New 3D HD Monitors: Acer Vs. Alienware

[memeroot]

minimal ghosting with the new screens btw.
you can see it on occasion if you look but its not bad. these screens are a significant improvement.

 

[hixbot]

My god, this is the worst monitor review I've ever seen. There's no data, just paragraph points on how they compare to each other. Why no photos of the colours, contrasts, screen bleeding etc?! How can you make a monitor review without testing input lag?

Seriously, what a terrible article. Just look at the way digitalversus or tftcentral test their monitors. This type of review is an embarrassment to Toms, your readers expect hard technical reviews, not this fluff.

 

[jamezrp]

[citation][nom]transsive[/nom]Info I would have like to see- what panels are they? TN I'd guess- how bad is the backlight bleeding- how bad are the viewing angles- do the monitors buzz (high pitched sound)- is black actually black or gray- can aspect ratio be configured (4:3) or will everything be stretched on the screen on non 16/9 resolutions- how is gaming on 120Hz without the glassesThankfully you mentioned image persistence (blur, ghosting) which for 120Hz LCD monitors seems to be a fleeting problem. My 24" LCD blurs like crazy.I'm dreaming of a 120Hz IPS 1920x1200 screen...[/citation]


Good questions. These were not addressed in the review because there were no real problems. So, to answer:

-TN

-No backlight bleeding to remark on (practically none)

-Viewing angles are good on both, but only for standard viewing (good meaning they are quite visible at any angle side to side). 3D, however, limits the viewing angle by default almost to zero.

-No buzz whatsoever...technically, both screens make sound, but you won't hear it.

-The blacks are actually black.

-Yes, the aspect ratio can be adjusted to 4:3, but it looks like crap (as it does on all LCD monitors).

-The 120Hz doesn't really help with gameplay or visuals. If the screen doesn't provide solid performance at 60Hz, it can't do 120Hz, so both are also excellent at 60. Though all testing was done at 120Hz.

 

[Transsive]

Thank you for the information.

When I talk about viewing angles I mean how much the colors shift.
On my TN monitor the vertical angle is bad enough that I can see the brightness change just by bobbing my head vertically. Actually even by standing right in the middle the upper part is always darker. I have a gradient on solid colors... lol

 

[jamezrp]

[citation][nom]transsive[/nom]Thank you for the information.When I talk about viewing angles I mean how much the colors shift.On my TN monitor the vertical angle is bad enough that I can see the brightness change just by bobbing my head vertically. Actually even by standing right in the middle the upper part is always darker. I have a gradient on solid colors... lol[/citation]

That's pretty standard for LCDs, unfortunately. Both displays were identical in vertical viewing angle performance (meaning the color shifts were identical), but yes, you notice them on full colors when shifting your head even slightly up or down.

For gameplay and watching media, it wasn't noticeable unless you plan on going up and down a foot while playing. In which case, what the hell are you doing?

 

[Tomsguiderachel]

[citation][nom]hixbot[/nom]My god, this is the worst monitor review I've ever seen. There's no data, just paragraph points on how they compare to each other. Why no photos of the colours, contrasts, screen bleeding etc?! How can you make a monitor review without testing input lag?Seriously, what a terrible article. Just look at the way digitalversus or tftcentral test their monitors. This type of review is an embarrassment to Toms, your readers expect hard technical reviews, not this fluff.[/citation]
Tom's Guide readers typically don't look for hard technical reviews. I'm sorry you didn't find what you were looking for in this review, but it sounds like you know where to go for the type of reviews you like. Many consumers who are interested in 3D do not know a thing about the kinds of numbers and specs you're interested in--and that's ok. Our reviews strive to get to the bottom line based on our reviewers' informed perspective. We want to detail the things an "average" consumer would notice and be interested in. That's what Tom's Guide is all about.

Thanks,

Rachel Rosmarin
Editor, Tom's Guide

 

[memeroot]

perhaps I have a bad monitor (or a worse one) but the bleed on my acer (as reviewed) is visible (black desktop) and the blacks are slightly blued.

this is at factory settings.

no I'm not disapointed as this is as you'd expect and better than previous gen, but it is worse than my (cheaper) dell TN and is much worse than say NEC's IPS panel available for the same price.

for these monitors there is a sacrifice - one I personally think is worth it - others may not.

 

[micky_lund]

24" should be the minimum....specially at that price

 

[Guest]

Good Review Rachel! Everything you included was very helpful for me and helped me decide on purchasing the Alienware. I like to know when I purchase something it will be a good product overall, other sites that hixbot prefers have all the numbers and information about input lag but didn't get into much of a comparison between the two and your review did, so you did good. Thank you for this information!

 

[blevsta]

Typo: "For gradient, we give the monitors the same scores as Contrast—the Acer gets a 9 and the Alienware a 10." Alienware got an 8 on the test. Your chart is right, the written text is wrong.

 

[memeroot]

is it true they both use the same Hyundai panel? and if not who are the manurfacturs.

 

[D4rth Man7iz]

Quick question, thanks in advance:

Is it Alienware's DVI input a type D?

 

[jamezrp]

[citation][nom]D4rth Man7iz[/nom]Quick question, thanks in advance:Is it Alienware's DVI input a type D?[/citation]

Yes...though to play 3D games you'll need a dual link DVI (which is included with the display).

And memeroot, I'm not sure. I'll see what I can find out.

 

[D4rth Man7iz]

Thanks jamezrp, I would appreciate what you find about the memeroot.

;-)

 

[Guest]

Hmm, maybe its different in the States, but in Europe the Acer is 2ms response compared to 3ms for the AW. They are slightly different in size. 23.6 Acer/23 AW. So either the European specs are different or the review is just plain wrong?

 

[memeroot]

I'll also add that my euro display claims 2ms on the box

 

[memeroot]

in europe
Acer GD245HQbid 60cm / 23.6" Wide 3D Vision LCD, 16:9 FHD, Analog, DVI & HDMI, 80.000:1, 2ms, Black

in us
23.6" wide-screen TFT LCD; 1920 x 1080 resolution; 80000:1 dynamic contrast ratio; 170°/160° horizontal/vertical viewing angles; VGA, DVI, HDMI™ (HDCP) connectors; 300 cd/m2 brightness; 2ms gray-to-gray response time; black color

so same screen from what I can see

the alienware
Alienware OptXTM AW2310 3D monitor’s 23" display with a Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, 400 cd/m2 brightness and 80,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio

so some differences... slower, smaller, brighter... or are the differences real? or are the panels the same? measuring them should cover it.

 

[Transsive]

Out of curiosity, could someone run the pixperan flag test at maximum tempo.
I estimate on my 60Hz LCD the trail (together with the "pre" trail) to be about 1cm or 0.4 inches (looks like a white-black-white gradient).

How big is the trail on one of these new 120Hz monitors?

Is there any trail whatsoever on a CRT?

 

[Guest]

damn i feel like crap knowing my monitor costed the same as both of them combined.

 

[memeroot]

couldnt get pixperan to run

@hollowtek
dont we feel that way about our tv's