Dell U2412M, U2312HM and U2212HM on their way!

I am very happy that U2311HM isnt a disappointment like U2412M.

10 ms lower input lag than U2412M and better uniformity.
 
That input lag is amazing! Wonder what the U2212HM will be like...

I've got it with me now so expect a full review within the next week or so to find out. Also trying to work through the new NEC P241W and HP ZR2240w so got a few interesting new IPS models to test :)
 
I did read somewhere that they're leaving some component out of IPS screens these days, something like a polarizing filter, to reduce costs and it means the viewing angles aren't as good as the IPS screens from 5 years ago.

Certainly the 4 IPS screens I've owned fit that theory - I had a Dell 2007WFP (my Dad uses it now, still going strong) and an LG 32LC2D 32" HDTV (again still working) which both had awesome viewing angles and were bought around 5 years ago, but the Dell U2312HM I just bought and the Panasonic 37" TX-L37S20BA I've bought last year, while cheaper, can't quite match those old screens for viewing angles.

Maybe Baddass and PCM2 would know more about this, it's just something I read on AV Forums.

Trouble with going VA, they don't seem to be quick enough for gaming.

Btw that U2412M backlight doesn't look right to me. Ok mines the smaller model, but there's nothing anywhere near that bad.

Those differences won't all be down to this filter which as PCM2 says is the AT-W polarizer. It's not used on many panels at all and never really was to be honest but it was used in some manufacturers more high end screens. It was "famously" used on the NEC LCD2490WUXi for instance and a few of their other pro range screens. It was added to reduce off centre glow on black and dark images, helping to remove the white glow to a degree. To be honest though I think it's usefulness does get somewhat overexagerated on some sites by fanboys. It isn't that staggering an addition in my opinion. Manufacturers stopped using it though mostly due to cost and difficulty implementing.

This was also around the time of lower cost e-IPS panels so it was another cut back made to keep production costs low. E-IPS behaves differently to older IPS matrices as well due to the larger pixel aperture, and viewing angles can be a little more restrictive in some cases. To most normal users I don't think you'd ever notice the difference unless comparing some screens side by side with different IPS panel generations.
 
U2312HM seems like the one to go for me. I was originally looking for either 2ms or 120Hz TN screen for gaming, but looking at my current screen and how bad the panel uniformity has become and also how irritating it is, IPS seems the way to go. The major bit that has helped swing my decision even more is the low input lag in gaming. Seems like the best monitor for £200 right now. Hopefully will be ordering mine soon.:cool:
 
U2312HM seems like the one to go for me. I was originally looking for either 2ms or 120Hz TN screen for gaming, but looking at my current screen and how bad the panel uniformity has become and also how irritating it is, IPS seems the way to go. The major bit that has helped swing my decision even more is the low input lag in gaming. Seems like the best monitor for £200 right now. Hopefully will be ordering mine soon.:cool:

I'm sure you'll love it. Just to be clear - IPS panel monitors don't have better 'backlight uniformity' in general than TN panel monitors. They have better colour consistency which is largely down to superior viewing angles. Also bear in mind that uniformity can vary between individual units of the same monitor. Case in point - comparing TFT Central's U2312HM to our review sample. If you were actually referring to colour uniformity then fair enough and very valid point. :)
 
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I might finally have some money to buy a new monitor. I have heard some mix results about the 2412m.

I use my PC for watching movies and tvshows (x264 and xvid) and i play quake live i also do some photoshop.

Do you think the 2412m is a good fit or would i be better off getting another make/model?

Is it worth the extra money as the other monitors in the same size class are cheaper?
 
OK so after a couple months with my U2412m I'm not feeling 100% satisfied.

Bottom line is it ain't fast enough for Quakelive.

To be honest I can't fault it in any other way, i've not noticed any backlight bleed and the colours seem very pretty. I really can't critique that side of things though as I'm not a photographer or such. But I would basically say that this is a fantastic monitor except for the input lag.

It's interesting to read that the U2312HM has such lightning fast response. Although to go to 16:9 from 16:10 would be hard I think.

Even so, it seems 120hz is more desirable for fps gaming.

** No trading on the forums outside the Members Market ***:)
 
Just to give an update about my U2412M, and sadly I'm sending it back for a refund.

The blacks being silver in the corners of the screen is an issue I'm not happy to live with. Whether its the screen coating or backlight bleed I'm not 100% sure, but the effect is very distracting in movies and games.

I will likely now buy a 27" 1080p TV to use as a monitor and a TV, with the option of console gaming too in the future.
 
I have my U2312HM now. It is much clearer and sharper than my HP 22" ever was! The only thing, as FoxEye has said about his U2412M, with my U2312HM the blacks seem a bit pap for an IPS screen. I haven't calibrated mine yet, so maybe it will improve. However, coming from a TN panel I was expecting a noticeable improvement with regards to that. Other than that, it has been very good. Input lag is VERY, VERY good for gaming, I have noticed a huuuge difference in mp games already.
 
