*ALIVE AGAIN starting 3/9* Acer 24" (Model X243Wbd) Widescreen LCD Monitor $279.99 @office depot *starts Feb 24th

[FromHyd-Back2India]

latest Link - ACER 24 (http://officedepot.shoplocal.com/officedepot/default.aspx?action=detail&flashbrowse=y&storeid=2279584&rapid=521648&pagenumber=5&listingid=-2091932012&ref=%2fofficedepot%2fdefault.aspx%3faction%3dbrows epageflash%26storeid%3d2279584%26pagenumber%3d5%26 rapid%3d521648%26prvid%3dundefined)

Acer® 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor (http://officedepot.shoplocal.com/officedepot/default.aspx?action=detail&flashbrowse=y&storeid=2279443&rapid=515623&pagenumber=6&listingid=-2092005695&ref=%2fofficedepot%2fdefault.aspx%3faction%3dbrows epageflash%26storeid%3d2279443%26pagenumber%3d6%26 rapid%3d515623%26prvid%3dOfficeDepot-080224) for $279.99 @office depot

24" LCD WIDESCREEN
• DVI port with HDCP for viewing the highest-quality video
• Fast 5ms response time
• 1920 x 1200 resolution
• 3000:1 contrast ratio
Model X243Wbd

[brisar]

Office Depot (http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=599355) has the Acer 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor (Model X243Wbd) for $280 with Free Shipping. Next lowest on Google Products (http://www.google.com/products?q=X243Wbd&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en) (from a US store) is $392. Thanks FromHyd.

Click here (http://www.officedepot.com/shop/displayCart.do) then click "View Cart"
Click "Pick up at store" button and choose the store near you
Click here (http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=599355) and add monitor to cart. If the monitor is not available at that specific store, try another location
CheckoutSpecs:

1920 x 1200 resolution
DVI port with HDCP
5ms response time
3000:1 contrast ratioThe same deal should be available in stores directly, since it's advertised in this week's ad (http://officedepot.shoplocal.com/officedepot/default.aspx?action=detail&flashbrowse=y&storeid=2279443&rapid=515623&pagenumber=6&listingid=-2092005695&ref=/officedepot/default.aspx?action=browsepageflash&storeid=2279443&pagenumber=6&rapid=515623&prvid=OfficeDepot-080224).

[wikipost]

If you need a monitor for PS3 or HTPC, then this will work as it has HDCP support; whereas the Soyo 24" (http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=246650&t=746940) has a much better picture quality and requires a $25 HDCP stripper to work.

[gh3ttodude]

any coupons to make this baby sweeter?

[warlock110]

any coupons to make this baby sweeter?

probably some 30 off 150 if you make them take it online or try to make them take staple coupon....

[natfly]

any coupons to make this baby sweeter?

30 off 150 coupons on ebay

[nkx1]

What type of panel is this? Probably TN, I'm assuming?

I just got the Soyo 24" for $279, but it buzzes a little and gets hot, which I don't like. My old Acer 22" did not get hot and did not buzz at all. But it was a cheap TN panel, and the Soyo is light years ahead in picture quality. I'm wondering if the X243Wbd would be a decent buy when compared with the Soyo?

[kschlege]

What type of panel is this? Probably TN, I'm assuming?

I just got the Soyo 24" for $279, but it buzzes a little and gets hot, which I don't like. My old Acer 22" did not get hot and did not buzz at all. But it was a cheap TN panel, and the Soyo is light years ahead in picture quality. I'm wondering if the X243Wbd would be a decent buy when compared with the Soyo?

I don't think that the Soyo's are HDCP compatible (http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=246650&t=746940&highlight=soyo), whereas this one is.

[keerock]

What type of panel is this? Probably TN, I'm assuming?

I just got the Soyo 24" for $279, but it buzzes a little and gets hot, which I don't like. My old Acer 22" did not get hot and did not buzz at all. But it was a cheap TN panel, and the Soyo is light years ahead in picture quality. I'm wondering if the X243Wbd would be a decent buy when compared with the Soyo?

I have the Soyo and love it. Got it for $299 and still think it was a good deal. I have no yet had buzzing or heat problems. It does though, however, have a slight tilt forward due to the poor quality of the screw mount on the fixed stan it comes with. Other than that, excellent.

Would also like to know about th Acer panel quality.

[nkx1]

You can adjust the tilt on the Soyo. Are you sure there is no buzzing on your Soyo, even when you put your ear close to the top of the back panel?

Btw, I read on another forum (can't remember which) that the Acer may have some slight buzzing when the brightness is adjusted below 80.

[coffeey]

Is it possible to buy one now and then price-match it after Feb 24th?

[transcend]

alot of flatpanels will buzz if they're not set to their native resolution.

[sforce2014]

are these deals usually in-store only?

[Grimdeath]

Do they stock these in-store or is this an on-line only deal?

[Invisiblemoose]

Can anyone speculate if this can do 1:1 pixel mapping?

[Insomniac34]

I'm curious if anyone else is getting this. I tried to add the monitor to my cart on the website, and afterwards it said "This item has been discontinued". So I assume you won't be able to buy these on-line at all, and would have to pick it up in store. Does this seem correct?

[CouponCutter]

In my area, the monitor is out of stock online, but if you change it to instore p/u, the unit is available. You should be able to buy the monitor for instore p/u, and pick the monitor up when the sale starts at the lower price.

[Redfoot]

Can anyone speculate if this can do 1:1 pixel mapping?

Hmmm, since this is a monitor and not a TV, I do not think that should be much of a concern. 1920X1200 resolution. 1:1 pixel mapping is normally looked for by people hoping to use HDTV's as computer monitors.

Great deal though. If I already did not just get a Westy 24incher 3 weeks ago, I would be jumping on this!

-Redfoot

[nrfisher]

Thanks, I purchased one for in-store pick-up and I'll pick it up Sunday so they'll price match it. Thanks for the heads up. Thumbs up and repped.

[bickelj]

I'm guessing there is not a lot of real difference between the X243Wbd and the X241Wbd. If my hypothesis is accurate, I previously owned this monitor and ultimately returned it to get my money back:

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?p=7612128#post7612128

[Insomniac34]

I'm guessing there is not a lot of real difference between the X243Wbd and the X241Wbd. If my hypothesis is accurate, I previously owned this monitor and ultimately returned it to get my money back:

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?p=7612128#post7612128

Only difference I can tell is that the x243 has a 3000:1 contrast ratio, while the x241 has a 1000:1 contrast ratio. Then again, Office Depot doesn't show a lot of other specifics for the monitor, so there may be other differences.

[Invisiblemoose]

Hmmm, since this is a monitor and not a TV, I do not think that should be much of a concern. 1920X1200 resolution. 1:1 pixel mapping is normally looked for by people hoping to use HDTV's as computer monitors.

Right, but I'm rooming with someone with a PS3, which outputs at 1920x1080. Thus a 1920x1200 monitor would stretch the image to fill the screen, which bothers me, and hurts image quality.

Since I'm obviously going to use this screen foremost as a PC monitor, it's not a big concern, but it is a feature I'd like to have...

[sprtfan]

What type of panel is this? Probably TN, I'm assuming?

I just got the Soyo 24" for $279, but it buzzes a little and gets hot, which I don't like. My old Acer 22" did not get hot and did not buzz at all. But it was a cheap TN panel, and the Soyo is light years ahead in picture quality. I'm wondering if the X243Wbd would be a decent buy when compared with the Soyo?

I looked up the monitor on Hardforum Display section and they said it was a TN.

[Elpee]

Can I buy it now and pricematch later on sunday when I go to store to pick up?

[Oldtyme]

I was about to have a little bit of buyers remorse as I just bought the Soyo that was on sale.

However....after looking at my LOCAL weekly sales flyer for the 24th the screen is not listed in the AD. So this may be a YMMV sale??

Nice monitor.

(oh. & I hear absolutely no buzzing noise in my Soyo....even with my ear right at the monitor) Maybe I am deaf. ? : )

(edit: I found it...so it is on sale here too. Doh! ) Hmm. Wonder if I should return the Soyo? Probably won't though)

[phungy]

Not bad!

[hahahaha]

how's it compare with Soyo?

[wasabi_fu]

I looked up the monitor on Hardforum Display section and they said it was a TN.

Sorry for the newb question but: Is TN good or bad? Can you point me via a link to somewhere that discusses different monitor types and what is preferable?

Edit: Just looked at Hardforums display area. Seems like TN is fine for most and especially for gamers?

[FromHyd-Back2India]

sale starts today

[phungy]

sale starts today
It does? Website says 24th...today's 23rd.

This offer is not yet available
Feb 24 - Mar 1

[nanohead]

Sorry for the newb question but: Is TN good or bad? Can you point me via a link to somewhere that discusses different monitor types and what is preferable?

This monitor is terrific, I've had one for 8 months, I'll buy a second one at this price. People who start to pontificate over TN or something else are trying to sound smart. All this stuff works fine.

Its like audiophiles (which I am one on certain days) arguing whether a speaker wire is oxygen free or not. WHO CARES..... :lol:

[nshah]

It's showing discontinued online when I try to add to cart.

I selected instore pickup and accidentally had it in there twice, and it gave my insufficient stock at the local OD. It then gave me the option to select only 1.. So I guess there's only 1instock there?

I got it at $400 or whatever, hope they PM tomorrow! if not return/rebuy, lol

but since it wasn't available for delivery none of the coupons from the coupon thread for freebies work :( oh well I'll have to try some competitors coupons tomorrow.

[fenton]

We need a youtube video for swapping out the acer panel for the soyo's. Then returning the soyo. Mostly joking, of course.

[Superorb]

Most OD coupons don't woth on "tech" items, so it's highly YMMV.

[N4TECguy]

This monitor is terrific, I've had one for 8 months, I'll buy a second one at this price. People who start to pontificate over TN or something else are trying to sound smart. All this stuff works fine.

