shadow2get
In the zone
I finally got a 24" LCD monitor - Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp on May 8th 2008 along with 2 of my friends who got the same one. This was after a horrendous wait (almost a month) from the time of ordering the LCD. The Dell 24" also happens to be my first LCD monitor. This is the first in the line to upgrading my age old computer. So, I won't be doing any Gaming Tests on the monitor right now.
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/121315586580af00.gif
Dell 2408 Ultrasharp 24" LCD Monitor
Here is how it all happened:
Reasons for Buying
------------------------
1. Was buying a new system. Have a very very old one now. Was looking out for a 22"/24" LCD to complement my new system.
2. Price (Got it very Cheap for a S-PVA Based Panel) & 1 time offer
3. Watching TV in my room.
3. Watching movies via DVD player, HD movies/High Res Camera pics (still not good enough ... The LCD can display only 2.1 MP only).
4. Long term investment on an Bigger & Full HD LCD instead of going for a 19"/22" one.
5. Planning to buy a PS3 very shortly ... maybe end of this year
(Guys interested in the actual review can skip the next 2 sub-sections.)
Pre-Order LCD Buying Options
-------------------------------------
It all started with my friend wanting to buy a LCD somewhere between the range of 10-15k. We (3 of us) then did a lot of research regarding which to buy & zeroed in on the following 22" models:
1. Samsung SyncMaster 2243BW / Dell 2208WFP Ultrasharp
2. Dell SP2208WFP
We went to SP Road (Bangalore) to get the same. But to our misfortune that day, we didn't find the Samsung model anywhere. So we called up Dell & asked for the prices of the Dell products. They said that the "Dell 2208WFP Ultrasharp" has been discontinued for now. So there was only 1 option now to get the Dell SP2208WFP. We asked for its price & they told it comes around 14K with all taxes.
We were thinking of how to order it when my friend remembered he had a friend working in Dell. That meant we could get it a little bit cheaper than directly ordering through phone. So we asked him to get it for us. Since he & I were also in the line to buy the LCD, we just asked him to inquire about this 24" LCD models: Dell E248WFP & Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp.
After a day, the Dell employee sent out the Quotations. To our luck, we were given an unbelievable discount on all the asked LCD models. I decided that we would rather spend some money on a proper LCD having a very good Panel & giving excellent color reproduction, Viewing angles, monitor adjustability & other important Features rather than an entry Level monitor with very bad color reproduction & quality. After doing another round of research, I then decided that I would go for the 24" Ultrasharp model. I also persuaded them to buy the same giving them insights about the importance of buying a 24" now.
I also asked some of the Digit forum members about these choices. You can see that thread here:
22"/24" LCD Monitor - Which to go for ?
We were given a price of Rs.25,384 (inclusive of all TAXES) for the Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp one. After lots of persuasion & me getting some curses for not allowing them to go for the 22" ones/ 24" entry level ones, we finally made an order for 3(three) 24" Ultrasharp Monitors. Yes guys, I agree that it is costly for a 24", but it is worth more than that considering that it is a S-PVA based LCD Panel. And it is worth every rupee spent.
Post-Order Drama
----------------------
We ordered on 28th March & Delivery was supposed to happen within April 7th as shown in the website. It didn't happen, thought it to be some delay & waited 2 more days. Then we tried to contact Dell by all means (Mail, Direct Telephone, By Customer Care), but to no avail. Everytime we get to a CC executive, he used to tell he would look into it & get back to us. But he didn't do so. The Direct Line was always going to Voicemail. For Mail no replies were given. We were thinking of canceling the Order. The same continued for a week. Then we got a call from Dell telling that there is a Customs issue wrt all the Products which were imported to India from Malaysia. As a result, the Chennai customs had sort of confiscated the goods.