I have my U2312HM now. It is much clearer and sharper than my HP 22" ever was! The only thing, as FoxEye has said about his U2412M, with my U2312HM the blacks seem a bit pap for an IPS screen. I haven't calibrated mine yet, so maybe it will improve. However, coming from a TN panel I was expecting a noticeable improvement with regards to that. Other than that, it has been very good. Input lag is VERY, VERY good for gaming, I have noticed a huuuge difference in mp games already.

Glad to hear you are mainly happy with it. Have you used IPS monitors in the past? They have always been relatively weak compared to TN panel monitors as far as contrast and black depth is concerned. The newer models are actually much better in this regard, at least in the centre of the screen. Uniformity issues and IPS glow are the main killers of pleasing blacks on such monitors and it isn't something calibration will improve. They are usually set up quite optimally as far as contrast is concerned and adjusting the colour balance simply worsens this. But I am sure you will be able to put these weaknesses past you - you have experienced the many positives as well it seems.
 
Glad to hear you are mainly happy with it. Have you used IPS monitors in the past? They have always been relatively weak compared to TN panel monitors as far as contrast and black depth is concerned. The newer models are actually much better in this regard, at least in the centre of the screen. Uniformity issues and IPS glow are the main killers of pleasing blacks on such monitors and it isn't something calibration will improve. They are usually set up quite optimally as far as contrast is concerned and adjusting the colour balance simply worsens this. But I am sure you will be able to put these weaknesses past you - you have experienced the many positives as well it seems.

Ahh, I had no idea about the blacks and IPS glow with blacks. On the whole, it has more positives than negatives and for a gamer, it is an incredibly GOOD screen. The 8ms response time is as good as any other screen that claims to be less - I actually thought the 8ms on this Dell screen was better than the 5ms in my HP screen. Input lag was like gaming on a CRT, I was totally surprised, especially in counter-strike.:D

I need to tweak the colours, that is the only problem with the screen other than the blacks. The coating takes some getting used to as well, but I guess that is no different from how I got used to the glossy coating of my HP screen.

Videos/movies are smoother - less trailing than my HP screen.

Games/images really do look beautiful on this screen though and it has really good out-of-the-box performance, unlike some screens.
 
Glad to hear you are mainly happy with it. Have you used IPS monitors in the past? They have always been relatively weak compared to TN panel monitors as far as contrast and black depth is concerned. The newer models are actually much better in this regard, at least in the centre of the screen. Uniformity issues and IPS glow are the main killers of pleasing blacks on such monitors and it isn't something calibration will improve. They are usually set up quite optimally as far as contrast is concerned and adjusting the colour balance simply worsens this. But I am sure you will be able to put these weaknesses past you - you have experienced the many positives as well it seems.

My previous monitor was a Philips 20" S-IPS, and there is no noticable "glow" or leakage. It is night and day worlds better than the Dell.

So I don't think it's necessarily entirely IPS' fault, unless e-IPS really is inferior to S-IPS in this way.
 
To me it almost looks like a reflection more than a back light bleed. It looks like the back light is reflecting off the glossy screen. Maybe that is what a back light bleed is. But compared to a TN panel, IPS still has better colour and viewing angles. Not sure how much this black backlight issue would annoy me. If it is a back light problem would that not be the led or other technology rather than ips which is the panel?
 
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My previous monitor was a Philips 20" S-IPS, and there is no noticable "glow" or leakage. It is night and day worlds better than the Dell.

So I don't think it's necessarily entirely IPS' fault, unless e-IPS really is inferior to S-IPS in this way.

It is simply that your 20" model is much smaller and to a much lesser extent that it uses a different backlight. IPS glow is an 'off angle' phenomenon that is readily visible on a relatively large widescreen monitor (even from in front) but not necessarily on a relatively small one. The backlight and panel differences also alter the colour of the glow and may make it less obtrusive. It is also possible that you are comparing the 20 inch at a relatively low luminance but that's neither here nor the the given the other factors. Additionally the measured contrast will be much lower on your 20" monitor, meaning that the central regions of the Dell will appear relatively dark in comparison so there is more 'contrast' between this and the peripheral sections.

To me it almost looks like a reflection more than a back light bleed. It looks like the back light is reflecting off the glossy screen. Maybe that is what a back light bleed is. But compared to a TN panel, IPS still has better colour and viewing angles. Not sure how much this black backlight issue would annoy me. If it is a back light problem would that not be the led or other technology rather than ips which is the panel?

The screen is quite far from glossy so this isn't what you're seeing at all. The dynamic nature of the 'bleed' is actually indicative of IPS glow.
 
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My 2312 is vastly inferior to my ancient NEC 20WGX2. IPS glow doesn't occure on my NEC until a pretty extreme angle where it mildly turns orange, the colours are much more vivid, blacks are deeper and whites are brighter.

It does have a minor edge on input latency and a nice increase in size. The 16:9 ratio is also perfect for console gaming. My main concern is that the IPS glow is far more pronounced in the bottom right corner, which leads me to believe it's a screen defect, although many others have complained about the glow in this location too.
 
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