Its like audiophiles (which I am one on certain days) arguing whether a speaker wire is oxygen free or not. WHO CARES..... :lol:

No they're not. There is a marked difference between the Soyo panel and a regular TN panel. Ask me how I know, I went from a Soyo to a TN and it is a BIG difference in terms of viewing angle. And I'm not a displayophile, but it's not hard to tell when you're looking at the monitor slightly off kilter and your MS Word suddenly turns to black-on-beige instead of white :rolleyes: I ultimately returned the Soyo because the chances you take with quality aren't worth it for me - this monitor should last me at least 5 years and I don't have confidence in the Soyo lasting that long. Especially when it had some dead pixels when you hooked it up and adjusted it under just the right conditions...only under DVI, only after you went from native to non-native and back to native, and only under light grey colors.

Edit
Sorry I didn't make this clear, the Soyo's image quality is awesome and is much better than TN's. However, unrelated issues made me believe the Soyo wouldn't last as long as I would have liked so I returned it - I did not return it because it had bad image quality. It was actually very hard for me to return it because it produced such an awesome picture.

Here's a somewhat bad picture of what I'm talking about. Viewsonic P815 21" CRT (probably almost 10 years old) vs. Dell E228WFP TN panel (viewing angles 160/160 degrees). You can see the CRT has a nice consistent picture where the TN panel has varying colors - they displaying the SAME picture from the SAME website. The CRT is split into two regions because of its inherent properties...refresh rate is too slow. Same thing as when you're taking a picture/video of a CRT TV.

[Superorb]

So TN is the better panel? I thought MIPS/SIPS was a better panel.

[GoldenYears]

So TN is the better panel? I thought MIPS/SIPS was a better panel.

TN's are the worst of the bunch.

[N4TECguy]

TN's are the worst of the bunch.

Yeah, sorry I didn't make it clear. The TN panel in terms of picture quality is worse than the Soyo. But, Soyo has had some quality issues that make me think it won't last as long as I would like it to. That is not related to image quality (at least that I know of?)

[satnav4]

Yeah, sorry I didn't make it clear. The TN panel in terms of picture quality is worse than the Soyo. But, Soyo has had some quality issues that make me think it won't last as long as I would like it to. That is not related to image quality (at least that I know of?)

I just saw the Acer at an OD while picking up something else. I did not know about this thread, so I wasn't looking at it for any particular reason other than it caught my eye and looked spectacular playing some "animal kills animinal" type video. I didn't stand behind it to see if it had a good picture. I also didn't stand 160 degrees to the side. I must not be using my computer monitor correctly. I place mine flat in front of me. It seems like alot of folks are bashing TN panels because of viewing angles. Just do what I do---don't turn it at an angle and you will do fine.

[N4TECguy]

I just saw the Acer at an OD while picking up something else. I did not know about this thread, so I wasn't looking at it for any particular reason other than it caught my eye and looked spectacular playing some "animal kills animinal" type video. I didn't stand behind it to see if it had a good picture. I also didn't stand 160 degrees to the side. I must not be using my computer monitor correctly. I place mine flat in front of me. It seems like alot of folks are bashing TN panels because of viewing angles. Just do what I do---don't turn it at an angle and you will do fine.

I'm not a moron and I don't stare at my monitor from a 160 degree viewing angle, but thanks for the tip :rolleyes: But how big are your eyes? When you look at something, you look at the center of it. The screen is big enough so that you are viewing the edges and corners at an angle even if you're looking straight at it (depending how near/far you are from the screen), and that's enough to have a color shift that I'm talking about. You'll notice in the picture I posted, the color shift occurs from top to bottom. The picture was only angled from left-right standpoint. So, notice that the color shift in that picture is not at all related to the angle of the picture. And then compare to the ten year old CRT next to it, which has no problems with viewing angle. Just like in the picture, when you view a TN head on, the center will look fine, and the top and bottom and sides will look slightly different.

Now I'm not bashing this monitor since I've never had one, for all I know it could be great. I'm saying TN in general does have lousy viewing angles. And viewing a monitor in a store is completely different than taking it home and hooking it up. The Soyo I saw at the store was complete trash, but it looked awesome at home. You're not going to get a good sense of viewing angles in a store. When you go to Costco they give you little samples of food that always taste great. When you buy the whole 2lb box you find out it's not as good as you think. When you stare at the monitor for a LITTLE while it's fine...when you stare at it for 5 hours on end, the little things become noticeable.

[satnav4]

I'm not a moron and I don't stare at my monitor from a 160 degree viewing angle, but thanks for the tip :rolleyes: But how big are your eyes? When you look at something, you look at the center of it. The screen is big enough so that you are viewing the edges and corners at an angle even if you're looking straight at it (depending how near/far you are from the screen), and that's enough to have a color shift that I'm talking about. You'll notice in the picture I posted, the color shift occurs from top to bottom. The picture was only angled from left-right standpoint. So, notice that the color shift in that picture is not at all related to the angle of the picture. And then compare to the ten year old CRT next to it, which has no problems with viewing angle. Just like in the picture, when you view a TN head on, the center will look fine, and the top and bottom and sides will look slightly different.

Now I'm not bashing this monitor since I've never had one, for all I know it could be great. I'm saying TN in general does have lousy viewing angles. And viewing a monitor in a store is completely different than taking it home and hooking it up. The Soyo I saw at the store was complete trash, but it looked awesome at home. You're not going to get a good sense of viewing angles in a store. When you go to Costco they give you little samples of food that always taste great. When you buy the whole 2lb box you find out it's not as good as you think. When you stare at the monitor for a LITTLE while it's fine...when you stare at it for 5 hours on end, the little things become noticeable.

Maybe you have a bad TN panel. I just saw this monitor up close and personal, and it looks great, period. Before you try to talk people out of this monitor, please go take a look at it for yourself.

[N4TECguy]

It's an inherent property of TN panels...and I'm not trying to talk anybody out of a monitor. If you didn't notice, I bought a TN panel...it has its ups and downs. It's cheap and it works fine, colors are nice, but viewing angles suck. I didn't know it was bad to bring up the cons of a particular product.

[satnav4]

It's an inherent property of TN panels...and I'm not trying to talk anybody out of a monitor. If you didn't notice, I bought a TN panel...it has its ups and downs. It's cheap and it works fine, colors are nice, but viewing angles suck. I didn't know it was bad to bring up the cons of a particular product.

It's not bad to bring up negatives, but I thought the thing looked great. Now I didn't put a mass spectrometer or side scan sonar on the thing, so I can't tell you whether a solid blue screen will have perfect balance. All I can say is that the lion looked pretty damn good walking around with his prey during the video playback. Also, I am staring at a V7 22" from Staples, and it is a TN. Is it perfect on a flat blue screen?--No. Does it look good saturated with varying colors?--Yes. So if you sit and stare at a blank screen all day, please go to the store and see if it has an issue. When it is pushing an image, it looks great.

[blackhorse2006]

It's an inherent property of TN panels...and I'm not trying to talk anybody out of a monitor. If you didn't notice, I bought a TN panel...it has its ups and downs. It's cheap and it works fine, colors are nice, but viewing angles suck. I didn't know it was bad to bring up the cons of a particular product.

No the TN panels don't have a good color duplication and sometime they can look washed out when compared to other high end panels.

For Gaming, TN panels work very well due to good response times and higher contrast ratios. In addition to that they are cheap. Can anybody get a similar deal on other higher end panels? No, so people suck it up. This is worth the money for what you get.

FYI, I own two 22 inch Acer and they both are TN panels. I play my games on one of these and the other is connected to my PC. I have no issues at all and I don't care much about viewing angles? I sit in front of my monitor and don't tilt it for any reason.

[xchric]

most of the pannels on the market are TN.
Yes, they are not as good as those IPS or PVW(I may be wrong at spelling).
But they are cheap, they are good enough for daily uses.
Viewing angle is not crucial if you are the only that using the monitor.

I guess it is ok to blame an LCD montior with bad viewing angle if it is below the TN panel average performance.

It is no good to tell people who are still in the dark and confused about this topic to stay away from a cheap price TN pannel monitor becasue it has a bad viewing angle compared to IPS or other superior materials.

[N4TECguy]

Nowhere did I say to stay away from a TN panel. I BOUGHT ONE for cryin out loud

[ledorky]

Shame no speakers and no component inputs (yes I know it's a monitor and not a tv), else I'd have jumped on this. Excellent pricing.

[youth]

Maybe you have a bad TN panel. I just saw this monitor up close and personal, and it looks great, period. Before you try to talk people out of this monitor, please go take a look at it for yourself.


Play any game or movie with a dark scene & the top will blend together losing alot of detail & look like a negative while the bottom looks washed out with low contrast. This happens up close & is very pronounced if viewed just a little off the sweet spot. This has been my experience with a 22" TN Acer. Later got a SD on a 24" LG that's one of the *VA panels & the screen is very consistant with image quality all around at wide angles.

[nkx1]

For those trying to decide between the Acer and the Soyo, here are some pro's and cons based on my experience (I bought the Soyo a couple of days ago, which replaced an Acer 22" TN panel display [X221W], which I would have to assume is similar to the 24" Acer). Please take this information for what is is (trying to help), and don't bash me for not comparing the Acer 24", specifically.

Acer pros: Bright display, slim bezel, stays fairly cool, 100% silent

Acer cons: Moderate to significant color shift when viewing from different angles, particularly vertically (due to TN panel technology)


Soyo pros: Outstanding picture quality with extremely minimal color shift (due to P-MVA panel technology). The picture is very bright and vivid once user-adjusted (the factory settings, and thus the settings you will see at the store, are pretty crappy and will yield a sub-par picture)

Soyo cons: Gets noticeably hotter than the Acer, slight buzzing noise from the back of the display (not noticeable to me from more than 1.5' or so from the screen), thick bezel, apparent lesser reliability in some cases (although I should add that my gf has had a Soyo 19" lcd for about 1.5 years, and she has had 0 problems).


Overall, I ended up keeping the Soyo. I love the superior picture of it over the Acer, and I'll gamble a tiny bit on the reliability to be able to look at an awesome picture every day. My Acer always bugged my a little bit, because a tiny shift in my chair could result in sometimes dramatic color shift on the display. I no longer need to be bothered by that. I'm very happy with my decision so far.

