Best 23.6 to 24 inch Samsung TN monitor made within the last 3 years ?

[Tom92602]

I currently have a 3 year old 27" Samsung P2770FH and it's been a great monitor
but I would like to switch to a 23.6 or 24 inch to tighten up the pixels for better text.

I've tried several IPS and AH-IPS but the AG coating creates sparkles or a blurred
effect when I read text. I've looked at a lot of IPS/AH-IPS and I prefer TN. Plus TN
is quicker for games.

I tried TN's from Dell and ASUS and the PWM (or something about them) bothered
my eyes so I want to stick with Samsung. Plus I really like Samsung's rich colors.
I am looking at either a new S24D300HL or getting a previous Samsung model used
off ebay.

Are there any Samsung experts out there who know which 24" Samsung TN in the
last 3 years had the best picture quality? Many of the new TN monitors are priced
so cheaply that I imagine the TN models of 1 or 2 years ago might have better picture
quality??

Thanks..

 

[VincentP]

Looking at what you liked about a monitor from three years ago isn't the way to pick a current model.
All the different manufacturers sell a great variety of monitors with panels from a small number of companies and then their own electronics and coatings.
There is no particular attribute you'll find from one manufacturer, you need to find a model that suits your needs.

Samsung used to make mostly monitors with a glossy coating. I have an old Samsung 2333sw with a glossy coating and noticed the colours were not as good in Acer models around the same time. The AG coating used in the Asus models was what ruined the colour.
Manufacturers have gotten better with AG coatings over the years, but what you are describing that you liked about the Samsung is a glossy coating.
Most IPS or TN monitors now have an AG coating.
Some monitors use PWM back lighting and some do not, again not brand specific.

It seems to me these are your criteria:
Lower pixel pitch / higher pixel density
Glossy screen (no AG coating)
Flicker free with no PWM to dim the back light

I guess the first thing to look at is the size.
You can either go with a 27 inch 2560x1440 monitor or a 24 inch 1920x1080 monitor.
27 inch 1920x1080 = 81 PPI
24 inch 1920x1080 = 91 PPI
27 inch 2560x1440 = 108 PPI
The 27 inch 2560x1440 models will be more expensive, but you will find them much crisper.

For flicker, this list is a good reference:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/flicker_free_database.htm

The glossy coating is actually the most difficult thing to find these days.

This is my suggestion:
The Dell S2440L has an AMVA panel and a glossy coating.
24 inch 1920 x 1080.
Does not use PWM to dimm the back light.
Black depth and contrast are much better than IPS or TN.
It doesn't suffer the glow of an IPS screen when viewing pixels off perpendicular or the severe colour shift when viewing TN panels off perpendicular.
Here is a detailed review:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_s2440l.htm

Other than that, if you are currently happy with a TN monitor you can consider TN, IPS, PLS, AHVA, AMVA or various other panel options.
Look for something with a glossy coating and one that does not use PWM for back light dimming.

 

[Tom92602]

Thanks for replying. The Samsung TN that I have now is actually a matte finish.
It is not glossy or even semi-gloss. It is definitely a full-on matte finish that picks
up zero reflections. I've taken several monitors home from BestBuy using their
return policy and when switched off, the monitors appear to have similar ant-glare
coatings as my Samsung. But once I turn them on, my Samsung seems to have
a much lighter AG coating that does not blur the text when you read the text from
left to right and I also don't see sparkles on my Samsung either. Basically all the IPS
and AH-IPS monitors I have seen have these 2 problems. So I definitely want to stay
with a matte finish TN monitor.

 

[VincentP]

Your issue is the coating rather than the panel type.
Whatever monitor you have a look at, check tftcentral for a review. They cover the coating as well as many aspects of image quality.
If you don't want a glossy finish, look for something with a light anti-glare coating.

TN panels can't compete with IPS type panels (IPS, PLS, AHVA, etc.) or with VA type panels like AMVA for color.
The older ones are more expensive simply because the prices have come down, they aren't any better.

The more expensive TN panels are the 120 Hz and 144 Hz models. I would expect these to be a little better because they should have a better quality panel for the extra money. Examples would be the BenQ XL2411T and XL2411Z. These are 24 inch 1920x1080 TN monitors, 144 Hz, flicker-free. The Asus ROG swift PG278Q is very well reviewed but it is expensive. This is a 27 inch 2560x1440 TN monitor, 144 Hz, flicker-free.

Other than that you can try a variety of cheaper TN monitors but I don't think you will find what you are looking for.