Bought a Dell 22" monitor, big mistake!!

I've had a Samsung 19" 191T for 4 years and didn't know how good it is. The Dell I got is their budget model (not the ultrasharp series, which is better), but I thought a budget model today would at least be as good as a high-end model 4 years ago.

Nope. I immediately noticed the colors just weren't right, no matter how much I messed with them. The screen has an almost kind of washed out look and is a bit irritating to my eyes. There's some bad bleedthrough at the top and bottom that's pretty noticable when looking at dark screens or dark scenes in movies. I watched Matrix Revolutions switching between the new Dell and the old Samsung and the Samsung beats it hands down.

Just another "you get what you pay for" situation I guess. I bought it despite negative opinions based on my thought that new must beat 4 years old anything. Now that I've had a new monitor, I suppose I'll just go ahead and exchange this and pony up the extra cash for the Ultrasharp model. I've read several reviews comparing them with the Cinema Displays and have seen very little evidence of any appreciable differences.

I hated my Samsung 191T, ghosted like crazy. What model is the Dell 22in?

I have an older Samsung 213T and it has always been... well, OK. That is about the best I can say for it. These days I have a Viewsonic VP2130b and I can honestly say it is the best monitor I have ever driven. This is no surprise though when you look at the specs for it and compare them to just about anything else out there on the market. It is one fine machine.

I would recommend Viewsonic's VP ("Pro") line strongly. My wife has another member of this family, the 17" one, and the image quality is equally as good as my 21". The VP line is outstanding.

I would recommend Viewsonic's VP ("Pro") line strongly.

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Ouch, $1,200 for the 23"! I'd just go for the Cinema display at that price. I want quality, but that's quite beyond my price range. I think I'll give the Dell Ultrasharp displays a try.

I did some research and found that there are differences in screen beyond the given specs, like 6-bit and 8-bit displays. I think 6-bit are the budget models and 8-bit are higher end. Anyone have some good knowledge on this they can pass along?

The 21" model is quite a bit less though. At Monitor Outlet:

http://www.monitor-outlet.com/

You can get the VP2130b, the 21" model, for $678. It is a stunning monitor.

However, if you are looking for larger dimensions than 21", I agree. The next step up, to 23", is more than 2x. That is more than just a bit too expensive!!

Large screen TFT

Just a thought, if you want more space on your screen, why not go for a 19" and a 17" dual screen setup I use 2 19" and find it better than my old Sony W900 23" CRT. It will work out cheaper than a larger TFT as well.

Unfortunately budget displays today, still are just that. All LCD's have dropped dratically in price the last few years though. The Dell ultrasharp line is very good. Their 24" is under $700 right now also. Viewsonic also makes some very nice displays. For the most part, you still get what you pay for with monitors.

fleurya said:

I thought a budget model today would at least be as good as a high-end model 4 years ago.

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I think that is a fair though really.