[uncola]

Hi there, I just spent the day looking at the acer 24" x243wbd and the Soyo 24". The acer was hooked up to an HD input right next to a bunch of nice samsung, hp and other monitors some of which I know are s-pva and p-mva, they were all showing the same video. I honestly couldn't tell the difference. I noticed slight color changing at extreme angles when I was looking at the other monitors and glanced back at it. the picture was gorgeous.
Then I looked at the Soyo at officemax, which was hooked up to a terrible input.. a scrubs dvd, possibly stretched or zoomed to fit widescreen, through composite video hooked up to a vga replicator. I was sad because I couldn't compare the two with such different inputs. But the soyo had a GIANT bezel and body compared to the acer. and I've read a lot of people saying they had to return theirs due to defects.
My decision was made because I saw the acer displaying the same HD content as other panel type monitors and couldn't see the difference unless I stood 160 degrees to the side. I'm buying the acer. cheaper, 3 year warranty compared to 1, nicer bezel, satisfied with the image quality.

[cumurph]

Got one. It seems to do the job.

Question: is there anything that can be done about it stretching none wide screen resolutions?

Thanks.

[nkx1]

uncola, thanks for the additional info. I should point out that the sale price of the Acer is actually the same price as that of the Soyo ($279). Also, the color shift is not likely to be as apparent when viewing a moving image, as opposed to a stationary one (ie a movie vs a web page).

I might have to go check out the 24" Acer myself, to see if the color shift is as bad as on my 22" Acer.

[rebat]

Hi there, I just spent the day looking at the acer 24" x243wbd and the Soyo 24". The acer was hooked up to an HD input right next to a bunch of nice samsung, hp and other monitors some of which I know are s-pva and p-mva, they were all showing the same video. I honestly couldn't tell the difference. I noticed slight color changing at extreme angles when I was looking at the other monitors and glanced back at it. the picture was gorgeous.
Then I looked at the Soyo at officemax, which was hooked up to a terrible input.. a scrubs dvd, possibly stretched or zoomed to fit widescreen, through composite video hooked up to a vga replicator. I was sad because I couldn't compare the two with such different inputs. But the soyo had a GIANT bezel and body compared to the acer. and I've read a lot of people saying they had to return theirs due to defects.
My decision was made because I saw the acer displaying the same HD content as other panel type monitors and couldn't see the difference unless I stood 160 degrees to the side. I'm buying the acer. cheaper, 3 year warranty compared to 1, nicer bezel, satisfied with the image quality.

FYI, which Samsung and HP monitors did you see, because most of the ones I see at any big box stores are the TN panels. All the new HP 24" in the retail stores are TN now... and there is only a handful of 22" non TN that you can't even find anymore.

There is a difference, but if you aren't doing graphics work you probably might not even notice. In the store, it's hard to see unless they are huge differences, and in the store you aren't viewing the monitor the same way you are at home, sitting down and at reasonable distances. Perception is also lost in the store as well...

If you can access this website at the store, go and test the monitor out:
http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

Got one. It seems to do the job.

Question: is there anything that can be done about it stretching none wide screen resolutions?

Thanks.


Use the native resolution?

[uncola]

the monitors aren't connected to a computer. also.. at my local officemax the soyo was $350 not $279. isn't the sale over?

[Bigron]

i picked one up tonight for $279 + tax
Thanks

[nkx1]

I thought the Soyo price was valid until today (02/23), but I could be wrong.

[gh3ttodude]

gonna try to snag one. tired of my 20" dell 2005.

[crazy_jutt]

I got gift samsung syncmaster 245BW.
is this monitor better than acer and soyo 24 inch monitors ?
any reviews ?

[Grimdeath]

I got gift samsung syncmaster 245BW.
is this monitor better than acer and soyo 24 inch monitors ?
any reviews ?

I just bought a Samsung 226CW (very very nice overall; color shift is apparent even at slight angles off center - very apparent on an all yellow "dead-pixel buddy" screen where the top looks sort of greenish yellow); tomorrow I'll pick up the Acer (pre-ordered today). I'll let you know if I can see a difference. If not, I'll keep the Acer and save the $90 while trading up to from a 22" to a 24".

FWIW: The Acer is NOT one of the doorbusters tomorrow; the sale is good for the entire week so we should have no problem pre-ordering and getting a price adjustment.

[uncola]

a little off topic, but since I'm going to office depot tomorrow anyway, what are the good doorbusters? their online weekly ad is terrible to browse

[coffeey]

I got gift samsung syncmaster 245BW.
is this monitor better than acer and soyo 24 inch monitors ?
any reviews ?

Absolutely! It is SAMSUNG!

[kb9nvh]

So you Preorder this (its the 24th now but still not available) and pick up tomorrow..?

You have to pay the 400 bucks now and then get refunded tomorrow or what?

[carbonfiber]

I'm not a moron and I don't stare at my monitor from a 160 degree viewing angle, but thanks for the tip :rolleyes: But how big are your eyes? When you look at something, you look at the center of it. The screen is big enough so that you are viewing the edges and corners at an angle even if you're looking straight at it (depending how near/far you are from the screen), and that's enough to have a color shift that I'm talking about. You'll notice in the picture I posted, the color shift occurs from top to bottom. The picture was only angled from left-right standpoint. So, notice that the color shift in that picture is not at all related to the angle of the picture. And then compare to the ten year old CRT next to it, which has no problems with viewing angle. Just like in the picture, when you view a TN head on, the center will look fine, and the top and bottom and sides will look slightly different.

Now I'm not bashing this monitor since I've never had one, for all I know it could be great. I'm saying TN in general does have lousy viewing angles. And viewing a monitor in a store is completely different than taking it home and hooking it up. The Soyo I saw at the store was complete trash, but it looked awesome at home. You're not going to get a good sense of viewing angles in a store. When you go to Costco they give you little samples of food that always taste great. When you buy the whole 2lb box you find out it's not as good as you think. When you stare at the monitor for a LITTLE while it's fine...when you stare at it for 5 hours on end, the little things become noticeable.

well, I just got the Acer in my posession, and I'll get the Soyo this week(OM screwed up the address), I'm gonna hook up to my 7900GS and run it side by side(duplicated image), and use it for a week to see what's up.

[masterbw]

well, I just got the Acer in my posession, and I'll get the Soyo this week(OM screwed up the address), I'm gonna hook up to my 7900GS and run it side by side(duplicated image), and use it for a week to see what's up.

Thru March 1st.
But it's showing $399.99.

Maybe have to wait till 12AM Pacific Time.

[akahai]

It's pass 12AM Pacific Time, price still showing $399.99, not sure why.

[N4TECguy]

Absolutely! It is SAMSUNG!

Newsflash: it is a TN panel...in fact, it uses the exact same panel as the Acer X241WBD listed in this thread :lol:

[sforce2014]

probably in store only?

[carbonfiber]

wow, it's saying $520 - 120 = 400, I wonder if the AD is wrong(400-120=280), but anyhow, I'm gonna go do pricematch tomorrow morning

[gh3ttodude]

probalby a price mistake!

[ichibaka]

Anyone have a PS3 or Xbox 360 and HDMI-DVI cable that can test out the 1080p display setting? I bought the X241Wsd model before at my local Micro Center store to play it on my PS3 and xbox 360 at 1080p resolution. Even though the box and manufacturer descriptions claim that it supports full bandwidth HDCP-compliant, it wasn't. 1080p settings on PS3 sees black horizontal lines, and on 360 sees nothing, nada, blank, zip.

I'm really hesitant to buy any Acer X model so I would really like someone who already purchased this unit to test it out at 1080p on both PS3 and 360, or either. I live in Columbus, Ohio and there isn't a local OP in town. I don't want to have to order it and send it back just because I can't play games at full HD.

[Bigron]

So you Preorder this (its the 24th now but still not available) and pick up tomorrow..?

You have to pay the 400 bucks now and then get refunded tomorrow or what?

I went in store and convinced the manager to give it to me for 280 last night

They only had 2 in store on the corner of main and transit in Clarence, NY and I bought 1

[kb9nvh]

cant seem to order this online from the few locations I tried. Says not available at your location.

So does officedepot pull this "not having product they advertise" alot?

[praetorian909]

cant seem to order this online from the few locations I tried. Says not available at your location.

So does officedepot pull this "not having product they advertise" alot?

Did you try changing to in-store pickup?

BTW, price was finally updated sometime in the past 30 min, shows up correctly as $280.

[virtual]

I own this monitor from the previous SD deal (http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=248746&t=690079&highlight=X243Wbd)

I would not recommend this monitor even at a price $300 (incl tax). My 20" Viewsonic (VX2025wm) was way better than this one.

From OD Reviews
Pros: inexpensive, nice mechanical design
Cons: terrible on the eyes, gives me a headache after 10-15 minutes, way too bright, viewing angle limited

On paper this looks like a great monitor. And on my desk it looks really slick. But when I try to use it, it gives me a splitting headache. I can't explain why, but it just seems like stuff is dancing around and I have to look away after a few minutes.
My 14 inch Lenovo laptop has a much better display. After a little research, it turns out this Acer uses TN technology, while my laptop uses S-IPS. The other good ones are PVA and MVA. But stay away from this TN junk. It may look fine in the store, but you just can't use it with a white background, working on a spreadsheet, a word doc, or a browser. It kills.
If you want a TV to view from across the room, then maybe it's OK.

[Grimdeath]

cant seem to order this online from the few locations I tried. Says not available at your location.

So does officedepot pull this "not having product they advertise" alot?

Last night, at least, there were two seperate listings for this monitor on-line; if you clicked on the circular link, it said it was not available. If you entered the part number over again, you could see the link for the $399 price. I placed the ship-to-store order last night with a delivery date of today. Yesterday evening it said "fulfilled", so it should be waiting.

[kb9nvh]

Did you check out for 399 then?

I was at that point also last night and didnt' want to try for the refund.

[kb9nvh]

So this thing gives you a headach also? Why do you think that is? difficult viewing angles constantly making you move back and forth to see a good image?

I'm using a benq FP91G+ (19") now and I love it...dont know if its a TN or something else.

I own this monitor from the previous SD deal (http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=248746&t=690079&highlight=X243Wbd)

I would not recommend this monitor even at a price $300 (incl tax). My 20" Viewsonic (VX2025wm) was way better than this one.

