Fuzzy text on 1901 FP

Trust me, that is not the way it should look. Properly operating, the 1901, and in fact most newer LCD today, display almost as well as your Trinitron, so you have something wrong, possibly it is just a DOA  monitor. However you don't say what you have done to try to correct the problem, so here are a couple of things you can try if you haven't already. If you have DVI use that connection to run the 1901. Just in case, also make sure you have only one or the other (Analog  or DVI) connected to the monitor from the same PC, not both.   

Perform a monitor reset from the on screen menu

Perform an auto adjust (hit the + button next to the power button).

If you have XP, enable clear type (use this wizard linked here to do this and to customize your settings)

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype/cleartypeactivate.htm

If none of the above helps, go to your display properties, advanced, settings, and set your color to default setting. Try above again.

Although it sounds like a settings issue, it may also be a driver problem with your video card and you could consider reinstalling or upgrading your driver.  For further troubleshooting assistance go the Users Guide for the monitor. Use the Reference tab above to access them.

If you have already done all these things and still no help, contact Dell Support.

This is the second 1901FP I have had. The first was DOA. I have it attached to DVI. Tech support told me to use the analog cable only and said the DVI gives an inferior picture! I paid for a video card that supports DVI and then Dell tech support tells me not to use what I paid for! My video card is the Nvidia GeForce FX5200.

I called tech support again because after I switched from analog to DVI, against the instructions of the first Dell tech, I noticed flickering and wobbling when using auto scroll which I use all the time and can''t do without. This tech told me I needed new drivers for the video card and that would solve the problem. Well, I went to NVidia's site and got the update. Still have the problem. I now think this is an XP problem because when I hooked up the Trinitron to the XP box, it does the same thing. I never, ever saw any flicker or wobble on W98SE when using auto scroll. If I scroll VERY slowly....too slowly...then the problem goes away. I could scroll at medium or fast in W98SE and never had the problem.

As for the clear type enabling, thank you for reminding me about this. I had read about it on the forums at DSLreports but didn't have XP then and forgot about it. I will try that and will try your other suggestions. Something that just boggles my mind is that Dell sent no manual for the monitor! I don't want an online manual. If Dell can't be bothered to give me a real manual for this top of the line monitor then I don't want the monitor. I have complained loudly about the lack of any sort of manual that is written to sales, customer service, and tech support. When I switched from analog to DVI and I got this weird looking screen, I had no idea what to do because I had no manual and since I could not get out of that weird screen I could not go look at any on line manual! I had to call tech support and waited for over two hours. This was after waiting for 30 minutes only to get disconnected and then I got disconnected again after about 10 minutes. It was only on the third try after an extremely long wait that I got a tech. I would never have bought this monitor if I knew Dell cared so little about it's customers that it would not send a written manual for the monitor.

I had to stumble about trying to figure out how to use the three buttons. Just terrible on Dell's part. I am very angry at Dell. I had speakers that didn't work and multiple CPU failure on a brand new expensive 8300. That is in addition to the first monitor being DOA.

Well, I tried clear type and it hasn't helped much. Clear type did make the faint black text a darker black but that is all it did. On the Trinitron the clear type made that text better which it didn't need to be, still there was a clear difference on the Trinitron and none on the LCD. It is still not very readable. The text is wobbly and blurry. That is what is driving me nuts. The text, for instance, on the splash page for Outlook Express under Tip of the Day is almost unreadable and clear type had no effect on how it displays. I see a lot of places where clear type has no effect.

One thing clear type did fix was it made IE usable as now even at medium text size, it is readable but not like on the Trinitron.. I thought it ironic that I could not install clear type using Firebird which is the browser I use most of the time.

I tried all the other suggestions also. I still see white behind letters such as what is on the buttons below "submit post", etc.. Is that called ghosts? I still don't understand why anyone would buy an LCD monitor if they are all like this one! There is just no comparison in the quality of this monitor and that of my OLD Trinitron!

Why do I get logged out here whilecomposing a reply?

I guess you didn't believe Tom when he told you it is not supposed to look like that. Trust me we wouldn't be raving about our 1900s and 1901s if they all had text problems. Mine is so crisp and clear that I don't bother turning on my CRT even though it is hooked up as a second monitor. It just pales in comparison to the LCD.

Tom pretty much touched all the bases as far as troubleshooting, I just wanted to let you know your 1901 is not supposed to look like it does. I don't care if the next 5 LCDs they send you have text problems, it is not the way a properly working one looks.

Here is a screenshot of mine. The artifacts around the letters are due to the jpg compression, the monitor does not display those. Also the funky colors overlayed are something caught by the camera, not visible to the naked eye.