Dell 2407WFP and 3007WFP LCD Comparison
by Jarred Walton on March 2, 2007 11:30 AM EST- Posted in
- Displays
Features and Specifications
As a brief overview of some of the display features and specifications, we again refer back to our earlier Gateway FPD2485W review. How important the individual specifications are is up for debate, and what matters to one person may not matter at all to someone else. We will cover that aspect of the displays in a moment, but first here are the manufacturer specifications.
Many of the specifications are nearly identical, which isn't too surprising given that both of the displays are made by the same company. The major difference of course is that the 3007WFP is larger; the viewable diagonal is 25% greater which works out to 56% more screen area. The 3007WFP also comes with a higher resolution (2560x1600 compared to 1920x1200), which means it has 77% more pixels. That also means the individual pixel dot pitch is going to be slightly smaller on the 3007WFP, resulting in a generally clearer picture.
The larger size of the 3007WFP doesn't come without drawbacks, unfortunately. First, bigger isn't always better, and there are definitely people out there that feel a 30" LCD is going to be too big sitting on their desk. Perhaps a bigger drawback is that the 3007WFP is extremely limited when it comes to video inputs: you get a single DVI-D connection and that's it! The DVI port is designed for use with dual-link the DVI devices, as dual-link is necessary in order to support the native 2560x1600 resolution. Single-link DVI support is also available, but while single-link DVI is technically capable of supporting a 1920x1200 resolution the 3007WFP only supports a maximum 1280x800 resolution when using single-link DVI.
That brings us to perhaps the biggest flaw of the 3007WFP: HDCP support. While the LCD does include HDCP support, HDCP was unfortunately not created to work with dual-link DVI. If you want to use the 3007WFP to view HDCP protected content, you may find yourself forced to use a single-link DVI connection, which means you would only be able to run the display at one fourth of its native resolution. That's a pretty serious flaw, at least for those users who are interested in HDCP content. Considering the price, anyone interested in a large HTPC setup would probably be better served by a 37" or 42" 1080p HDTV -- not something you would really want sitting on top of a desk, but great for viewing movies.
The 2407WFP also features HDCP support, but the lower native resolution and use of single-link DVI avoid most of the problems associated with its larger sibling. The 24" display also includes far more connection options: DVI, VGA, S-Video, component, and composite inputs are all present. In terms of features, the only difference between the new 2407WFP and the older 2405FPW is the inclusion of HDCP support. Specifications on the 2407WFP are also somewhat improved and the appearance has been changed slightly, but otherwise there's not a huge difference between the old and new 24" Dell LCDs.
One of the good things about Dell's high-end LCDs is that they all come with a standard three-year warranty, including Dell's Advanced Exchange service. If at any point it becomes necessary for Dell to replace your LCD during the warranty period, they will ship out the replacement monitor to you. You can then unpack the new monitor, place your old monitor into the same box, and ship it back to Dell. For a moderate fee you can also extend your warranty to four or five years. The pixel defect policy is also pretty reasonable, as we were informed by a support technician that they will replace an LCD if you have six or more dead pixels or three or more clustered together.
As a brief overview of some of the display features and specifications, we again refer back to our earlier Gateway FPD2485W review. How important the individual specifications are is up for debate, and what matters to one person may not matter at all to someone else. We will cover that aspect of the displays in a moment, but first here are the manufacturer specifications.
| Dell 2407WFP Specifications | |
| Video Inputs | Analog (VGA) Digital (DVI with HDCP support) Component Composite S-Video |
| Panel Type | LCD Active Matrix TFT S-PVA |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.270mm |
| Colors | 16.7 million |
| Brightness | 450 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 |
| Response Time | 16ms TrTf 6ms (GTG) |
| Viewable Size | 24" diagonal |
| Resolution | 1920x1200 |
| Viewing Angle | 178 vertical/horizontal |
| Power Consumption | 57W typical 110W max |
| Power Savings | 2W |
| Power Supply | Built-in |
| Screen Treatment | Antiglare with hard-coating 3H |
| Height-Adjustable | Yes |
| Tilt | Yes |
| Rotation | Yes |
| Auto-Rotation | Yes |
| Swivel | Yes |
| VESA Wall Mounting | 100mmx100mm |
| Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) | 22.04"x15.27"x7.68" (lowered) 22.04"x23.02"x7.68" (raised) |
| Weight w/ Stand | 18.3 lbs |
| Dimensions w/o Base (WxHxD) | 22.04"x14.35"x3.25" |
| Weight w/o Stand | 14.3 lbs |
| Additional Features | (4) USB 2.0 (USB connection to PC required) 9-in-2 flash reader (CF/SD/MS/SM/MMC) |
| Audio | Optional Full-length Speaker Bar (Integrated power connection to main panel) |
| Limited Warranty | 3 year parts/labor warranty standard 4 and 5 year warranty optional Advanced Exchange policy |
| Pixel Defect Policy | 6 or more total stuck pixels 3 or more clustered (one inch circle) |
| Dell 3007WFP Specifications | |
| Video Inputs | DVI-D Dual-Link HDCP Compatible with Single-Link DVI for 1280x800 with HDCP |
