A Closer Look at the BenQ FP241VW
Okay, we've talked about LCD panel technologies, and based on some of the discussion you should have a fair idea of what the FP241VW brings to the table. Even though the display is discontinued, you might be able to find one on sale somewhere, and there's a reasonable chance we'll see the same A-MVA panel in displays from other manufacturers. If you happen to know of some A-MVA 24" LCDs that use the AU Optronics panel (any 24" A-MVA display should meet that criterion), please leave a note in the comments section.
| BenQ FP241VW Specifications | |
| Video Inputs | DVI with HDCP support HDMI Analog (VGA) Component S-Video Composite |
| Panel Type | A-MVA (AU Optronics) |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.269mm |
| Colors | 16.7 million (8-bit color) |
| Brightness | 500 cd/m2 advertised |
| Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 advertised |
| Response Time | 6ms GTG |
| Viewable Size | 24" diagonal |
| Resolution | 1920x1200 (WUXGA) |
| Viewing Angle | 178 horizontal/vertical |
| Power Consumption | <95W max stated |
| Power Savings | <2W |
| Screen Treatment | Matte (non-glossy) |
| Height-Adjustable | No |
| Tilt | Yes - 20 degrees back/5 degrees forward |
| Pivot | No |
| Swivel | No |
| VESA Wall Mounting | Yes - but you can't (easily) remove the frame/stand |
| Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) | 27.6" x 18.6" x 5.3" (WxHxD) |
| Weight w/ Stand | 22 lbs. |
| Additional Features | 2 x USB Ports |
| Audio | Headphone/Line out (no built in speakers) |
| Limited Warranty | 3-year limited warranty, M-F 8:30AM-5:30PM PST |
| Accessories | HDMI, DVI, USB, VGA, and power cables |
| Price | Online starting at ~$450 - (Original MSRP ~$850) |
Like the upper-end 24" S-PVA displays, as well as some of the better 24" TN panels, the FP241VW comes with a large selection of input options. VGA, DVI, HDMI are there, along with component, S-Video, and composite connections. You wouldn't want to use S-Video or Composite if you can avoid it, but all of the other inputs are viable choices. We didn't complete our full set of tests for resolution support, so we can't say how well the display works in every situation, but we can say that resolution support is a bit more finicky than some of the better LCDs. The native 1920x1200 resolution always worked well, but other 16:10 aspect ratio resolutions did not function as well. 1440x900 in particular failed to work properly when we forced that mode via the display drivers. HDMI also appears to target 16:9 resolutions, despite the 16:10 AR, so 1680x1050 and many other resolutions didn't work well with HDMI and we would recommend 1920x1080 for the best overall image using that connection.
One item that immediately caught our attention in testing is the OSD (On Screen Display), and unfortunately it wasn't in a good way. The OSD is by far the most sluggish UI we've used on an LCD, often requiring over 1 second to change selections. You shouldn't need to use the OSD all that much after initial setup, but aspect ratio scaling options didn't always work as expected and overall the OSD feels like it needs a major overhaul - or at least a processor upgrade. It does offer plenty of options, as you can see in the above gallery, but option overload isn't the same thing as working well.
Something else that will make this display immediately stand out from other LCDs is the base stand. Instead of a traditional stand, BenQ has a large frame that supports the LCD, connected to the panel on the sides. This might not seem like a big deal at first - and for some users it won't be - but it does create some drawbacks. The frame means that there is no height adjustment, no pivot or rotate functionality, and while the back of the LCD has a VESA wall mount, you can't (easily) remove the stand - so in other words, using the wall mount will look silly at best. It also means the LCD is bulkier than other 24" LCDs. The OSD controls are located on the left support of the base stand, so even if you do manage to remove the stand you will still have to keep that circuit board around - likely dangling by a wire. Frankly, while it's sometimes good to be different, in this case we think it would be far better to stick with the tried-and-true approach of removable base stands that attach to the back of the LCD.
Okay, we've said enough about the FP241VW, especially considering you can't easily find this display for sale anymore. Let's move on to the evaluation of the performance characteristics of this A-MVA panel and see how it stacks up against the competition.
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james jwb - Thursday, June 18, 2009 - link
PS, also want to say that trying to get S-IPS/PVA in notebooks is also a great service to us out there who dream of this day, again, thanks for trying to highlight this issue :)JarredWalton - Thursday, June 18, 2009 - link
Dual-link DVI can do 120Hz at 1920x1200 - it's twice the bandwidth of single-link DVI. Most modern GPUs also support dual-link, but right now to my knowledge only 30" LCDs require it.james jwb - Friday, June 19, 2009 - link
ah that's good to know, and now you've said it, pretty obvious!stubey - Thursday, June 18, 2009 - link
I have the Benq FP241w, the older version of this model (without the lag-reduction technology). It is still widely available for around £350. Well worth it.It has 1:1 pixel-mapping, brilliant viewing angles, colour, adjustable / rotating stand etc.
Another example of older monitor better than the majority of newer more expensive ones.
The HP LP2475w is meant to be brilliant also - although probably more like £450......
marraco - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link
THANKS A LOTfor reviewing the real lag, instead of the "pixel response time".
Is the reason for I keep my CRT monitor instead of upgrading to a LCD. I really would like to update to a LCD, but never found a LCD without "phantoms". Vendors lie, lie, and lie about 5 ms response time, but when you see the images, they are really crappy.
This is somewhat hidden by the blur effect on some games, but I hate the blur effect, and ever disable it.
Most LCD monitors on exhibition shows only static or slow motion images, and I know why: they can't show fast framerates without ghosts.
I cannot buy a monitor until I see it working, but most retail vendors do not show the monitor working with fast moving images, so I absolutely crave for benchmark articles reviewing it.
I even written to nvidia.com forum asking for driver support. Drivers should include a calibration tool for remediation of this lagging ghosts. A possible enhancement would be to display the new framerate substracting a dimmed quantity of the former frame, so ghosts gets somewhat hidden, but got no answer from nvidia. Maybe they have really high quality monitors, and don't understand the need for it, so please, if you are reading this article, go to nvidia/ATI, forums/support, and ask for it.
Thanks a lot. I hope this kind of reviews generalize on internet, so LCD really improve.
marraco - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=99591">http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=99591marraco - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link
here is a link to the nvidia forum where you can ask for this driver feature:marraco - Thursday, June 18, 2009 - link
This is the link for ATI/AMD:http://forums.amd.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=...">http://forums.amd.com/forum/messageview...=347&...
marraco - Tuesday, June 23, 2009 - link
I got an answer from ATI:http://forums.amd.com/game/messageview.cfm?catid=2...">http://forums.amd.com/game/messageview....279&...
It looks like such feature is implemented at least for video.
Hrel - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - link
My biggest concerns with monitors are Viewing angles first, then response times, (I don't care if it's processing or pixel lag or input lag I shouldn't EVER see ANY ghosting or be seeing 1 or 2 frames behind what my computer is processing and outputting), then contrast ratios and brightness and last is color accuracy. I'm completely satisfied with my current 20" Sceptre's color accuracy. It's a HELL of a lot better than my Dell Studio Laptop, that thing is so far off it's "almost" funny; but not really cause it's also kinda pissing me off. I AM NOT satisfied with the viewing angles, I use cardboard to prop up the back of it to angle down so the image isn't mucked up when I watch tv on it; it has tilt, it just doesn't tilt far enough.