I'm cursed, I can't find a monitor I like. Still using one from a decade ago

[Season2mask]

I've been using this HP 2210 monitor for over a decade and it's because every time I try to upgrade I end up sending my big new fancy monitor back.

I've bought all sorts, the monitor before this latest one was a Dell ultrasharp something something and I wasn't happy with it.

I finally decided to try again and went with the HP 27f. I turned it on and was disappointed yet again.

Every monitor I get is not as good as my old one and I think the issue is IPS panels. My issues with the HP 27f include:
- Massive backlight bleed
- Colours appear grey at times
- Blacks aren't black because of the backlight bleed. Everything has a chromatic sheen to it, a metallic gradient.
- Worse contrast compared to my old TFT monitor according to Lagom calibration (http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/contrast.php) I can't see the bars on the left hand side as much as on my old monitor.
- Lines on the monitor when I move windows (Admittedly hard to notice if you're not looking for them, but still, my old monitor doesn't have that)

Please, I need to upgrade. Can someone explain to me what I'm doing wrong. I've read a little about the advantages and disadvantages of different panel types, but I'm not really sure. Is my issue that I'm so used to TFT that I can't stand IPS panels? Will I ever find a good monitor that I see as having no issues since most monitors are IPS now? What monitor would you recommend for me?

Thank you very much for any help.

[Blackmist]

I have the LG 27GL850. Free/GSync, 144Hz, 1440p, IPS, HDR-ish. Still lots of backlight though.

I can see all the differences between those bars. If you can't, make sure you're not using limited RGB. This is a graphics driver setting. It's usually for TVs, but any 1080p display can trigger it, meaning you don't get full blacks or whites, and everything lacks contrast.

If you want super Spinal Tap blacks, you want OLED. There is no other display that will do that, and it is priced accordingly.

[phantomlink]

I have the LG 27GL850. Free/GSync, 144Hz, 1440p, IPS, HDR-ish. Still lots of backlight though.

I can see all the differences between those bars. If you can't, make sure you're not using limited RGB. This is a graphics driver setting. It's usually for TVs, but any 1080p display can trigger it, meaning you don't get full blacks or whites, and everything lacks contrast.

If you want super Spinal Tap blacks, you want OLED. There is no other display that will do that, and it is priced accordingly.

I have the step down 27GL650F-B and it was one hell of an upgrade. Windows based HDR isnt very good and I do believe I altered the RGB settings a little pending which monitor i'm using

[Thunderball]

I'm sorry you wont ever find a good monitor if you keep looking at HP.

[Yizu]

What kind of monitors did you look at before? You only gave 1 example, and an HP lol. And maybe dont get a 1080p on a 27 inch screen, its pretty normal that the image will look cloudy vs your 21 inch 1080p coz of pixel density, 1440p minimum on a 27 inch screen.

[Season2mask]

I have the LG 27GL850. Free/GSync, 144Hz, 1440p, IPS, HDR-ish. Still lots of backlight though.

I can see all the differences between those bars. If you can't, make sure you're not using limited RGB. This is a graphics driver setting. It's usually for TVs, but any 1080p display can trigger it, meaning you don't get full blacks or whites, and everything lacks contrast.

If you want super Spinal Tap blacks, you want OLED. There is no other display that will do that, and it is priced accordingly.

What is limited RGB? In my radeon settings I have the following and it was set to YCbCr 4 2:2. Should it have been on RGB 4:4:4 Pixel Format PC Standard?

YCbCr 4:4:4 Pixel Format
YCbCr 4:2:2 Pixel Format
RGB 4:4:4 Pixel Format Studio (Limited RGB)
RGB 4:4:4 Pixel Format PC Standard (Full RGB)

Edit: I appreciate the help but I've been looking around and some people suggest to keep it on YCbCR.

[Blackmist]

What is limited RGB? In my radeon settings I have the following and it was set to YCbCr 4 2:2. Should it have been on RGB 4:4:4 Pixel Format PC Standard?

YCbCr 4:4:4 Pixel Format
YCbCr 4:2:2 Pixel Format
RGB 4:4:4 Pixel Format Studio (Limited RGB)
RGB 4:4:4 Pixel Format PC Standard (Full RGB)

Full RGB uses 0-255 for each red green and blue subpixels.

Limited RGB uses 16-235 for them instead.

Monitors expect 0-255, so if your PC is outputting 16 as black and 235 as white, you'll have worse contrast than you should, blacks will be dark grey and whites won't be as bright as they should be.

