Aside from the height adjustment and swivel stand, what other differences are there? I t appears as though the SP2208WFP monitor would be the better monitor, what with a faster response time, improved contrast, a webcam, and additional input ports. Even with the lesser stand, it seems as though it should be more expensive than the Ultrasharp 2208WFP. Why the lower price?
Message Edited by JeepJeep56 on 11-21-2007 04:37 PM
Panel and backlight are probably the main advantages of the UltraSharp. Also, notice the functions of the base and a pivoting program integrated into the monitor itself.
Thanks for the responses Chris! Do you have any information regarding the color of either screen? The Ultrasharp says it has Dell's Truecolor which makes me lead to believe it has better colors than the SP2008WFP. Thanks again for your help!
According to the Dell Webpage for each of the monitors:
Both the Ultrasharp2208 and the SP2208 have TrueColor Technology (more accurate color representation);
Only the SP2208 has TrueLife technology (better contrast ratio for darker blacks and more-vivid graphics colors).
Perhaps the fact that the SP2208 has TrueLife explains why it has a dynamic contrast ration of 2000:1, whereas the Ultrasharp has only a 1000:1 ratio.
BTW, one other thing that the SP 2208 has that the Ultrasharp does not: updated styling features. The Ultrasharp certainly does have the better stand though (height and swivel adjustments).
I think Arlen sums it up pretty good here. Although the 2208WFP has the better stand, the SP2208WFP seems to beat out in the end for the extra features it has. If you are considering one of these two monitors, I would deffinately go with the SP2208WFP. Plus, it's $20.00 cheaper.
Here's a review on MSN I found about the SP2208WFP if any of you are interested:
I hate to add to the confusion on this topic, but ChrisM's mention above that both monitors employ "TN Film" panels got me started doing some research. I was unaware that there are actually 3 different types of technology used in the production of LCD monitors: TN Film, S-IPS, and VA.
1) TN Film Technology - These are the most common because they are inexpensive and offer quick response times, making them perfect for gamers. However, color reproduction is poor because they are only 6-bit rather than 8-bit and can only mimick 16.7 million colors by using dithering techniques. Therefore, these types of panels would not be good if you're planning on doing any kind of photography or graphic work. According to one source I found, all 22" monitors today are using TN Film technology, and that is why they are comparable in price to 20" models.
2) S-IPS Technology - These are considered the best overall monitors for image quality and color accuracy as they are 8-bit, but tend to be more expensive. In addition, response times tend to be slower than TN panels, so are not good for gaming. This type of monitor seems to be the choice of graphic designers.
3) VA Technology - This category actually incorporates two subtypes, the MVA and S-PVA. These are considered middle of the road panels. They have better color reproduction than TN Film, as they also are 8-bit, but also have slower response times than S-IPS. So they are definitely not for gamers. They do, however, offer better contrast ratios than either of the other two types. They also suffer from "color shifting" where colors can change depending on the angle you are viewing from. Supposedly, most 24" monitors use this technology.
As far as where Dell's marketing terms like "TrueColor" and "TrueLife" Technology fit into this picture is unclear. I'm guessing they are technologies designed to help corrrect for some of the inherit deficiencies in the TN Film panel's design.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to locate any information on manufacturer's website regarding which technology is used in their various LCD panels. I would be interested to know if Dell offers any 20-22" monitors that employ S-IPS technology. Perhaps Chris can provide us with that information?
The conclusion I came away with is that the TN-based monitors are fine for the average user, including gamers, where accurate color reproduction is not a serious concern. And I imagine that manufacturers are learning to deal with its deficiencies with techniques like "TrueColor" and "TrueLife" technology. However, since I'm looking to use a monitor for photography work, I'll probably have to look further to try and find an S-IPS based monitor.
If you are interested in finding out more about this, here are a couple of articles you might want to take a look at:
I guess my only question now is the following. How much does the type of graphics card tend to compensate for any inferiorities of the TN panel technology? For example, I have a Nvidia Geforce 8000 GT video card which is a higher end card. Maybe you and Chris could take a stab at this question? This is all very important information for me as I have been considering the SP2208WFP monitor for gaming and some movies. Thanks for any feedback.
P.S. On a different note, I find it interesting that TN panel technology is currently the "only" type available for the 22 inch wide screen monitor (not just Dell). This information is mentioned in the 2nd article that JeepJeep56 shared with us.
You said the 2007WFP "did" employ S-IPS. As in past-tense? Does it still employ S-IPS? I've read in other forums that Dell quit shipping the S-IPS model and it is now going out as a PVA model.
I was never given a timeline or schedule of when panels were used. All I know is that the 2007WFP had used all of these:
LPL LM201W01-SLC1/SLC2
AUO LM201EW01
LG.Philips S-IPS LM201W01
Samsung S-PVA LTM201M1-L01
DELL-Chris M
Community Manager
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56.9K Posts
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November 21st, 2007 04:00
They both use TN Film panels.
