New monitor suggestions please

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Hi folks,

I'm looking to replace my aging 19" 4:3 Viewsonic VX910, with something a little more up-to-date.

So far, I've narrowed the choices down to:
Asus VH242H
BenQ GH2420HD

I'm looking to connect the XBox 360 via HDMI and the Mini via DVI, so these two ports are a must-have, as are integrated speakers, although an audio out socket will suffice, so I can add external speakers, if need be.

Which of the two above monitors is better? Sorry, but things like contrast ratios go right over my head.

Can anyone recommend an alternative monitor, given the above "must-haves" and my budget?

Maximum budget of £220GBP.

Thanks for any help. :Cool:
 

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I think that 24" monitors these days are the "sweet spot" when it comes to price...so I think a 24" display is a great choice.:)

As far as the two monitors you listed...honestly...they look almost identical. But if I had to choose one...I would go with the Asus.

The biggest difference I see between the two monitors is the contrast ratio. The contrast ratio is supposed to be a ratio of the "whitest white" and the "blackest black" a monitor can produce. The bigger the number the better (supposably).

The Asus is 20,000:1...and the Benq is 1000:1. The problem is...there is no industry standard method for determining contrast ratio. So it's tough to make a true contrast ratio comparison.

The best way to chose a monitor is to actually look at them...but this may not always be possible when buying on the internet (if they are not available to view at a local computer/electronics store).

In any case I would go with Asus (just my humble opinion). It costs 10 pounds more than the BenQ...but the Asus says free shipping. The Asus contrast ratio is much higher than the BenQ (but who really knows if this is a difference you can actually see).

The response time is also very important...both monitors appear the same (5ms). And monitor brightness (300 cd/m2) is the same on both.

Just my humble opinion. I bet they would both be very good monitors compared to your old 19" monitor...simply because they are so much bigger (1900 x 1080) resolution.

Hope this helps,

- Nick
 
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Hi Nick,

I'm kind of leaning towards the Asus myself - The lines look "cleaner" than the BenQ. :)
The free delivery option offered by Amazon is 3-5 working days and even if I take their Express delivery option, at around £10, I would still have to wait at least two days for them to get delivery from the manufacturer and then ship it on to me. :( Not good, when you consider the Bank Holiday (Good Friday + Easter Monday) here in the UK.

I've done a little more research, since my original post and have found an alternative supplier, who can get the monitor to me on Thursday, provided I order it by 1700 HRS Wednesday and they too have to place their order with the manufacturer, who will then direct ship the monitor to me.

All in all, this works out a little more expensive (£192.68) than going with Amazon, but at least I'll get the monitor in a reasonable timescale. :)

Anyone else have any other 24" full HD recommendations, before I call the supplier (misco.co.uk) tomorrow and give my debit card a work out?
 

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All in all, this works out a little more expensive (£192.68) than going with Amazon, but at least I'll get the monitor in a reasonable timescale. :)

I know that you're excited to get a new monitor:)...but what's the hurry? You still have your 19" to use till the new one arrives.

- Nick
 
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That's a good point, Nick :)

The thing is, with Amazon, although they're relatively cheap, the delivery of this item is what breaks the deal for me. If I pay for something, I don't want/expect to have to wait over a week to get my hands on it, physically.

Shame there are no "physical" stores (to my knowledge) that stock this monitor, or I would have picked one up and quite likely paid a little extra for it.

Also, the other reason I want to change monitors, is to free up one of the HDMI ports on my Sammy LE32A436T1D 32" 720p LCD, which is being used for my XBox 360 Elite, hence my requirement for a HDMI in on this monitor. :)
 

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Hey...I can certainly understand wanting to get a new piece of electronic hardware as soon as possible!:)

Whenever I shop for something on the internet...free shipping is usually one of my BIG decision makers between two internet stores (as long as the price for the item is similar).

If you don't mind paying for shipping to get it faster...or if the shipping cost is really low...go for it!

I'm not sure how things work in the UK. But here in the US...sometimes if the location where the item is shipping from is not too far away from my location (say 100-200 miles)...free shipping can be just as quick as paying for "faster" ground shipping.

