High quality new monitor?

riahc3

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Apr 26, 2013
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Hello :)

I am looking for a 1920 x 1080 IPS OLED touchscreen monitor. That is what I am looking ideally for but sadly I believe they are way out of realistic cost range and/or non existent...

With that in mind, I think IPS is the way to go and I am sure I want the resolution to be 1920 x 1080. Currently I am on a 1024 x 768 CRT from 2000-2001 which IMO still looks amazing to me. Ive been waiting for OLED technology but Im still waiting and waiting and waiting....and pretty sick of it.

So, now that Im sick of it, Im looking for a 1920 x 1080 IPS monitor. I perfer touchscreen since it seems things are going towards that but if not then doesnt matter.....

I watch movies and browse on the internet. I do like my games as well but I perfer movies so it should be really orientated to movies and to scaling back lower resolution movies and still look good. Since I have a CRT, I dont want to miss that color reproduction. Also this screen is going to be very close to me and my eyes/face.

It has to be at least 17"

I want best quality-to-price ratio. I dont want to go over the top but i dont want a chinese knockoff either.

I hope to read recommendations soon.

Thank you
 
I'd personally strongly recommend a PVA panel if you can get one. IPS (and Samsung PLS) are even better for colour accuracy, colour shift/viewing angles but blacks are pretty poor (really poor actually compared to CRT) while PVA will deliver the absolute deepest blacks (and dark colours) of any TFT panel type, along with excellent colour quality and viewing angles (slightly below IPS/PLS but far superior to TN).

As for a specific model, I use a Samsung F2380 (don't think you can buy them any more) which is absolutely stunning, but if I was buying now, I'd take this in a heartbeat:

http://www.waeplus.co.uk/item/288279/Eizo-23-L-FS2331-BK-------------A%2BD-S-T5?ref=gooshop

I don't know the retailer but they look reputable from Google product search and there's not a huge number of retailers still stocking these. It launched a couple of years ago (just a couple of months after I bought mine) for £450 (!) but Eizo are seriously high-grade displays (second only to Lacie displays) so for £240 now it's an amazing bargain. If you'd prefer something newer, I'd recommend looking at Samsung's PLS models, but your blacks will be inferior.
 

riahc3

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Thank you for the PVA suggestion. I dont know it existed so I would need some recommendations on them.

Well, I am going to see a lot of movies, I think blacks are important. Lots of times I lose quality of a movie because Im seeing dark scenes TOO dark....

And I cannot find the F2380 online and Im not too intrested in monitors that arent actively being sold/supported so...
 


I think we value the same things - I game but it's films where I'm really noticing image quality and that's where PVA really shines for me instead of the patchy greys you get with other panel types. PVA (much like CRT) is on the way out though, which is a shame because all that leaves is panels with inferior blacks. If you really want something new though, a Samsung PLS panel would be the best way to go. They either match or beat IPS for everything - colour accuracy, viewing angles and response times. Probably the best all-rounder.
 

riahc3

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Thank you very much and I like your advice but I would like model recommendations this way I can see reviews on them and what exactly people say about the monitors you guys recommend me to look at.

 
I think a lot depends on what you're used to. Because I had an absolutely stunning CRT before moving to TFTs, I had pretty demanding standards for colour quality, blacks etc. But there were some really crappy CRTs so for people owning those, any TFT would look fine.
 

riahc3

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Im completely sure I dont want a TN :)


A lot of those Samsungs I cant find reviews on....Or at least decent ones.
 
That's probably partly because they're recent releases so reviewers haven't had much time. Monitors aren't really like new CPUs or graphics cards where the tech sites all jump on them as soon as they're released. Probably partly because there's so many monitors and partly because 95%+ of them aren't anything exciting :) Also, because there are so many monitor models, many models don't get professional reviews at all.

What might help if you can't find reviews for the right model is reviews for a similar model, maybe the size up of the same model. So if you couldn't find a review for a Dell U2312HM for example (though you easily could :)), see how the Dell U2412HM is reviewed (24" version of that model).
 

riahc3

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Ill say in a little under 72 hours :) (Meaning problably Monday)

Question: What is a good way to calibrate the display? What is the process?
 
Well you could use nVidia's control panel - that has a monitor calibration bit. I don't think there's an option in Catalyst control centre (though I've not looked too hard for one to be honest). Best bet would probably be to download some calibration software (something that doesn't require calibration hardware obviously). Or you could take the easy option and check the TFT Central review of it, where they say what are the best settings to use :) Only drawback there is that not every panel and backlight(s) comes off the production line exactly the same so not every monitor of a model is identical. Plus there's a certain degree of personal preference with regards to saturation vs accuracy etc.
 

riahc3

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I have a GTX 650 Ti so Ill use nVidia's control panel and yes, I did indeed look at TFT Central for this monitor as well. Its been recommended to me in the review and the forum so....

Besides nVidia's what is "some calibration software (something that doesn't require calibration hardware obviously)" that is out there?

Thank you for your help

 
Haha I was almost going to add "...(don't ask what)" because I've never bothered myself so couldn't recommend anything particular. Give it a Googling though ("how to calibrate monitor"). Looks like Windows has a built in tool for it (PC World and Microsoft results on that search), and also TFT Central guide at the bottom of the first results page.