So they told us to wait a few days more. After a few days, they asked us to cancel the existing order & Re-order it again. This time order was made on May 1st & the delivery was supposed to happen by May 13th. This time around, we were all keeping our fingers crossed over for the delivery to happen on time. And this time Dell delivered it within the specified time, to be specific on May 8th. Exactly took a week. I was Impressed by the service, but my other friend said that it would be his first & last product from Dell due to the inconvenience caused. I have to agree on that front because Dell are having such a good reputation of delivering things on time & having excellent communication after purchase. For us, it didn't happen like that. It was a lot to Digest after the stress we had been through thinking when the monitor would come & getting no response from Dell whatsoever.
Earlier Monitors
--------------------
I have an 17" Acer CRT Flat Monitor max res of 1600x1200 bought 4 years back. My friend (who got us from Dell employee) has a 17" Samsung CRT monitor bought 7r years back & the other has a 15" LG TFT Monitor bought about 2 years back. All of them are in perfectly working condition.
My Current Computer Configuration
--------------------------------------------
What I currently own is this:
* Intel Pentium Celeron 766MHz
* ASUS CUSI-FX Socket 370 Motherboard
* 768MB SDRAM
* EVGA NVIDIA GeForce 6200 256MB DDR2 PCI Card
Yeah ... Yeah ... You all must be laughing. I will get my new system very shortly.
Package Contents
---------------------
1. Dell 2408WFP LCD Monitor
2. Stand with Cable Management
3. VGA Cable
4. DVI-D Cable
5. Displayport Cable
6. USB Upstream Cable
7. Power Cord (Given Separately in another small Box)
8. Product Info Booklet
9. Driver CD (XP/Vista) along with Manual
Dell 2408WFP Specifications
------------------------------------
* 24" Diagonal & Viewable Size
* Max & Native Resolution of 1920x1200 (read Full HD)
* 1300:1 Typical Contrast Ratio (3000:1 Dynamic)
* 400 cd/m2 Brightness
* 6ms GTG (Gray to Gray) Response Time
* 178°/178° Horizontal/Vertical Viewing Angle
* Adjustabilities: Height-adjustable stand, tilt, swivel, pivot
* Video Connectivities:
* VESA Certified Wall Mount capability
* 3 Years Warranty
Packaging
-------------
The Packaging was very nicely done in order to protect the screen. Opening the package shows up the manual along with the installation instruction pamphlet. Below that is a huge thermocol which had some spaces for storing the Video Cables, USB cables, Driver CD & Stand. The stand was carefully wrapped in a soft plastic cover & placed in the middle of the thermocol. Removing the Stand from the thermocol enables us to remove the thermocol which in turn leaves us to stare at the huge LCD. The LCD is placed above another piece of thermocol situated at the bottom of the package. The LCD is carefully wrapped in a soft plastic cover. The main screen is again covered by a plastic sheet which is pasted along the sides for further protection from scratches.
The Stand
-------------
Its silver in color to complement with the black color of the 24" LCD. It is sturdy & heavy. Attaching the LCD is very simple to the stand. After attaching, the monitor can do all the adjustability options as specified in the Specifications - Height-adjustable stand(Up & Down Vertical movement), tilt (Incline Up & Down), swivel (Left & Right Horizontal Movement) & pivot (rotate Vertical). It also has a Cable management feature for proper routing of any cables connecting the monitor making it look neatly organized & having more space for other things on your table.
Click the below images to view only the Stand:
Stand (Back)
Stand (Front)
The LCD
----------
Removing the Plastic Screen covering the monitor enables its full view. The front Black color is contrasted beautifully with complete Silver color behind. In the front are 5 buttons - Select Input Connectivity, PIP Selection, MENU, + & - buttons. Located to the extreme right hand corner is the backlight enabled Power button. Behind, there are the connectivity options - all the 7 Video input Connectivities & two USB 2.0 Ports, HDMI 2.1 out, Power Connectors, USB Upstream port. To the Left side of the monitor are another two USB 2.0 ports along with a 9-in-2 card reader supporting SD/MMC/MS & CF cards. It has a Matte anti-glare (non-glossy) finish.
