Dell 2007WFP question.

FranchiseJuan · 15 Jan 2007 at 11:23

Sorry for the noob question (I feel so stupid asking this), but I am looking at getting a 20 inch screen in the next week or so, and looking at the Dell 2007WFP, I see that it has composite imputs. Does this mean that I can plug something like a DVD player, or a PS2 into it without needing a TV tuner? If not then I will probably just get the cheaper version.

Thanks.

fish99 · 15 Jan 2007 at 11:30

It does yes, but the picture isn't great through the composite and s-video inputs for some reason. It's watchable I suppose, but don't expect it to look as good as on a regular TV, even an old CRT TV.

The cheaper Dell has a TN+Film panel btw with the associated poor viewing angles. If you don't mind the limited viewing angles, you may just as well get one of the £200 TN+Film 20" screens.

FranchiseJuan · 15 Jan 2007 at 11:41

Do you know if the image quality will be better though a TV tuner? Cause the difference in price is more then enough for a internal Digital TV tuner.

I need an 8 bit monitor (for colour acuracy in phototgraphy), so the Dell E207WFP seems like a good option for that price.

fish99 · 15 Jan 2007 at 12:22

I'm sure a TV tuner card would give you a better picture yes. I seem to remember a post by mrk (IIRC) where he said he'd switched from a Freeview box using s-video, to an internal Freeview card and was getting a better picture. Whether the freeview card/digital tuner could accept a signal from a PS2 or DVD player I don't know.

Most TN+Film panels are 6 bit per colour. There are a few newer TN panels that are supposedly 8 bit, but I dunno if the Dell E207WFP is one of them. Baddass might know. TBH the colour reproduction on 6 bit TN panels isn't bad at all. It would take a trained eye to spot any difference from an 8 bit panel.

FranchiseJuan · 15 Jan 2007 at 12:54

Both the current Dell 20 inch monitors say they are 16.7 million colours so they both should be 8 bit. It has been a few years since I used a non 8 bit monitor, and I don't want to risk it. And the first thing I will be doing when I get the monitor is to calibrate it with my Spyder for acuracy. I think below 20 inch almost all the cheaper monitors are 6 bit.

I think I might go the TV tuner route regardless, as I don't have a TV, and sometimes watching TV can be fun.

JonB · 15 Jan 2007 at 13:02

Yeah, you can plug console's into the internal TV tuner (that mrk had, I bought it off him). It wasn't the best quality though.....

Best bet for consoles is the x2vga

fish99 · 15 Jan 2007 at 13:12

Manufacturers do sorta cheat with the specs on TN+Film screens. They can say '16.7 million colour' is supported even on a 6 bit screen simply because you can set your PC to 16.7 M colour, even though the screen is only displaying 16.2 M (6 bit + dithering). If you tried to sue them over it I'm sure their defence would be that all they were saying is that the screen supports 16.7 M modes. 6 bit per colour screens have been regularly sold as 16.7 M colour for years.

Like I said there's only a few new Samsung TN+Film panels IIRC that are 8 bit (that doesn't mean they are only in Samung screens btw since they make panels for lots of companies including Dell).

FranchiseJuan · 15 Jan 2007 at 13:19

So how do I tell TN screens apart from other kinds of screens? Does it say somewhere in the specs?

fish99 · 15 Jan 2007 at 13:31

Best way is from the viewing angles. TN will be around 160 degrees, PVA/MVA/IPS will be around 178 degrees. The full specs are on the Dell site.

FranchiseJuan · 15 Jan 2007 at 13:37

fish99 said:
Best way is from the viewing angles. TN will be around 160 degrees, PVA/MVA/IPS will be around 178 degrees. The full specs are on the Dell site.

Thanks.

I am now thinking that I should just get the cheaper on and put the savings towards a HP B9180 in a couple of months.

fish99 · 15 Jan 2007 at 13:56

TBH it's not the colour reproduction that's the problem with TN panels, it's the viewing angles. The vertical viewing angles mean if you set the whole screen to one colour, it will appear a significantly different shade at the top and bottom of the screen. Also you see the colours shift as you move your head up and down just a few inches.

Hard to argue against an £80 saving though (price difference between E207WFP and 2007WFP in the sale - see link below), espeically if it's just a temporary screen, and a lot of people buy TN panels are are happy with them.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17678696

FranchiseJuan · 15 Jan 2007 at 14:11

fish99 said:
TBH it's not the colour reproduction that's the problem with TN panels, it's the viewing angles. The vertical viewing angles mean if you set the whole screen to one colour, it will appear a significantly different shade at the top and bottom of the screen. Also you see the colours shift as you move your head up and down just a few inches.

Hard to argue against an £80 saving though (price difference between E207WFP and 2007WFP in the sale - see link below), espeically if it's just a temporary screen, and a lot of people buy TN panels are are happy with them.

I think you miss understand. The HP B9180 is a A3+ printer. This monitor will probably last me a year or two. After what you said about the colour shift, I am back to the 2007WFP again. But I also need to get a new camera body in the next two months....

fish99 · 15 Jan 2007 at 17:41

Ah, I just assumed it was a monitor

HP do make a few monitors

The 2007WFP isn't the final word in colour accuracy btw, I've read that the Viewsonic VX2025wm (MVA panel) has better colour accuracy and a deeper black (confirmed by higher contrast ratio) than the Dell. I went for the Dell because it has aspect ratio controls, height adjustable stand with landscape/portrait pivot, and the extra inputs (which turned out to be pretty useless unfortunately). The black depth is a little weak though.