24" LCD Roundup

by Jarred Walton on May 1, 2008 8:00 PM EST

LaCie 324 Specifications and Appearance

LaCie 324 Specifications
Video Inputs DVI with HDCP support
2 x HDMI
Analog (VGA)
Panel Type S-PVA (LCA 24B2)
Pixel Pitch 0.270mm
Colors 16.7 million (8-bit)
92% color gamut
Brightness 400 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio 1000:1 Static
Response Time 6ms GTG
Viewable Size 24" diagonal
Resolution 1920x1200
Viewing Angle 178 vertical/horizontal
Power Consumption <140W max stated
88W max, 43W min measured
Power Savings <2W
Screen Treatment Matte (non-glossy)
Height-Adjustable Yes - 2.75 inches
Tilt Yes - 25 degrees back/3 degrees forward
Pivot No
Swivel Yes - 170 degrees left/right
VESA Wall Mounting 100mm x 100mm
Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) 22.28" x 16.45" x 8.97" lowered (WxHxD)
22.28" x 19.21" x 8.97" raised (WxHxD)
Weight w/ Stand 23.81 lbs.
Additional Features (3) USB 2.0 - left
(USB connection to PC required)
10-bit gamma correction
DCDi Faroudja video processing
Audio Audio in, Line out
Limited Warranty 3 year parts and labor with advance replacement
Price MSRP $1060
Online starting at ~$900

LaCie is a company known for catering to the professional imaging market. They also happen to offer a product called LaCie blue eye pro, which consists of both a colorimeter and calibration software. We were quite interested to see how the LaCie 324 stacks up to the competition, as we thought maybe we would finally see an LCD that provided good color accuracy prior calibration. Then we tested the Dell 2408WFP and discovered that there was already a reasonable solution in that area. So what exactly does LaCie bring to the table?

If we ignore the colorimeter and software for a moment -- those can be purchased separately from a LaCie display anyway -- the major difference between consumer LCDs and this professional LCD is the inclusion of 10-bit gamma correction and color lookup tables. If that actually sounds like something you might find useful, there's a good chance you're an imaging professional, in which case LaCie is certainly worth considering. For many users, the added cost is not likely to result in a noticeable improvement in image quality.

LaCie also uses Faroudja DCDi video processing, which can improve video playback. If you connect a Blu-ray player to the 324 using an HDMI cable, the Faroudja chip is supposed to help with noise reduction, de-interlacing, and the elimination of jaggies (depending on the video content). Unfortunately, we didn't have access to the appropriate hardware to test this aspect of the LCD.


As this is an LCD designed for the professional market, it's no surprise that LaCie uses an S-PVA panel rather than a TN panel. Overall performance is similar to the Dell 2408WFP in terms of viewing angles, but unfortunately input lag is also just as bad (around 40ms).

Gallery: LaCie 324 LCD

The LaCie 324 includes two HDMI, one DVI, and one VGA input. It does have height adjustment and it will swivel about 170° to the left or right, but there is no pivot function. The height adjustment is also shorter than most other models, offering only 2.75" of vertical travel. The LaCie panel feels heavier and looks a bit bulkier than the competing offerings. That's not necessarily a bad thing if your primary concern is image quality, as it could be the added space is for something useful. All other things being equal, we would prefer a better stand that offers more vertical travel and a pivot function. At present, imaging professionals may have to choose function over form.

Gateway FHD2400 Evaluation LaCie 324 Evaluation
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  • feraltoad - Friday, May 2, 2008 - link

    Do you think a subsequent Dell Revision will fix this or as you suggest are we seeing possible limitations in that panel technology?

    Currently some users are reporting a "red tint" on the left side of their monitors. Has anyone experienced this?

    Owners of the Dell 2408 I would appreciate some opinions about this monitor, because I want to upgrade to a 24inch LCD (& get rid of a CRT on a second PC), but as I currently have a 21inch LCD (HP f2105) that I am mostly happy with I want to get something thing that will be a definite improvement. As Jarred states the Dell, sans any lemons, looks to be perfect except for the slight input lag, and that's the concensus I've seen among opinions on various sites. I don't think I could even notice but I would like to hear some people with experience with the 2408. I would value Anandtech readers' opinions more than reviews off Dell's site since we are probably more on the same page.
  • Gast - Friday, May 2, 2008 - link

    http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid...">http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid...