Click the below images to view only the LCD:
Bare LCD (Front)
Bare LCD (Back)
Connectivities
------------------
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/1213155861289fb6.gif
From Left to Right - Power Socket(Partially Seen), Sound Bar Power Socket, Displayport, HDMI, DVI-D 1, DVI-D 2
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/121315586090daf0.gif
From Left to Right - VGA, S-Video, Composite, Component, Audio Out (2.1), USB In, 2 USB 2.0 Out Ports
First Impressions
----------------------
I connected the monitor to the graphic card via the DVI-D port. Then turned on the monitor and changed the display resolution from 1280x1024 to 1920x1200. Now it was in its native resolution. You get a lot of area when you switch from a 17" to a 24". The Brightness & Contrast were defaulty preset to 50. I couldn't bear to look at the monitor for abt 30 seconds with that much brightness. So reduced it to 0. Contrast set it to 40. Now it was looking proper without hurting the eyes. It has a set of pre-defined color modes - Video, Picture, Adobe sRGB, Warm, Cool. I changed the default video mode to Cool. Color Settings was now proper. And I put some hastily downloaded 1920x1200 res wallpapers. Turned out to be looking very good. Text was sharp.
Front Panel Buttons
-------------------------
Click the link Below:
From Left to Right - Input Connectivity Selector, PIP Options, MENU, Navigational Buttons ( '+' and '-' ) & Power Button
LCD Tests
-------------
Before I got the LCD, I had read reviews elsewhere on the NET about the following problems:
General Problems/Issues associated with any LCD
* Dead/Stuck Pixels
* Color Bands
* Back Light Bleeding
Issues Specific to Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp
* Color Bands
* Ghosting
* Input Lag
* Default Color Settings
* Default Brightness/Contrast/Sharpness
Since I don't have any hardware based calorimeter for testing/calibrating the LCD, I used the following software for testing the LCD:
1. MonitorTest from *tft.vanity.dk/
2. NEC Monitor Test OR CheckeMon
3. Dead Pixel Tester from *www.dataproductservices.com/dpt
MonitorTest is a Flash based executable which encompasses almost all the tests out there required for an LCD, including the Dead Pixel Test. I have included the other two mainly due to the some of other features offered by them not offered in MonitorTest. The Dead Pixel Tester has some special tests for 'removing' the Dead/Stuck pixels. NEC has some tests which weren't included like & the software being from a top quality LCD brand. CheckeMon is similar to NEC Monitor Test.
Other Websites having info/tests pertaining to LCD are:
1. LCD Monitor Test Images
2. Dead Pixels Test
3. LCD Monitor Technology & Tests
4. Monitor Tools - This site has a list of all the Monitor apps/tools you can think of.
The LCD was kept running on for about an hour or so before performing the Tests. I have connected the LCD to the DVI-D port of the monitor. The LCD tests went through perfectly until the 'Dead Pixel test' came up. Unfortunately, I have 1 Stuck Pixel and not a Dead Pixel(I believe so) at almost the top right corner of the screen. 'Stuck Pixel' as in - it shows up a Black pixel in Red, Green & White backgrounds. But in Blue background, the pixel changes to Blue color. My other friend (who got us the LCD) doesn't have any Dead/Stuck Pixels. Another friend of mine has a similar type of Stuck pixel only that his is Green one i.e. shows Green pixel in Green background, but in other backgrounds, shows black pixel. We called up Dell to ask if any replacement can be done. They told that only 5 or more Dead/Stuck Pixels would avail us a Replacement from them.
There were no Color Bands as such while testing the LCD with the above said software. There was a slight bit of Back Light Bleeding in the Top Left corner, but not too noticeable. Ghosting wasn't seen by my eyes. The simplest Input Lag test was done like this: Moving the mouse cursor with a window being dragged & seeing the response time the window moves with. It was moving as it should be - no lags here. My friend initially used to have this issue with his monitor but it could be that he was using VGA as output or the Cordless Logitech Laser mouse he was using. He made some adjustments with the mouse speed/sensitivity & he seems to be not having this issue now. For the complex Input lag test like playing games - mostly FPS games, it wasn't done right now due to the Vintage system I am having.
