Widescreen Gaming Forum

I'm looking to buy three 22" widescreen monitors.

My requirements:
* Native Resolution: 1680 x 1050
* Ok for Triple Head to Go, Digital Edition (TH2GD). That is 5040x1050 @ 57hz OK. Source: Monitors that will not run on 5040x1050 @ 57hz
* Good response and low input lag, for gaming.
* VESA mount compliant.
* Good warranty and service.
* Good image for reading text.
* No significant noise issue.
* Bang for buck unless the more expensive monitor was clearly superior.
* Available in Australia.

I have been concerned that three 22" monitors would be too wide. I explored these concerns in
Usability of Triple Standard V Triple Wide and DTH2G and Direct-to-Card setup. Digital V Analog connections. I had been favouring three widescreen 20" monitors. However, I've abandoned that course as:
* manufacturers have generally stopped putting development effort into those.
* (and so) There are few widescreen 20" monitors available. Especially in my country. When available they tend to be older models.
* I'd be happy with larger text on a 22"
* When working (as opposed to gaming) I intend to use one of, or a comination of, DTH2G's powerdesk, gridmove, Ultramon, or the "gridlines" provided by NVidia, to organise my windows such that on the outer moniters I use only the inner parts of the screen. That way, I don't have to turn my head so much.

I've done my preliminary research using:
* http://www.widescreengamingforum.com (user reviews, the monitor list, and forum posts);
* Digitalversus > Product Survey: 22'' LCD monitors

So note my research is based on a mix of anecdotal evidence and head to head reviews. It is not from first hand experience.

I have a winner that I'll reveal at the end. Find the following groups of monitors:
* Rejected. I rejected a monitor on the basis of at least one significant flaw. I'll mention the flaw.
* Candidates not available in Australia. These models looked at least OK on an initial investigation. Since they are not available at my location I stopped researching. Further research could reveal a siginficant flaw.
* The winner. This is the only model I've found without a signficant flaw.

I'll throw in some of the 20" models I've been researching too.

REJECTED

Acer AL2016WS. Input lag: 53.7ms Digitalversus Average Delay compared with a CRT. No DVI.

Apple 20".
"After using this monitor for a couple of months now, I have to say I'm really annoyed and disappointed with it. "
"In total, I have to say that I preferred the NEC screen"
"In hindsight, I wish I never bought a screen at all. I should have stuck with my old CRT. I would happily live without widescreen, for a solid picture again. " http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/8430

Asus VW223T. "When running at 57hz, it has terrible ghosting that is visible for over 5 seconds on bright colors" http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/9399

BenQ E2200HD. Doesn't meat requirements. 16:9 High Definition with HDMI.

Dell 2005FPW. "oh my word! I took my monitor home, and it has sooo much fricking backlight bleeding!!! It looks absolutely nasty... 2 corners are very bad and one corner is only slightly bleeding. Completely unacceptable Dell!"

Dell 2007WFP. DVI "Banding" problems. http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/6314

Dell UltraSharp 2009W. On personal viewing didn't look sharp when viewing text.

Dell SP2009W. Thick Bezel: "Dells cannot handle more than 80pixels Bezel Management without distortion and shrinkage."

NEC 20WMGX2 (AS-IPS). Silver and slightly rounded bezel. "terrible backlight bleeding ". http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/6615

NEC 20WGX2. "In hindsight, I wish I never bought a screen at all. I should have stuck with my old CRT. I would happily live without widescreen, for a solid picture again." http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/8430

HP L2045W. Inputs: Only VGA

LG L226WTQ-BF. " DO NOT GET THE WTQ! The model has severe ghosting problems." http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/

LG L226WTP-BF. Might there be ghosting problems with this too?

LG W2252TQ. Not vesa mountable. (Perhaps from user reviews on newegg).

Samsung 2233BW. Will not work at 57Mhz.

