HP 2311xi IPS Monitor
by Chris Heinonen on August 13, 2012 12:15 AM ESTHP 2311xi - Display Uniformity
Until now, all measurements on the HP 2311xi have been done in the dead center of the screen where we would expect the best performance. The best displays remain uniform across the whole panel and not just the center, so we measure nine spots across the display to see how well it does overall.
Looking at the white level for 200 nits of light output, most of the screen is very uniform given the price. The right side begins to have some drop off, with light output falling off by 15% at the right center location. This isn’t perfect, but it’s still pretty decent as most of the display is very uniform.
Since the uniformity issues with white are typically caused by uneven backlighting we might expect to see something similar with black levels, and we do. They are uniform across the left and center of the display, but then rise again on the right side of the display. This combination is a bit disappointing as lower white levels and higher black levels mean that we will see a lower contrast ratio when we look at that next.
As mentioned, the contrast is very variable across the screen. It ranges from very good on the left side to pretty poor on the right side. The center is right around what we expect from our previous measurements, but the rest of the screen measures from 780:1 on the left to 409:1 in the lower right.
Looking at the color uniformity, here the upper right corner has the largest issue. Since the backlighting is uneven on the right side, that unevenness can lead to a slightly different shade of light being used in that corner, which can lead to the higher dE we see there. Most of the difference is with the grayscale and not colors, which is common. Overall the color errors are very consistent across the display, even if the level of light isn’t as much on the right side, and it performs better than most displays I see pass through my system as far as uniformity is concerned.
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XonicEQ - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
Cheapest I can find is on amazon for $234. Where do I find it for $200?cheinonen - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
Direct from HP.com was the price I used, and the date of that price should be mentioned in the specs. It might have changed by then, but it was from HP on the date I listed.EddieBoy - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
As stated above, Best Buy currently has this monitor for sale for $169.99. Plus free shipping.Leyawiin - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
HP's switch to crappy stands that don't adjust and lack of VESA holes on their lower end monitors is pretty disappointing. My last monitor was an HP w2207h - glossy screen, height adjustable, sturdy. Went shopping this summer for a new monitor and discovered how cheaply they're been making them now.micksh - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link
I don't see it mentioned in the article. It it's 6 bit it isn't good for photo work.mikato - Thursday, August 16, 2012 - link
It says panel type e-IPS so yes. It probably should have been mentioned in the article text though also. How good for photo work is subjective.OBLAMA2009 - Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - link
25" is big enough if its only 1900x 1080. they should have released this at a higher resolution, no one needs thisAdamK47 - Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - link
Chris, did you make sure you were testing with correct backlight brightness this time? ;)MobiusStrip - Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - link
Try making it look tackier next time, HP.Glossy plastic schlock. Embarrassing.
Sub Zero - Wednesday, August 15, 2012 - link
In the old days you had CRT that were 21" (20" viewable) at 2048x1536. To get anything close to that on the PC side for the longest time, I had to go 30" at 2560x1600, which I run at 2048x1536 most of the time.Why can't we have 2560x1600 on a 27" or 24" LCD? 2560x1440 isn't as productive. a 4:3 at 2048x1536 would be nice at 24" even.
But one thing that does concern me as much is the lack of detailed OSD functionality. I would like to be able to set resolution scaling and aspect ratio IN the monitor hardware. I have a 30" LCD and when I try to set it to 1280x720 to create a YouTube training video, for example, it stretches all the way out, regardless of the Nvidia or ATI control panel settings. It does not do that for 1920x1080, but it does for most of the lower resolutions.
Yes, I could get a Dell that has that built in, but I don't like Dell LCD's. I've tried one 30" and 24" of theirs, and both were returned. Both tinted to the blue side, both generated a LOT of heat and they didn't look as good - even after calibration - as a Samsung or Viewsonic in terms of color, contrast, accuracy and vibrancy.
If I could just force a 1:1 aspect ratio and DO NOT SCALE in the hardware, regardless of what LCD I purchase, it would give me a lot more flexibility.
I like that they include DVI connectors in most monitors - I would not want it to be dropped in favor or Display Port. Why not have DVI, HDMI and Display Port? Does it really cost that much more?