As told earlier, the Default color settings seem to be over-saturated. It could be because I was used to a CRT monitor for a very long time. So I changed it to 'Cool' color settings in the Monitor. The default brightness & contrast was too high. So made the Brightness to 0 & Contrast to 40. The default sharpness seemed pretty good. So no changes were made.
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/12131558550a48a3.gif
Stuck Pixel - Found in the Top Right Corner on the Screen
(NOTE: View the picture in actual resolution to see the Stuck Pixel)
Video Input Connectivity Tests
--------------------------------------
1. D-Sub/VGA through Graphics Card
2. DVI-D through Graphics Card
3. S-Video through Graphics Card
3. Composite through Philips DVD Player 5106K
4. Component through Philips DVD Player 5106K
HDMI & Displayport tests weren't done to to lack of HDMI output devices.
Height Adjustments
-------------------------
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/121315585921fceb.gif
At Minimum Height
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/12131558582a21b2.gif
At Maximum Height
Tilt
-----
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/1213155858c913bb.gif
Minimum Lower Tilt
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/1213155857007b26.gif
Maximum Upper Tilt
Rotation
-----------
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/12131558554f7937.gif
Horizontal - Landscape
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/12131558566e4f73.gif
Vertical - Portrait
Viewing Angles
------------------
The viewing angle of any S-PVA panel is 178°/178° Horizontal & vertical. The colors will remain almost the same. You can verify the same with the pictures below. It is almost taken at 170-178°.
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/12131558542fcc4b.gif
Horizontal - From Left
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/1213155854db750a.gif
Horizontal - From Right
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/1213155852a3daa1.gif
Vertical - From Top
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/1213155853ebe7e4.gif
Vertical - From Bottom
Conclusion
-------------
All in all, it is a superb monitor with almost accurate color reproduction, sharp Text, wide angle viewing, good amount of input connectivities, Full HD (1920x1200) resolution. The price for which I got it was incredible. I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a monitor who would want good color reproduction & willing to pay little more(in my case) than ordinary 22"/24" ones.
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/12131558528afe83.gif
Comparing the Screen sizes of the 24" Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp LCD with the 17" Acer AF715 CRT
Pros
-----
* Excellent Color Reproduction
* Full HD
* Ultrasharp Features - Adjustments & TrueColor (110% Color Gamut)
* Lots of Connectivities - Video, USB & Card Reader
Cons
------
* Bit on the Higher Price End even though I got it for 25K
* Dell's Dead/Stuck Pixel Replacement in India is applicable if 5 or more are found
* Heats up a little bit when running for long hours
Others
--------
* PIP options should be more customizable. PBP needs to be made full screen rather than 2 windows. Also customizability is absent. PIP/PBP is now limited only for Analog inputs. They should start providing for Digital ones also.
* There are lots of inputs. So changing from 1 input to another takes a lot of time. Also, the Menu has lots of options. Time to start providing a Remote to get these done more easily as in a TV.
* Inbuilt Camera should have been present for its price.
All the Pics (if not accessible above)
---------------------------------------------
Kindly bear with the quality of the pics taken. It was shot during night & some without Flash for obvious reasons. So some pics may be bit dark.
The Wallpaper was set so as to differentiate the colors in the picture set. Allmost all the colors except blue is present.
Click the below links to view:
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/121315586580af00.gif
Dell 2408 Ultrasharp 24" LCD Monitor
Here is how it all happened:
Reasons for Buying
------------------------
1. Was buying a new system. Have a very very old one now. Was looking out for a 22"/24" LCD to complement my new system.
2. Price (Got it very Cheap for a S-PVA Based Panel) & 1 time offer
3. Watching TV in my room.
3. Watching movies via DVD player, HD movies/High Res Camera pics (still not good enough ... The LCD can display only 2.1 MP only).
4. Long term investment on an Bigger & Full HD LCD instead of going for a 19"/22" one.
5. Planning to buy a PS3 very shortly ... maybe end of this year
(Guys interested in the actual review can skip the next 2 sub-sections.)