From OD Reviews
Pros: inexpensive, nice mechanical design
Cons: terrible on the eyes, gives me a headache after 10-15 minutes, way too bright, viewing angle limited

On paper this looks like a great monitor. And on my desk it looks really slick. But when I try to use it, it gives me a splitting headache. I can't explain why, but it just seems like stuff is dancing around and I have to look away after a few minutes.
My 14 inch Lenovo laptop has a much better display. After a little research, it turns out this Acer uses TN technology, while my laptop uses S-IPS. The other good ones are PVA and MVA. But stay away from this TN junk. It may look fine in the store, but you just can't use it with a white background, working on a spreadsheet, a word doc, or a browser. It kills.
If you want a TV to view from across the room, then maybe it's OK.

[Grimdeath]

Did you check out for 399 then?

I was at that point also last night and didnt' want to try for the refund.

Yes I did. I don't see why it should be an issue; this is a regular sale on this item, not a doorbuster. You can always go in and get a pricematch from week to week if the price goes down within 30 days or so; that's pretty much standard practice everywhere.
At worst I can return and repurchase, or even worse say no-thank you and get my money back.

*EDIT UPDATE*
I just called 800-GO-DEPOT and got them to credit the difference no problem as I thought; haven't even gone to the store yet...

[kb9nvh]

The stores close to me dont have it apparantly..Unless the web pages are wrong?

I hate to drive 40 miles to find it not available..damn

So, the fact is that this is for in store pick up ONLY??

Yes I did. I don't see why it should be an issue; this is a regular sale on this item, not a doorbuster. You can always go in and get a pricematch from week to week if the price goes down within 30 days or so; that's pretty much standard practice everywhere.
At worst I can return and repurchase, or even worse say no-thank you and get my money back.

*EDIT UPDATE*
I just called 800-GO-DEPOT and got them to credit the difference no problem as I thought; haven't even gone to the store yet...

[satnav4]

So this thing gives you a headach also? Why do you think that is? difficult viewing angles constantly making you move back and forth to see a good image?

I'm using a benq FP91G+ (19") now and I love it...dont know if its a TN or something else.

It's possible the size difference is causing the problem. As I go up in size, I find more light in my direction. Motion also has an increased effect. It is not unlike sitting in the first few rows of the theater.

[kb9nvh]

Shit, I get that on any FPS I play...I just need to be able to surf the web and fill out spreadsheets without a headach..LOL

[cumurph]

Anyone have a PS3 or Xbox 360 and HDMI-DVI cable that can test out the 1080p display setting? I bought the X241Wsd model before at my local Micro Center store to play it on my PS3 and xbox 360 at 1080p resolution. Even though the box and manufacturer descriptions claim that it supports full bandwidth HDCP-compliant, it wasn't. 1080p settings on PS3 sees black horizontal lines, and on 360 sees nothing, nada, blank, zip.

Got it and tried my roommates PS3 on it. It works fine. No bands or anything. Only problem is that is stretches it from 1080 to 1200. So it looks a little stretched height wise.

Anyone know if you can turn the stretching off?

[superslickdealr]

what's TN technology?

[gazorp]

what's TN technology?

The pits! don't buy TN CRAP!

[Big Wang]

what does TN actually stand for?

And how do you turn off 1200 to 1080?

[Grimdeath]

what's TN technology?

The pits! don't buy TN CRAP!


99% of all freaken LCD's out in use in the world are TN based.
If you're not using it to watch TV on (ie. sitting off-center in a room), the chances are you will be more than happy with it, just like the rest of the human race has for the last 8+ years when the only technology available was TN!

[AxlxA]

oos for 94116 and 53705. (San Francisco and Madison, WI)

[FTLOSM]

I put 2 of these in my cart Item # 599355

but it keeps saying

The item you requested was not added to your cart.
You requested 2, however, only 0 are available at this time.

I don't see an option for in store pickup or to have it shipped or how to check local store stock, might make a walk in trip locally see if they have 2, but price would be the same as website right?

[ddrdealz]

I just snagged one. GREAT DEAL. They had a lot at my store (Houston Kirby), a few dozen.

[oneness]

I've been using a Dell 1800fp, which is a IPS true 8-bit panel, for the past 4+ years. It was my first LCD. I recently bought a 22" widescreen Hanns G and returned it a few days later. The viewing angles are horrible. And when I say viewing angle I'm not trying to use it from 80 degrees off center. Hell even 5 or ten degrees in any direction, most notably up or down and the picture fades, changes color, gets dark, etc.

If you've never had the pleasure of using an IPS panel than I would keep it that way. Because once you do nothing less will suffice, even with the sacrifice you'll make in desktop real estate. Manufacturers like to tout the refresh rates of these TN panels as their main selling point towards gamers, but I've been playing all manner of games on this 1800fp which has a refresh rate of about 20ms with no trouble whatsoever.

If you are tempted by the size of these cheap TN panels and want to buy stick to 22" and below. THe 24" TN panels are too big for them to not show the effects of poor viewing angles EVEN WHEN LOOKING HEAD ON! Because you can't look at the corners of these sized displays without looking from an angle, think about it. Even the 22" I had, when looking straight on, unless you're looking at the very center of the monitor you will notice lack of sharpness, color, and contrast. Some stores will even go so far as to run demos on these displays with slideshows containing pictures that do not fill the screen so as to hide their imperfections.

It's really shameful of these companies to purposely hide the technology used in the monitor. They feel that consumers aren't smart enough to discern the difference. And as long as people make ignorant statements like some have made in this thread, such as "don't listen to anyone talking about IPS, S-IPS, TN, MVA, PVA, because they're just trying to sound smart," they will continue their shady practice of lack of full disclosure.

Buyer beware, and be informed.

[olouie]

I've been using a Dell 1800fp, which is a IPS true 8-bit panel, for the past 4+ years. It was my first LCD. I recently bought a 22" widescreen Hanns G and returned it a few days later. The viewing angles are horrible. And when I say viewing angle I'm not trying to use it from 80 degrees off center. Hell even 5 or ten degrees in any direction, most notably up or down and the picture fades, changes color, gets dark, etc.

If you've never had the pleasure of using an IPS panel than I would keep it that way. Because once you do nothing less will suffice, even with the sacrifice you'll make in desktop real estate. Manufacturers like to tout the refresh rates of these TN panels as their main selling point towards gamers, but I've been playing all manner of games on this 1800fp which has a refresh rate of about 20ms with no trouble whatsoever.

If you are tempted by the size of these cheap TN panels and want to buy stick to 22" and below. THe 24" TN panels are too big for them to not show the effects of poor viewing angles EVEN WHEN LOOKING HEAD ON! Because you can't look at the corners of these sized displays without looking from an angle, think about it. Even the 22" I had, when looking straight on, unless you're looking at the very center of the monitor you will notice lack of sharpness, color, and contrast. Some stores will even go so far as to run demos on these displays with slideshows containing pictures that do not fill the screen so as to hide their imperfections.

It's really shameful of these companies to purposely hide the technology used in the monitor. They feel that consumers aren't smart enough to discern the difference. And as long as people make ignorant statements like some have made in this thread, such as "don't listen to anyone talking about IPS, S-IPS, TN, MVA, PVA, because they're just trying to sound smart," they will continue their shady practice of lack of full disclosure.

Buyer beware, and be informed.

Good info. I use dual 1800FP and was going to upgrade. But I guess I should look for something else.

[oneness]

gonna try to snag one. tired of my 20" dell 2005.

is that the 2005fpw? if so, this monitor would be a downgrade for you in all aspects except refresh rate (mostly no difference) and size.

[bpj001]

I bought my third 24" Soyo because the picture quality exceeds all monitors I've seen. Even the Dell 24" monitor, with a price of over $600 has banding and viewing angle problems. I made the decision to trade stylish looks, composite and USB ports, and HDCP-compliance, for picture quality. My viewing experience comes from the screen of the monitor - not the frame of it.

I don't experience any noise issues either. Perhaps it's because I mute the sound of them. You may be hearing the frequencies of the circuitry if it's on.

[handyguy]

I have a similar Acer with better response time. They are nice & bright.

No way to adjust height & pixel policy isn't the best.

[gh3ttodude]

anyone know if the 20% OM coupon will work? its 20% off on clearance technology.

[chewru]

has anyone tried to use the $30 off $150 staples coupon found everywhere on eBay?

Does Office Depot accept coupons from Competitors?
Yes. Coupons are accepted in-store only. Acceptance of coupons from the Competitors is subject to the terms and conditions listed on the coupon.

Since those Staples coupons do NOT exempt tech items, can't this be a win? I'm going to call OD and ask..

looks like this can go for $249?

[uncola]

please let us know asap if they accept that staples coupon. haha because it might take a while after I use buy it now to receive it and print it

[DMZ3]

any coupons to make this baby sweeter?

Use this coupon code 76902528 for $30 off $150! enjoy

[uncola]

I thought that coupon code was online only and also didn't work for things on sale like this monitor?

[N4TECguy]

This guy ^ is stupid. All he does is bash through the thread. GTFO. I hate dummies that fight over insignificant differences.

You have provided absolutely no useful info and you call me stupid? Somebody's insecure :hug:

[llomll]

just ordered one !!! thanx....repped

[chewru]

looks like OD *WILL* take the staples $30 coupon if you talk to the store manager. i can't seem to find an eBay listing with 'instant delivery' for the $30 IN-STORE coupon (tons of online/phone ones though!) .. can anyone PM me with a direct link? i understand it's against the TOS to buy coupons.. so does anyone feel it in their heart (or sympathetic wallet!) to PM me one you might already have at no cost? thanks!

[AxlxA]

Bought the last one in stores in Madison(Westgate mall). It's a black one not a silver like the ad had for me.

OOS online for me so I decided to go in to take a look

[deejmeister]

Use this coupon code 76902528 for $30 off $150! enjoy


"!Error

(CD06) The coupon 076902528, requires an order total of at least 150.00,. At this time the order total is .00. This may be the result of certain product exclusions. Please review the promotion and disclaimer for complete explanation on what the intent of the coupon 076902528, is. If necessary, add more products and try again. Thank you.
"

Excludes technology. Nice try though.

[jleonard711]

This monitor is terrific, I've had one for 8 months, I'll buy a second one at this price. People who start to pontificate over TN or something else are trying to sound smart. All this stuff works fine.


