Looking for monitor advice

[JSR]

[Ian]

[Patrick]

Re: Looking for monitor advice

My aprouch after reading reviews wold be to narrow your choice s as much as possible and then if you can see them working, possibly at PC worls or Currys.
I don't suggest you buy there just see them in action.

My personal opinion is forget the Asus, I had a small one and was not impressed, Dell or LG sounds good to me, a backlite model certainly from there what looks good to you.

Patrick

[JSR]

Re: Looking for monitor advice

This shows how little I know. I had to Google to find out if "AOC" was a brand name or yet another variant of IPS. E-IPS, S-IPS, H-IPS, P-IPS....

It's a minefield. Why do manufacturers need to make it so complicated?

Sometimes I read about IPS and that it's the best thing in the world, then someone else is saying that the cheaper IPS monitors use "6 bit" with some AFRC or something or other that means it's not so good after all.

I just want to be sure I get something that can produce reasonably accurate colours and is better than the ones I've already got.

[JSR]

Re: Looking for monitor advice

My aprouch after reading reviews wold be to narrow your choice s as much as possible and then if you can see them working, possibly at PC worls or Currys.
I don't suggest you buy there just see them in action.

My personal opinion is forget the Asus, I had a small one and was not impressed, Dell or LG sounds good to me, a backlite model certainly from there what looks good to you.

Patrick

Thanks, Patrick.

I believe we have a PC World and/or Currys in walking distance so I'll pop into them next time I can get out. I'd like to have a rough understanding of what I'm looking for first, though.

[Patrick]

Re: Looking for monitor advice

This shows how little I know. I had to Google to find out if "AOC" was a brand name or yet another variant of IPS. E-IPS, S-IPS, H-IPS, P-IPS....

It's a minefield. Why do manufacturers need to make it so complicated?

Sometimes I read about IPS and that it's the best thing in the world, then someone else is saying that the cheaper IPS monitors use "6 bit" with some AFRC or something or other that means it's not so good after all.

I just want to be sure I get something that can produce reasonably accurate colours and is better than the ones I've already got.

I have been considering an inexpensive monitor for my MacBook and to double as a dual screen for the iMac, AOC caught my eye also seen some good reviews. PC world/Currys stock them so perhaps see one in action.

Patrick

[Ian]

Re: Looking for monitor advice

I haven't read a bad review of an IPS monitor yet - if there any negatives it has been more related to price and gaming performance but price is no longer an issue and I am assuming gaming is not important to you

Ian

[JSR]

Re: Looking for monitor advice

Thanks, both.

I'm checking out reviews of AOC panels now. I've only found 23" models so far, though, at a price point similar to the LG IPS235V-BN.

[Barr1e]

Re: Looking for monitor advice

Hi Ian -

I am currently using a Viewsonic VP191b which has given good service.

Remembering this thread, I thought I would ask you whether you consider this one as its replacement.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/monit...rasharp-u2412m

Regards. Barr1e

[mike_j]

Re: Looking for monitor advice

I have a Dell Ultrasharp 23", though last year's model, not the one you mention. It is excellent, the colour calibration is so good that my Spyder monitor barely altered it and I simply use the default calibration.

[JSR]

Re: Looking for monitor advice

I ultimately went with the U2412M. I have nothing really to compare it against given the archaic nature of my previous monitor. I believe the colour accuracy is pretty good as I'm getting matching results between my printer (calibrated with my ColorMunki) and the monitor - something I've never really been able to achieve before.

The 1920x1200 resolution at 24" feels huge compared to my old 1280x1024 19" model, even though it's really only wider (not much taller). Being able to rotate it is a great feature for zooming up A4 pages or portrait photos.

The only thing I don't like is that the built-in USB ports power off when you switch the monitor off. So if you have external hard drives attached and go off for a break (turning the monitor off as all environmentally-conscious people should), the hard drives cut off - not only preventing you from leaving it copying files, but also risking damage to the hard drives. If you have your mouse and keyboard in there, they power off and so won't bring the computer out of standby for ages until power comes back to them. But the thing is that it's a monitor not a USB hub, so I guess it's not something worth complaining about.

In my very limited knowledge of monitors I can only recommend it. If you can't afford to go for a proper high-spec one, give it a go.

[Barr1e]

Re: Looking for monitor advice

Hi Mike and JSR -

Thanks for your suggestions and thoughts.

There are certainly many brands and models to choose from.

Another I looked at was the NEC
http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitors...-34466481.html

I must say it is all rather confusing to a non techie.

I don't mind Anne paying a little more as I have a forthcoming birthday.

I am not a gamer but want a screen to do my pictures proud.

Regards. Barr1e

[JSR]

[Ian]

Re: Looking for monitor advice

I always have the the thought of 'the law of diminishing returns' on my mind - not being blessed with a huge income, value for money considerations dominate my life. Most of the inexpensive IPS panels will give a most satisfactory display for photographers and for a small improvement you may have to pay a lot more, as you say. I'm sure the monitor you have chosen will do the biz

One small point - you mention 'LCD' backlight; do you mean RGB LED backlights rather than plain white LED backlights (which are blue LEDs with yellow phosphors to obtain white).

Ian

[JSR]

Re: Looking for monitor advice

I always have the the thought of 'the law of diminishing returns' on my mind - not being blessed with a huge income, value for money considerations dominate my life. Most of the inexpensive IPS panels will give a most satisfactory display for photographers and for a small improvement you may have to pay a lot more, as you say. I'm sure the monitor you have chosen will do the biz

One small point - you mention 'LCD' backlight; do you mean RGB LED backlights rather than plain white LED backlights (which are blue LEDs with yellow phosphors to obtain white).

Ian

I've no idea what I mean - no one makes it easy to decide which of the many monitors you should go for. I'm not sure I'd know the difference, but I'd guess that these cheaper panels are white LEDS (i.e. "nothing fancy") - but I really don't know, nor would I know the difference.

It's great that we have all of this choice but the manufacturers and sellers don't seem to understand that too much choice can be just as bad as too little choice sometimes. They could do with making it easier - "this is budget IPS, that's mid-range IPS, and that's posh IPS".

I read a whole long thread somewhere (which is what prompted my original post) of some people looking a TN panel that had been advertised as IPS and they didn't know which it was. Some people bought it, discovered it was TN, and then raved about how it was as good as some IPS panels. I don't know if that's an honest evaluation or a case of ego-protection because they'd bought what they thought was IPS but were lumbered with a TN.

Then I saw a video review of someone trying to simplify matters which ended with the conclusion "if you have less than $900 to spend, then forget it - you'll be buying a turkey". Very helpful - not!

The waters are too muddy to successfully navigate. I think the only thing we can really do is to consider a specification (size, resolution, ports, etc), decide on a budget, and then look at just those models that fit. Trying to consider everything that everyone raves about just leads you to months of indecision and no purchase.