Pre-Order LCD Buying Options
-------------------------------------
It all started with my friend wanting to buy a LCD somewhere between the range of 10-15k. We (3 of us) then did a lot of research regarding which to buy & zeroed in on the following 22" models:
1. Samsung SyncMaster 2243BW / Dell 2208WFP Ultrasharp
2. Dell SP2208WFP
We went to SP Road (Bangalore) to get the same. But to our misfortune that day, we didn't find the Samsung model anywhere. So we called up Dell & asked for the prices of the Dell products. They said that the "Dell 2208WFP Ultrasharp" has been discontinued for now. So there was only 1 option now to get the Dell SP2208WFP. We asked for its price & they told it comes around 14K with all taxes.
We were thinking of how to order it when my friend remembered he had a friend working in Dell. That meant we could get it a little bit cheaper than directly ordering through phone. So we asked him to get it for us. Since he & I were also in the line to buy the LCD, we just asked him to inquire about this 24" LCD models: Dell E248WFP & Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp.
After a day, the Dell employee sent out the Quotations. To our luck, we were given an unbelievable discount on all the asked LCD models. I decided that we would rather spend some money on a proper LCD having a very good Panel & giving excellent color reproduction, Viewing angles, monitor adjustability & other important Features rather than an entry Level monitor with very bad color reproduction & quality. After doing another round of research, I then decided that I would go for the 24" Ultrasharp model. I also persuaded them to buy the same giving them insights about the importance of buying a 24" now.
I also asked some of the Digit forum members about these choices. You can see that thread here:
22"/24" LCD Monitor - Which to go for ?
We were given a price of Rs.25,384 (inclusive of all TAXES) for the Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp one. After lots of persuasion & me getting some curses for not allowing them to go for the 22" ones/ 24" entry level ones, we finally made an order for 3(three) 24" Ultrasharp Monitors. Yes guys, I agree that it is costly for a 24", but it is worth more than that considering that it is a S-PVA based LCD Panel. And it is worth every rupee spent.
Post-Order Drama
----------------------
We ordered on 28th March & Delivery was supposed to happen within April 7th as shown in the website. It didn't happen, thought it to be some delay & waited 2 more days. Then we tried to contact Dell by all means (Mail, Direct Telephone, By Customer Care), but to no avail. Everytime we get to a CC executive, he used to tell he would look into it & get back to us. But he didn't do so. The Direct Line was always going to Voicemail. For Mail no replies were given. We were thinking of canceling the Order. The same continued for a week. Then we got a call from Dell telling that there is a Customs issue wrt all the Products which were imported to India from Malaysia. As a result, the Chennai customs had sort of confiscated the goods.
So they told us to wait a few days more. After a few days, they asked us to cancel the existing order & Re-order it again. This time order was made on May 1st & the delivery was supposed to happen by May 13th. This time around, we were all keeping our fingers crossed over for the delivery to happen on time. And this time Dell delivered it within the specified time, to be specific on May 8th. Exactly took a week. I was Impressed by the service, but my other friend said that it would be his first & last product from Dell due to the inconvenience caused. I have to agree on that front because Dell are having such a good reputation of delivering things on time & having excellent communication after purchase. For us, it didn't happen like that. It was a lot to Digest after the stress we had been through thinking when the monitor would come & getting no response from Dell whatsoever.
Earlier Monitors
--------------------
I have an 17" Acer CRT Flat Monitor max res of 1600x1200 bought 4 years back. My friend (who got us from Dell employee) has a 17" Samsung CRT monitor bought 7r years back & the other has a 15" LG TFT Monitor bought about 2 years back. All of them are in perfectly working condition.
My Current Computer Configuration
--------------------------------------------
What I currently own is this:
* Intel Pentium Celeron 766MHz
* ASUS CUSI-FX Socket 370 Motherboard
* 768MB SDRAM
* EVGA NVIDIA GeForce 6200 256MB DDR2 PCI Card
Yeah ... Yeah ... You all must be laughing. I will get my new system very shortly.