Apparently you have never used a TN panel monitor and an MVA panel monitor side-by-side? I'm sure you haven't, otherwise you would not have made that comment. A few weeks back I purchased a 24" LCD which had a TN panel, and I didn't even know the difference between TN or MVA when I bought it, but when I hooked it up I could tell that something just didn't seem right with the picture. Everything on the screeen had a slightly reddish tint to it, and I messed with adjusting the colors and using different color management profiles, but nothing worked. Upon doing some research I learned that my monitor had a TN panel, and apparently when you look at a TN panel from even a slight angle from the bottom everything looks reddish (my monitor is slightly elevated off my desk, so I'm looking at it from about a 10 degree angle upwards) . It bothered me so much that I went out and bought a different monitor which was supposed to have an MVA panel, but when I got it home and set it up I was noticing the same problems. So I started researching that model online, and it turns out that in 12/07 they changed their panels from MVA to TN - and sure enough, the manufacture date on mine was 12/07. So I decided to go into a store to by my 3rd monitor, and this time I went and got the Soyo for $280 at Office Max, and when I got it home and set it up I was blown away at the difference. I still had the other 2 monitors witht the TN panels, because I hadn't decided which one I was going to keep yet, so I set them up all 3 side-by-side and the difference between the two TN panel montiors and the MVA panel Soyo was literally night & day.

So if you haven't seen the difference between a TN and an MVA display in person, then I highly suggest that you head down to your local Best Buy/Fry's/Circuit City and look at some different monitors and you'll see what I mean. Just do your research before you go down there so you know which are TN and which are MVA, althought you'll probably be able to tell just by looking at them. The tell-tale sign is that if you look up at a TN from the bottom then everything will look slightly reddish, and if you look down from the top then everything will have a light blue tint to it. With an MVA panel the colors don't change any angle, until you start getting outside of the viewing angle which is usually 170 degrees on an MVA panel. With the TN panels you start to notice a color change with even a 10-15 degree viewing angle, which is unacceptable in my opinion. If you're not really a picky person then you might not even notice a difference. But I'm not a videophile by any means, and I couldn't stand the two TN panel monitors that I tried.

[jleonard711]

well, I just got the Acer in my posession, and I'll get the Soyo this week(OM screwed up the address), I'm gonna hook up to my 7900GS and run it side by side(duplicated image), and use it for a week to see what's up.

I can already tell you right now which one you will be keeping.... SOYO FTW!! But seriously, post your feedback on here so people can get a good comparison of this to the Soyo, since that's what a lot of poeple seem to be debating between right now.

[insane822]

This monitor is terrific, I've had one for 8 months, I'll buy a second one at this price. People who start to pontificate over TN or something else are trying to sound smart. All this stuff works fine.

Sure, it works fine. It works perfectly fine for a budget monitor. :hug:

There is a HUGE difference! :nod:

[MadPup]

It's really shameful of these companies to purposely hide the technology used in the monitor. They feel that consumers aren't smart enough to discern the difference. And as long as people make ignorant statements like some have made in this thread, such as "don't listen to anyone talking about IPS, S-IPS, TN, MVA, PVA, because they're just trying to sound smart," they will continue their shady practice of lack of full disclosure.IMHO this is nonsense. It would only be shameful if they were asking the same price as the better panels, but they are not. I have a 24" Acer similar to this and I get what you are saying about the viewing angles. BUT when all is said and done I paid 1/2 the price (or less!) of an IPS panel model. To those of us whose priorities are screen real estate and value, then this is a hot deal. Personally I can live with the viewing angle issue because I only paid $300. Ultimately you get what you pay for. Sometimes if you are lucky (as in this case) you get a little more. Anyone upgrading from a basic 19" or 22" monitor will love this one.

Thumbs up!

[chewru]

UPDATE: I just got this for $267.49 at my local OD!
$279.99 + Pricematch $30 Staples Coupon + Tax!

[N4TECguy]

IMHO this is nonsense. It would only be shameful if they were asking the same price as the better panels, but they are not. I have a 24" Acer similar to this and I get what you are saying about the viewing angles. BUT when all is said and done I paid 1/2 the price (or less!) of an IPS panel model. To those of us whose priorities are screen real estate and value, then this is a hot deal. Personally I can live with the viewing angle issue because I only paid $300. Ultimately you get what you pay for. Sometimes if you are lucky (as in this case) you get a little more.

Thumbs up!

I think the point is that the companies should list the panel type in the specs. Everybody lists an awesome 160 or 170 degree viewing angle (which is irrelevant as we know from comparing TN vs others). Why is it so hard to find info about whether a panel is 6bit or 8bit? Why do manufacturers originally do a M-PVA or S-IPS and then switch to TN without saying? And when they do the switch, prices usually don't change. It's a little shady

[kb9nvh]

Well, I just picked this monitor up...havne't unboxed it yet but I did go to sams club and look at two 24" monitors side by side. One a westinghouse and one samsung.
The samsung was more money and had an obvious loss of brightness as you went left/right/hi/low. The westinghouse was not like that at all. Now I dont know which technologies were in each but I'm assuming the samsung was a TN.

That said, I dont think I could get far enogh over to have this be an issue while using the computer. Now if watching TV or a Game off to an angle then for thos guys this would definitly suck. Bottom line is this cost 270 bucks and I dont think it will be much of an isssue in real computer use. I'll repost when I get the acer out of the box and see how it compares to what I saw at sams club today.

[darkhunter]

I think the point is that the companies should list the panel type in the specs. Everybody lists an awesome 160 or 170 degree viewing angle (which is irrelevant as we know from comparing TN vs others). Why is it so hard to find info about whether a panel is 6bit or 8bit? Why do manufacturers originally do a M-PVA or S-IPS and then switch to TN without saying? And when they do the switch, prices usually don't change. It's a little shady

Which company are you refering to?
Dell has two 24" monitor that differ in price drastically. Same goes with Samsung, the non-TN samsung are about 200 dollar more than the TN panal.

[satnav4]

I've been using a Dell 1800fp, which is a IPS true 8-bit panel, for the past 4+ years. It was my first LCD. I recently bought a 22" widescreen Hanns G and returned it a few days later. The viewing angles are horrible. And when I say viewing angle I'm not trying to use it from 80 degrees off center. Hell even 5 or ten degrees in any direction, most notably up or down and the picture fades, changes color, gets dark, etc.

If you've never had the pleasure of using an IPS panel than I would keep it that way. Because once you do nothing less will suffice, even with the sacrifice you'll make in desktop real estate. Manufacturers like to tout the refresh rates of these TN panels as their main selling point towards gamers, but I've been playing all manner of games on this 1800fp which has a refresh rate of about 20ms with no trouble whatsoever.

If you are tempted by the size of these cheap TN panels and want to buy stick to 22" and below. THe 24" TN panels are too big for them to not show the effects of poor viewing angles EVEN WHEN LOOKING HEAD ON! Because you can't look at the corners of these sized displays without looking from an angle, think about it. Even the 22" I had, when looking straight on, unless you're looking at the very center of the monitor you will notice lack of sharpness, color, and contrast. Some stores will even go so far as to run demos on these displays with slideshows containing pictures that do not fill the screen so as to hide their imperfections.

It's really shameful of these companies to purposely hide the technology used in the monitor. They feel that consumers aren't smart enough to discern the difference. And as long as people make ignorant statements like some have made in this thread, such as "don't listen to anyone talking about IPS, S-IPS, TN, MVA, PVA, because they're just trying to sound smart," they will continue their shady practice of lack of full disclosure.

Buyer beware, and be informed.

Well I bought one and it looks great. Must be better than that crappy Hanns G you bought. What did you pay for that Dell monitor by the way? I bet more than $280. Some people love their Dells and Ipods. I try to branch out a bit.

[oneness]

Well I bought one and it looks great. Must be better than that crappy Hanns G you bought. What did you pay for that Dell monitor by the way? I bet more than $280. Some people love their Dells and Ipods. I try to branch out a bit.

Don't recall what I paid for the Dell, as it was over 4 years ago. It was probably over $300 though. As I said before, if you haven't owned a IPS panel you should stay away, because you wouldn't want to go back to a TN afterwards. The difference is night and day.

Enjoy your acer.

[gh3ttodude]

i paid 400 for my dell 20" fpw2005

[satnav4]

Don't recall what I paid for the Dell, as it was over 4 years ago. It was probably over $300 though. As I said before, if you haven't owned a IPS panel you should stay away, because you wouldn't want to go back to a TN afterwards. The difference is night and day.

Enjoy your acer.

I know it was over $300---way over. Have you seen this Acer yet? I am typing on one right now, and I don't feel the need to scare anyone away.

[cheaputard]

Crap. The OM 20% off monitors expired yesterday, and the new one isn't valid until March. No Staples "grand opening" coupons, which my OD always accepts. Anybody got any other ideas? By the time an ebay one showed up, I guarantee whatever limited stock they have now will be gone.

[kb9nvh]

OK, looking at the ACER in front of me. I stretched a white background across the whole thing. Being critical, you can see somewhat of a hue difference on the edges (I wouldn't have noticed it without this thread however), where a straight-on view is somewhat brighter/whiter. I don't think its anything I would notice or nag at me while I use this and I'm sure the pure white background is worst case.

I'll agree that TN is non-optimal. If I can get a non TN for this price or a little more I would do it just on principle. If I have to pay 200 more for the next level of "goodness" then I think this is more than usable.

Albeit it shortcomings, I believe this still to be the best value today with little to complain about (for me anyway).

FYI, this monitor blows my benq FP91G+ out of the water for contrast, brightness and the benq has the same viewing angle issue.

Easy decision for me in any case...I'M KEEPING IT!!!

Which company are you refering to?
Dell has two 24" monitor that differ in price drastically. Same goes with Samsung, the non-TN samsung are about 200 dollar more than the TN panal.

[Grimdeath]

My pre-order was the last one in the store. Mine has a Black bezzel which I actually prefer.


Compared to my new Samsung 226CW (New model with Wide Color Gamut, retail $359 at BB):

Acer:
Built-in PSU is noisier (High freq. noise).
Display is crystal Clear (same as Sammy)
No dead or stuck pixels (ran Dead Pixel Buddy). This is the first LCD I've every recieved w/no dead pixels (I went through two 226CW's last week!)
Viewing angle is better than the Samsung (much less color change with viewing angle).
Very very bright (brighter than the Sammy (500nits vs 300nits). Did I mention bright?!
Doesn't seem to autoselect inputs (I had to select Digital manually).
Front pannel buttons are rocker type (right side does one thing, the left another); not as nice as the sammy.
LESS backlight bleeding than the Samsung (this really shocked me).