| Panel Type | LCD Active Matrix TFT S-IPS |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.250mm |
| Colors | 16.7 million |
| Brightness | 400 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 700:1 |
| Response Time | 14ms TrTf 11ms (GTG) |
| Viewable Size | 30" diagonal |
| Resolution | 2560x1600 |
| Viewing Angle | 178 vertical/horizontal |
| Power Consumption | 147W typical 177W max |
| Power Savings | 3W |
| Power Supply | Built-in |
| Screen Treatment | Antiglare with hard-coating 3H |
| Height-Adjustable | Yes |
| Tilt | Yes |
| Rotation | No |
| Auto-Rotation | N/A |
| Swivel | Yes |
| VESA Wall Mounting | 100mmx100mm |
| Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) | 27.16"x18.49"x7.87" (lowered) 27.16"x22.00"x7.87" (raised) |
| Weight w/ Stand | 35 lbs |
| Dimensions w/o Base (WxHxD) | 27.16"x17.70"x2.93" |
| Weight w/o Stand | 25 lbs |
| Additional Features | (4) USB 2.0 (USB connection to PC required) 9-in-2 flash reader (CF/SD/MS/SM/MMC) |
| Audio | Optional Full-length Speaker Bar (Integrated power connection to main panel) |
| Limited Warranty | 3 year parts/labor warranty standard 4 and 5 year warranty optional Advanced Exchange policy |
| Pixel Defect Policy | 6 or more total stuck pixels 3 or more clustered (one inch circle) |
Many of the specifications are nearly identical, which isn't too surprising given that both of the displays are made by the same company. The major difference of course is that the 3007WFP is larger; the viewable diagonal is 25% greater which works out to 56% more screen area. The 3007WFP also comes with a higher resolution (2560x1600 compared to 1920x1200), which means it has 77% more pixels. That also means the individual pixel dot pitch is going to be slightly smaller on the 3007WFP, resulting in a generally clearer picture.
The larger size of the 3007WFP doesn't come without drawbacks, unfortunately. First, bigger isn't always better, and there are definitely people out there that feel a 30" LCD is going to be too big sitting on their desk. Perhaps a bigger drawback is that the 3007WFP is extremely limited when it comes to video inputs: you get a single DVI-D connection and that's it! The DVI port is designed for use with dual-link the DVI devices, as dual-link is necessary in order to support the native 2560x1600 resolution. Single-link DVI support is also available, but while single-link DVI is technically capable of supporting a 1920x1200 resolution the 3007WFP only supports a maximum 1280x800 resolution when using single-link DVI.
That brings us to perhaps the biggest flaw of the 3007WFP: HDCP support. While the LCD does include HDCP support, HDCP was unfortunately not created to work with dual-link DVI. If you want to use the 3007WFP to view HDCP protected content, you may find yourself forced to use a single-link DVI connection, which means you would only be able to run the display at one fourth of its native resolution. That's a pretty serious flaw, at least for those users who are interested in HDCP content. Considering the price, anyone interested in a large HTPC setup would probably be better served by a 37" or 42" 1080p HDTV -- not something you would really want sitting on top of a desk, but great for viewing movies.
The 2407WFP also features HDCP support, but the lower native resolution and use of single-link DVI avoid most of the problems associated with its larger sibling. The 24" display also includes far more connection options: DVI, VGA, S-Video, component, and composite inputs are all present. In terms of features, the only difference between the new 2407WFP and the older 2405FPW is the inclusion of HDCP support. Specifications on the 2407WFP are also somewhat improved and the appearance has been changed slightly, but otherwise there's not a huge difference between the old and new 24" Dell LCDs.
One of the good things about Dell's high-end LCDs is that they all come with a standard three-year warranty, including Dell's Advanced Exchange service. If at any point it becomes necessary for Dell to replace your LCD during the warranty period, they will ship out the replacement monitor to you. You can then unpack the new monitor, place your old monitor into the same box, and ship it back to Dell. For a moderate fee you can also extend your warranty to four or five years. The pixel defect policy is also pretty reasonable, as we were informed by a support technician that they will replace an LCD if you have six or more dead pixels or three or more clustered together.
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JarredWalton - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
Noticing motion blur is one thing; being bothered by it will vary by individual. You mentioned Titan's Quest... I played that for over 100 hours without ever being bothered by motion blur. Are the item names clearly readable while running around? Not necessarily, but I can make them out well enough, and the names are secondary to the attributes, so I always ended up checking out items in my inventory.As for that video link... if my picture of a picture was a bad representation of what it's like using a display in person - and I feel it is, even with a decent SLR and a tripod - a handheld camcorder floating around recording a display is ten times worse. Are we supposed to be judging the quality of the display output or the quality of the camcorder and its ability to record LCD screen content? Or maybe the ability of the cameraman to give a reasonable representation of the LCD content? Because it seems to me that it's focused *much* more on the latter two than on the LCD itself. You can see the camera adjusting brightness/contrast on the fly depending on how much light its getting.