Package Contents
---------------------
1. Dell 2408WFP LCD Monitor
2. Stand with Cable Management
3. VGA Cable
4. DVI-D Cable
5. Displayport Cable
6. USB Upstream Cable
7. Power Cord (Given Separately in another small Box)
8. Product Info Booklet
9. Driver CD (XP/Vista) along with Manual
Dell 2408WFP Specifications
------------------------------------
* 24" Diagonal & Viewable Size
* Max & Native Resolution of 1920x1200 (read Full HD)
* 1300:1 Typical Contrast Ratio (3000:1 Dynamic)
* 400 cd/m2 Brightness
* 6ms GTG (Gray to Gray) Response Time
* 178°/178° Horizontal/Vertical Viewing Angle
* Adjustabilities: Height-adjustable stand, tilt, swivel, pivot
* Video Connectivities:
-> HDMI
-> 2 DVI-D
-> D-Sub/VGA
-> Displayport
-> Component
-> S-Video
-> Composite
* Other Connectivities-> 2 DVI-D
-> D-Sub/VGA
-> Displayport
-> Component
-> S-Video
-> Composite
-> HDMI 2.1 Audio Out
-> 1 USB Upstream port
-> 4 USB 2.0 ports
-> 9-in-2 Media Card Reader
-> Power Connectors
* Ultrasharp Features means "Adjustabilities + TrueColor with 110% color gamut"-> 1 USB Upstream port
-> 4 USB 2.0 ports
-> 9-in-2 Media Card Reader
-> Power Connectors
* VESA Certified Wall Mount capability
* 3 Years Warranty
Packaging
-------------
The Packaging was very nicely done in order to protect the screen. Opening the package shows up the manual along with the installation instruction pamphlet. Below that is a huge thermocol which had some spaces for storing the Video Cables, USB cables, Driver CD & Stand. The stand was carefully wrapped in a soft plastic cover & placed in the middle of the thermocol. Removing the Stand from the thermocol enables us to remove the thermocol which in turn leaves us to stare at the huge LCD. The LCD is placed above another piece of thermocol situated at the bottom of the package. The LCD is carefully wrapped in a soft plastic cover. The main screen is again covered by a plastic sheet which is pasted along the sides for further protection from scratches.
The Stand
-------------
Its silver in color to complement with the black color of the 24" LCD. It is sturdy & heavy. Attaching the LCD is very simple to the stand. After attaching, the monitor can do all the adjustability options as specified in the Specifications - Height-adjustable stand(Up & Down Vertical movement), tilt (Incline Up & Down), swivel (Left & Right Horizontal Movement) & pivot (rotate Vertical). It also has a Cable management feature for proper routing of any cables connecting the monitor making it look neatly organized & having more space for other things on your table.
Click the below images to view only the Stand:
Stand (Back)
Stand (Front)
The LCD
----------
Removing the Plastic Screen covering the monitor enables its full view. The front Black color is contrasted beautifully with complete Silver color behind. In the front are 5 buttons - Select Input Connectivity, PIP Selection, MENU, + & - buttons. Located to the extreme right hand corner is the backlight enabled Power button. Behind, there are the connectivity options - all the 7 Video input Connectivities & two USB 2.0 Ports, HDMI 2.1 out, Power Connectors, USB Upstream port. To the Left side of the monitor are another two USB 2.0 ports along with a 9-in-2 card reader supporting SD/MMC/MS & CF cards. It has a Matte anti-glare (non-glossy) finish.
Click the below images to view only the LCD:
Bare LCD (Front)
Bare LCD (Back)
Connectivities
------------------
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/1213155861289fb6.gif
From Left to Right - Power Socket(Partially Seen), Sound Bar Power Socket, Displayport, HDMI, DVI-D 1, DVI-D 2
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/121315586090daf0.gif
From Left to Right - VGA, S-Video, Composite, Component, Audio Out (2.1), USB In, 2 USB 2.0 Out Ports
First Impressions
----------------------
I connected the monitor to the graphic card via the DVI-D port. Then turned on the monitor and changed the display resolution from 1280x1024 to 1920x1200. Now it was in its native resolution. You get a lot of area when you switch from a 17" to a 24". The Brightness & Contrast were defaulty preset to 50. I couldn't bear to look at the monitor for abt 30 seconds with that much brightness. So reduced it to 0. Contrast set it to 40. Now it was looking proper without hurting the eyes. It has a set of pre-defined color modes - Video, Picture, Adobe sRGB, Warm, Cool. I changed the default video mode to Cool. Color Settings was now proper. And I put some hastily downloaded 1920x1200 res wallpapers. Turned out to be looking very good. Text was sharp.
