Hazro series - HZ30Wi, HZ30WiQ, HZ27WA, HZ27WB & HZ27WC

[hazro]

Hazro,

I don't mean to be rude but you seem to be ignoring the customers that have problems with:

1. 5 series cards

2. RMA's and dust on glass panels that you have just confirmed IS a fault!

I am gussing that these issues will continue to be ignored and if thats the case kiss my custom good bye for future products

The issue with 5 Series cards is something we're still waiting on. We don't see this as a fault with our monitors but an issue with 5XXX series cards. Our monitors work fine with other graphics cards and other monitors work fine with 5XXX series cards - yet consumers still ping the blame on Hazro. Its only until AMD do something about this that we can offer an update but so far, we have no further info.

We have never accepted dust to be an issue and it was only until it was reported as a 'problem' that we introduced non-glass versions. Like reflections or glare from the glass, dust accumulation is inevitable and we consider it a 'feature' of the 27" HZ27WC. Many customers prefer the glass (despite reflections/dust) but we've found its simply easier to offer non-glass only as it means having a single assembly line for all forthcoming models.

 

[hazro]

hazro can you answer a question of mine if you get chance? have you had any feedback of your monitors buzzing or squeeling at all? Just wondered if it was transistor/capacitor related

Some LED inverters will make a squealing sound especially at max power/highest brightness/white background. Its difficult to quantify and measure but the sound should not be higher than 22dB. If it is, its not necessarily a fault but we can look into it under RMA.

 

[hazro]

The reason we addressed this issue in the forums was to make consumers aware that dust accumulation is not a quality control issue i.e. its not something that occurs due to e.g. complacency during assembly. When the glass sheet is set away from the panel as it is (around 5~8mm gap), charged dust and cloth lint can enter the void. This can either be during assembly or post assembly through vents etc. There have been other manufacturers that faced the same issue and although it can be minimized, it can never be avoided. This is a drawback of having a glass front in the first place and is no different to e.g. glare, reflections etc. which some would argue affect image quality more than specks of dust. What affects the image quality most on LED panels is panel degradation which after 3 months, can vary by as much as 20% from factory output. However, this latter example is accepted by consumers to be a 'characteristic' and 'feature' of the monitor despite it affecting color output more than any other MURA defect (more so than dust, dead pixels etc.). Despite the drawbacks of having glass, the end-to-end look is preferred by some which is why its a popular choice. This model is often compared to a £900 alternative which has a different build altogether which we feel is an unfair comparison. The HZ27WC was launched to compete with 24" IPS monitors and we still feel, even today, that at the price, its a lot of monitor for the money. Our sales in the UK and satisfied customers (whether they are forum members or not) are the only reason OCUK continue to stock this model. The non-glass was launched at OCUK's request to offer a choice - not as a replacement. This choice still exists for a few weeks or so whilst we make changes to our assembly lines.

 

[hazro]

MiniDp to Dual Link adapters are buggy and we feel for our competitors as we're also struggling to resolve the usual issues reported with these. Its not a quality issue: more a standards problem which is why we will only guarantee ours will work with Hazro monitors.

 

[hazro]

other monitors using the same panel don't seem to be giving this issue (eg. Dell?) so quite clearly it is fixable without an AMD update regardless of whose fault it is

Dell don't use the same panel.
ATI 6XXX and 7XXX series cards are fine and AMD have admitted to an issue with their 5XXX series cards. Hazro are not the only manufacturer having this issue (please search online).

 

[hazro]

Built in speakers cost very little - HDCP annual + per model + per unit licensing costs significantly more. The enclosure has space for built-in speakers and so to not include them would look 'weird'. Modifying the plastic mold at this stage would require a massive 're-'investment which, on a product that has only a 12 months shelf-life, wouldn't be justified. Besides, the 5W speakers are a significant improvement on the usual 2W found on other monitors. Nobody serious about audio quality would ever use them but they're there - if nothing else, as backups. The built-in amp only outputs 7W so its probably best to use the M/B outputs or purchase a separate audio card altogether.

 

[hazro]

Delivered

 

[hazro]

- whats the difference between 8 bit and 10 bit? and the color gamut?
- Is the 8 bit better for gaming?

This was never really intended as a consumer monitor. The product evolved with demand from the print industry for a 16:10 wide gamut monitor with a large viewing area. Both the HZ30Wie and HZ30Wif are wide gamut displays and there really isn't much in it. Our discerning business customers (mainly those printing in CMYK) and for those who consider ROI, Cost of ownership etc. as a purchasing factor, we'd recommend whichever is cheaper on the day. For everybody else, we'd say go for 10bit because....10>8 (and (unfortunately) thats how peripherals are often marketed in the consumer domain). In our experience, very few organizations work in a 10bit workflow and bizarrely, a few that do, end up printing proofs/finished work in sRGB. If 10bit is really important and you have a DP>Dual-Link DVI adapter, we'd recommend the HZ30WiE.

 

[hazro]

Is the 8 bit better for gaming?