The difference between 4:4:4 and 4:2:2 is trickier to explain, so I'll let somebody else do it.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/chroma-subsampling

I'd set that to RGB 4:4:4 Pixel Format PC Standard (Full RGB). Sometimes bandwidth can be the limiting factor on that one. e.g. 4K@60Hz with HDR is often limited to 4:2:2 on HDMI 2.0 systems.

[Season2mask]

Full RGB uses 0-255 for each red green and blue subpixels.

Limited RGB uses 16-235 for them instead.

Monitors expect 0-255, so if your PC is outputting 16 as black and 235 as white, you'll have worse contrast than you should, blacks will be dark grey and whites won't be as bright as they should be.

The difference between 4:4:4 and 4:2:2 is trickier to explain, so I'll let somebody else do it.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/chroma-subsampling

I'd set that to RGB 4:4:4 Pixel Format PC Standard (Full RGB). Sometimes bandwidth can be the limiting factor on that one. e.g. 4K@60Hz with HDR is often limited to 4:2:2 on HDMI 2.0 systems.

Thank you for that info.

I've set it to RGB 444 Full but I can't see any difference. I think I'm just not happy at all with the IPS glow. It's something I can't get use to. Blacks still look grey and metallic and dark images lose a lot of their detail. Also, it was a mistake to get a 1080p 27inch apparently. Going to send this monitor back.

[Blackmist]

Thank you for that info.

I've set it to RGB 444 Full but I can't see any difference. I think I'm just not happy at all with the IPS glow. It's something I can't get use to. Blacks still look grey and metallic and dark images lose a lot of their detail. Also, it was a mistake to get a 1080p 27inch apparently. Going to send this monitor back.

I can't say the ISP lack of black level has ever bothered me, but apparently TN monitors have the better black levels out of the LCD types, so look out for that when picking your next one. They're also cheap. VA are brighter overall, and IPS have the better colour accuracy. This test for example, looks the same all the way down the screen on mine. http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/viewing_angle.php

Read up on the other differences here. https://www.benq.eu/en-uk/knowledge-...-you-play.html

I still love my OLED for gaming though. Holy shit those are some black blacks.

[Season2mask]

I can't say the ISP lack of black level has ever bothered me, but apparently TN monitors have the better black levels out of the LCD types, so look out for that when picking your next one. They're also cheap. VA are brighter overall, and IPS have the better colour accuracy. This test for example, looks the same all the way down the screen on mine. http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/viewing_angle.php

Read up on the other differences here. https://www.benq.eu/en-uk/knowledge-...-you-play.html

I still love my OLED for gaming though. Holy shit those are some black blacks.

Thank you for the link. I do want to go with an IPS panel for better colour reproduction and its other benefits but I fear I can't get over IPS glow. I found a reddit post where someone was also complaining about IPS panels and I think the photos they linked do a good job describing the problem I see on all the IPS monitors I've ever bought.

Non IPS monitor:


IPS Monitor:


To me it's clear the darks are washed out, and that's on a colourful, light game. Darker images are worse. There's just this metallic look to everything.

I've returned my new monitor so I'm back to my ancient 21 inch one until I can figure out what to do.

[Season2mask]

I have researched monitors quite extensively so heres the deal:

First of all you need to consider the viewing angles. If you don't care about them and you are always sitted directly in front of your screen then you can probably ignore IPS panels.

IPS panels will always have some or less light bleed. This is NOT noticeable when playing (I have massive light bleed and cant tell). Also the blacks are not so black indeed but the colors are far better than any TN.

What kind of games you play? Competitive gaming benefits from TN panels. TN can have better refresh and ping. IPS and VA less so unless you go very expensive.

What size screen you want? If you want ultra wide and IPS and less than 500 EUR then theres like just 1 monitor from LG.
If you want ultra wide cheapex and good theres plenty VA panels.
If you want high refresh competitive gaming monitors there are godmode 1080p monitors but its 2020 so meh.

For me you should be looking at: 1440p, 27-34 inch and VA/IPS. Preferably a gsync compatible monitor (the native gsync monitors are VERY expensive).

Whatever you do get an 144hz monitor or better. The difference from 60hz is night and day.

Last but not least remember: The perfect monitor does NOT exist. Yet.

- - - Updated - - -



Mind you, IPS monitor works best with dark room. Also the IPS you show needs heavy calibration. I will try get a screenshot of mine later to show you.

