Did a search but didn't find much on this area. I want to get a non-tn monitor for my main trading screen. I have Samsung 226 but the thing bugs my eyes and it does something funny to some of the colors I use in my candlesticks when I move my head side to side. Does anyone have any experience with non-tn monitors other than the Dell 24 ultra sharp. I don't really want to drop 700 bucks. I looked at the BenQ FP241VW but it seems gimmicky and mostly for gamers. I was thinking of a 22 inch Dell ultra sharp but that model seems to be a TN panel. I'm fine with any size between 20-24 inches...the image quality is the most important thing. Thanks for the help!
I found that with these, I can handle pretty much any monitor. It is worth the price, but they don't come any larger than 20": http://www.amazon.com/3M-EF200XXLB-AntixGlare-Computer-Filter/dp/B00028OOTS
Here is a weblink that will help you identify what is, and what is NOT a TN panel: http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php?title=Master_Monitors_List And for what it's worth, Planar makes a nice 20" flat-panel ( non-horizontal display and non-TN ) that fellow ET'er and resident Hardware Forum guru Gnome swears by! It goes for $369 though. Best of Luck!
Looks like TN panels dominate the scene through 22". You might try Planar....PL2010M, PL2011M, PX212, and PX2411W... I have a PL2010M (warranty replacement for one where the DVI port died).. its recently revised specs say the veiwing angles are "160 degrees" like most TN's claim, but it looks like it is not TN. I also have the PX2411W (S-IPS)... it has the best contrast for text of any monitor I've had... $575-$600. BTW.. Though Planar does not advertise like others and so is less known, they also make a line of "medical" monitors... and their service is top-notch! Then, there is the HP LP2065 (1600x1200 UXGA)... S-IPS panel for about $400. The Master List shows their HP LP2465 to have S-PVA panel (common in LCD TV's), so it's likely good too. Non TN panel monitors always cost more. I've had many, and my current ones are all S-IPS (though I'm not sure what the PL2010M is)
Are non-tn panels better for the eyes? My eyesight has been getting worse since I've been trading. Can't put a price on my vision. I'm using acer tn lcds.
In terms of quality and cost it goes from TN to S-PVA to S-IPS. None of them are perfect and even the really expensive IPS ones have issues that some people don't like. From what I have seen, most people who are picky are not happy with TN, moderately happy with S-PVA, and happy with S-IPS provided its inherent qualities do not bother you. It really comes down to personal choice. Also, I think a lot of people fail to calibrate their monitors, and that is a huge mistake. It is like buying a TV from the store, it is never set anywhere near where it should be. All TVs and monitors need to be calibrated. I am not saying that would make a big difference to your current situation, but keep it in mind for your next purchase. Everyone who calibrates their monitor sets them to varying degrees of brightness, because how bright you want it can vary significantly from one person to another.
I've seen a lot of speculation and discussion regarding different panel types, but it is difficult to find results of actual tests. There do appear to be a number of different factors that may lead to eye strain from some panels, while not from others. One of those factors is the result of manufacturers promoting their products on the basis of the so-called performance specifications. For any given screen size and resolution, the manufacturers want to compete on the basis of brightness and contrast. SO in order to achieve better contrast they pump up the brightness to ridiculous levels. This leads to monitors that have default brightness settings capable of inducing instant headaches. On many monitors it not even possible to turn down the brightness to a comfortable level - on a setting of zero they're still too bright. Unfortunately too many people don't realise this may be what is causing their eye strain. This seems to be more of an issue for TN monitors, because they are promoted on the basis of simple raw specifications (particularly response time) rather than image quality, and they're brighter than *VA and IPS anyway. I have also seen it suggested that the poor viewing angle of TN panels may cause eye strain, due to the possibility of one eye seeing a different image to the other. Doesn't seem likely to me though, unless the viewer's eyes are very far apart or they're sitting very close to the screen - which would be a bigger problem. Other problems with TN panels causing eye strain seem to be related to their cheapness. They would have a higher likelihood of malfunctioning parts - such as the backlight, or the electronics that control the pixels. For example, the technique of 'inversion' apparently used in all LCD panels, as described half way down on this website http://www.techmind.org/lcd/index.html may explain why some people see flickering or shimmering on their screens. This may be in cases where a cheap TN panel has met quality assurance as being 'good enough' to sell, but a flickering effect may still be visible to some users. The website http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/ has a series of tests for LCDs that explores the range of factors contributing to image quality and performance. The tests are interesting and fun (in a geeky testing a monitor kind of way). My TN panels performed on the tests basically as expected by the website author. I'd be interested to hear from someone with an IPS panel, how much better theirs performed on the viewing angle tests. The performance of my panels was basically the same as shown on their example images - which was pretty bad.
Thanks for all the great advice guys ! I'm leaning heavily towards a S-IPS screen and thinking that I should just spend the extra 300 bucks and get a good one. Especially since I trade futures and one trade is about a 300 buck loss It seems that the non-TN screens are almost completely phased out of the 20-24 inch space except for the Dell, Apple and Planar. I appreciate Gnome's advice but I'm a little leery of the Planar since there aren't many reviews out there. I'm leaning towards the 30 inch HP since it can be picked up for about a grand refurbed AND I know its basically the same S-IPS screen as the Dell and Apple. As a sidebar, thank you Gnome (and Landis) for the great work you do in the hardware threads specifically regarding Dell Precision and Vostros ! I just picked up a Precision refurb with 3Ghz, NVS 290 160 GB HD and XP pro AND VIsta Business for 710 !
I know a lot about 30" monitors, and I will warn you now that they have not been correctly developed yet. Neither the ones for about $1000 nor the ones for $3000. It's not that they are terrible; they just haven't produced an all around great 30" monitor yet. I have one of the best and it has issues that I wish it didn't, but overall I am happy with it. I would suggest two 24" monitors over one 30" for most people at this point.