24" LCD Round-Up: Acer S242HL, Dell U2412M, And Samsung T24A550

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Another batch of monitors just landed. This time, we're sampling 24" screens. If 27" is too big (and too expensive), and 23" is too small, this round-up is just what you need. We put three screens through the usual paces to find a definitive winner.

Calibrated Performance: Brightness And Contrast Ratio

Calibrating a monitor is akin to benchmarking under controlled settings. It isn't particularly meaningful to compare the out-of-box performance of one monitor to another. If you want to know what a monitor is capable of, you need to normalize settings in the same way you benchmark two graphics cards.

Once calibrated, Dell's UltraSharp U2412M is the only monitor able to maintain decent performance, as the other two monitors in our roundup fall short. More specifically, Acer's S242HL bid is unable to produce deep blacks, resulting in a very poor contrast ratio. Samsung's T24A550 suffers from a different problem. First, we have to settle for a 150 cd/m2 calibration because we're unable to achieve 200 cd/m2. However due to deep black production, the T24A550 is able to at least achieve a 448:1 contrast ratio.

Andrew Ku
93 Comments Comment from the forums
  • austinwillis81
    kinda confused why you would be comparinig an IPS to lcd but idk
    Reply
  • fstrthnu
    I would have liked to see the older U2410 model here too, because that uses the "older" IPS technology and is apparently better enough for Dell to justify a $100 price premium over the U2412.
    Reply
  • kyuuketsuki
    austinwillis81kinda confused why you would be comparinig an IPS to lcd but idkUh, why wouldn't they?

    I currently own an eIPS monitor, and will never go back to TN.
    Reply
  • kyuuketsuki
    fstrthnuI would have liked to see the older U2410 model here too, because that uses the "older" IPS technology and is apparently better enough for Dell to justify a $100 price premium over the U2412.So… you didn't read the article? The whole point of eIPS is it's cheaper than other IPS panels, not that it's better.
    Reply
  • flong
    Dell's U2412 is NOT the replacement for the U2410. Dell is going to continue to produce the U2410.

    Also the U2410 frequently goes on sale. I think it is a mistake to buy the U2412 when the U2410 is definitely superior to the U2412 in every benchmark.

    Right now the most affordable HIPS monitors with the best performance are the Dell U2410 and the HP 2475W. I think that the HP 2475W has the edge slightly over the 2410. Asus also has put out a fairly good 24" HIPS monitor but the U2410 and the 2475W are better monitors per the professional reviews that I have read.

    I own the HP 2475W and it does have beautiful picture. You have to go to NEC at twice the cost to improve on it.
    Reply
  • kyuuketsuki
    God, really need an edit function here…

    Just reread your comment and my response was probably a little off-base. However, the U2412's predecessor should be better in every way (except possibly response time) since eIPS is meant to be more economical by trading off some of the quality of other IPS panels.
    Reply
  • flong
    KyuuketsukiGod, really need an edit function here…Just reread your comment and my response was probably a little off-base. However, the U2412's predecessor should be better in every way (except possibly response time) since eIPS is meant to be more economical by trading off some of the quality of other IPS panels.
    Hello :), I was not referring to you. The article's writer states that the U2412 is the successor of the U2410 when actually it is a more affordable IPS monitor for those with lower budgets. BTW, the article is very good; they just got this one thing wrong.

    There is a huge difference between a picture quality HIPS monitor and a TN monitor. I have not seen an eIPS monitor but they seem to be pretty good also from the reviews that I have read.
    Reply
  • Soul_keeper
    I hate touch buttons !
    Reply
  • Hello! Could you guys review the LG IPS236v? It's also a cheap IPS panel, i don't know if it's the same technology used to make the U2412M. From my researches it dosen't seem to be sold in the US, but it already arrived in other countries (in Brazil it is being sold for about $300).
    PS.: Sorry if there's any mistake with my English. =)
    Reply
  • kevith
    "...since response time and input lag usually decreases with screen size. Why? Monitors with larger screens have higher pixel density, and as the number of pixels per inch (PPI) increases there are more pixels to refresh. Therefore, at 60 Hz, larger panels take longer to complete a complete screen refresh."

    Ehr, what...?
    Reply