Samsung 2243BWX ( & 2043BW). "In short, the look is sober and ergonomics are more meant for office use rather than gaming." http://www.digitalversus.com/article-358-3280-36.html

Samsung 205BW. Bad viewing angle. http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/6464

Samsung 226CW. Input Lag: 38ms Digitalversus Average Delay compared with a CRT

Samsung T220R. 5040x1050 @ 57hz OK? No. Samsung T220 (osd warning screen pops up and keeps popping up every few minutes). http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=149242&highlight=t220#149242

Viewsonic VX2025WM.
* "ViewSonic list the response time as 8ms. However, I've found that scrolling some webpages quickly, or sudden movements in games or films results in a somewhat blurred moment as the screen rushes to update."
* there is apparently a treatment applied to the screen to reduce glare. The effect of this, for me at least, is a dirty looking one - especially on paler backgrounds - that I've been informed could be considered a 'screen door effect'.

ViewSonic VX2235WM (VX2035WM Australian Choice Recommended).
* Plus: Colour poor out of the box but correctable with colour profile. http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/9861#comment-180823 http://www.focus-numerique.com/test-42/telecharger-un-profil-calibre-pour-son-ecran-viewsonic-30.html.
* No flaw found. Superceded by VX2262wm. (I don't have any specific reports that later models are superior).

ViewSonic VX2260wm. No flaw found. Superceded by VX2262wm. (I don't have any specific reports that later models are superior)


CANDIDATES NOT AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA

Samsung 2253BW (or 2053BW)
* Pro: Australian Choice Recommended
* Potential Cons, but workaround found:
- "and I get the little message about optimal resolution as well." There is some kind of hack for this.
- "I opted to purchase a monitor stand and tried to remove the sections that click into the lcd itself. Well, I've been tugging, wiggling, and fighting with this small peice of plastic for 3 or 4 days to no avail!" http://www.amazon.com/review/R3UH2BLED0BJO0/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm. Solution: "Apparently, all you have to do is just apply force and pul really hard to pull the small stem portion of the stand out." http://www.amazon.com/review/R25DFC3Q71Y2HN/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
- "dominance of blue in the 2253bw's color handling under the default settings. " Correctable with calibration profile. (for 2253). http://www.focus-numerique.com/test-42/telecharger-un-profil-calibre-pour-son-ecran-samsung-29.html
- "I bought but the 2253 used to hurt my eyes. I had to have the light on in the room otherwise my eyes would water after an hour or so of use." (This is a lone report. Perhaps there is something particular to this person's situation????)

LG L226WU. 5 Stars on http://www.digitalversus.com/article-358-3984-35.html

LG L204WT -> L207WT.
* "I was watching the some videos, both DV quality and HD quality. (hd from here WMV HD showcase ). And I think they look stupendous."
* " I would say thats mutch better looking then a NEC 20WMGX2, i have seen a NEC 20WMGX2 in person and the pic of your L204WT looks better"
* "Blacks are BLACK, virtually no bleed, AMAZING response time, beautiful bright colors and contrast."

LG L227WT
* Input Lag average (includes reponse time): 27ms http://www.digitalversus.com/duels.php?ty=6&ma1=35&mo1=349&p1=3278&ma2=36&mo2=265&p2=2507&ph=12
* LG L227wtg works at 57 Mhz. http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/9399
* "Totally silent, as far as I can tell. No other problems either." http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=50879&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30

VX2265wm
* should be identical to the VX2262 apart from doubling its refresh rate. (A future release)


WINNER.

ViewSonic VX2262wm

Pros

* Stated Specs

- Native Resolution: 1680 x 1050
- Panel Type: TN
- Inputs: Analog/Digital
- Contrast: 1000:1 static (typ), 20,000:1 dynamic
- Viewing Angle (H/V): 170° horizontal, 150° vertical
- Response: 5ms bwb (typ), 2ms gtg (avg)
- Warranty
30 days Zero Dead Pixel policy for all ViewSonic model
It is possible that any replacement display may also have some non-performing sub-pixels.