Front Panel Buttons
-------------------------
Click the link Below:
From Left to Right - Input Connectivity Selector, PIP Options, MENU, Navigational Buttons ( '+' and '-' ) & Power Button
LCD Tests
-------------
Before I got the LCD, I had read reviews elsewhere on the NET about the following problems:
General Problems/Issues associated with any LCD
* Dead/Stuck Pixels
* Color Bands
* Back Light Bleeding
Issues Specific to Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp
* Color Bands
* Ghosting
* Input Lag
* Default Color Settings
* Default Brightness/Contrast/Sharpness
Since I don't have any hardware based calorimeter for testing/calibrating the LCD, I used the following software for testing the LCD:
1. MonitorTest from *tft.vanity.dk/
2. NEC Monitor Test OR CheckeMon
3. Dead Pixel Tester from *www.dataproductservices.com/dpt
MonitorTest is a Flash based executable which encompasses almost all the tests out there required for an LCD, including the Dead Pixel Test. I have included the other two mainly due to the some of other features offered by them not offered in MonitorTest. The Dead Pixel Tester has some special tests for 'removing' the Dead/Stuck pixels. NEC has some tests which weren't included like & the software being from a top quality LCD brand. CheckeMon is similar to NEC Monitor Test.
Other Websites having info/tests pertaining to LCD are:
1. LCD Monitor Test Images
2. Dead Pixels Test
3. LCD Monitor Technology & Tests
4. Monitor Tools - This site has a list of all the Monitor apps/tools you can think of.
The LCD was kept running on for about an hour or so before performing the Tests. I have connected the LCD to the DVI-D port of the monitor. The LCD tests went through perfectly until the 'Dead Pixel test' came up. Unfortunately, I have 1 Stuck Pixel and not a Dead Pixel(I believe so) at almost the top right corner of the screen. 'Stuck Pixel' as in - it shows up a Black pixel in Red, Green & White backgrounds. But in Blue background, the pixel changes to Blue color. My other friend (who got us the LCD) doesn't have any Dead/Stuck Pixels. Another friend of mine has a similar type of Stuck pixel only that his is Green one i.e. shows Green pixel in Green background, but in other backgrounds, shows black pixel. We called up Dell to ask if any replacement can be done. They told that only 5 or more Dead/Stuck Pixels would avail us a Replacement from them.
There were no Color Bands as such while testing the LCD with the above said software. There was a slight bit of Back Light Bleeding in the Top Left corner, but not too noticeable. Ghosting wasn't seen by my eyes. The simplest Input Lag test was done like this: Moving the mouse cursor with a window being dragged & seeing the response time the window moves with. It was moving as it should be - no lags here. My friend initially used to have this issue with his monitor but it could be that he was using VGA as output or the Cordless Logitech Laser mouse he was using. He made some adjustments with the mouse speed/sensitivity & he seems to be not having this issue now. For the complex Input lag test like playing games - mostly FPS games, it wasn't done right now due to the Vintage system I am having.
As told earlier, the Default color settings seem to be over-saturated. It could be because I was used to a CRT monitor for a very long time. So I changed it to 'Cool' color settings in the Monitor. The default brightness & contrast was too high. So made the Brightness to 0 & Contrast to 40. The default sharpness seemed pretty good. So no changes were made.
