Dell 2209wa Monitor - Impressive!

[Volvohead]

So my trusty Mitsu Diamondtron finally started its death rattle last week. This is a high resolution CRT that was among the best of its breed and compares very favorably to top flat panels in color and contrast fidelity. Of course, CRTs are basically dead at this point. I didn't want used or refurbed, or to buy a pro-grade CRT at $1200+. So, I'm shopping for a flat panel - with a cringe.

I was concerned that the replacement would not measure up. After staring at the Mitsu, I was spoiled. Most new monitors are fast TN panels that look terrible in comparison. Enter the Dell 2209WA. Well under $300 with coupons, a 22" widescreen eIPS panel made by LG, free shipping and a 3yr warranty. I don't normally buy Dell stuff, but at the price it was worth the gamble. Two days later, it's here.

All I can say is this is a very attractive image. Outstanding color rendition with very nuanced greyscale. Only required minor calibration adjustments. A huge improvement over anything TN. Not quite the measure of the best CRTs in black levels, or some $800-$1k NECs, but close enough. On DVI, it is plenty detailed, but not etched. Natural. And about 30 lbs lighter, 25 inches less deep, and 50 watts more thrifty than the Diamondtron. At the price, it's a steal. I can live with it.

For anyone looking at a monitor in the $250-300 range, this should be on the short list.

 

[Familyguy]

Yeah, it's simply amazing what you can get for $200-300 these days. There are a number of 1920x1080 screens out there in the 22"-24" form factor that are pretty good these days.

 

[youdontwannaknow]

Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Only required minor calibration adjustments.


did you mean you used any particular calibration software or hardware ? or just manual adjustments till it 'looked right' ?

LCDs are notorious at having their color and gamma completely out of whack - they ship them too hot. and viewing angle differences makes matters worse and calibration of such screens a pain in the you know what.

 

[Volvohead]

I used software tools, including some old Matrox-era stuff. Not as precise as a hardware kit, but I'm not using it for pro graphics work. It turned out the approx. settings that many others arrived at for this monitor also worked well for me: Brightness down to 0, Contrast to 74, and Sharpness at 40. Color was good and needed no meaningful adjustments.

eIPS is close to sIPS in many respects, including a huge effective viewing angle. Head and shoulders better than TN and many PVA types in any event. Like sIPS, this panel is prone to a slightish "glow" in the blacks. PVAs do a better job with blacks, but IPS does everything else better. It's also relatively fast and should handle anything short of fast gaming.

But this one was factory set "hot" to be sure, as are most mainstream monitors. The uninitiated are a little surprised how "dim" a properly calibrated monitor runs . . . until they spend some time with it on a complex photo with shadows galore.

 

[youdontwannaknow]

mind if I ask what software tools ? I have been fooling around with QuickGamma for a while and have used a couple of websites (http://epaperpress.com/monitorcal/ , http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/ ). Results are good, certainly lot better than out-of-the-box.

 

[Volvohead]

I use the lagom.nl tool you mention, as well as a very old Matrox version of Colorific. Not a Spyder setup, but a world better rendering over the factory presets.

There are some customized ICC profiles available for this monitor, as it has developed a following among photo and graphics enthusiasts on a budget.

That such conversation surrounds a flat panel monitor that has sold for as little as $210 is rather remarkable.

 

[Familyguy]

Lagom! LOL

That's a great name for a software product. hahahaha

 

[Volvohead]

It works. It's free. I don't care what it's called.
Image calibration soft tools aren't particularly sophisticated.

 

[Familyguy]

Lagom är bäst