- VESA mount compliant?
100 X 100mm (May need Wall mounting bracket accessory)

* In the Field

- Input Lag: 16ms Avg. http://www.digitalversus.com/duels.php?ty=6&ma1=41&mo1=410&p1=3803&ma2=47&mo2=329&p2=3104&ph=12

- 5040x1050 @ 57hz OK?
"KNOWN WORKING viewsonic vx2262wm - 1680x1050@57hz". http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=148879&highlight=vx2262wm#148879

- Noise
"at max 100 brightness it is silent but a bit too bright for my eyes. There is some buzzing noise if I drop brightness few steps. And it is silent at 60 brightness which is good for me." http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/9861

- Ergotron Lx Triple Stand OK? Should be
Viewsonic dimensions: 508.7mm(W) x 440.6mm(H) x 202.8mm(D) (with base)
svr confirms the width and depth @ http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/9861#comment-180828
LX Triple stand dimensions Max: 514.3 mm (w), 50.8 mm (D)

* Extras

- "Analog, DVI, and audio cables are included"
- 5 stars on newegg. 10 reviewers.

* Australian Cost and Availability

- Widely Available.
- $295, MSY
- $301, Techbuy

Con

* Colour Faithfullness

From DigitalVersus > ViewSonic VX2262wm We have ....
"its color handling lets this monitor down. Its deltaE score, which measures the difference between the colors sent by the graphics card and those actually shown, is 3.5. "

Note that this refers to the default colours, out of the box.

"What's more frustrating, though, is that we weren't able to manually adjust the settings of the screen using the OSD to get any better colors out of it. "

Note, further, this seems to apply to manual adjustments only. Not adjustments made with a calibration profile.

Go to ...
http://www.digitalversus.com/duels.php?ty=6&ma1=41&mo1=410&p1=3803&ma2=36&mo2=409&p2=3802&ph=1
Select "Colors with factory settings" then "Colors after calibration". The colours after calibration are significantly improved.

svr, a widescreeen forums user, confirms this "Colors could be a bit better but I found a color profile at digitalversus site and its pretty good now"

A colour calibration profile for the VX2262wm is readily and freely available.


CONCLUSION

ViewSonic VX2262wm wins not because it is remarkably good in all respects. It wins because most of the others I looked at had same fatal flaw. Of the few that don't have a fatal flaw this was the only one (widely) available in Australia.

The ViewSonic VX2265wm, "Coming Soon", will have a refresh rate of 120Hz. This might be worth waiting for.

As noted, my list of examined monitors was not exhaustive. Further, the data on which this conclusion is drawn is based on anecdotal and incomplete reports. The reports are not necessarily reliable.

Any criticisms, omissions, or additions most welcome.

In the absence of a proper review: I bought 3 of the ViewSonic VX2262wm. I highly recommend it.

I have had them for about 6 months. Within 1 month I got one stuck bright pixel. I don't notice it normally, only when booting against a black screen. (I didn't want to bother with any warranty options). An insignificant issue for me.

The colours where rich out of the box. I use the VX2262wm with Triple Head 2 Go digital, without problems.

The colours where rich out of the box. I use the VX2262wm with Triple Head 2 Go digital, without problems.

it's funny you say that some reviews specifically list the VX2262wm as having inaccurate colors

http://www.digitalversus.com/article-358-3803-41.html

Unfortunately, it was colour handling that let this monitor down. Its deltaE score, which measures the difference between the colours sent by the graphics card and those actually shown, is 3.5. This is just about average, and, while it's hardly a reason to avoid this screen, it's not a ringing recommendation either. What's more frustrating, though, is that we weren't able to manually adjust the settings of the screen using the OSD to get any better colours out of it.

also of note is a zero dead pixel warranty that you might want to check out, should the stuck pixel get on your nerves...

whismerhill. Yes the colour issue was interesting. Forgive my vague memory on it .... I think downloading the colour profile from http://www.focus-numerique.com resulted in no difference. I speculated that Viewsonic had updated their colour profiles: either as loaded at the factory or with their latest drivers/software (in which case it was not quite "out of the box" that good colours where achieved).

I don't have any objective data for you. To my eyes and a friends the colours look vivid.

Yes viewsonic has a 30 day Zero Dead pixel warranty. That counts very much in favour of viewsonic. Alas, for me I took more than 30 days to get round to mounting the third monitor from having to wrestle with the other parts of the new rig. I probably would not have bothered even if I was in the 30 day period.

