# External Monitor Opinions Please



## Braders (Feb 29, 2008)

I have been considering an external monitor to use with my laptop.

What is considered the best external monitor
24"
under $2'''


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## Replytoken (Mar 3, 2008)

Well, I will not say what's best, because that's just opening a can of worms.  While there are many good choices, I personally prefer IPS panels from NEC.  They are not the cheapest, but you know exactly what you are getting.  They do not have "lotteries" like some other companies.  I believe they also have a model that is meant to run in Adobe RGB color space, but that may present some challenges in workflow.  There was a whole discussion on this at dpreview.com a few months ago, and I know there is a NEC rep who posts on their forum.  I recommend spending some researching time before buying.

Good luck,

--Ken


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## Braders (Mar 6, 2008)

Cheers, i was wondering why the lack of response.....

ok, so i am considering buying the Multisync NECLCD269'WUXi with spectraview

http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Product/?product=9bd245b5-7b'f-4f52-9ac3-375'6ddc9775

Can i run this off my current laptop specs?

Anyone use this already?

Brad


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## Brad Snyder (Mar 7, 2008)

Brad, I guess it will come down to whether the video adapter in the laptop can support the 192' x 12'' resolution. I'm assuming that with XP MCE, you'd have a higher end video adapter. 

I'm considering a similar purchase and as Ken said, the IPS technology is currently well respected for color fidelity. Since I can't afford the Eizo, I believe the NEC is a reasonable second choice.

Absolutely no personal experience though, it's all book-learnin'. (And from the web, at that) 

....some other brad


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## Braders (Mar 7, 2008)

Brad, Brad here

Not been very savi with computer technology etc, i have no idea how to determine if my laptop will do as you suggest it should.

So, for the idiot that i am, a dummy's guide to what and how would be great.

Brad


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## Ian Farlow (Mar 7, 2008)

There is a specific model for your computer, and if I remember HP laptops correctly, on the bottom of the laptop is a label. Somewhere on that label is a model number, or a part number (or both). Can you provide that? This number will help determine what is inside your computer (hardware wise).


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## Braders (Mar 7, 2008)

Will get back to you...not in front of it now.


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## Ian Farlow (Mar 7, 2008)

No problem...


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## Brad Snyder (Mar 7, 2008)

With a laptop, I'm not sure how you'd tell. You wouldn't be able to select the higher rez, without attaching a monitor capable of it, kind of darned if you do, darned if you don't. If it were a desktop, no matter, a new video card would be less than the shipping on the monitor.

Perhaps the model # will help as Ian suggests.


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## Victoria Bampton (Mar 7, 2008)

I've got 3 NEC 198''s down in the Studio and they're very nice monitors.


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## edgley (Mar 7, 2008)

If the OP can post details of the GPU it should be possible to tell what resolutions it can run.


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## Ian Farlow (Mar 7, 2008)

Brad Snyder;994' said:
			
		

> With a laptop, I'm not sure how you'd tell. You wouldn't be able to select the higher rez, without attaching a monitor capable of it, kind of darned if you do, darned if you don't. If it were a desktop, no matter, a new video card would be less than the shipping on the monitor.
> 
> Perhaps the model # will help as Ian suggests.



It's been a while since I had an HP laptop, but I think we can get detailed info on the hardware using the model/part number. Then, we should be able to determine the max resolution of the video card.


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## Ian Farlow (Mar 7, 2008)

edgley said:


> If the OP can post details of the GPU it should be possible to tell what resolutions it can run.



This is what we are going to get for the OP using the model/part number, as the OP indicates that he is not very savvy with computers.


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## Braders (Mar 7, 2008)

ok

sorry for the delay, busy at my real job!

HP pavilion zd8''' - 375'39 ''1

Is this the number you need?

Brad


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## Ian Farlow (Mar 7, 2008)

Close. You should see a tag like this:






It would be helpful to have either the Product Number (#2 on the label) or the specific model number (#3 on the label). The number you provided, zd8''' is for the family of laptops and is not specific enough.


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## Braders (Mar 8, 2008)

AH ok

Then PN - EC294VA #ABA
zd 823'


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## Ian Farlow (Mar 8, 2008)

Ah... give me a sec...


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## Ian Farlow (Mar 8, 2008)

From what I can find through HP and ATI, your laptop runs the ATI M22/M24 chipset, and should have either an ATI X3'' or X6'' video card. Both cards can support resolutions up to 2'48x1536 at 85 Hz. That's huge. A 23/24 inch widescreen monitor, for example, is 192'x12'', so that should work just fine on your laptop.

