User recommended Widescreen LCD

DirkVoodoo

Looking for a widescreen LCD monitor, in the 20 to 24" Widescreen range. Ive had my eye on the Dell 2407 FPW but i have had a hard time finding reliable information and what the alternatives are. I have heard good things about Belinea and NEC models (cant remember which ones, sorry)

Anyway, ive searched review sites, OC-uk and boards.ie but i just wanted to get an up-to-date list of LCD Monitors that people have ACTUAL experience using and not from CNET reviews (which i have become distrustful of in recent times). This is why i like the boards so much, I have learned to put my faith in its collective wisdom. So, if you have a great LCD widescreen monitor thats good for gaming, DVD viewing and general PC work, please share...

(Also, i searched previous threads, but as i find with PC hardware/peripherals, it is the most current information that is useful, i dont think 17" flat panels are still 'hot-stuff', are they?

WizZard

I have the Dell 2405FPW and can't recommend it hghly enough. Excellent monitor. Buy it.

po0k

I offer 3 majik beans and a significant quantity of lint.

And you can count yourself lucky *shakes fist*

I can just about afford a 2007FP off ebay - if I'm lucky. And it'll probably have dead pixels and smell of wee.

DirkVoodoo

Are there not leakage problems with the 2005? I know this is getting into extreme photo-editing dork territory....really, as long as it can display the pretty girls on random bebo pages that i find, i shall be happy. Plus my old 19" CRT has started making an odd high pitched whine recently, i cant say it has a smell of urine though....shame

hopeful

I have a Philips 200W6 20" widescreen. I have no complaints at all apart from the silver colour is a bit cheesy.

Not sure how it compares to the Dell but the Philips is still on PCPro magazines A-List after 4 months.

WizZard

DirkVoodoo wrote:

Are there not leakage problems with the 2005? I know this is getting into extreme photo-editing dork territory....really, as long as it can display the pretty girls on random bebo pages that i find, i shall be happy. Plus my old 19" CRT has started making an odd high pitched whine recently, i cant say it has a smell of urine though....shame

Nope, I had the 2005FPW (20") before this one (24") and it was perfect. The very early models had some backlight bleeding issues but they were corrected and AFAIK Dell replaced the faulty monitors.
My 2405FPW has no bleeding whatsoever, nor any bad pixels.

LOL @ SyxPak

DirkVoodoo wrote:

pretty girls on random bebo pages

Links?

po0k

Slydice tbh tbh tbh

A few batches of 2007FPs have been reported to have quite noticable colour banding issues on gradients. And to cap it off, the few reports that I did see complained about Dell refusing to replace the monitor.

I'm in a similar boat to Dirkvoodoo, looking for a 16x12 8-16ms (g-g), solid Real-Life contrast ratio (numbers mean nothing - totally dependent on what 1x10^-n you use to define the imaginary zero luminence of a 'black' pixel in a conventional bar-lit tft), decent brightness, nice stand, blacker than Wesley Snipes, DVI-D, the usual.
I also have a requirement for Composite/S-Video input - preferably with PIP capability.
If anyone knows of a cheaper/bigger-for-same-price comparable screen to the 2007fp - post.

gline

is this monitor any good? http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=315195

acer any good for tfts?

DirkVoodoo

I read that the acers are ok, design is not the best tho. There is some NEC monitor, think its 20 inch widescreen, that is meant to be a very good gaming monitor.The BenQs look good also, but design and features let it down (think they use samsung panels)

gline

what do you mean the "design" isnt the best on the acers?? is the actual display ok? very nice response time on the one i linked to and a nice price. is it worth the price?

DirkVoodoo

Sorry, i think the actual packaging of the plastic assembly is quite dated. Its a samsung panel as far as i know and a lot of ppl on overclockers say they r very good. I think they look ok, but i think you really have to see a screen 'in the flesh' to judge for yourself. Nice price on that one tho!

po0k

Anyone have any good links/in-depth techie sites that specify which panels are better than others...and consequently which panels end up in what make/model tfts?

astrofool

There's no DVI on that Acer, so it mightn't be the best for high res sharpness.

gline

astrofool wrote:

There's no DVI on that Acer, so it mightn't be the best for high res sharpness.

yeh i noticed that alright ... hmm??

it is kinda to buy a monitor without seeing it first

DirkVoodoo

I think samsung make alot of panels...the dell widescreen and apple cinema displays (20") are all LG Phillips panels, just different backlights. I think the range of large panel makers is very limited.Dont have any links tho, sorry.

astrofool

You mean buy one in PC World? lol

Best you can do is to see someone else's monitor, but, seeing as they all use the same panels these days anyway, they're all much of a muchness. Only Samsung and Phillips make the panels remember.

The Dell 2007 FPW, or 2407 FPW are what i'd go for, or a Viewsonic, depending on price (got a VP201s from them 18 months ago, thats been absolutely brilliant).

CSSource God

I have the 2405fpw and its awesome. Even though its only a few weeks old and perfect i was thinking of getting the 2407wfp. But from reading the specs the 2407 doesnt really justify the extra money, i suppose its not that easy to surpass the 2405fpw its excellent:D

po0k

g'way with your funky out-of-spec 16:10 res - handy for wider FOVs, but not enough desktop real-estate for my needs.
4:3 ftw!

CSSource God

I am tempted to sell my 2405fpw if you are interested. I know its only a few weeks old and in immac condition(no dead pixels:D . I have sold a few on boards already. What should i be asking for? If i get a realistic offer i might part with it;)

gline

CSSource God wrote:

I am tempted to sell my 2405fpw if you are interested. I know its only a few weeks old and in immac condition(no dead pixels:D . I have sold a few on boards already. What should i be asking for? If i get a realistic offer i might part with it;)

give us a price.. might be interested

po0k

CSSource God wrote:

I am tempted to sell my 2405fpw if you are interested. I know its only a few weeks old and in immac condition(no dead pixels:D . I have sold a few on boards already. What should i be asking for? If i get a realistic offer i might part with it;)

I won't have cash to spend for a month, but I was looking to eBay up something good for around 3-400 (shipped to Ireland). Can't justify spending anymore when I'm replacing a perfectly good 19" CRT.

awhir

SyxPak wrote:

I won't have cash to spend for a month, but I was looking to eBay up something good for around 3-400 (shipped to Ireland). Can't justify spending anymore when I'm replacing a perfectly good 19" CRT.

hey man im intresed in 1 to maby we could get 2 off ebay and get a good SPECIAL price.

DirkVoodoo

Yeah, the reponse time on those dell is 16 ms black to white isnt it? I know syxpak said response times arent everything, but do 2405 and 2407 users find them good for gaming and DVD watching?

Id be interested in buying, as mentioned above, make us an offer and we will haggle ye down to a few shillings and some magic beans!

awhir

try here they all have dells http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/forumdisplay.php?f=118

JakTheHat

I have the dell 2405fpw for over a year now and I have never had any problems with it. I know the response times arent as fast as some of the newer models but you really cant tell the difference when playing games or watching movies.I have an old 19 inch tft with 25ms response and it sucks for games and stuff. The Dell doesnt have these problems. Once you get used to having a big screen you will never look back. If I was buying now I would go for the 2407fpw.