    From this should come your dork binding monitor, which looks to be the DoubleSight DS-263N with the chance of a polarizer. I'm sad that the article neglected to even mention this great resource.
  • rcraig - Friday, May 2, 2008 - link

    I, too, am waiting for a review of the DoubleSight DS-263N. I have read a lot about this monitor in another forum and it seems to be the one monitor to rule them all. Great colors for phtotgraphs, low lag for games, IPS for great viewing angles, and 26 inches for only $680! It only lacks the many input features some offer, but it does offer dual DVI, VGA, and 4 USB's.
  • JarredWalton - Friday, May 2, 2008 - link

    I've sent a couple email messages to DoubleSight, so far with no response. Same goes for a variety of other manufacturers. I'd love to go out and buy the LCDs I want to review, but that's not financially practical. :-(
  • XtAzY - Friday, May 2, 2008 - link

    I'm just skimming through the article, but does it mention anything about GHOSTING?
  • JarredWalton - Friday, May 2, 2008 - link

    You're talking about pixel response times. See page 12 and look at the images.
  • musicman1352000 - Friday, May 2, 2008 - link

    I have been waiting - desperately hoping and praying - that anandtech would review the dell 2408. It seems to be a stand out performer to me but I've been really put off buying it by the number of complaints of pink/red "tint", uneven brightness, colourful font halos, and bad input lag posted in forums. Reviews contradict each other and many people are waiting for a revision to solve the perceived problems like input lag (coming from an engineer, I am fully aware this particular problem can't be solved by a revision!). What I'd like to know is whether you noticed any of the problems I mentioned (not including the input lag which you obviously picked up on), and what revision of monitor you received (A00 or A01)? Also, Dell don't seem keen on telling users what versions of HDMI and displayport are used - do you know anything about this?
  • JarredWalton - Friday, May 2, 2008 - link

    I noticed no problems with the quality of the panel on the 2408WFP I received, with is revision A00. However, that doesn't mean some panels don't have problems. If overall quality is that important, LaCie seems to do a better job judging by their reputation (and price).

    I imagine part of the problem users have is that the default brightness on many monitors is way too high, and sometimes color settings need to be turned down as well. You can see that at 80-80-80 RGB with 50 on brightness and contrast, the Dell achieved exceptional color accuracy even without calibration. Is this just a cherry-picked sample? I certainly hope not!

    I have no idea what version of DisplayPort the 2408 uses - and lacking any video cards with the feature I couldn't even test it right now. For HDMI, I would assume it's not 1.3, but I could be wrong. Probably v1.1 or maybe 1.2 - is there any easy way to tell? If someone can point me to a utility that will report the HDMI version, I'll be happy to test.
  • musicman1352000 - Friday, May 2, 2008 - link

    Mmm okay - thank you for replying.
    One of the worst things about living in New Zealand is the increased cost of buying computer parts, and the reduced ranges available (see http://www.pricespy.co.nz/cat_5.html#g147)">http://www.pricespy.co.nz/cat_5.html#g147). The Dell costs $1199.00 NZD here (and the Lacie is unavailable). That's approximately $930 when translated to USD. As I understand it the cost is ~$700 in the US?
    With regards to the HDMI/displayport versions: unfortunately I don't know of any way in which you could test the display to find out. Tektronix offers software for 1.3b compliance testing (trial: http://www2.tek.com/cmswpt/swdetails.lotr?ct=SW&am...">http://www2.tek.com/cmswpt/swdetails.lo...CDSA7160...
    but I think this is more engineering oriented. Maybe someone else has a suggestion?
    Thanks once again for your opinions :)
  • feelingshorter - Friday, May 2, 2008 - link

    I hope anandtech reviews some of the cheaper monitors in the future also. The cheapest monitors reviewed, being the gateway/samsung at 450 is a steep price for some of us.

    Just to name the cheaper ones on newegg, SCEPTRE X24WG is at 300 (AR) and seems to be the poor man's 24, or the KDS K-24MDWB at 350 is also at a reasonable price. Plus wouldn't comparing the low end be a good idea to see if you can justify paying for a $1000 lacie (or 500+) gets you more?

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