Still Looking for LCD Nirvana

If you're a bit confused by this "review" of the BenQ FP241VW, I apologize. As mentioned, the display was discontinued not long after I received it, but I felt the A-MVA panel was interesting enough that it warranted a technology piece - especially when you consider the current trends away from quality LCD panels. Right now, it appears that A-MVA gets you similar viewing angles to IPS and PVA displays, along with processing lag that competes very favorably with TN and IPS panels. In the case of the FP241VW, color accuracy and color gamut are lower than average, but that a better backlight could address that shortcoming.

When you get right down to it, most people won't notice the difference between IPS, PVA, or MVA unless they use a colorimeter and calibration software. Well, that's not entirely true, as in my experience you will definitely notice the display lag on S-PVA panels. The real question is what causes this lag and whether or not it can be fixed. I have a hunch that the lag has more to do with signal processing used to enhance the image quality rather than the LCD panel itself, in which case upgraded processors and microcode could address the situation. Ironically, earlier S-PVA panels showed less processing lag than the current high-end S-PVA panels that we've tested, so for whatever reason Samsung seems to be going in the wrong direction in regards to eliminating lag. I've discussed this with several manufacturers over the past year, and quite a few seemed totally unaware of this concern. Hopefully that will start to change, and that's part of the reason you're seeing this article.

Going back to a macro overview of the LCD market, it's disconcerting to see the trends that have developed over the past year or two. Four years ago, if you purchased a 24" or larger LCD you were virtually guaranteed a top quality LCD panel. Sure, the Dell 2405FPW originally sold for over $1300, but that price dropped quite rapidly to around $700, and the quality of the 2407WFP improved on the 2405FPW. Notice the trend: lower prices and better quality. That's what we want to see - or at the very least keep prices static while increasing quality or keep quality static while reducing prices. The last two years have unfortunately started a different trend: reduce prices on entry-level displays and ship them with lower quality panels, or increase prices on higher end displays without dramatically improving the overall quality.

Continuing with Dell as an example, the current 2408WFP will sometimes go on sale for under $500, but the normal price is still $600. In other words, Dell's 24" S-PVA LCDs have essentially maintained the same pricing for over two years. On the other hand, Dell also sells a newer S2409W 24" 1080p LCD with a regular price of $280, currently on sale for $200. That's half the price, but as you probably guessed it also includes a TN panel, fewer input options, no flash memory reader, and a far more limited base stand. It's not a bad LCD by any means, but don't expect $200 to get you a display that will rival a good $700 24" LCDs from several years ago. And let's not even get started on the trend towards glossy panels….


At this stage, I'm actually okay with the pricing on LCDs: you get what you pay for. What I'd really like to see going forward is a greater focus on improving quality, features, and performance rather than an apparently single-minded focus on reducing costs and pricing. The BenQ FP241VW is a prime example of the current trends, specifically in the fact that it is discontinued and yet still outperforms many of the new models. Granted, with an original MSRP of over $900 there was no way I'd recommend it - especially not with 30" IPS displays going for only slightly more - but with a price under $500 it would have some clear advantages over both TN and PVA displays. Hopefully BenQ - or someone else - can take the technologies in the FP241VW and make a newer, more affordable display without sacrificing other features. Oh yeah: forget the silly display stand while you're at it and give us height adjustment and rotate functionality at the very least. If they had a different stand, faster OSD, and better backlight (and the monitor were available at a variety of resellers for under $600), the FP241VW could have been Editors' Choice material.

If you want an inexpensive 24" LCD, it's safe to assume that you're not after top image quality. In that case, you can pick up virtually any of the new 24" 1080p displays and be happy with your purchase. Some will struggle with supporting non-native resolutions properly, but you normally don't want to run at anything but native resolution so that's not a huge concern. With prices starting at $250 (or $200 on sale), that's a heck of a lot of monitor for a very low price. Four years ago, I was writing Buyers' Guides and recommending 19" CRTs for about the same price, and there's no way I would choose a CRT today over an inexpensive 22" or larger TN-based LCD. However, we still need more choice, specifically in terms of quality.

We want to see - in no particularly order - high color gamuts, great color accuracy, good viewing angles, base stands that support height/pivot/rotate adjustments, a good selection of inputs (preferably multiple digital inputs), and no processing lag. We would also like to see more displays support higher refresh rates; right now you can get 120 Hz LCDs, but they're all TN panels. So give us all of the above, but keep the price close to (preferrably under) $500, and you'll have my ideal 24" LCD. All of the technologies exist to produce such a display, but the question is whether there's enough demand, and whether they can keep the price reasonable. As basic economics teaches us, demand affects pricing, so if most people are now happy buying inexpensive TN panels it's unlikely that we're going to see any dramatic changes. That being the case, we might just have to wait for OLEDs to come down in price before we see a true revolution in display technologies and quality.

