I will try to make this short. It is no surprise that Dell has quality control issues with the U2410.  I too, was unlucky enough to receive a U2410 that exhibits the dull and grainy effect.   Unfortunately, the Preset Modes do little to remedy the problem. However, selecting the Preset Mode "Game" did yield a somewhat bright and vibrant effect. Regrettably, I could only stomach “Game” mode for approximately sixty seconds for I could literally see the brightness shift from high to low.  This insane phenomenon is especially prevalent when moving from dark to light backgrounds (windows).  Anyway, try this yourself. Set your monitor to “Game” mode, then open, and close your internet browser.  Watch closely!  You will literally see the display dial up and down in intensity.  The U2410 is not worth more than $299.00.