I have to run a color calibration CD to see where the colors stand.

[Je44567]

Hmmm, since this is a monitor and not a TV, I do not think that should be much of a concern. 1920X1200 resolution. 1:1 pixel mapping is normally looked for by people hoping to use HDTV's as computer monitors.

Great deal though. If I already did not just get a Westy 24incher 3 weeks ago, I would be jumping on this!

-Redfoot


The line between TV & monitor barely exists anymore

[MadPup]

My pre-order was the last one in the store. Mine has a Black bezzel which I actually prefer.Are you sure it's exactly the same model?

[Grimdeath]

Are you sure it's exactly the same model?

There are TWO X243's, the X243bd and X243sb, "b" being silver bezel, "s" being silver bezel.

[kb9nvh]

The 24" westinghouse monitor at samsclub was like $340 and it did not have the prnounced viewing angle problems so it must have not been a "TN".

So, looks like 60 bucks more gets you a better panel....Anyone care to comment on the westinghouse at sams club?



IMHO this is nonsense. It would only be shameful if they were asking the same price as the better panels, but they are not. I have a 24" Acer similar to this and I get what you are saying about the viewing angles. BUT when all is said and done I paid 1/2 the price (or less!) of an IPS panel model. To those of us whose priorities are screen real estate and value, then this is a hot deal. Personally I can live with the viewing angle issue because I only paid $300. Ultimately you get what you pay for. Sometimes if you are lucky (as in this case) you get a little more. Anyone upgrading from a basic 19" or 22" monitor will love this one.

Thumbs up!

[N4TECguy]

Which company are you refering to?
Dell has two 24" monitor that differ in price drastically. Same goes with Samsung, the non-TN samsung are about 200 dollar more than the TN panal.

There are numerous instances of companies introducing a monitor as a S-IPS or M-PVA and then switching it to TN. Among them, the Dell 1907WFP, the Viewsonic Q241WB, and the LG L203WT. They introduce a monitor with a S-IPS or other great panel, they get awesome reviews, then quietly slip in a TN panel and pray nobody notices. The LG was introduced first in Asia with a S-IPS, and after it got great reviews was introduced in Europe and NA with a TN. Samsung also had a similar deal with a 226BW. They started with a higher quality TN at first and downgraded the panel quality, TWICE.

[chewru]

if anyone wants a free staples $30 off $150 to pricematch this.. just PM me... so far, so good for me! i just paid $7 for the coupon on eBay but let's spread the wealth!

i dont like having to click through 6 items to change my input (im using as a TV too).. but for $267 how can i complain?

[N4TECguy]

The 24" westinghouse monitor at samsclub was like $340 and it did not have the prnounced viewing angle problems so it must have not been a "TN".

So, looks like 60 bucks more gets you a better panel....Anyone care to comment on the westinghouse at sams club?

The 24" Westinghouse L2410NM is not a TN panel, its an M-PVA (assuming this is the model you saw, they only have one as far as I know). Can't comment on the quality, but hint there is a review on ExtremeTech.

[BIGFOOT_PI]

The line between TV & monitor barely exists anymore

sorry- but no.
getting native 1:1 pixel mapping from HDTVs when connected to PCs is still very much a widespread issue.
It has NEVER been an issue with pc LCD monitors (assuming the video card and driver supports the res of course).

[djfeltl]

My OD does not take competitor coupons on tech, even OM and Staples ones that include tech item... (Woodbury, MN)

[gh3ttodude]

colors aren't as great as my dell. decent for the price. very bright.

[gh3ttodude]

any have some good settings i can try? Thanks in advance.

[sequoia464]

I have the Soyo and love it. Got it for $299 and still think it was a good deal. I have no yet had buzzing or heat problems. It does though, however, have a slight tilt forward due to the poor quality of the screw mount on the fixed stan it comes with. Other than that, excellent.

Would also like to know about th Acer panel quality.

Take the stand off - six screws hold the stand to the monitor - and adjust the tilt with an open end wrench on the nuts that are inside the stand. Once you have the stand off it will become obvious what you need to do, Each side has to be adjusted to the same plane. Took about five minutes. Be careful of the screen though, I took precautions to support the bezel on all four corners with a towel at each.

[chewru]

just an update. the display is INSANELY bright. great during the day but almost blinding at night. it blows away my aging viewsonic VX2000 .. settings right now are at 50 brightness and 60 contrast on the hardware end.. and +25% in my my nvidia software (down from the default +50% .. may even nix altogether)

movies look great.. OSD a little clumsy but for the price i have no 'major' problems as of yet. i suspect i'll have to keep tweaking the brightness settings to find one that works.

if you're on the fence, you really can't beat the price.

[slash]

I can tell you why someone would get a headache.

I just purchased one it it is bright. Ungodly bright. I've turned the contrast all the way (0) down and the brightness is set at '54'. And it is still a bit bright.

Very good price and the picture, once adjusted, is very very nice. The colors aren't perfectly graduated from the top to the bottom. The very bottom is a bit brighter than the top (on the default contrast and brightness settings) and this is especially noticeable with the color red. The gradation is only really noticeable when running an LCD test program and the entire screen is a single color.

No dead or stuck pixels.

I've been playing call of duty 4 and the picture is fantastic.

Very happy with it and no rebates to futz with.

[satnav4]

The 24" Westinghouse L2410NM is not a TN panel, its an M-PVA (assuming this is the model you saw, they only have one as far as I know). Can't comment on the quality, but hint there is a review on ExtremeTech.

I read several reviews saying the Westinghouse has reliability issues. Everyone seems to like the picture quality except someone talking about screen door effect. Bestbuy has them for $350; you might get it for less with the 10% off coupon. I am still happy with my Acer.

[Grimdeath]

the display is INSANELY bright

I turned on ACM; it overrides whatever you set the brightness to - seems to set it to 100% for me! Damn bright.

[staratari]

Posting from mine (last one in stock in SLC, UT, 2100 S location)

Overall pretty good, I'll probably keep it. It is super bright, but you can always turn that down.

As for the TN panel viewing angle debate, the only time I noticed it was on a LCD test page designed to show the problem. Websites, games, movies, even solid colors covering the whole screen it's not visible for me.

[agentt]

After going to San Ramon (CA), Dublin (CA) and San Leandro (CA) I was able to get the last one in San Leandro. The box is huge!!!!!

I also tried to use the $5 off $5 purchase (in store ad) but it was a no go for the monitor :(

[slash]

The Office Depot in Henrico, VA had over 4 in stock.

http://urlhasbeenblocked/2ggm4b

9700 W BROAD STREET
W. BROAD ST. & STILLMAN PKWY.
Store# 565
GLEN ALLEN, VA 23060

[coffeey]

I think Soyo is much much much better than this. I bought this one today to compare with my Soyo I bought last week. I have NEVER seen this kind of crap monitor. Soyo 24" >>>>> Acer 24"

[gh3ttodude]

the soyo is so much uglier though.....lol. aesthetically

[lewis95129]

Looks like Acer's monitor has signal detection problem. I bought one 24" monitor last year but it always turns itself off and on from time to time and display "no signal" although you can see the display is there. I returned the first one and bought another 24" (my mistake, it's Acer again because it's cheap), the same problem happens. I even changed my display card and the problem is still there. I wrote to Acer and asked about it but never got any response.
My old display card is ATI 700pro and the new card is Nvidia 8600GT. The problem happens on both cards. (Sometimes no problem) I also tried both DVI and VGA port, it's the same. I believe the signal auto detection has problem for the monitor.
Be careful if you plan to buy it.

[satnav4]

I think Soyo is much much much better than this. I bought this one today to compare with my Soyo I bought last week. I have NEVER seen this kind of crap monitor. Soyo 24" >>>>> Acer 24"

I don't know at what you are looking. I have web surfed, played COD4 and Quake Wars, and watched a HD recording of Dexter recorded with my HDHomerun. Everything looks great. That Soyo must be one hell of a monitor if you think the Acer looks like crap next to it. I saw the Soyo in store at OM, and did not see anything that spectacular. I am guessing you did not set the Acer up correctly. It didn't matter to me; with that 2 foot bezel, the Soyo wouldn't fit on my desk anyway---and it is uber ugly.

S.

[llomll]

After going to San Ramon (CA), Dublin (CA) and San Leandro (CA) I was able to get the last one in San Leandro. The box is huge!!!!!

I also tried to use the $5 off $5 purchase (in store ad) but it was a no go for the monitor :(

Worked for me here in Fullerton, CA.

[AxlxA]

Okay, I bought this to see how it is....

Originally own a 2005FWP for the past few years. I made dell send me a replacement due to a broken USB port and that replacement's DVI port was bad. So in the end, Dell sent me a new 2007WFP to replace my 2005FWP. And Here we go:

This monitor is BRIGHT AS THE SUN! Check out these pics. Note: 2007WFP is using VGA(which is probably why it's not as sharp as it normally is and I do notice the difference with brightness and sharpness of the VGA being really bad.)

Zip file of pictures. I swear they're pictures, not a virus.

http://rapidshare.com/files/94710729/IMG_9840.zip.html



I've decided to return this. Who wants to get this in Madison, WI? I can sell it to you directly for the exact price I paid(to the CENT) or I'll just return it to office depot. Someone PM me about this.

[jouyang]

I think Soyo is much much much better than this. I bought this one today to compare with my Soyo I bought last week. I have NEVER seen this kind of crap monitor. Soyo 24" >>>>> Acer 24"


I personally think the Soyo has better picture then the Acer. I brought the Soyo last week and returned back because it's not HDCP. I've been testing the Acer today using this site http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/ . I can't even get Acer to display the proper contrast. I even try to get it down to 0 Contrast but it still failed the White saturation test and Quick contrast test. If the Soyo has HDCP, I will replace the Acer in a heartbeat.