Color Accuracy
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  • JarredWalton - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link

    The glossy vs. matte debate is one of those areas that comes down to personal preference. Me, I really dislike glossies - and I know plenty of others that feel the same. However, I also know people that prefer glossy displays. More power to 'em, but I'm not going to encourage the trend. :-)
  • photoguru - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link

    - Vizio 32" LCD Full HDTV (VO32LFHDTV10A) - $527 at Sam's Club US
    I've swapped out my 20" Apple Cinema Display for this 32" TV and I was completely shocked at the quality of the panel. If you run your image through one of the HDMI inputs text looks crisp and it even can run PIP for watching TV while working.

    I am a creative director and so I spend a lot of time staring at screens working on print, web, and television programs... I would like to have an LED back lit screen but for the money this thing is ridiculous.
  • iwodo - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link

    Are there any major different between panel type in terms of power consumption?

    And i really do hope either TN solve their "in-viewable" vertical viewing angle. ( Sorry "poor" in your article simply would not justify it ) with special coating that has been developed for a long time but there are yet wide spread of use.

    Or E-IPS will give the best performance per dollar. TN is possible the worst invention for Display Monitor history in All times.
  • aceh0 - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link



    The FP241VW launched in early 2007 and had nearly a two year run. Street pricing was under 500$ near the end of the product life cycle.
  • evilspoons - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link

    I found an missing-box demo model at a local computer store for $250, but I passed on it seeing the noticable lag between moving the mouse and seeing the cursor respond. That, and the asinine stand, made me keep looking. I hate my 22" Gateway monitor (it does a terrible job dithering) but I'm not going to spend money on virtually the same thing as a replacement, either (i.e. any other new monitor).

    I tried to buy an IPS 24" HP monitor a few months ago (lp2475w) but the distributor I attempted to order from jacked the price up $200 (from $700 Canadian to nearly $900 - ouch) in the time between me placing the order and it shipping, so I just cancelled.

    Then... I just gave up entirely because I realize I spend 99% of my computer time on my MacBook Pro now and I have to live with its LCD. Ha.
  • erple2 - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link

    Why not just buy directly from hp? They have it for 729 Canadian dollars. Was it really that much cheaper when you got it from the distributor than directly from hp?
  • JarredWalton - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link

    Sorry for the error; I have clarified things now I hope. You're right that it first came out in 2007, but I believe it was announced early 2007 and actually available round about Sept/Oct. Anyway, it is discontinued, unfortunately just around the time the pricing was becoming desirable. You can find them online still at some places, but no major resellers carry them anymore so you'll have to take a bit of a chance if you buy one these days.
  • IlllI - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link

    "The vast majority of LCDs these days are TN panels, and the trend appears to be moving even more in that direction. With a soft economy, many are looking for any way to save money, and even those who really like quality displays may be willing to settle for a less expensive TN panel"

    while TN is indeed cheapest, you can actually get a 22in e-ips lcd for around (or sometimes under) $200. while not as good as the more expensive ips panels, it is (in my opinion) better quality than TN. certainly, you guys know of it? http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid...">http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid...
  • Grooveriding - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link

    It's a real shame the tendency towards TN these days. Most consumers are just not informed as to the much more satisfying experience given by PVA/IPS panels.

    If you can get someone to sit in front of a TN and high quality monitor side by side that is usually enough to settle it, of course for some image quality is not a concern. For the enthusiast hardware user though, it usually is.

    I have an older LG246WP-BN which is a fantastic screen with great quality as well as a Dell 2408. Reading this article has made me think my eyes are bad though, as I prefer the IQ on my LG to the Dell, which according to this review ought to be superior with it's more modern panel tech.
  • The0ne - Thursday, June 18, 2009 - link

    Consumers are mostly going to want something average with a good low price. This isn't going to go away. And on most of their part they don't really care whether it's a TN panel or better because as long as it's "clear" and they like it then they'll buy it.

    I'll use myself as an example. I have 2 Dell 3007wfp-hc, 1 2407wfp, 2 22" viewsonics, 1 Acer 24" with TN, and 1 Acer 22" with TN. My main computer uses the 3007's of course but even when I switch to the other panels I rarely care. That's because the content I'm working with really doesn't require the extra 5-15% gamut, high contrast and so forth.

    Now if I really really care about colors, brightness, details and what have you then sure I'll spend the extra money on better panels and features. But then again why wouldn't I spend it on the medical LCDs :)

    I am pretty sure many of you commenting about wanting/needing a better than TN panel actually don't care whether you do or not on a daily basis. If you do you'll be a stickler like my co-worker who spends time paying attention to ghosting, blurs, etc EVERY time he uses his TV. I'm pretty sure many of you don't do this nor have the time to do this. If you do then....well, no comment. :)

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