A word of warning on the Dell U2711

[TokyoTom]

I just got the U2711 over the weekend, and after a few days of testing I have to say I'm fairly disappointed.

Games and movies look great, as do photos, but when viewing whites and grays the anti-glare coating is is pretty bad. I did my research before hand and saw that on numerous forums people complained about the AG coating; however, pretty much every professional review of the monitor I saw gave it a great review. I was under the assumption that people were exaggerating about the coating but I have to say that I do notice it and now find it a distracting. Reviews rave about color accuracy but whites clearly have a "sparkle" to them (you have to see it up close to understand). I don't know how the reviewers failed to mention this.

If you are mainly going to game or watch hi-def movies you will probably be very happy with the performance, but if you are like me, and use it for a variety of purposes including work and photo editing, you may want to reconsider or at least check out the monitor in person.

It's really pretty frustrating because everything else about the monitor is great: the connection options, height adjustment, etc. I'm considering sending it back as I still have a week.

 

[Trist_58]

I have heard many people complaining of the AG coating also. It's a real shame because otherwise it's reported to be an awesome display. Some have even tried removing the layer of coating but I wouldn't go that far personally!

If you decide to send it back, you should consider replacing it with a Samsung SA850 27" PLS. Have been using mine for about a month now and I am really happy with it so far.

Mind you there is a tiny bit of back light bleed and you will probably need to adjust the colour/image settings to get the right balance.

The colour probably won't be quite as good as the Dell but is just so clear for reading text and everything else. 1440p of course.

Don't lose all hope

 

[TokyoTom]

Yeah, I'm looking at the Samsung. I checked it out in-store and it looked good. Here in Japan there is about $100 price difference though.

Gotta think it over...

 

[Trist_58]

Always a good policy. Also, as PLS tech is still relatively new there might be better stuff coming along soon.

 

[TokyoTom]

Exactly, I don't really want to be an early adopter. I'd rather wait for the second generation of PLS monitors to come out. Unfortunately, I already sold my old monitor so if I send the Dell back I'll need to get a replacement ASAP.

 

[Trist_58]

Fair enough. For what it's worth, I havn't had any issues with my Samsung apart from a bit of backlight bleed (which is not visible for general use).

I would make the same decision again - like you, I needed a good display asap and this particular model fit the bill.

I suppose you could buy a cheap 24" 1200p eIPS for the time being and keep it as a complimentary display for your photo editing when better 1440p tech is available.

 

[TokyoTom]

Today I've been reading a lot of feedback from Samsung users regarding the SA850. It seems that most everyone is pretty happy with it. I really haven't seen many complaints and it is often recommended to those concerned about the AG coating.

I think I will stop by a retailer and take a look at it in the store again to see how whites and grays look. Although without the AG coating I can imagine they come across better. Reading text on sites like Tom's on the U2711 is really what is bothering me. I've upped the DPI and adjusted the brightness to try to find a comfortable setting but still can't get used to it.

I am a little concerned about the backlight bleed on the Samsung. I live in a cramped Tokyo apartment so the PC serves as a work area, gaming center and TV, and I often watch movies/shows with the lights off. It's not a deal breaker though.

Thanks for your input. It's appreciated.

 

[Trist_58]

This article should help:
http://www.pcmonitors.org/monitor-reviews/samsung-s27a850d

Good luck!