[uncola]

Post Summary: I take it back, the Acer tn is shit compared to a VA based display. Spend more and get the $329 Westinghouse L2410NM va panel at sam's club today. also it has a pretty bezel/case.


hi, you may have seen my post earlier in the thread. In that post I said I looked at the acer tn and soyo p-mva panels but wasn't able to gauge the soyo because it was displaying a dvd through a low quality rca port plugged into a vga signal splitter. I said the acer looked as good as the s-pva it was next to while they all displayed the same hd video. one guy replied saying moving video minimizes color shifting and contrast shifting due to bad viewing angles.
Dudes, he was totally right. I exchanged my acer tn and got a westinghouse va, and the difference is night and say. There is shifting that occurs even when looking straight at a tn that you don't notice until you look straight at a va while they show a static solid color image. Also the blacks are way darker on a va panel. So stay away from TN for more than basic computer use. I feel bad for enthusing about the tn panel earlier in the thread because I may have mislead some people. It is a sharp display and has a nice bezel compared to most low low end monitors. But if you are a person who uses your computer all day don't get a TN panel. That's all.

[chewru]

before you return this -- check out the LCD TEST WEBSITE and go step by step to calibrate the LCD.. what a huge difference it made for me..

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

very happy with this monitor post-calibration.

[N4TECguy]

Post Summary: I take it back, the Acer tn is shit compared to a VA based display. Spend more and get the $329 Westinghouse L2410NM va panel at sam's club today. also it has a pretty bezel/case.


hi, you may have seen my post earlier in the thread. In that post I said I looked at the acer tn and soyo p-mva panels but wasn't able to gauge the soyo because it was displaying a dvd through a low quality rca port plugged into a vga signal splitter. I said the acer looked as good as the s-pva it was next to while they all displayed the same hd video. one guy replied saying moving video minimizes color shifting and contrast shifting due to bad viewing angles.
Dudes, he was totally right. I exchanged my acer tn and got a westinghouse va, and the difference is night and say. There is shifting that occurs even when looking straight at a tn that you don't notice until you look straight at a va while they show a static solid color image. Also the blacks are way darker on a va panel. So stay away from TN for more than basic computer use. I feel bad for enthusing about the tn panel earlier in the thread because I may have mislead some people. It is a sharp display and has a nice bezel compared to most low low end monitors. But if you are a person who uses your computer all day don't get a TN panel. That's all.

It just goes to show that you cannot tell jack about a monitor from looking at it in the store. I actually went myself to see this apparently wonderful TN...and it was not hooked up to anything at my Office Depot. But I went to Staples for something else, and I noticed a Samsung 226BW and a Dell E228WFP side by side, and I definitely could not tell that they were TN panels

before you return this -- check out the LCD TEST WEBSITE and go step by step to calibrate the LCD.. what a huge difference it made for me..

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

very happy with this monitor post-calibration.

Color shifting cannot be calibrated :lol:

[jouyang]

before you return this -- check out the LCD TEST WEBSITE and go step by step to calibrate the LCD.. what a huge difference it made for me..

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

very happy with this monitor post-calibration.


Can you share your Contrast & Brightness settting? Thx.

[Hawkyn]

the web site says this item has been discontinued:mad:

[jhoneycutt]

I always feel obligated to comment in these TN-panel LCD threads...

TN panels are great in a very few limited cases. If you can sit 2+ feet from it, with it propped up such that the center of the screen is at eye level (which is higher than most desks would place it), and you don't move around, you'll probably enjoy this monitor. The exception here is for the "hardcore" FPS gamers, who may really benefit from the lower response times a TN panel can achieve.

If you sit too close, if you roll your chair to answer the phone or move to the free part of your desk, if you slouch, if you keep it in the bedroom and try to watch from bed, if you try to rotate it sideways for photo editing, if you want to use it to play dark video games or movies -- and if you've used a superior technology -- you will be disappointed.

So, buy what fits you. If you spend a lot of time at your computer, you buy a nice desk chair and monitor. If you only drive 2.5 miles to work, you don't buy the Prius :)

[shuriken]

hmm...24"s....might pass, wait for a 27+ deal to come around. :D

[rebat]

I always feel obligated to comment in these TN-panel LCD threads...

TN panels are great in a very few limited cases. If you can sit 2+ feet from it, with it propped up such that the center of the screen is at eye level (which is higher than most desks would place it), and you don't move around, you'll probably enjoy this monitor. The exception here is for the "hardcore" FPS gamers, who may really benefit from the lower response times a TN panel can achieve.

If you sit too close, if you roll your chair to answer the phone or move to the free part of your desk, if you slouch, if you keep it in the bedroom and try to watch from bed, if you try to rotate it sideways for photo editing, if you want to use it to play dark video games or movies -- and if you've used a superior technology -- you will be disappointed.

So, buy what fits you. If you spend a lot of time at your computer, you buy a nice desk chair and monitor. If you only drive 2.5 miles to work, you don't buy the Prius :)

Well said.
another note...
The viewing angle differences are mostly noted in the vertical axis, not horizontal. If you don't sit completely parallel to the monitor (when you slouch or stand up looking down on the monitor) you might notice banding, but for the average user, unless you comparre a TN and MVA side by side, you won't know the difference.

[AxlxA]

Well said.
another note...
The viewing angle differences are mostly noted in the vertical axis, not horizontal. If you don't sit completely parallel to the monitor (when you slouch or stand up looking down on the monitor) you might notice banding, but for the average user, unless you comparre a TN and MVA side by side, you won't know the difference.
EXACTLY. I move up and down a lot and this LCD drove me NUTS. I'll stick with my 2007WFP.

[staratari]

Another couple notes:

1) I don't think you can order this online, even for in-store pickup. It told me I couldn't add it to the cart because "This item is not available in your area." B&M had it in stock, of course.

2) It's not really fair to keep comparing this to the Soyo as you can't get it for $280 anymore. Great for those of you who got in on it but you can't anymore. I tried to buy one last night so I could do a side by side but OM was already closed and now the deal is DEAD!

[satnav4]

Well said.
another note...
The viewing angle differences are mostly noted in the vertical axis, not horizontal. If you don't sit completely parallel to the monitor (when you slouch or stand up looking down on the monitor) you might notice banding, but for the average user, unless you comparre a TN and MVA side by side, you won't know the difference.

I agree with you. Apparently, alot of people have substituted trampolines for desk chairs. I don't bounce up and down much, but I guess if a toddler was running my computer, he might notice some "shifting". Those Westinghouses have a few too many quality issues to satisfy me. In case you don't know, Westinghouse really doesn't exist anymore--not the original company. It is now just a licensed trade name someone bought to use. At least that is the case for my low watt garden light set, distributed by some unknown company. And yes, the set was defective with some bad lights.

So what have we learned?

1. Some people don't want you to buy a TN panel for any price;
2. Some people spent alot for an MVA panel, and don't want you spending little for a TN panel;
3. Some people want to show how smart they are about panel technologies;
4. Some people just sit in front of their computers, without bouncing, and want a good operating, reasonably priced monitor with a 3 year warranty.

I am in the 4th group.

S.

[oneness]

[snip]
So what have we learned?

1. Some people don't want you to buy a TN panel for any price;
2. Some people spent alot for an MVA panel, and don't want you spending little for a TN panel;
3. Some people want to show how smart they are about panel technologies;
4. Some people just sit in front of their computers, without bouncing, and want a good operating, reasonably priced monitor with a 3 year warranty.

I am in the 4th group.

S.

this guy is convinced that those posting about TN limitations just "don't want you to buy a TN for any price," "don't want you spending little for a TN panel" and "want to show how smart they are." This is a forum for sharing information and that's what is going on--education, that is all. It's about giving people all of the information and letting them make their own decisions. Because this is also a deals site it is even more important to make people aware before being tempted to purchase simply by a low price. Why are you so defensive? (I could venture to answer this for you but alas, it's a rhetorical question)

[satnav4]

this guy is convinced that those posting about TN limitations just "don't want you to buy a TN for any price," "don't want you spending little for a TN panel" and "want to show how smart they are." This is a forum for sharing information and that's what is going on--education, that is all. It's about giving people all of the information and letting them make their own decisions. Because this is also a deals site it is even more important to make people aware before being tempted to purchase simply by a low price. Why are you so defensive? (I could venture to answer this for you but alas, it's a rhetorical question)

I will put you in group 1 then. I have no problem with that. Or did you spend too much for a Dell? (but alas, that is a rhetorical question).

[kb9nvh]

OK, so here's my take from someone who bought the ACER.
Without this thread I wouldn't have given the performance of this thing any extra thought and would be thrilled with its size and the way it renders its images. Quite an upgrade from my BenQ 19incher.

However, knowing that there is better out there does enter into the equation. I'm usually one to spend a bit more to find the best "value" in features and quality. Since the westinghouse is avaliable at samsclub for 330 or so, I would suggest that anyone thinking of buying this monitor also consider that one for 50 bucks more since it doesn't have the limited viewing angle issue.

I dont think most will notice or care about the difference but if you plan to watch TV on this thing then limited viewing angles will haunt you (just as my giant rear projection TV does in the living room).

I'm keeping this ACER because I'm OK with its limitations and price. I'm not a graphic artist and dont watch TV on my home computer. I dont feel I need a calibrated monitor. If I had it to do over again I might consider the westinghouse or something else that is comparable.

[oneness]

I will put you in group 1 then. I have no problem with that. Or did you spend too much for a Dell? (but alas, that is a rhetorical question).

lol you and your groups. go right ahead buddy if you feel the need. sounds like you're trying to jsutify your cheap monitor to yourself. good luck with that..

[satnav4]

OK, so here's my take from someone who bought the ACER.
Without this thread I wouldn't have given the performance of this thing any extra thought and would be thrilled with its size and the way it renders its images. Quite an upgrade from my BenQ 19incher.

However, knowing that there is better out there does enter into the equation. I'm usually one to spend a bit more to find the best "value" in features and quality. Since the westinghouse is avaliable at samsclub for 330 or so, I would suggest that anyone thinking of buying this monitor also consider that one for 50 bucks more since it doesn't have the limited viewing angle issue.

I dont think most will notice or care about the difference but if you plan to watch TV on this thing then limited viewing angles will haunt you (just as my giant rear projection TV does in the living room).

I'm keeping this ACER because I'm OK with its limitations and price. I'm not a graphic artist and dont watch TV on my home computer. I dont feel I need a calibrated monitor. If I had it to do over again I might consider the westinghouse or something else that is comparable.