I just received something I purchased from an internet store today (about 300 miles away from me). It was supposed to take 4 days...but it only took 2 days.:)

- Nick
 
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Hi again Nick,

I've just spotted this 22" Acer, which I can pick up tomorrow, if need be. What do you think?

The only slight niggle, is the speakers - 2x1W, but I can always get a set of desktop speakers, if need be.
 

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Hi again Nick,

I've just spotted this 22" Acer, which I can pick up tomorrow, if need be. What do you think?

The only slight niggle, is the speakers - 2x1W, but I can always get a set of desktop speakers, if need be.

Nah....it looks like a nice monitor...but personally I wouldn't get this one. It's only 22" and the other two choices were 24" (bigger is better in my book)!:) The 22" monitor has the same resolution (1920 x 1080) as the two 24" monitors...but on the 22" everything will look smaller.

Plus the 22" is basically the same price as the two 24" choices...so I would stick with one of the two 24" ones.

HTH,

- Nick
 
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Nah....it looks like a nice monitor...but personally I wouldn't get this one. It's only 22" and the other two choices were 24" (bigger is better in my book)!:) The 22" monitor has the same resolution (1920 x 1080) as the two 24" monitors...but on the 22" everything will look smaller.

Plus the 22" is basically the same price as the two 24" choices...so I would stick with one of the two 24" ones.

HTH,

- Nick
Hi again Nick,
Yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking, myself. I guess I just needed someone else to tell me, though. lol
Looks like it's going to be the Asus, then. :D I will give amazon and the other supplier a call tomorrow to see who can deliver it quicker.

Thanks for your input, Nick - It's greatly appreciated. :)
 

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Go for it!!!:)

If you had ordered it yesterday (instead of tomorrow)...you would be 2 days closer to getting it!;)

Good luck,

- Nick
 
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Go for it!!!:)

If you had ordered it yesterday (instead of tomorrow)...you would be 2 days closer to getting it!;)

Good luck,

- Nick
LOL! Yeah I know - I used to be indecisive, but now I'm just not sure :p

As soon as the SO rings me to tell me that she's put the money in the bank, then It's as good as ordered, so I should have my grubby mitts on it on Tuesday. :D
 
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UPDATE:

The monitor arrived this AM :D which isn't bad, considering it was ordered on Thursday and we had a long weekend here in the UK, so effectively, it was Next working day delivery. :D

A slight niggle was that the included DVI-D lead was totally non-functional, but I had a DVI lead from my previous monitor, which was 1000% better quality than the included one, which worked straight away.

I contacted the retailer (play.com) and told them that the supplied DVI lead didn't work and they credited my account with £15 as a good will gesture. :D

Just spent the last couple of hours trying to get the settings right, WRT brightness, contrast, etc and although not 100%, it's good enough for now.

Now all I have to do is optimize the monitor on the HDMI input, for the 360 and I can finally sit back and enjoy this beast. :D

Thanks for all your help and advice, Nick - Rep has been added for you. :D
 

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Rottie,

Congrats on getting the new monitor. You didn't say anything about the new monitors size. I would think that 1920 x 1080 is nicer than your old 19" monitor!:)

- Nick
 
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Rottie,

Congrats on getting the new monitor. You didn't say anything about the new monitors size. I would think that 1920 x 1080 is nicer than your old 19" monitor!:)

- Nick
Hi again Nick,
Regarding the monitor's size: What can I say? It's a whole different world to my old 19", which was 1024x768 (IIRC).
This 24" widescreen definitely takes some getting used to. :eek: And so far, the only niggle I have is that the screen has a very small mark on it, like it's beneath the surface of the screen? No amount of polishing or cleaning seems to get rid of it. :(
Otherwise, it's a sweet monitor and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone else who's thinking of upgrading. :)

EDIT: I've uploaded a screenshot of the "mark/scratch", but it doesn't show up at all on the screenie - Could it be possible that the LCD's anti glare coating is scratched slightly? Would this be sufficient to get an RMA?
I've also uploaded a photo, taken with my phone, which shows the mark there.