Technically, neither has any advantage over the other for gaming. Both are 'by-pass' models meaning scalers are not used for image reproduction. Calibrating 10bit maybe trickier especially when getting it to conform to lower gamut color spaces. AdobeRGB on ultra wide gamut panels such as the HZ30WiE may produce better results but we doubt it will be noticeably different on the 8bit HZ30WiF.

 

[hazro]

There won't be any new 27" 1440P Hazro monitors soon, except for a revised version of the Hazro HZ27WB, which isn't glossy.

True - panel shortages, lack of demand, QC issues, TV/Monitor convergence etc. ,

 

[hazro]

How can I get one of these second hand?

Visit our website tomorrow as we will offer small batches of 'B grade' units at discounted prices. Site uptime is patchy at the moment as well as emails so please bear with us.

 

[hazro]

The ratio of good/bad is why OCUK are still stocking these. The industry average for RMAs on FPDs is around 3.5% according to Meko and we are well below that. For every 1 fault reported, around 30 go without issues. Forums by nature have a critical/scrutinising tone with positive feedback rarely posted. Speculation on the quality of 'B' grade units should be based on actual customer experience. As our stock is labelled 'A' or 'B' grade (with nothing in-between), there will (no doubt) be many satisfied customers receiving e.g. units used by engineers for inspection with no faults whatsoever.

 

[hazro]

Your and everyone else's definitions of various issues vary wildly. You also have to look at complaints with respect to volume sold... Other companies hold a much greater market share than you do and yet you don't see threads quite as full as this one for any other manufacturer.

Our policies are different to our competitors because we have a completely different setup altogether. As most of our consumer models are sold exclusively via OCUK, most issues are reported in this single thread. To suggest other vendors don't have as many issues: to that we simply smile. We suggest signing up to Meko's warranty publication for stats on who tops the list (figures are based on percentage of units sold).

Alternate companies are able to offer much better quality screens in general

If this is a reference to panel sourcing, we completely disagree. We use the same channels. There are times when vendors get it wrong due to no fault of their own (please refer to reviews of Apple's miniDP to DL DVI adapter and it makes you wonder how such a reputable firm could get it so wrong. However, we feel for them wholeheartedly as we're aware its not their fault). Another example can be NECs failure to control dust accumulation in their earlier 4:3 displays. NEC issue or Hyundai Electric who assembled for them? Notorious issues with some Dell units and the list goes on.

If you at least made your policies discoverable on your website, it would be much more acceptable

Agree: these should be published but they are available in the instruction manual which can be downloaded from the site. We'll have these published under our new warranty section.


Hazro monitors are not for everybody and admittedly, there have been issues with quality, support and supply. We accept the reasons for these shouldn't have to concern customers and it is our obligation to sort out issues. We try to get back to email/support requests within 24 hours and over the past few months, this has steadily improved (we're now down to same day responses). All things considered, feedback has generally been very positive which is why OCUK continue to supply. As mentioned previously, we have around 30 satisfied customers for every bad unit reported. Our 30inch monitors are rock solid with a RMA rate of around 0.3% and we are aware of many posters here who have had their 30inch units without issues. The same also goes for 27" models. Where we detect issues with forthcoming models, we drop them altogether (e.g. 24" LED 16:10 display which was dropped). We've said it from day one: these 27" LED models are excellent value for the money.

 

[hazro]

HDCP compliancy... Such a feature has been standard on nearly all monitors for years now and to not include such compliancy means the monitors can't be used for what a lot will be wanting to use the screen for - playing high definition video.

Most HZ27WC models made after November 2011 are HDCP compatible but we don't advertise them as such for various reasons. As we're not a fixed SKU vendor (i.e. we don't have one model, market it for 2 years and move onto another), licensing HDCP would have cost us upwards of 2mil USD. This enclosure is shared by many panels: the 27" CCFL as well full HD panels. Additionally, our controllers are numerous: e.g. the non-glass HZ27WC has a square like plastic cutout next to the front LED (bottom right corner). That is a IR module which we use on controllers with TV input (not in Europe). The point is with so many combos of panels and controllers, registering each one would cost us a fortune (HDCP don't allow universal submissions). By not labeling it as 'HDCP compliant', we can pass on savings to the customer. These consumer displays account for <20% of our turnover so to invest in these large sums isn't economical.

 

[hazro]

Still hoping for a 24" glossy IPS, nothing that Hazro can do to fix the quality issues with the 24" model that wont come out? A different panel, anything?

It is buggy but we're thinking of stripping the unit to a single DVI port only, remove OSD, etc.

 

[hazro]

What do you guys think about Hazro in terms of durabillity?

Our 30" units are typically sold with 5 year SLAs to business customers (however, we don't offer this option to consumers). The 30" are sold to customers such as the MoD, Lockheed Martin, universities and labs etc. so it is rock solid. The panel is encapsulated in an aluminium enclosure with a powder coated steel back. The brushed front cover is a nice feature. We're looking to have a setup in London soon where customers can 'eye-ball' our displays and will contact OCUK to have something similar at their base. We're at CeBIT this year too if you happen to be Germany.

 

[hazro]

Due next week