day was a larger display from 24', with better contrast and resolution, as well as reduced eye strain.

Just curious, how much better are the new current IPS display compared to my 4 year old Dell u2311h. I was looking to upgrade to a new display that had a wow factor to it. I mean aside from a resolution upgrade and larger display is it going to be pretty much the same old typical IPS look?
 
i have both, i would say the phillips it does what the other one does.. but it has PWM, as far as i know the benq has not, so if you are affected by that? if not - imho its more cool and will rock when better hardware arives :) (if i haven't switched to oled by then)

i have a single 980ti driving it, 4k in some tiltles and 1440 in some, i think it looks gorgeous in 4k and fine in 1440p - imho a similar picture to the benq only bigger..
 
I know this is subjective, but how bad is the response time and ghosting. I mean bear in mind i'm not a twitch based shooter guy. Also how does it fare in movies with fast moving objects. I don't expect it be on par with TN, or 120Hz IPS panels, but is it acceptable or does it display below average motion clarity. I read on the main thread someone complaining that when playing games the muzzle flash of his weapon in the dark would create a weird looking artifact trail effect.

Since you own both, it's already a given that the VA panel has 5 times the contrast of the IPS. But in practical terms do you feel the contrast on the IPS is sufficient enough, and does it bleed bad and looked washed out in movies?

Edit: when you said you had both I automatically assume you were referring to the 4K BenQ IPS panel, bit were actually comparing the 32 VA BenQ?
 
Nightingale007 said:
Since you own both, it's already a given that the VA panel has 5 times the contrast of the IPS. But in practical terms do you feel the contrast on the IPS is sufficient enough, and does it bleed bad and looked washed out in movies?

Edit:
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Don't believe the hype. I have both the Benq 3200PT (in my office) and the 3201PT (in my home) and the 3201PT is superior in every way. I can't see ANY notorious or big difference contrast wise between the 3200PT and the 3201PT being that none of them are stellar in said matter. No advantage at all of the 3200PT over the 3201PT.
 
Hi guys. I am wondering for any who has the philips BDM4065UC can chime in.. I have shimian 1440p glossy monitor right now. I am interested in the BDM4065UC because it is a glossy panel which will always be better than a matte scree in my view and because it is 40 inches and has gotten great reviews

I can really notice the anti glare sparkles in my 1080p monitors that are not glossy now. Anyways I am getting off topic.

I of course have ips glow that is noticeable more in dark scenes on the shimian monitor. i can go from getting a great looking 1440p picture in games to it not look good at all with ips glow being rally distracting dark scenes. The glow of course applies to dark scenes in videos.

Going off this, I imagine the BDM4065UC would be far superior in this regard when dealing with dark scenes in both games and movies because of the black lavels and also the increased reolsution of going from 1440p to 4k and going from 27 to 40 inches. I believe 1080p video upscales much better to 4k as well rather than to 1080p.


Now I have never owned a VA panel before. All the ips monitors i have had which are 3.. All have the annoying ips glow and I imagine every ips has it

So with a VA panel just looking around the screen i will see color shifts? What exactly is PWM and why is it a bad thing?How much worse are the viewing angles comapred to an ips monitor?

From reading reviews I will not be affected by the color shifts and looking around the screen while playing/watching a video. As long I am sitting far enough back and in the right spot of the monitor t get the best picture

I will probably end up getting this monitor regardless because I can get it for $1000 cdn. I imagine other 40 inch monitors in future could be a lot more and there is not another option for a 40 inch glossy va 4k panel. I do not want to get another ips panel.

Thanks for anybody who replies, I know this was a lot to read.
 
Nightingale007 said:
In all honesty can one realistically compensate for the poor IPS contrast using light trick's?
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Yes, and the 32" AHVA panels suffer from far less glow than normal AHVA/IPS/PLS panels. In fact, they even have less glow/contrast shift than many VA panels, which allows one to enjoy a more "contrasty-y" experience from closer distances.

Nightingale007 said:
Also I noticed the BenQ lists it's refresh rate at 76Hz. I wonder can it do 24p via reducing refresh rate to 72Hz. This would defiantly be a huge selling point.
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No, and it's best to assume that only 1080p monitors and single input Korean monitors can overclock since this is true 99% of the time.

Nightingale007 said:
In regards to VA panels, it worries me when I hear you mention bad motion clarity.
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It's a fact, especially in the case of the VA panels with PWM, just look at the examples I linked to in my first reply and compare it to the same test of the BL3201PH.

Nightingale007 said:
ust curious, how much better are the new current IPS display compared to my 4 year old Dell u2311h
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It sucks compared to the BL3201PH.

smackjack22 said:
Hi guys. I am wondering for any who has the philips BDM4065UC can chime in.
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The Philips is semi-glossy which is quite different (coating comparisons), has less vibrant and less even colours than your Shmian, as well as slower pixel response times and more motion blur (the Shimian does not use PWM). LED PWM Dimming or Flicker ruins motion clarity (general example & actual example of the Philips; the Samsung with DC dimming in the bottom right corner does not use PWM.) and makes some people see moving black transparent lines and/or suffer from health issues like headaches and/or eyestrain.
 
