Need some help buying a new LCD PLS!

Comments

• shwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian

  January 2008 edited January 2008

  i have this one, and it's .
  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824255001
  
  there are only two problems with it - it doesn't go in to sleep mode when hooked up with hdmi, and it needs a dvi->hdmi adapter/cable to connect to a pc, because there's no dvi input.
  
  but it has all the nice inputs and such.

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• NiGHTS San Diego Icrontian

  January 2008 edited January 2008

  I know you hang out on [H] a lot so you're aware of all the panel types and the snobbery that goes on with them. I just recently was shopping for a monitor myself, and narrowed it down to either the 226BW (Now a 226CW is a safer buy with the panel lottery you're talking about, but it's still a crapshoot) and the HP 2207. Those are basically the cream of the crop, as far as internet gaming reviews are concerned. LG is highly regarded, too, though.
  
  I went with the HP, simply because I liked the glossy coating on my laptop screen and what it did for colors. IMO, glossy colors don't even compare to matte LCD's colors. Obviously, there are drawbacks to a glossy coating, but I've never noticed or found it to be extremely problematic to the point of unusablilty. I don't game outside in direct sunlight, and even if I did you still can't see a matte screen anyway.
  
  Anyway, the HP is feature rich, swivel rotation is nice when browsing. Though, I won't lie, the TN panel when rotated is such that it does make the left side of the screen darker than the right. Optimal viewing is slightly to the right of the 90 degree rotation's center point. It's built like a tank, much heavier than the 226BW that I'd looked at. The USB plugs are handy, too, for any kinda peripherals you might be running at the time. Onboard speakers, which are nothing to write home about, as to be expected.
  
  The 2207H has the HDMI input you're looking for, otherwise the straight 2207 has DVI and VGA plugs, as per usual. There is a panel lottery with this model, though, too. You can't really escape it, unfortunately. Backlight bleed is evident on mine, but the glossy coating greatly compensates for it, IMO. I don't look at all black screens on a daily basis, and the darkest game I've played on it was Gears of War. It's absolutely beautiful - the colors really blow me away, and I'm not sitting there wishing I'd spent the extra $500 on an IPS panel...I really can't see any bleed when playing that game.
  
  Though, your situation is a bit different. You did come from a Dell IPS panel, so you might actually be able to tell the difference between that and a "gaming" TN panel. Honestly, though, if you were that picky about it, you would never have sold the Dell to begin with.
  
  In short, my recommendation goes for the HP. I'm writing a review article on it, though I can't say when it'll get finished...other than "soon".
  
  
  Edit: I'd buy from a brick and mortar over newegg because the return policies are usually easier on your wallet. In some cases no restocking fee, even. Circuit city is where I picked mine up, but if you've got a buddy at Best Buy that could get you a discount I'd be all over that like CB is to the medic class in TF2.

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• MAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian

  January 2008 edited January 2008

  I loved my dell and would never have sold it if it wouldn't have gotten scratched. even if it was practically invisible after i polished it off. I'm just incredibly anal when it comes to **** like that.

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• Leonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian

  January 2008 edited January 2008

  That "snobbery" concerning panel types does have some validity. I just recently went through the nutroll of researching monitors day and out and comparing different models in-store. I ended up with the 24" Samsung 245BW. It's outstanding. It does have a TN panel, but I knew that before I bought it and I observed it at a store - Costco in this case. Almost any angle not direct on really starts to incur dark blotches or highly corrupted colors. I don't use it for TVs or movies, so the TN panel is just fine with me.
  
  For monitors, look at BestBuy for comparisons and variety, then buy it at Costco or Sam's. Costco, for the monitors that they have, beats Newegg by a wide margin. Newegg has a "blowout" for a couple days on the Samsung 245BW, and it's still way more than I got mine for from Costco.
  
  Just to reiterate, the TN panel is not a problem if you will be looking at it directly, level, and with not much of an angle. If you intend to have two or three people gaming around it, or have it in a common room for movies, then you should avoid the TN panels.
  
  Apart from that (245BW): vibrant colors, excellent gray scale, excellent color gamut, sharp text, contrast just the way it should be. I am very pleased.
  
  I've seen both the HP 22 and 24" models with the glossy screens. You are right - beautiful colors.

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• Madball Fort Benton, MT

  January 2008 edited January 2008

  I can't really recomend a good monitor because I don't love the one I have, but I can recomend a place to get your monitor mount.
  
  I build a lot of office furniture and entertainment centers for customers. And I always get my mounts from Lee Valley Hardware.
  
  They have the best prices I've found for good quality mounting hardware.

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• bothered Manchester UK

  January 2008 edited January 2008

  I got that same LG monitor last week and am very happy with it. No complaints at all.

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