My sentiments exactly, and nicely put. Reps to you. Some other guys just don't seem to get this point. They just want you to drink the koolaid and pay more for a MVA panel you will never look at off center. I guess I shouldn't fuss too much. I bought the Chrysler 300 with the Hemi. It is way more horsepower than I will ever need or use (kinda like that MVA and viewing angle thing). Difference is I have never tried to talk anyone out of the 6 cylinder model claiming it didn't have enough horsepower. I have always said it is "horses for courses". So if you need to use your monitor as a TV, then get an MVA. If you don't, and if you sit in front of your monitor while using the computer, you will love this thing.

And for the guy who called me cheap, the Hemi costs more than the 6 cylinder. Sorry to disappoint.

S.

[Blazestorm]

Soyo vs. Acer for $280... Soyo wins... Acer isn't known for "super-high" quality products either...

TN Panels are why I hated LCD's for the past 5+ years, never really sat in front of a good LCD until this...

But then again any 24" under $300 is a good deal, I'm glad I went w/ the Soyo... not the best 24 monitor ever made, for $300 I think it's the best deal.

[CouponCutter]

FWIW, I've been using an ACER 22" (TN Panel) for the past year doing sports photoshop work. Once the monitor is calibrated, the printed pictures from the local photo lab match very closely to what is shown on the monitor. $280 for a 24" monitor is a great deal.

[srmmrthy]

I always feel obligated to comment in these TN-panel LCD threads...

TN panels are great in a very few limited cases. If you can sit 2+ feet from it, with it propped up such that the center of the screen is at eye level (which is higher than most desks would place it), and you don't move around, you'll probably enjoy this monitor. The exception here is for the "hardcore" FPS gamers, who may really benefit from the lower response times a TN panel can achieve.

If you sit too close, if you roll your chair to answer the phone or move to the free part of your desk, if you slouch, if you keep it in the bedroom and try to watch from bed, if you try to rotate it sideways for photo editing, if you want to use it to play dark video games or movies -- and if you've used a superior technology -- you will be disappointed.

So, buy what fits you. If you spend a lot of time at your computer, you buy a nice desk chair and monitor. If you only drive 2.5 miles to work, you don't buy the Prius :)

Agree about the TN panel, but regarding the Prius, if you drive only 2.5 mi to work then that's all the more reason to buy it ;)

[AxlxA]

I don't understand how someone could try to invalidate the reasoning behind the vertical viewing disadvantage of the TN panels(especially this one).

You guys may work on these panels doing photo work or excel work but for me, it's my every day every kind of work. AIM, Game, Movies, music, photoshop, etc. When I'm watching a show or movie, I tend to not sit up straight and slide down my chair a bit or slouch a bit. The vertical viewing was horrible by just moving down about 3 inches. I have been using a 2005fwp dell lcd for the past 2 years and that never gave me such problems. In fact, i was so annoyed by the acer's bad viewing angle that I decided to return it and shell out more money for a decent 22" instead of the unnecessarily massive 24" that is only placed 2feet away from me.

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. If I'm keeping this for 5 years, I want it to be GOOD, like my 2005FWP. It's that argument again, you get what you paid for and I will pay more.

[nkx1]

I don't know why so many people are in denial regarding the quality (or more precisely lack thereof) of picture afforded by a TN display. Clearly, there are some quantifiable limitations, most notably dramatic color shift. Coming from someone who had an Acer TN panel and switching to the Soyo (apparent) P-MVA panel, the difference is pretty substantial. And no, I don't bounce up and down in my chair or anything like that.

The colors on the Soyo (P-MVA) are so much more vivid and uniform that on a TN panel. And as others have pointed out, even if you look at your monitor head on, a 24" is sufficiently large that there will be noticeable color shift if you are using a TN lcd.

It's not about "drinking the cool-aid" or anything like that. I could care less what people buy, but I do think they should make an informed choice. And the fact is, a VA panel will offer a superior picture in every way but response time (most will never notice a response time difference of 6ms vs 4ms). I also noticed that people who posted they have done a comparison at home (ie not just relying on the images at the store) almost always state that the VA panels are far superior to TN. So by all means, buy whatever makes you happy, but you owe it to yourself to make an informed choice- after all, the whole point of a monitor is to display a picture; I would think the monitor that displays the best picture for the least amount of money should normally be the best choice...

Btw, it seems like the Soyo 24" (p-mva panel) goes on sale every other week for $299 or less.

[slash]

One quick note. I turned the contrast all the way down and turned the brightness to 40. Then I just ran through Apple's quick display calibration and the colors look good and are even from the top to the bottom of the monitor.

I'm happy with my purchase.

[jayfore]

On paper this looks like a great monitor. And on my desk it looks really slick. But when I try to use it, it gives me a splitting headache. I can't explain why, but it just seems like stuff is dancing around and I have to look away after a few minutes.
My 14 inch Lenovo laptop has a much better display. After a little research, it turns out this Acer uses TN technology, while my laptop uses S-IPS. The other good ones are PVA and MVA. But stay away from this TN junk. It may look fine in the store, but you just can't use it with a white background, working on a spreadsheet, a word doc, or a browser. It kills.
If you want a TV to view from across the room, then maybe it's OK.
How does one quickly/easily figure out which kind of technology their LCD monitor has? I have never seen these terms (TN, etc.) before. Thanks!

[satnav4]

I don't know why so many people are in denial regarding the quality (or more precisely lack thereof) of picture afforded by a TN display. Clearly, there are some quantifiable limitations, most notably dramatic color shift. Coming from someone who had an Acer TN panel and switching to the Soyo (apparent) P-MVA panel, the difference is pretty substantial. And no, I don't bounce up and down in my chair or anything like that.

The colors on the Soyo (P-MVA) are so much more vivid and uniform that on a TN panel. And as others have pointed out, even if you look at your monitor head on, a 24" is sufficiently large that there will be noticeable color shift if you are using a TN lcd.

It's not about "drinking the cool-aid" or anything like that. I could care less what people buy, but I do think they should make an informed choice. And the fact is, a VA panel will offer a superior picture in every way but response time (most will never notice a response time difference of 6ms vs 4ms). I also noticed that people who posted they have done a comparison at home (ie not just relying on the images at the store) almost always state that the VA panels are far superior to TN. So by all means, buy whatever makes you happy, but you owe it to yourself to make an informed choice- after all, the whole point of a monitor is to display a picture; I would think the monitor that displays the best picture for the least amount of money should normally be the best choice...

Btw, it seems like the Soyo 24" (p-mva panel) goes on sale every other week for $299 or less.

Until Soyo has the confidence you have in its monitor, and backs it with more than a 1 year warranty, I am staying away. Any functioning TN monitor will outperform a non-functioning Soyo VA monitor every day of the week. What is the warranty on the Westinghouse from Sams?

[willk50]

Until Soyo has the confidence you have in its monitor, and backs it with more than a 1 year warranty, I am staying away. Any functioning TN monitor will outperform a non-functioning Soyo VA monitor every day of the week. What is the warranty on the Westinghouse from Sams?

1 year parts and labor.

[satnav4]

1 year parts and labor.

Thanks. Is there some sort of reliability issue on MVA monitors--at least the cheap ones? It seems neither Soyo nor Westinghouse wants to stand behind them for more than 1 year.

[N4TECguy]

My sentiments exactly, and nicely put. Reps to you. Some other guys just don't seem to get this point. They just want you to drink the koolaid and pay more for a MVA panel you will never look at off center. I guess I shouldn't fuss too much. I bought the Chrysler 300 with the Hemi. It is way more horsepower than I will ever need or use (kinda like that MVA and viewing angle thing). Difference is I have never tried to talk anyone out of the 6 cylinder model claiming it didn't have enough horsepower. I have always said it is "horses for courses". So if you need to use your monitor as a TV, then get an MVA. If you don't, and if you sit in front of your monitor while using the computer, you will love this thing.

And for the guy who called me cheap, the Hemi costs more than the 6 cylinder. Sorry to disappoint.

S.

You talk too much crap for someone who's never owned both a TN and a VA, if even for a short period of time.

[satnav4]

You talk too much crap for someone who's never owned both a TN and a VA, if even for a short period of time.

Now, now. Logic is your friend.

[slash]

I have a question. Why does anyone care what monitor someone else uses?

Some people in here are arguing like it is a religion.

There are several levels of quality in LCD panels. Just like everything else, as the quality level increases so does the price.

Some people are perfectly happy at the lowest level. Some people have to pay the most for the very best. Many people are in between to two.

The 'TN' type of panel may be the cheapest and the worst in image quality. But for many people it is good enough and they are happy with it. Why must someone continually tell them "your monitor sucks"? Then follow it up with "I know more than you?"

There is nothing wrong with telling others that there are better options available. But to continually hammer the point is just rude.

[strifllel]

If you need a monitor for PS3 or HTPC, then this will work as it has HDCP support; whereas the Soyo 24" (http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=246650&t=746940) has a much better picture quality and requires a $25 HDCP stripper to work.



Where can I purchase a $25 HDCP stripper?

[samhigh]

After reading the different threads for this monitor and the Soyo, I ultimately decided to give the Acer a chance as there were way too many quality issues raised with the Soyo's.

As discussed ad nauseum on this thread, the Acer is a TN panel. I have always used TN panels, because I am cheap, so this was a major issue for me.

The monitor had three dead pixels and two stuck pixels, the worst pixel issues I have ever had with a monitor (Samsung, Viewsonic, etc.). The major disadvantage of this monitor for me was the total lack of adjustment, not even tilt or height. For my setup, this would not work.

I had read a review that stated this monitor was hard on the eyes, and maybe I was biased before using it, but I swear the review was correct and the monitor was actually hard to read a web page.

Anyhow, I have decided to drop the extra coin and buy a better panel that ideally has tilt, height adjustment and pivoting.

Hope this information helps your decision making process.

One other piece of advice; Office Depot will potentially charge a restocking fee on opened monitors. I recommend having them open the box at the store to verify the content, then have the mark on the receipt that the box was opened. This helps streamline returns if needed.

[kampret]

sorry if this is such a newbie question...

somebody mentioned that this lcd would be good for ps3.. my question is, does it have hdmi/component input so we can plug the ps3 directly into the mon