Just Ordered my 3x Widescreens - VW198T

[skipclarke]

Just placed my order for three Asus VW198Ts. I had to order them from Canada, as I couldn't find anyone in the US selling them.

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php/Asus_VW198T



Panel Technology: TN
Screen size (diag.): 19"
Native Resolution: 1680x1050
Aspect Ratio: 16:10
Response Time (g-g): 5ms
Display Colors (max.): 16.7 m
Brightness (typical): 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio (typical): Unknown - 3000:1 Dynamic Contrast
Pixel Pitch: 0.243 mm
Display Connections: DVI, VGA

https://www.shopsharksystems.com/browse/currency-CAD/product/80-monitors_and_displays/82-lcd_monitors/VW198T

http://www.asus.com/products.aspxl1=10&l2=87&l3=581&l4=0&model=1883&modelmenu=1

I think I'm going to get an HD cable box, HD-DVD player (I know Blu-Ray won, but I already have HD-DVDs) and a new Xbox360 to run over the VGA inputs.

[DaFox]

Might as well pick up a used 360 HD-DVD player, People must be unloading them for cheap.

[skipclarke]

I can get a stand alone HD-A3 for $50 on eBay. I had the HD-DVD add-on. It had problems reading some discs, and took a while to load. Also, I'd rather not add hours to the 360 if I'm not playing a game.

[Magic Man]

They look nice, and 1680x1050 in a 19" panel...

[GeneralAdmission]

Congrats. And me jealous.

Looking forward to a pic of your new desk setup once they arrive.

[Tallon29]

I'm using 3 Dell 17" E178WFPs and they have been great at 1280x800. I can't wait to get my issues worked out so I can try them at 1440x900.

[[email protected]]

What was the reason for going with a panel of that size and not a larger one, you gen get a similar or better specked set for like $50-100 more.

[Mach1.9pants]

Despite the desktop quality and the large bezels I am going to buy a couple of the cheap Dell 24" 09 models (not ultra sharp) for the outer monitors and keep my 08 ultra sharp in the centre. It means keeping the higher res for single screen gaming and it is about the same price as replacing all 3 19" with 22 inch monitors.....and hopefully one day 3x1920x1200 will be up!

But good on you for getting your WSTH2Go up and running, w00t:)

[skipclarke]

What was the reason for going with a panel of that size and not a larger one, you gen get a similar or better specked set for like $50-100 more.

I am very much space constrained.





I need to hang the three monitors on the bar, and make sure they don't hit the wall on the left or go in front of the 30" on the right. I was really looking at the gateway HD2200, but they were way too big. I was trying to get a 20" and was looking at the Samsung T200HD, but you can't wall mount it. I could possibly squeeze in 3x20", but it would be a close call. I really didn't want to order three monitors and go through the trouble of sending them back.

Current setup:


Mock-up of 3xWS


The 19" are 17.5" wide. The 20" would be 19" wide. That is 3" more on each monitor, adding about 4.5 inches to each side of the poster board.

Also I was hesitant on the 22" dot pitch. The tight dot pitch on the 19" has be excited. So, if I need to drop to 3x1440x900, it should look really smooth. It's actually harder to find 20" panels. Most places are selling 22" models.

At the end of the day I opted to get 19" as I knew they would fit (measured it out and have good clearance, for a margin of error). It won't move my bezels out as much as I'd like, but I will now get 1680x1050 on the middle monitor for Guild Wars.

[Mesh]

By the looks of it you have at least twice as much room for your tech gear as I do, and a 42" monitor is part of mine, consider yourself lucky :).

[MobsterOO7]

Ibrin would 3 22" or 24" monitors be able to theoretically fit on your Ergotron stand?

[Magic Man]

I could probably manage 3 x 22" (with a little modification to the base they're on)



...but am just concerned about the FPS hit I'd take going to the higher resolution. Will probably wait until my next upgrade (Nehalem, 280 etc.) before deciding what to do with the layout - use the 2407 for most games anyway so the single monitor resolution doesn't matter to me.

[MobsterOO7]

Can you elaborate on what you mean by modification? Now that these new resolutions are supported my next monitor upgrade will probably be 3x22" widescreens and I would like to know how likely they are to fit on that stand.

[skipclarke]

Can you elaborate on what you mean by modification? Now that these new resolutions are supported my next monitor upgrade will probably be 3x22" widescreens and I would like to know how likely they are to fit on that stand.

I believe that the 22" would fit on the stand. With my mod, the weight and size may be an issue. I would look at the Triple Lift, as it seems to have a better base for big monitors.

[Magic Man]

Sorry for any confusion caused.

By modification I mean to the platform my current 19" are on. I don't use a triple arm stand, each of mine is supported at the back on independent desk pole mounts that are mounted to a cross beam underneath, they actually sit flat on a shelf panel, which is not wide enough for anything bigger - hence my modification, i.e. a wider shelf... :D

[skipclarke]

Got the first one in yesterday. Got #2 & #3 in today. Got them all hooked up....

And the DVI ports don't work on two of them. Everything detects fine on the Matrox, and I get one good screen. Open up GXM and it shows one digital connection and two analog. The screens are blank at post as well. Moved the cable between the three connections on the TH2Go, and it powers up the one screen with each image. Tried multiple cable, still no joy. Tried my work laptop, and it only works on #1. VGA works on all three, but that does me no good.

Submitted my RMA request to Shark Systems. Will be a while before I'm good to go. Hope this isn't indicative of the overall product quality.

[skipclarke]

Okay, so we can safely say I'm seriously non-plussed. The warranty process with ASUS is for me to mail it in (AT MY EXPENSE), and wait 10 days for them to repair. So, I've just spent $800 on monitors, and on the first day I have to spend more money to get them fixed.

ASUS does not have a DOA policy, and they don't offer any sort of "advanced exchange." My reseller doesn't offer any sort of return, and they won't swap it out for me. In fact, the model has been discontinued.

So, I had 2 out of three fail, and it's now discontinued. Sounds like ASUS knows it's a bad product. And, now that I've got them installed, I realize I could do 20" panels from Dell or HP (or similar). So, I could have bought directly from the manufacturer here in the states, and avoided all of this.

[Paddy the Wak]

That sucks bud ...
Maybe you should contact ASUS ... in your "Forum Owner" hat explaining how dissatisfied you are and that the 13521 registered users on the WSGF will be told/warned of their bad policy and your experience in the sites front page news !

http://usa.asus.com/aboutasus.aspx?show=3

You have never even used the damned things !

[skipclarke]

I did call ASUS about the RMA. I am going to call them again tomorrow and ask for replacements, and possibly a refund (got this nagging feeling of having crap EOL product). If I don't get resolution as a normal person, I will pull out the forum owner. After that, it will be the Executive Email Carpet Bomb:

http://consumerist.com/consumer/complaint-letters/how-to-launch-an-executive-email-carpet-bomb-259713.php

On thing that this has brought to light, is that we talk about products and tech specs. And our monitor pages list the length of warranty, but they don't talk about type. I am planning to compile a matrix of the warranty details for each manufacturer, their dead pixel policy, and their support site. Will look to do the same for the mailer re/e-tailers as well.

[MobsterOO7]

There was a monitor spec site that listed the details of company warranties that I visited when searching for my triplehead monitors. Buggerall if I can't remember what it was called though.