[olePigeon]

I've been reading that IPS panels manufactured by LG all have a color shifting problem that has yet to be fixed. I've been waiting for IPS displays to be under $400. Can anyone suggest a non-LG IPS display? Seems like 90% of the IPS monitors out there are all LG panels. I like the Fujitsu-Siemens ECO IPS line, but they don't sell them in America and it seems to be still pretty expensive.

[olePigeon]

Might relegated to their e-IPS displays. h-IPS apparently doesn't have this problem. Unfortunately, I can't find an h-IPS display for $400 or less. Seems like my options are interpolated TN display or color shifting e-IPS display.

I miss CRTs.

[gto47]

I have seen used HP Lp2475s go for under 400 bucks if you pick up a used one. B&H had one just the other day, and I have nothing but good things to say about their used department.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by gto47 

I have seen used HP Lp2475s go for under 400 bucks if you pick up a used one. B&H had one just the other day, and I have nothing but good things to say about their used department.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll check it out.

[gto47]

If you're as anal as me about your monitors, you want to look at tftcentral.co.uk. The only critique i have for any of their reviews is that the ZR24 - which they recently re-evaluated is a really inconsistent monitor. They were able to get pretty amazing results from it with laborious calibration, and I am certain that the model they tested was as good as they reported. The problem is that most of the people who bought this monitor have an uneven red to green tinting problem from right to left. It has the same LG panel that you mentioned earlier. This is why i recommend the 2475 which is truly a great and consistently manufactured monitor. The 2475 is also an LG but its the extended gamut model which doesn't seem to have these problems. The shock value of the screen isn't as amazing as an apple glossy alternative, but the 2475 excels in nuances with its excellent contrast ratio and wide gamut. If you're a perfectionist you won't be disappointed!

I you want a bargain, look at the Samsung 244T or the Sun AI24PO. They both use the samsung S-PVA panel. Yes, these panels started production in 2003, but they are embarrassingly close to even the 2475.

[olePigeon]

I just discovered the Philips 240PW9EB, but it's not sold in the U.S. It's the same panel as the HP LP2475, but the support hardware is apparently better (102% Adobe RGB.) Other hardware forums state that it's a lottery for a good HP LP2475 without the green-to-pink color shift problem. LG's quality control is just horrible.

[gto47]

They have like 6 of them in the video department at B&H all lined up next to eachother, and while i only loaded up a few color tests on one of them I couldn't see any noticible flaws on any of them.

I think it comes down to the oems, because you notice dramatic testing variation between the same panel from vendor to vender (IE dell, HP).

[cgc]

I'm curious what you decide upon as I'm looking for a good monitor for photo editing and gaming (bad combination, I know). I assume you've eliminated Dell's Ultrasharp monitors which typically get great reviews. They can be found refurbished on Dell's site from time to time.

[olePigeon]

Having dealt with Dell laptops, LCDs, and computers working at a school district, I tend to avoid anything Dell no matter how good the reviews are. That's just my personal bias.

I may go with the HP anyway because I found a sealed factory refurbished one for $335 tax free. Anyone have experience with HP's return policy? Do they pay for shipping if it's borked?

[olePigeon]

So I decided on an HP ZR24W display. It uses the slightly newer S-IPS panel. It has generally positive reviews, especially on HardForum website. It's a 24" 8-bit panel, 1920x1200 resolution. No color shifting, but it suffers from "backlight glow" which owners claim goes away after about 2 weeks of use.

I snagged a brand new one for $350 with free shipping and no tax, so I think I got a pretty good deal.

[olePigeon]

Yay. No dead pixels, no backlight bleed, no color shifting. I'm happy with my purchase, especially the price.

[CharlesS]

It does look like a nice display. It doesn't have the wide array of inputs that the LP2475W and the Dell monitors have, but you can't argue with that price.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

It does look like a nice display. It doesn't have the wide array of inputs that the LP2475W and the Dell monitors have, but you can't argue with that price.

It has VGA, DVI, and HDMI. From any of those I can buy an adapter for anything else, so I think it's worth it for the price, even with the cost of an adapter.

[CharlesS]

It's actually slightly better than that: VGA, DVI-D, and DisplayPort (not HDMI). For most uses, that's probably fine, but if you're planning to hook up a Wii or something to it, then it would probably be easier to go with one of the multi-input ones (but not cheaper, I'll grant).

Another thing that the other monitors have that this one lacks is an audio-out port, although whether it actually works with audio out over DisplayPort or whether it's only via HDMI I haven't been able to test, as Apple doesn't support audio out over DP on my late 2008 MBP.

[olePigeon]

Well, I use my TV for that kind of stuff. This is purely a monitor for my computers.

[CharlesS]

I know, I just posted that for the benefit of any other people whose needs may be different that happen to read this thread, so that all the pros and cons are mentioned.

[olePigeon]

Ah, perfect. My display is awesome. Check out these extreme graphics!