Need Advice...Please read

[koolman007]

hi guys am gonna go for a 27"monitor upgrade soon and replace my 20" Samsung 206BW.
My problem is that i want something that will will last me atleast a few years. Now i know that TN panel are soon gonna be outdated and wil be replaced my IPS but at the moment its a bit too expensive for me to invest in an IPS monitor. I will be using my monitor mainly for watching videos and playing games (both pc and ps3) So now i have two options:
(a) is to buy a 24" TN panel monitor for around 150 pounds and replace it in a year when IPS becomes more affordable
(b) is to get a 27" Samsung P2770H TN panel for 260 pounds and just forget about IPS panel
Also if i go for a 24"IPS panel now will it be a better investment over 27" TN panel keeping in mind the usage. I dont mind the viewing angle too much as i am the only person using the monitor and as for the better image quality i am sure that Samsung P2770 is not far behind in this catagory either.
Please feel free to give suggestions.
Cheers

[Pob255]

Well, to start with S-IPS is actually older than TN (at least in monitors it is) however the current IPS are actually H-IPS a newer variation which improved colour depth and response times, the main issue with the older S-IPS panels vs TN panels

Next issue is size vs resolution, a bigger screen doesn't always mean more dots, it can just be bigger dots.
There is no difference in resolution between most cheap 24" monitors and that 27" samsung monitor, the resolution of ether is 1920x1080.

Generally speaking monitor prices haven't dropped that much, the main thing that's shifted is the common sizes, a couple of years back 19"-22" was the common size now the common size is 22"-24"

However the big stumbling block atm is TV's
To keep prices down manufactures use the same panels for pc monitors as they do for TV's, TV's are currently the far larger market and is dictating the sizes and more importantly the resolutions, which is why these 27" monitors are the same resolution as 24" monitors, beacuse they are all basically 1080p TV panels.
IPS is generally not uses so much in TV's which is a factor in their price and the reason they are often the higher 1900x1200 resolution.

[DanceswithUnix]

I think the next big push is going to be 120Hz panels, and a recent Anandtech article was gushing about the latest Asus 120Hz monitor basically saying whether you care or not about 3D support the faster refresh was worth it.

All the technologies are getting better, hence whilst I wouldn't have bought *any* of the early LCD monitors I am more than happy with my latest gen cheap Samsung panel.

[Locke]

Personally I would get a 24" TN monitor now and save up for a 24" IPS monitor like a future Dell or HP if you are content on having an IPS screen. If you aren't, then you should just get a 24" TN monitor and forget about the rest.

Also, since you're upgrading from 20", a jump to the 27" Samsung P2770H would be a vastly difference experience and keep in mind that is has the same pixel count as most 16:9 24" screens (1920 x 1080).

Though saying that, it's worth saving up *Pets his lovely H-IPS monitor*

[Fraz]

A monitor is pretty much the most important point of a computer as far as I'm concerned. Especially if you're going to look at it for a long time - i.e. for work purposes, etc.

I've never regretted spending a little extra on monitors. They last for years anyway, especially as you can always retire them to a second or third screen. I've always gone IPS on my monitors. Never regretted it - especially when you see on a decent screen the obvious photo-editing mistakes people make on an inferior screen.

[koolman007]

thx alot guys so DanceswithUnix does dat mean P2770H is an old model and i shud get a newer one from samsung ? have you got any other monitor suggestions too ?
and Locke did u mean by getting a 27inch and forget bout getting an IPS in the end ?

[Pob255]

One bit of advice, go to pcworld or curries or simular, not to buy anything but just to personally see the difference in screen sizes and panel types for yourself.

Even if they don't have the models you're looking for they should still has 24" TN, 27" TN, 24" IPS

[Locke]

thx alot guys so DanceswithUnix does dat mean P2770H is an old model and i shud get a newer one from samsung ? have you got any other monitor suggestions too ?
and Locke did u mean by getting a 27inch and forget bout getting an IPS in the end ?

Pretty much. Though I can't tell you what to buy, I was just merely recommending a 24" since it'll have the same amount of pixels (Not including the 27" IPS screens) and will be cheaper. Just go into a decent electrical retailer and see the differences for yourself, since you might prefer having the 24" rather than the 27" (As you're coming from a 20", 24" will seem huge).

[DanceswithUnix]

thx alot guys so DanceswithUnix does dat mean P2770H is an old model and i shud get a newer one from samsung ? have you got any other monitor suggestions too ?
and Locke did u mean by getting a 27inch and forget bout getting an IPS in the end ?

Well I just looked up your monitor (never used that model) and it looks quite recent so I wonder what exactly you are looking for in an upgrade? The P2770H also looks quite recent, possibly one generation on from what you currently have (it seems to have better contrast ratio).

Your current monitor seems to be a 16:10 ratio monitor (same as my bedroom telly so thats fine), 16.7M colours (so the panel is reasonably up to date). Are you watching films from some distance to want an upgrade? Would you be better off with a seperate TV as well as your existing monitor? I say that as the upscaler in my Samsung TV keeps amazing me with the lovely looking pictures it produces out of moving standard definition images. DVDs look better from my 30 quid DVD player than they do from the PS3 with the PS3 doing the upscaling.

Edit to add: I am not convinced IPS panels will get dramatically cheaper. Current development is going into 3D panels which means 120Hz or 240Hz technology which needs a fast screen so I think they are using TN. Going back to the Anandtech article i mentioned earlier, if you play first person shooters then 120Hz is an advantage.

[koolman007]

i went to currys today to have a look at different screen sizes and did a side by side analysis of 20, 24 and 27 inch although there was not much in image quality but screen size from 20 to 27 is quite huge and this is wat i am currently looking for as i will be watching lotsa HD movies and playing games.
120Hz is not an option as i dont play much FPS neither does the idea of 3D gaming inspires me.

[muppet_hat]

Well VA panel monitors are not as expensive as H-IPS panels, yet they offer similar concept of more accurate colors. The EW2420 in particular has extra high contrast at 3000:1 (and its not DCR contrast).
It has 178/178 degree viewing angles and is LED backlit instead of CCFL.

It's definitely worth adding to your list of monitors to consider:
http://www.benq.com/products/product...ltag=3&ptag=11

I'm personally waiting for this