Widescreen Gaming Forum

Well, I knew 23" e-IPS displays were coming using LG's panel, with blogs reporting Apple's to be the first, but now it looks as if NEC may beat them to the punch. I really was expecting a host of other manufacturers to use this panel, but it does make sense NEC would, having been in the IPS display biz for a while now.

The MultiSync EA231WMi is looking to have nearly the same spec as Apple's right down to the brightness, aspect ratio, resolution, and price range. So despite a lot of sites on the net talking about it being IPS, I tend to think it's likely going to be more specifically an e-IPS. Note even the model number starts with an E.

Talk is of a $379 price and anywhere from August to October release. My dream of a 26" 1920x1080 e-IPS is drawing nearer because as most of you know, NEC does sell a 26" IPS display as well. Now if only LG can make a 26" panel with this tech. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed until next spring.

http://www.techpowerup.com/99491/NEC_Unveils_MultiSync_EA231WMi_First_23_inch_16_9_LCD_with_IPS_Panel.html

http://nexus404.com/Blog/2009/08/05/nec-adds-ea231wmi-lcd-display-to-multisync-line-23-in-monitor-169-widescreen-automated-brightness-sensor/

Wasn't e-IPS an inferior yet cheaper version of IPS ?

e-IPS is supposed to be an evolution of IPS that would fix its flaws
http://www.digitalversus.com/article-358-4862-88.html

I wanna see some company put a monitor out with that panel, atleast two digital inputs (hdmi or dvi doesn't matter obviously), vga, and like a 300 dollar cost.

Wasn't e-IPS an inferior yet cheaper version of IPS ?

More like different "detuned" version of an IPS. The main difference in the end result is a lower brightness and gamut. The brightness isn't really an issue, as LCDs typically are overly bright and have to be turned down anyway. Even the gamut, which is about 72% vs 92-96% would only be an issue if you expected to be able to use it for pro photo editing, and even there it would outperform the common TN panels in this size and price range.

In fact unless you are intending to do work that requires a high gamut, you could end up with over saturated colors on a display with 90+ gamut if using it for ordinary tasks. It's all about fitting the display to the job at hand, and frankly the e-IPS type panels serve a wider range of them than most, and in a price range that's affordable for many.

e-IPS is supposed to be an evolution of IPS that would fix its flaws
http://www.digitalversus.com/article-358-4862-88.html

I don't think you really read that article right. There's nothing in there that indicates the Dell 2209WA is any better than a typical IPS. There have already been full IPS panel displays with less than one frame of lag.

Like I said above, e-IPS are "detuned" IPS panels. Each has it's own purpose, one is not necessarily "superior" to the other when you consider they're in completely different price ranges and aimed at different target markets and that a lot of source material looks too saturated on a high gamut display.


On a side note, I'm experiencing a bit of irony. Shortly after posting this thread my 4.5+ yr old ViewSonic 21" CRT G220fb seems to have crapped out on me. Worse yet it's roughly 8 months before my planned new build. I cannot get anything too high res because I have older spec, yet older games too that can be played at high res.

I may get the Sony 20" Trinitron CRT a local shop has used for $20 to get me by until then. I've been spoiled by the flexible res options CRTs offer.

well, if its not good for color accuracy, I wish they'd market it as a different screen. Its what IPS was known for. TN panels are terrible. the screen on my NEC was the closest to a CRT for me.

well, if its not good for color accuracy, I wish they'd market it as a different screen. Its what IPS was known for. TN panels are terrible. the screen on my NEC was the closest to a CRT for me.

That is a common knee jerk reaction to differences in color gamut. Make no mistake about it, even e-IPS is far superior to TN technology. The Dell 2209WA e-IPS is being reviewed by many around the world as being THE best 22" display now.

TNs only have 6 bit color depth and have to synthsize via dithering many of the colors they produce, which is worse by far than an 8 bit panel with a 72% gamut using all undithered colors. TNs have no more than 72% gamut too, but many of the colors in that 72% are synthesized.

The dithering is why you commonly see red/orange blotchy smears on Caucasian faces in darkly lit movie scenes on a TN. Aside from that of course they suffer severe washout at side angles or slightly above center.

The fact is the 20% higher color gamut you get on the full undetuned IPS panels is really only noticeable with very detailed source material like very high res pro photography work, and even then it takes the trained eye of a pro to see it.

In fact the reverse like I've been saying is true too. For a lot of average source material like games and even web browsing, that high a color gamut is going to look overly saturated, meaning bleeding colors.

The only real way to get a high gamut IPS that has good color balance for most uses is buy something like an NEC with SpectraView like Tamlin has and set various profiles for different uses, and that's a very expensive setup that takes a bit of know how and tweaking.

Even with an NEC w/SpectraView though you get noticeably more input lag than IPS panels that are quite a bit more affordable because all the video processing they use slows them down. Thus they are not ideal for gaming if you prefer a display with as little lag as possible.

That's why I said the e-IPS are the best all around. They're great for gaming, movies, web surfing, even amateur photo work, and they're sold at TN prices. I don't think you're seeing the tradeoffs even high end IPS displays can have for average use.

Scored big today. Took advantage of the E-Cycle program lots of businesses are involved in now and dropped off my dead ViewSonic G220fb without paying the recycling fee. They even gave me a Dell P1230 same size as mine for free! It also has Sony's superior aperture grille vs the Invar shadow mask mine had.

Only difference other than that is it's limited to 1920x1440 res vs the G220fb having a bit higher res, but it refreshes just as high at the res options it does have. I never went above 1600x1200 with my G220fb anyway. Overall I'm actually better off.

I thought this was a government sponsored program but it turns out the manufacturers are backing it because they want you to get rid of the old and buy new. Lots of places are just giving these away due to lack of space or ability to sell them.