Monitor Advice Please

[RaidersGuy]

OK I have 2 cheaper panels both different makes these are 22” Wide Screen, the resolution they are both running are 1920x1080 default for the models contrast ratio is Excellent.

OK so far well I purchased a while ago a Dell UltraSharp U2415 24”, I don’t do any serious photographic work but thought it would be nice to have a high resolution as the screen was slightly bigger 1920x1200 all fine so far BUT the problem I have is either these monitors are designed purely for an office or brightly lit work place, but the contrast ratio is really poor on movies even setting the monitor to the movie or Multimedia settings I have of of cause tried setting up the monitor manually many times but still the blacks look grey it reminds me of my first generation LCD TV I had.

So the question is am I using a monitor that is not designed for movies etc.

The only fly in the oil-met is my previous monitor I had before the Dell was a HP 24” same resolution but even though this was not LED lit (which I know is not the issue) but it still knocks spots off this Dell in respect to Blacks and Greys.

All the monitors mentioned are IPS type.

Or are Dell’s crap as I noticed on OC that the Asus monitors seem to have good reviews.

Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[aatu]

There was a related thread in January, you might be interested in reading through that:
https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/still-a-qc-lottery-in-jan-17.18766602/

Here are two quotes that solidify my view on things:

Even bigger rant, adding more fuel to the cost saving discussion:
I think that most people don't even realize just how much monitor pricing has come down, relatively speaking. We are now getting bigger sizes, higher resolutions, higher refresh rates, faster response times, lower input lags, lower power consumption (and less heat), thinner bezels and chassis, lighter weight, ergonomic stands, flicker-free, ultra-wides, curved screens, touch screens, G-Sync/FreeSync, higher bit-depth, HDR -- heck, we even had 3D come and go in the middle, just to be re-awakened by VR --, yet we still demand even lower prices.

The technological advances were quite stale for a long time, which allowed the manufacturing to mature in peace, which in turn enabled prices to go down. But then the situation kind of blew up, and manufacturers started scrambling to different directions. A single advancement would have been tolerable in pricing, but if we're combining multiple (or all) advances to a single unit, then the costs will naturally rise, accordingly. But customers were already accustomed to the lower prices, and aren't willing to follow suit.

But like they say: "Something's gotta give."
And this time around, it's quality control.

From what I've understood, most of the current cheap mass-marketed IPS screens were/are based on the eIPS or AH-IPS evolutions, which improved upon the response times and manufacturing costs, but sacrificed on other areas (light leakage, IPS glow?). But customers (especially gamers) showed that they'd indeed rather buy a faster £300 eIPS/AH-IPS than a slower £600 H-IPS/P-IPS (IIRC the types). Then there's AHVA, which isn't apparently a direct successor to any of the above, but is still regarded as IPS (even though it has -VA on its name). But pricing follows more closely the budget class eIPS and AH-IPS, with the same focus on improving response times, so I'm guessing the sacrifices might be on the same scale?

And here's another more recent quote from another thread:

Generally speaking, there are five major price premiums:
Resolution (2560x1440)
Refresh rate (144Hz)
Panel type (VA and IPS)
Size (27")
Variable refresh rate (G-Sync -- whereas FreeSync is practically premium-free)

I guess it kind of depends on what your budget is, and which features you value most.

For example, the Acer Predator XZ271 is pretty hard to beat: curved 27", 144Hz, FreeSync, VA, £300. Unfortunately, it's universally out-of-stock. Not sure if I've ever seen it on stock...? There's an almost identical alternative, Lenovo Y27f, but that's £340 (but can be found on stock -- not by OcUK, though).

In other words:
1) You get what you pay for, so don't settle for the bottom of the barrel -- there's usually a reason why something is cheaper than the other
2) Map out your priorities, and limit your options accordingly
3) If gaming is not the only priority, then you might want to take a look at VA panels. They have better and deeper blacks, and don't suffer from IPS glow.

 

[RaidersGuy]

Thanks for the reply I think I will stick with the IPS side it appears looking at the speck of other Dell monitors there contrast ratio is not as impressive as other makes which I know opens up another can of worms to how they arrive at the figures, on saying that this is the worst monitor I’ve ever used in subdue light switch on florescent lights or a very bright day, no problem.

One last not this is the most expensive monitor here by nearly 3 times but still the other are better contrast wise.