@ NCX. You mention in the review I was reading for the BenQ BL3201PT,that the Qnix QX2710 is ips glow free? Would the glossy version of this monitor be the best picture quality to get at 1440p?

Really wish I got this monitor instead of the Shmian if this is the case. Are there any drawbacks for a PLS monitor compared to an ips?
 
Nightingale007 said:
I know this is subjective, but how bad is the response time and ghosting. I mean bear in mind i'm not a twitch based shooter guy. Also how does it fare in movies with fast moving objects. I don't expect it be on par with TN, or 120Hz IPS panels, but is it acceptable or does it display below average motion clarity. I read on the main thread someone complaining that when playing games the muzzle flash of his weapon in the dark would create a weird looking artifact trail effect.

Since you own both, it's already a given that the VA panel has 5 times the contrast of the IPS. But in practical terms do you feel the contrast on the IPS is sufficient enough, and does it bleed bad and looked washed out in movies?

Edit: when you said you had both I automatically assume you were referring to the 4K BenQ IPS panel, bit were actually comparing the 32 VA BenQ?
Click to expand...

yup, in my own very unprofessional manner, both are just fine for games, even fps, sure they might blur more than your next screen but i like my inky blacks and glow free corners.. but until an actual oled 34-42 monitor comes out i like VA the best, and i am just fine with 60 fps gaming. - and between those two, i use the phillips the most, and really like it.
 
Honestly, all I would really like is to have is a monitor around 32-34' @2K with good motion clarity and contrast and 24p(aka 72Hz, or 120Hz). The BenQ 1440p was looking good, but it's locked @60Hz and motion clarity is not really great, so i'm told. here is a quote from another forum regarding VA panels for the PC

Might be good for work, but for gaming VA has too random response times depending on colors shown. Not good for fast paced games, will result in alot of blur when moving around fast. The best gaming VA monitor also suffered from this (Eizo FG2421, 120/240 Hz)
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it seems that there is no LCD display tech that can provide in both areas of great motion clarity and image quality without sacrificing one or the other. High end IPS/AHVA seems the be the middle ground that does both well but not great.

Only thing I can find are these overpriced gimmicky curved 21:9 AHVA panels that retail for well over $1200 Canadian.
 
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smackjack22 said:
@ NCX. You mention in the review I was reading for the BenQ BL3201PT,that the Qnix QX2710 is ips glow free? Would the glossy version of this monitor be the best picture quality to get at 1440p?

Really wish I got this monitor instead of the Shmian if this is the case. Are there any drawbacks for a PLS monitor compared to an ips?
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I have an extremely rare glow free Samsung LTM270DL06 PLS panel in my matte Qnix; the normal PLS panels (LTM270DL02) have slightly less glow than the IPS panel used by the Shimian, but slower pixel response times and most use very low frequency PWM. The glossy Qnix/x-Star mostly use a lower quality PLS panel (LTM270DL07) now with PWM and less vibrant colours too.

A bias light (light placed behind the monitor) will improve your experience if used in a light-less or very dim room since it will vastly improve the perceived black depth, reduce glow visibility and reduce reflections if there are no other light sources.

Nightingale007 said:
Honestly, all I would really like is to have is a monitor around 32-34' @2K with good motion clarity and contrast and 24p(aka 72Hz, or 120Hz).
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24hz/74hz does not guarantee smooth PC playback, especially if using multiple monitors while multi-tasking. Programs like ReClock used with modified MPC-HC, Mirllis Splash Pro and Power DVD are far more useful than overclocking a monitor to 72hz. The BenQ supports judder free 60hz playback with blu-ray players/consoles at 1080p, and it has outstanding 1080p scaling too:

http://www.prad.de/new/monitore/test/2015/test-benq-bl3201pt-teil10.html#Interpolation
 
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NCX said:
I have an extremely rare glow free Samsung LTM270DL06 PLS panel in my matte Qnix; the normal PLS panels (LTM270DL02) have slightly less glow than the IPS panel used by the Shimian, but slower pixel response times and most use very low frequency PWM. The glossy Qnix/x-Star mostly use a lower quality PLS panel (LTM270DL07) now with PWM and less vibrant colours too.

A bias light (light placed behind the monitor) will improve your experience if used in a light-less or very dim room since it will vastly improve the perceived black depth, reduce glow visibility and reduce reflections if there are no other light sources.



24hz/74hz does not guarantee smooth PC playback, especially if using multiple monitors while multi-tasking. Programs like ReClock used with modified MPC-HC, Mirllis Splash Pro and Power DVD are far more useful than overclocking a monitor to 72hz. The BenQ supports judder free 60hz playback with blu-ray players/consoles at 1080p, and it has outstanding 1080p scaling too:

http://www.prad.de/new/monitore/test/2015/test-benq-bl3201pt-teil10.html#Interpolation
Click to expand...

Is there any bias light you can recommend me buying for the Shimian monitor?
 
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