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/12131558550a48a3.gif
Stuck Pixel - Found in the Top Right Corner on the Screen
(NOTE: View the picture in actual resolution to see the Stuck Pixel)
Video Input Connectivity Tests
--------------------------------------
1. D-Sub/VGA through Graphics Card
2. DVI-D through Graphics Card
3. S-Video through Graphics Card
3. Composite through Philips DVD Player 5106K
4. Component through Philips DVD Player 5106K
HDMI & Displayport tests weren't done to to lack of HDMI output devices.
Height Adjustments
-------------------------
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/121315585921fceb.gif
At Minimum Height
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/12131558582a21b2.gif
At Maximum Height
Tilt
-----
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/1213155858c913bb.gif
Minimum Lower Tilt
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/1213155857007b26.gif
Maximum Upper Tilt
Rotation
-----------
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/12131558554f7937.gif
Horizontal - Landscape
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/12131558566e4f73.gif
Vertical - Portrait
Viewing Angles
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The viewing angle of any S-PVA panel is 178°/178° Horizontal & vertical. The colors will remain almost the same. You can verify the same with the pictures below. It is almost taken at 170-178°.
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/12131558542fcc4b.gif
Horizontal - From Left
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/1213155854db750a.gif
Horizontal - From Right
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/1213155852a3daa1.gif
Vertical - From Top
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/1213155853ebe7e4.gif
Vertical - From Bottom
Conclusion
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All in all, it is a superb monitor with almost accurate color reproduction, sharp Text, wide angle viewing, good amount of input connectivities, Full HD (1920x1200) resolution. The price for which I got it was incredible. I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a monitor who would want good color reproduction & willing to pay little more(in my case) than ordinary 22"/24" ones.
*thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/46/12131558528afe83.gif
Comparing the Screen sizes of the 24" Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp LCD with the 17" Acer AF715 CRT
Pros
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* Excellent Color Reproduction
* Full HD
* Ultrasharp Features - Adjustments & TrueColor (110% Color Gamut)
* Lots of Connectivities - Video, USB & Card Reader
Cons
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* Bit on the Higher Price End even though I got it for 25K
* Dell's Dead/Stuck Pixel Replacement in India is applicable if 5 or more are found
* Heats up a little bit when running for long hours
Others
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* PIP options should be more customizable. PBP needs to be made full screen rather than 2 windows. Also customizability is absent. PIP/PBP is now limited only for Analog inputs. They should start providing for Digital ones also.
* There are lots of inputs. So changing from 1 input to another takes a lot of time. Also, the Menu has lots of options. Time to start providing a Remote to get these done more easily as in a TV.
* Inbuilt Camera should have been present for its price.
All the Pics (if not accessible above)
---------------------------------------------
Kindly bear with the quality of the pics taken. It was shot during night & some without Flash for obvious reasons. So some pics may be bit dark.
The Wallpaper was set so as to differentiate the colors in the picture set. Allmost all the colors except blue is present.
Click the below links to view:
- Dell 2408 Ultrasharp 24" LCD Monitor
- Stand (Back)
- Stand (Front)
- Bare LCD (Front)
- Bare LCD (Back)
- Connectivities 1 - From Left to Right - Power Socket(Partially Seen), Sound Bar Power Socket, Displayport, HDMI, DVI-D 1, DVI-D 2
- Connectivities 2 - From Left to Right - VGA, S-Video, Composite, Component, Audio Out (2.1), USB In, 2 USB 2.0 Out Ports
- From Left to Right - Input Connectivity Selector, PIP Options, MENU, Navigational Buttons ( '+' and '-' ) & Power Button
- Stuck Pixel - Found in the Top Right Corner on the Screen
- Height Adjustments - At Minimum Height
- Height Adjustments - At Maximum Height
- Tilt - Minimum Lower Tilt
- Tilt - Maximum Upper Tilt
- Rotation - Horizontal (Landscape)
- Rotation - Vertical (Portrait)
- Viewing Angles - Horizontal (From Left)
- Viewing Angles - Horizontal (From Right)
- Viewing Angles - Vertical (From Top)
- Viewing Angles - Vertical (From Bottom)
- Comparing the Screen sizes of the 24" Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp LCD with the 17" Acer AF715 CRT