Ultrasharp in this case means height adjustable and swivel stand.
JeepJeep56
4 Posts
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November 21st, 2007 20:00
Aside from the height adjustment and swivel stand, what other differences are there? I t appears as though the SP2208WFP monitor would be the better monitor, what with a faster response time, improved contrast, a webcam, and additional input ports. Even with the lesser stand, it seems as though it should be more expensive than the Ultrasharp 2208WFP. Why the lower price?
Message Edited by JeepJeep56 on 11-21-2007 04:37 PM
DELL-Chris M
Community Manager
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56.9K Posts
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November 22nd, 2007 03:00
Why the lower price?
* No clue. That is the marketing side of Dell, I am only in technical support.
HiLine
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November 22nd, 2007 03:00
Badd1
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November 23rd, 2007 08:00
Hi Chris, any word on the panel manufacturer here? Is it still Samsung?
cmsayer
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November 23rd, 2007 16:00
Arlen1
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November 23rd, 2007 18:00
Perhaps the fact that the SP2208 has TrueLife explains why it has a dynamic contrast ration of 2000:1, whereas the Ultrasharp has only a 1000:1 ratio.
BTW, one other thing that the SP 2208 has that the Ultrasharp does not: updated styling features. The Ultrasharp certainly does have the better stand though (height and swivel adjustments).
HiLine
169 Posts
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November 24th, 2007 01:00
scott784
388 Posts
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November 24th, 2007 01:00
JeepJeep56
4 Posts
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November 24th, 2007 15:00
1) TN Film Technology - These are the most common because they are inexpensive and offer quick response times, making them perfect for gamers. However, color reproduction is poor because they are only 6-bit rather than 8-bit and can only mimick 16.7 million colors by using dithering techniques. Therefore, these types of panels would not be good if you're planning on doing any kind of photography or graphic work. According to one source I found, all 22" monitors today are using TN Film technology, and that is why they are comparable in price to 20" models.
2) S-IPS Technology - These are considered the best overall monitors for image quality and color accuracy as they are 8-bit, but tend to be more expensive. In addition, response times tend to be slower than TN panels, so are not good for gaming. This type of monitor seems to be the choice of graphic designers.
3) VA Technology - This category actually incorporates two subtypes, the MVA and S-PVA. These are considered middle of the road panels. They have better color reproduction than TN Film, as they also are 8-bit, but also have slower response times than S-IPS. So they are definitely not for gamers. They do, however, offer better contrast ratios than either of the other two types. They also suffer from "color shifting" where colors can change depending on the angle you are viewing from. Supposedly, most 24" monitors use this technology.
As far as where Dell's marketing terms like "TrueColor" and "TrueLife" Technology fit into this picture is unclear. I'm guessing they are technologies designed to help corrrect for some of the inherit deficiencies in the TN Film panel's design.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to locate any information on manufacturer's website regarding which technology is used in their various LCD panels. I would be interested to know if Dell offers any 20-22" monitors that employ S-IPS technology. Perhaps Chris can provide us with that information?
The conclusion I came away with is that the TN-based monitors are fine for the average user, including gamers, where accurate color reproduction is not a serious concern. And I imagine that manufacturers are learning to deal with its deficiencies with techniques like "TrueColor" and "TrueLife" technology. However, since I'm looking to use a monitor for photography work, I'll probably have to look further to try and find an S-IPS based monitor.
If you are interested in finding out more about this, here are a couple of articles you might want to take a look at:
TN Film, MVA, PVA and IPS – Which one's for you?
LCD Panel Technology Explained
I hope this information has been helpful to some of you out there.
DELL-Chris M
Community Manager
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56.9K Posts
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November 24th, 2007 18:00
I would be interested to know if Dell offers any 20-22" monitors that employ S-IPS technology.
* None of the current 22" employ S-IPS. These 20" below did:
2005FPW
2007FP
2007WFP
scott784
388 Posts
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November 24th, 2007 19:00
Message Edited by scott784 on 11-24-2007 04:40 PM
JeepJeep56
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November 24th, 2007 20:00
You said the 2007WFP "did" employ S-IPS. As in past-tense? Does it still employ S-IPS? I've read in other forums that Dell quit shipping the S-IPS model and it is now going out as a PVA model.
HiLine
169 Posts
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November 25th, 2007 00:00
DELL-Chris M
Community Manager
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56.9K Posts
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November 25th, 2007 00:00
I was never given a timeline or schedule of when panels were used. All I know is that the 2007WFP had used all of these:
LPL LM201W01-SLC1/SLC2
AUO LM201EW01
LG.Philips S-IPS LM201W01
Samsung S-PVA LTM201M1-L01