2007FP ... PVA vs IPS

Question

Well ....   This whole IPS / PVA thing has really been doing my head in! Im sure my wife is going to kill me if I make here look at the monitors one more time, and I am thinking of going back to CRT ... almost :-)   Having had the privilege of being able to view  2 x 2007FP REV A02 Monitors one an IPS panel and one PVA panel (i.e. Samsung, and LG ) side by side ... in 'clone' mode, viewing various images, games, photos, text  and many many other types of media ... I STILL cant say for sure which I think is 'better' ... but they definitely both have strengths and weaknesses ....   I use my PC for Image Editing, Gaming, Web and Software development, web browsing and just general usage ... and overall I have finnaly come to the personal conclusion that they are both pretty good panels (IMHO) ... as long as you get Revision A02. (maybe IPS wins out slightly).   The PVA panel definitely experiences color shift for some images when you move your head (but it doesn't seem to bother most people from what I can tell, bothers me but only a little). The PVA definitely has a brighter backlight (which could be a good or bad thing I suppose, and is hard to dim without affecting colour).   As far a colour ... the IPS has much better colours depth ... but blacks turn purple when moving your head to the top and bottom. For e.g. if you set your desktop background colour to all black, the IPS seems to get a backlight bleed / rainbow type affect in the corners ... and of course at extreme angles it also gets the 'purple hue' type effect all over.   As far as response gaming wise ... for the games I viewed (WOW, Quake and a few others) there was no noticable differance at all and they both performed well.   Text - sometimes appears sharper or'clearer' on the IPS ...  although it can often look over- sharpend (at least to me) because of the 'dimmer' back light.   Basically, I suppose you just have to pick the things that you like or dont like least, and then hope (or try and insist) that you get that model of panel.   Im totally and utterly confused and over it all (although I said I was leaning toward IPS being better, I really dont know for sure) ... oh well, wish me luck in in getting 2 panels that at least match (which is why I bought dual monitors in the first place :-(   Id have to agree some what with bytor's post though ... you should be able to confidentaly order what is advertised in the spec.  Although the new PC I bought is great!... I cant say this monitor ordeal has been a pleasant experience (esspecially for a 1st time dell buyer, and this wasnt exactly a cheap PC either) ... but hopefully It will all work out in the end.       R

bytor65 · Answer

The big problem is if you know what you want, there is no way to ensure Dell sends your the correct panel. These are essentially two different monitors and should be treated as such, so buyer know what they are getting.

Even if it as simplistic as having a model L (LG) and model S (Samsung). People who don't care, or don't know can simply get whatever. Those of us with a preference can specify.

But these are not the same monitor. I can't stand the tone shift on this PVA panel. I bought a TN monitor as a secondary screen that is better.

porcelain_duck · Answer

I'm really trying to figure out how much you'd have to move your head to see a difference. I was ready to buy this screen when i found this. I'd likely have thought either looked great until i read about it. I don't move my head when i use a computer but from what i read it's noticable by just a slight motion left or right?

I'm using a powerbook G4 (2nd to last before the intel macbooks), wish i knew what this screen is. Up and down movement is quite a drastic change, side to side is "noticable" but i have little experience using LCD for extended periods, and always used my 21" trinitron for photos.

ronss · Answer

a site that has some helpful info,,,though i have found lcd review sites hard to come by-

http://www.prad.de/en/index.html

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1039222

from what little i know,,ips should be tad better than pva,,,,just what i gathered at some sites i have looked at

most people that buy dells don,t know what they are getting,,,when they see a 19 inch lcd,,,they think they are all the same.... and many don,t visit this site, yet alone know how to turn on the pc. many here don,t like dells switching panels,,, and i have seen some review sites that have stated that dell has gotten into a habit of doing this, and the reviewers have penalized dell in the reviews because of this..

Message Edited by ronss on 08-16-200602:34 PM

Message Edited by ronss on 08-16-200602:35 PM

bytor65 · Answer

@porcelain_duck wrote:
I'm really trying to figure out how much you'd have to move your head to see a difference. I was ready to buy this screen when i found this. I'd likely have thought either looked great until i read about it. I don't move my head when i use a computer but from what i read it's noticable by just a slight motion left or right?

I'm using a powerbook G4 (2nd to last before the intel macbooks), wish i knew what this screen is. Up and down movement is quite a drastic change, side to side is "noticable" but i have little experience using LCD for extended periods, and always used my 21" trinitron for photos.

What you are describing in your powerbook is a TN screen. Side to Side is not bad, but up down is. I can live with this. You may not think you move your head, but trust me, you do, it can take surprisingly little.

I now have a TN screen and using it in its normal landscape mode. I don't have a real problem with the bad up down viewing angle, beacuase once you are sitting you tend to stay at the same height and most motion is side to side. Turn this monitor into portrait mode (rotate 90 degrees) and it becomes unusable.

I bought the Dell 2007fp it came with the pva screen. I find it almost like the the TN screen when it is turned into portrait mode. Borderline unusable. Let me clarify; using both in their normal landscape orientations. The TN screen (like the one in your laptop) is not to bad for side to side viewing. Doesn't bother me at all. The PVA screen in the 2007fp is pretty near unusable for me. It is MUCH worse than the TN screen. The PVA screen will be worse than you laptop screen in the horizontal angles, but better in the vertical angles.

S-IPS screens are better than either TN or PVA in both directions.

gpro · Answer

Here are some more sites with LCD technology info: X-bit’s Guide: Contemporary LCD Monitor Parameters and Characteristics AnandTech: LCD Buyer's Guide TFT Central: LCD Specifications

porcelain_duck · Answer

Thanks for all the info everyone, i'm definately educated on my LCD panel types now! I'm no photo pro, but i want the screen to last me a few years, so by then i will be even more demanding. The up/down shift of this TN laptop screen is a pain for photos. I really notice when working on black and whites, as there are spots where i specifically want the black to fade to pitch black..very specific, otherwise the intended purpose is lost completely. Even tilting back or slouching in my chair causes a shift.

I guess these two issues (banding + panel lottery) are a warning sign for me. I'll once again repair my dell-branded trinitron P1110 21" crt. It's just getting to be a pain soldering in a new resistor every 3-4 months, plus as a student moving the 60lb thing every year. But the picture is excellent. I think what bothers me the most is that Dell couldn't care less if i bought a screen or not. I hate when companies grow based on excellent service and quality then throw it out the window cause they're making enough money. Actually, what's worse is the restocking fee if you're not satisfied with your product.

Sorry for this rather long post about nothing. Again, thanks for helping me become an educated consumer, i almost let dell's sale and abundance of extra features sell me.

Monitors

2007FP ... PVA vs IPS

Was this post helpful?