Screen shot 2010-04-06 at 20.54.31.png
 

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pigoo3

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Rottie,

It's sort of hard to tell just how big & distracting that mark is...but I know just how upsetting it can be to have a brand new monitor and even if there is just one dead pixel...your eye just gets drawn to it...and then it seems to stand out BIG TIME!:(

If this mark has really got you "bugged" and is worth the trouble of boxing it up & returning it...then get an RMA & return it. Of course you may have to wait a while longer before getting the replacement monitor (depending on the seller's exchange policy). You may have to wait until the item is returned & received by the seller before they ship you another one.

Regardless...you should be happy & satisfied!:)

- Nick
 
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Rottie,

It's sort of hard to tell just how big & distracting that mark is...but I know just how upsetting it can be to have a brand new monitor and even if there is just one dead pixel...your eye just gets drawn to it...and then it seems to stand out BIG TIME!:(

If this mark has really got you "bugged" and is worth the trouble of boxing it up & returning it...then get an RMA & return it. Of course you may have to wait a while longer before getting the replacement monitor (depending on the seller's exchange policy). You may have to wait until the item is returned & received by the seller before they ship you another one.

Regardless...you should be happy & satisfied!:)

- Nick

Hi again Nick,

Thanks for taking the time to reply; it is appreciated. :)

To the naked eye, that mark is approx 1.5 - 2mm across and 1-1.5mm high.
Not a huge mark, but as you quite rightly mention, the eye is drawn to it. :(

I have already spoken with the reseller (play.com) and spent almost an hour :eek: on the phone with one of their supervisors. The problem is that they got this monitor in as a "one off" type of deal and therefore they don't have any replacements that they can readily get hold of and ship on to me, in the same way as they would have been able to, if it was a current stock item.

Play told me that unfortunately, my only recourse in this instance would be a full refund of the original purchase price, but that would mean about a week to 10 days, before the refund is processed, due to couriers and testing, then the delay involved with refunding to a card. :(

I'm going to ring Asus tomorrow on the premise that imho the monitors anti-glare coating was scratched from day one and therefore, regardless of their "dead pixel policy", the monitor was supplied with an inherent fault and therefore, in a small way, could be regarded as unfit for purpose.

If I don't get any joy from Asus, I'll go back to play.com and get the refund sorted. I'm sorry, but if I buy new, then I'd expect to get "new" quality.

Thanks for your help and input. :)
 

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I have already spoken with the reseller (play.com) and spent almost an hour :eek: on the phone with one of their supervisors. The problem is that they got this monitor in as a "one off" type of deal and therefore they don't have any replacements that they can readily get hold of and ship on to me, in the same way as they would have been able to, if it was a current stock item.

If I don't get any joy from Asus, I'll go back to play.com and get the refund sorted. I'm sorry, but if I buy new, then I'd expect to get "new" quality.

So what is the deal here???

Did play.com get this "one off" deal on this monitor because it was the last one their supplier had...or did they get this "one off" deal because this monitor was some sort of "display" model or a returned item from another dissatisfied customer (because of the blemish)...and then play.com sold the monitor to you as "NEW" when really it was "damage merchandise"?

Of course if you got a really good deal on the monitor because of the display blemish...then that's totally understandable (and you knew about it). But if this monitor was sold to you as a 100% new defect free product...then it seems a return is in order.

On the other hand...here's an idea for you...that I would try if I was in your shoes. If this "blemish" is really really not that big of a deal for you. And since this was the only monitor of this model that play.com has or had...why not call them up & say..."Hey...to save us both the hassle of returning/dealing with this monitor...how about giving me a 25 pound refund of my purchase price...and call things even."

Or whatever wording & refund amount you feel is fair. If they say no...then return the monitor. Of course if this monitor blemish is really bothersome...and no refund amount would make things better...then of course definitely return the monitor.

Hope this helps...some food for thought,

- Nick
 
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So what is the deal here???

Did play.com get this "one off" deal on this monitor because it was the last one their supplier had...or did they get this "one off" deal because this monitor was some sort of "display" model or a returned item from another dissatisfied customer (because of the blemish)...and then play.com sold the monitor to you as "NEW" when really it was "damage merchandise"?

Of course if you got a really good deal on the monitor because of the display blemish...then that's totally understandable (and you knew about it). But if this monitor was sold to you as a 100% new defect free product...then it seems a return is in order.