Of course, you should have a 14 to 3' day return with any monitor that you buy, so if by chance it doesn't work, you could just return/exchange it for something else, but I expect you will be fine.

A second opinion, however, never hurts, so if anyone has any better knowledge with this stuff, please chime in.


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## Braders (Mar 8, 2008)

It is a Radeon X6'' video card, indeed.

So, the 26inch NEC will still work?


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## Ian Farlow (Mar 8, 2008)

The native resolution on that screen is 192'x12'' at 6' Hz. The max refresh at that resolution that your card supports is 1'' Hz, so it looks like you would be just fine.

Now I'm jealous... Want to accidentally buy two and accidentally send me one of them?


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## Braders (Mar 8, 2008)

now i am happy...thanks for that....will let you know how the match goes.

Next question is this.

the NEC comes with spectraview color calibration etc

is this needed is i already have Eye 1 display 2?


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## Braders (Mar 8, 2008)

Now if Adobe gives us dual monitor support, can you imagine my future LR experience!


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## Brad Snyder (Mar 8, 2008)

I had hoped that with Brad's laptop being Media Center Edition that it would have premium video, looks like it.  We'll all be waiting for reports if you do decide to go for it.


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## Ian Farlow (Mar 8, 2008)

Braders;1''4' said:
			
		

> now i am happy...thanks for that....will let you know how the match goes.
> 
> Next question is this.
> 
> ...



Spectraview is likely just onboard software/visual calibration. Don't bother with it. Use a hardware calibration tool.


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## Braders (Mar 9, 2008)

Ian

Did some research and the Digi Dog himself has a viewpoint on this. 

Seems even if you have the Eye one display2, getting the Spectraview software and then run Eye1D2 off this, is the best way to go.

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=''N9pS

Brad


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## Ian Farlow (Mar 9, 2008)

Huh... I don't really know what Spectraview is, so I will simply retract my last statement and now say that I don't know if you should use it or not. Wish I could be more helpful with this bit, though.


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## Braders (Mar 9, 2008)

No need to retract. Appreciate your help.

Neither do i, so will continue the research on this and share any more info i can squeeze into my brain.


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## Braders (Aug 4, 2008)

*NEC 2690 Spectraview II questions*

So, i went out and bought one of these beasts. Whoa....the wife is not happy this week. Between this and LR2.':lol:!!

I have a couple of issues, potentially related.

1. Even though my graphics card (Radeon X6'') handle the 192'x12'' res, and i was able to set this as so, i dont seem to be getting the correct res. When i plug it in using 15 pin mini Dsub (analogue), the corner of the monitor says 16''x12''. yet, when i plug it in (DVI DVI - digital) to the wifes Macbook pro (radeon x16''), the correct res 192'x12'' appears. So is this the card or the cable or both.

2. Calibration setting as per CM expert info on other forum - D65, gamma 2.2, black point .5, White point 15', contrast ratio - default. 
The problem - 
a. During calibration this message appears "Max luminecence that can be acheived is 1'6. This is lower than target value. Auto adjustment will be made to maximum possible" 
b. Caibration summary - WP 649', Luminecence 1'3, Gamma 2.2, Contrast 1/255.

This baby has a max contrast ratio of 1/8'', so i am not sure what went wrong.  Contrast ratio = Black/White points = .5/15' = 3''.

Should i set the contrast ratio rather than default?
IS this affected by the first issue?

Once i have this figured....


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## Braders (Aug 4, 2008)

Ian, Brad or Rob?


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## Brad Snyder (Aug 4, 2008)

Brad, it's over my head. I'm still making do with visual calibration, since my work is not very color critical. A calibrator is likely to be my next gear purchase, but I haven't done it yet.

1) resolution, don't know
2) here's a link to some data that indicates you're not as far off as it seems.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/lcd-technicalities,762.html

This article has several pages, so be sure to click thru them. The gist is that your current capability is just about perfect for photo work.


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## Braders (Aug 4, 2008)

Thanks Brad

interesting article.


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## Ian Farlow (Aug 5, 2008)

Holy schmoly... I just looked up the NEC 269' WUXi-BK display. That thing is expensive. And I thought I spent a lot on my 23" ACDs. Nice specs, though.

Unfortunately, I don't have the answer for you regarding your video card or calibration. I have seriously lost touch with Windows since switching a year ago.


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