Thanks for your post. I hope my lack of ambition isn't too annoying:

I don't care about viewing angles at all, really. I'm always just sat right in front my monitor.

I'm not looking for anything fancy either. You might laugh in 2020 but I'm totally fine with 1080. (Upping to 1440p would decrease performance, no?) The reason I bought a 27inch monitor recently was just because I fancied something bigger than my 21inch, but that was apparently a mistake when the res was just 1080.

I also don't care about high response times. I play WoW, Hades, Dark souls...nothing that I would think requires a monitor designed for pro gamers.

I honestly would just like a monitor where I can't notice any massive faults and is just a big bigger than my old monitor. 24 inch or something. (I consider IPS glow to be a massive fault as it personally totally distracts me)

Edit: I've never minded the colours on my old TN monitor. I'd just like something that is a tad bigger and a little better looking with a thinner bezel. Perhaps I should be going for a VA panel?

[Ssateneth]

YCBCR 4:4:4 is functionally identical to RGB 4:4:4. 4:2:2 will have some color artifacts because there is less resolution in the color data than in the contrast/brightness data. The artifacts is mostly visible in small highly contrasting areas, such as text (it will appear with purple and green fringes)

4:2:2 is typically used when the data connection to the display cannot sustain the higher data rate required for the additional color resolution, such as a very long or low quality cable, or the data protocols available (HDMI 2.0 versus HDMI 1.4) provides too little bandwidth.

[Season2mask]

Whats your GPU at the moment? That will be a deciding factor. I can tell you a bunch of monitors because I am out there shopping myself at the moment but it all starts with the GPU. If you cant properly support the resolution you will suffer no matter the quality of monitor.

RX 570.

I'd rather just stick to 1080p though, I think. I don't really want to risk any performance at all. Is that stupid?

[1know]

Death is always a solution

[Season2mask]

Death is always a solution

I wonder how many suicides have been caused by IPS monitors. They suck.

[Yizu]

RX 570.

I'd rather just stick to 1080p though, I think. I don't really want to risk any performance at all. Is that stupid?

Like I said, the reason why thats cloudy and washed out its because its 1080p on a 27 inch screen, if you want 1080p and crisp colors stick to 21inch below, because even a 23-25 inch wont look as good, its all because of pixel density (PPI) and not because its IPS or TN, although you also want an IPS for better colors.

Your 21inch 1080p is 105 pixels per inch and is closer to a 1440p 27 inch coz its 108 pixels per inch, its really the only upgrade path you should take if you want to retain crispiness of screen, you are not cursed.

[Thunderball]

What kind of games you play? Competitive gaming benefits from TN panels. TN can have better refresh and ping. IPS and VA less so unless you go very expensive

That's not true anymore. Modern IPS panels have caught up in pixel response to TN panels. The only downside that's left is the price.

[kranur]

Weird .. 5 years ago when I built my pc I spent most of the budget on the parts and only had 100 euros left with which I got a Benq 22". No bleeding, true black and small changes whem viewing from angles.

[Moozart]

I'm sorry you wont ever find a good monitor if you keep looking at HP.

my Omen 1440 165hz 1ms IPS panel begs to differ

[Synical123]

Thanks for your post. I hope my lack of ambition isn't too annoying:

I don't care about viewing angles at all, really. I'm always just sat right in front my monitor.

I'm not looking for anything fancy either. You might laugh in 2020 but I'm totally fine with 1080. (Upping to 1440p would decrease performance, no?) The reason I bought a 27inch monitor recently was just because I fancied something bigger than my 21inch, but that was apparently a mistake when the res was just 1080.

I also don't care about high response times. I play WoW, Hades, Dark souls...nothing that I would think requires a monitor designed for pro gamers.

I honestly would just like a monitor where I can't notice any massive faults and is just a big bigger than my old monitor. 24 inch or something. (I consider IPS glow to be a massive fault as it personally totally distracts me)

Edit: I've never minded the colours on my old TN monitor. I'd just like something that is a tad bigger and a little better looking with a thinner bezel. Perhaps I should be going for a VA panel?

I'm not going to lie, I use to be just like you about 4 months ago. Truly, even playing the same games.

My friends basically made me buy a 1440p 144hz monitor for the higher refresh rate and maaaaaan...... I'm telling you it is a night and day difference. Games like WoW look COMPLETELY different when playing.