Basically, I agree that motion blur can bother people. It doesn't bother me... at all. What I see when playing games just blends together into relatively smooth gameplay, and a delay of a few hundredths of a second is short enough that my old and decrepit eyes don't care. That's why I repeatedly recommend people try out a display in person, because what you get via a review online or in a magazine is a poor substitute for hands on experience. As I state on page 5:
"Most of us don't have a problem with the slight image smearing that occurs on these LCDs, and the camera actually makes it look a lot worse than what we experience in person -- we may have simply captured two frames for all we know -- but this is something that will vary by individual. If you know you are bothered by image smearing, try out a display in person to see if it's suitable for your needs."
Zebo - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
I have no idea how you guys can't see the color shifting in those PVA's. Every PVA I have tried has had it 1905, 2405 Gateway 24 & 21 etc Color Shifing so bad, viewing straight on, one eye can actualky see something different than the other eye (because the eyes are at different angles) it gave me a headache.Viewing angles on all PVA's suck thats just a fact that other people don't notice will never change my mind compared to an IPS or CRT it's night and day difference.
Heres a good shot of what I mean
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/9021/dell2007wf...">http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/9021/dell2007wf...
JarredWalton - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
PVA viewing angles are worse than some of the alternatives, but really how often do you *not* view the display head on? I seriously doubt that I'm ever more than 20 degrees away from a direct frontal view, and probable within 10 degrees in most cases. If that's not how you work with your PC, then other panels might be preferable. I've just never had any real concerns with viewing angles on the 24" LCDs I've tried. Laptop LCDs on the other hand... some of those are absolutely terrible, to the point where moving your head 6" can make the display almost illegible. That too is getting better, thankfully.Zebo - Saturday, March 3, 2007 - link
I view them straight on and they eyes see something different in each due to gamma/color shift. Look, even IPS isnt 178 degrees (or 90:P) like they advertise and starts to fade get shifty at around 35-45 degrees off center but PVA is literally about 5-10 - that's enough on a widescreen to be well over 5-10 degrees at the horizontal edges. Vertical color shift is evident raising my head only about 6" from about 20" away which is the difference between sitting up the chair vs. leaning back, a common position shift for a person using thier PC all day. Horizontal color shift is everywhere from 2-3 ft away. Every PVA panel has exhibited this problem and I know I'm sensitive to it as many don't notice but OTOH many do. TN lappy? don't get me started I just spent two miserable weeks in hotel with one.JarredWalton - Saturday, March 3, 2007 - link
My future laptop reviews are going to be running these sort of color tests and such as well. Of the few laptops I've tried so far, only the ASUS G2P was "good" in my opinion. Most others are a case of "I think I can live with it...." The problem is that unlike desktop LCDs, laptop LCDs frequently aren't bright enough. They focus more on conserving battery life, and while that might be good when they're unplugged, I'd just as soon forget about battery life when plugged in if it gives a better quality display result.timmiser - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
The idea of getting 7 more inches for $400 less by going the route of a 37" HDTV 1080p is more appealing to me. That would be big screen gaming and spreadsheet work that would be awesome! I think it would be great if AT did a comparison between those two monitors just because they have such a different approach.I would like to see how the 37" 1920x1080 resolution looks compared to the Dell 3007 native resolution. One complaint I have is that the text gets smaller when the monitor gets bigger due to the extreme resolution for the Dell. The text should stay the same or get a little bigger when going to such a big screen in my opinion.
For an extra $100, I can get a 37" 1080p HDTV with a digital tuner which would be cool to switch to an HDTV broadcast on the fly.
Deusfaux - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
I find it weird the 3007-HC (high color) isn't mentioned, as it's been announced and some people have been able to order it over the phone. It's the 3007 but with a little bit faster response time and better color reproduction (92% of the gamut vs 70-some% on the older 3007).JarredWalton - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
When we can get one for comparison we'll see how it fares; right now Dell still seems to be shipping more of the "old" revision, and in testing we didn't have any complaints about the quality of the colors (once calibrated). We are trying to get other LCDs to compare with the current Dell offerings, though, so stay tuned....ViRGE - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
Is Dell actually committed to keeping the 3007 an IPS panel? After the shenanigans that was the launch of the 2007, I'm afraid they'll jump ship to PVA/MVA as soon as they can, while all the reviews still reference the IPS panel.JarredWalton - Friday, March 2, 2007 - link
There are rumors that the new HC panel revision is going to switch to a different type of panel, but for now they're still IPS as far as we're aware. Hopefully they stay that way, but if they change and quality drops, we'll do our best to cover the situation.