On the other hand...here's an idea for you...that I would try if I was in your shoes. If this "blemish" is really really not that big of a deal for you. And since this was the only monitor of this model that play.com has or had...why not call them up & say..."Hey...to save us both the hassle of returning/dealing with this monitor...how about giving me a 25 pound refund of my purchase price...and call things even."

Or whatever wording & refund amount you feel is fair. If they say no...then return the monitor. Of course if this monitor blemish is really bothersome...and no refund amount would make things better...then of course definitely return the monitor.

Hope this helps...some food for thought,

- Nick

Hi again Nick,

As I understand it, play.com simply got a consignment of X number of these monitors in from their supplier/distributor and marketed them as a new product.

When I ordered my monitor last week, there were still 4 remaining monitors in stock, which they have subsequently sold and the monitor is no longer available for purchase on their website.

From what I can gather, it looks to me as if this monitor model is perhaps end of line and therefore no more are being pushed through the supply chain, as when I rang Asus in the Netherlands, I was told that the model was over a year old at this point, by one of Asus' tech team, so perhaps this would explain why play.com (and other retailers) only got a limited number to sell.

I would doubt very much that play would resell what could effectively be a refurbished product, as the box which the monitor came in, was Asus branded and even the packaging tape, which was intact, had the Asus logo/brand name on it.

I doubt very much that play would offer me any kind of "goodwill gesture" in the form of a rebate or partial refund, as the supervisor I spoke to yesterday was adamant that if the monitor did not fully meet my expectations, then the only recourse open to me would be a full refund of the purchase price, but this would entail (i)shipping the item back to them at their cost and a presumptive timescale of 3-5 working days, (ii)waiting another 1-2 days for the item to be tested for faults and (iii)finally getting a refund to my card, which would take approximately 3-5 working days again.

I even suggested to the supervisor that he ship me a higher priced monitor of similar spec, which averaged £5.00 more than the one I'd purchased and I pay the outstanding balance, provided that they could ship the replacement to me and pick up the faulty item at the same time, but this was, according to the supervisor, against company policy.

As things stand right now, I am going to call play back tomorrow and speak with the same supervisor that I spoke to today, to see if his immediate superior can, perhaps "bend the rules" in my favor.

I will also be calling Asus again to express my concerns and displeasure and see if it would be possible to get a replacement shipped directly from them, if play don't want to help.

My final option is to return the monitor and wait almost 2 1/2 weeks, before I can re-order a new item, which to me, seems like a serious mule kick in the Niagras (cockney slang ;) ), but if that's my final option, then that's what I will have to settle for, as right now I can't see myself being able to use this monitor, even if they gave me a partial refund - the issue with the screen is in such a location, that it's very noticeable and quite frankly unacceptable to me.
 

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My final option is to return the monitor and wait almost 2 1/2 weeks, before I can re-order a new item, which to me, seems like a serious mule kick in the Niagras (cockney slang ;) ), but if that's my final option, then that's what I will have to settle for, as right now I can't see myself being able to use this monitor, even if they gave me a partial refund - the issue with the screen is in such a location, that it's very noticeable and quite frankly unacceptable to me.

Hey if that blemish on the monitor is that bad...then of course just return it & don't give it a second thought. Problem solved!:) Of course the 2.5 week wait will stink before getting another monitor...but you'll be happier in the end.

Hang in there,

- Nick
 
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I called play and spoke to the same supervisor who I had previously spoken to yesterday and he has issued me with an RMA number, so the item's going back.

The supervisor has arranged for collection on Friday between 0900-1900 and has stated to me, that in this instance, he is prepared to apply the refund to my card, as soon as they are able to confirm that the item is in transit with the courier, instead of waiting 2-3 days to receive the item back and then process the refund.

Hopefully, I should be able to order the new monitor within a week, or so, depending on how long the funds take to get refunded to my card account.

The monitor that I'm looking for as a replacement, is the Acer H243H, which, to all intents and purposes, is a "like-for-like" exchange, with the exception that it has a slightly faster (2ms vs 5ms) response time and is an additional £5.00 extra.
 

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