I have been tracking this issue. I was about to purchase, when people first started reporting faulty DVI. The problem appears to affect every Dell 2007 monitor, so I won't be purchasing one at this time.

I wanted one of these monitors, if Dell gets the bugs out before I purchase something eles, I will buy one.

Here is what I have seen so far:

Every Dell 2007FP and every Dell 2007FPW tested through the DVI port has quite bad color banding.I have read reports of people trying different cables, computers, returning up to 3 times. All to no avail. They are all broken.

It is so prevalent and so obvious that Dell must know of this issue. They had just hoped that most people wouldn't notice. Dell doesn't make quality decisions, they make monetary ones. It is probably cheaper to deal with 10%; returns than fix the problem. So they will deal with the returns. If returns hit 50%; and the sales drop off, then they might fix it.



I would not suggest anyone buy one of these monitors. They clearly have defective DVI inputs. People who have 2005FPW sitting next to a 2007FPW report no such issue on the 2005FPW, so it is not a common LCD trait or even a trait of the IPS screen in the 2005/2007, it is a introduced bug. Perhaps an attempt to use cheaper components.

Either way avoid this one until you get a clear indication it is fixed, if you hear it is fixed, make sure you check out yours when you get it.

Message Edited by bytor65 on 04-20-200605:25 PM

What do you mean by spec. The only specs I have seen indicate 8bit color depth and 16.7 million colors. Heck even 6bit TN panels that dither don't have banding like this.

Also since it seems to be primarily a DVI issue, I would say the panel is ok and it is the electronics, specifically the DVI input that is subpar.

From that wiki entry:
"While in 24 bit colour modes, 8 bits per channel should be enough to render images in the full visible spectrum".

When I said this is an 8 bit panel, I meant, 8bits per channel. Which is good, just about as good as it gets these days. 24 bit in total. TN panels are 6 bit (18bit total) and use dithering, these are even better than this defective panel.

One other factor Dell doesn't make the panel, apparently LG does. The 2007fp appears to be the same as the LG L2000C, which also has banding issues.

I dont' think the panel was spec'ed as less than 24 bit (8bit per channel), I think cost reduction was done on the DVI and it turned to junk.

There will be no fix, the only hope is for a future production run to fix the DVI.

Until that happens, don't buy this broken monitor.

Dell used to sell a nice Trinitron, I wish they still did.

BTW the banding is visible in games too, Warcraft:

http://home.comcast.net/~rrighetti/WoW_Banding.jpg

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@steaksauce wrote:
Here ya go. This is in FEAR. side.

http://www.fileh.com/steaksauce/Dell1.JPG
http://www.fileh.com/steaksauce/Dell2.JPG

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Ick! Does that go away in RGB? Just want to be sure this is not the fault of the program. Gradients are handy tests because you can rule out sloppy programming/game settings.

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@JSaya wrote:
The last 8 gradients of Green, I notice some banding. Towards the darker end of the spectrum is where it starts to show up. That last bit on the grayscale is not good. This is with VGA though... using http://xtknight.atothosting.com/tools/gradlin-v0.2-fs.exe
I also ran http://www.ykwong.com/files/checkemon.zip
just a little banding also in Color Gradient - will take pics later.
2007FP on VGA - CLONED on 6800 Ultra
My CRT
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/8886/2007fpvgacrt6mv.jpg
My LCD
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/9630/2007fpvgalcd2kj.jpg
It's late, I will take better pictures later.
DVI to come!

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I see no banding here and I have been following the issue extensively. It is pretty much a DVI problem.

I posted some very good shots earlier (not mine) I think they were done with an SLR. It is tough to get a good screen shot of this. I think concentrating on the problem area may help (ie closer view of just teh darker end where the problem is worse).

I have seen numerous post from folks who have the issue and haven't yet seen it in games yet, so they assume it is not a real world problem. This is wishfull thinking/self delusion.

The problem clearly exists and will obviously manifest very often when smooth dark gradients are expected in games, images, webpages, movies etc...


Edit: oops that was another thread. Here is a pretty good shots:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~json/stuff/blue-grey.jpg
http://members.iinet.net.au/~json/stuff/red-green.jpg

Message Edited by bytor65 on 04-26-200610:57 AM

Generally there are no converters needed. Just port changers.

A DVI conector on a video card outputs both DVI digital and analog. It is the same analog signal you get on VGA connector, the "adaptor" is simply a passthrough that has DVI on one end VGA on the other and appropriately connects the pins. No conversion happens.

If you really want a converter that will turn the digital signal into VGA, they actually exist, but are about $300.

I have one with the new panel and I cosider it a downgrade, not an upgrade. Check the front page for 2007fp and banding.

We should not have to pay postage, though I just want my money back and not bother with the bad parts Dell is unloading right now.

See this for all the detail.
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_monitor&message.id=55332

Message Edited by bytor65 on 05-04-200606:32 PM

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@gaosu wrote:
I've snapped a few pics of the fuzzy text I'm experiencing. Connection is through DVI, with resolution at 1680x1050 and refresh at 60.

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My 2007fp did this too. I tried to get a photo but it is hard, will post later. It is not horribly bad on mine. I figured most people wouldn't even notice.

Essentially there is a 1 pixel shadow usually in the up direction. If this was the first LCD I had seen, I would probably think it normal.

Just one of many reasons mine is in a box and going back tonight.