Edit: I also have vague memories of stuffing up the colour profiles which was corrected by restoring viewsonic defaults (hard reset and/or software reinstall). In any case everything Viewsonic supplies (In the box or online) seems enough for rich colours, to my inexpert eyes.

whismerhill. Yes the colour issue was interesting. Forgive my vague memory on it .... I think downloading the colour profile from http://www.focus-numerique.com resulted in no difference. I speculated that Viewsonic had updated their colour profiles: either as loaded at the factory or with their latest drivers/software (in which case it was not quite "out of the box" that good colours where achieved).

ha yes that's true I got the same thing with my own hyundai W220D which was updated, so the recommandations from the website wouldn't give me accurate colors ...

seems those changes are more common than I thought, which kinda invalidates any "color" notation unless you get the exact same revision of the screen ...

OMG, talk about a marathon post!

I noticed the Dell 2209WA didn't appear anywhere on your list, and since you only recently came back and said you made your decision, I would guess it would have been a viable option somewhere between the first post and then. It's considered by many to be the best 22" display now, and a bargain being e-IPS at TN prices.

I don't mean to burst your bubble, but I've had a Viewsonic graphics series monitor and I don't even like their CRTs. I would rate them about as low as Gateway displays.

whismerhill, It is reassuring to read you had a similar experience with respect to colours and your monitor.

Fred, You write "I've had a Viewsonic graphics series monitor .... I would rate them about as low as ...". Which model? VG2230wm? The quality of one model from a manufacturer can vary greatly compared to another from the same manufacturer. Quality can get better or worse in later models.

I was very anxious about my purchase. That is, after collating that list where one flaw or another could readily surface in a model. With relief none of the potential flaws (aside from one bright pixel) emerged with the ViewSonic VX2262wm. To my inexpert eyes, and on a subjective basis, there is no tearing or ghosting in games, there is no noise or buzzing, colours are vivid, and the text is clear.

Yes presumably the Dell 2209WA wasn't out when I formed my list. It is good to read that a consensus is forming around a particular 22", the Dell 2209WA. That should aid others in their selection. Although I note on the Dell Australia Site for 22" - 23" monitors this model is not available. So no good for Australians.

Fred, You write "I've had a Viewsonic graphics series monitor .... I would rate them about as low as ...". Which model?

Dell Australia Site for 22" - 23" monitors[/url] this model is not available. So no good for Australians.

The name is Frag, not Fred. :wink:

Sorry, didn't notice you're from Australia, that does indeed kill a lot of choices. It's not unusual though that the 2209WA doesn't show on the Dell Australian site because I think they're flat out of stock everywhere now, even in the US. In fact they got them in the UK and France before we did here. The biggest thing hurting e-IPS right now is not enough supply to fit the demand.

My Viewsonic was a G220fb, and as I said it was one of their graphics series, which is their second to top grade and much better than their value series. The only thing higher is their Pro series.

It always had a problem with building up a green tint when booting up if I did not shut it off every night and recently it died on me after a little over 4 yrs of use, which is not long for a CRT. The colors were also not nearly as vibrant as the Dell trinitron CRT I just replaced it with for free on an E-Cycle program.

Overall it served me fairly well for over 4 yrs, but I don't consider it to be worth the $450 I paid for it, nor are certain design elements of it sound IMO. You can tell the Dell is much more solidly built just by the weight of it and the sound the degaussing relay makes when it kicks on. I suspect what went out on the G220fb was either the degaussing relay or the power switch, the latter of which I could not even access due to a very strange way they mounted the main circuit board in the display.

Conversely an old Sony 20" TV I had was very easy to replace the degaussing relay on 6 yrs after buying it and it's still working today for a neighbor I gave it to, 19 yrs after the manufacture date. Trinitrons are solid, Viewsonic Invar shadow mask CRTs are not.

I've also noticed their LCDs I've seen in stores are lesser in color quality than others I've compared them to, though not necessarily noticeable to some as you indicated. It also depends of course on the intended use.

Unfortunately, from this day forward, Frag shall forever be known as Fred. Failure to adhere to this rule will get you banned without warning.

Carry on.

_________________
Formerly eZ`

Follow me on twitter: @theg00seberry and find me on Steam

Unfortunately, from this day forward, Frag shall forever be known as Fred. Failure to adhere to this rule will get you banned without warning.

Carry on.

:lol: