It has been a year since our first test of 30" monitors. If, at the time we thought that they were only reserved for a few people, today it is a completely different story. The "always bigger race" is back. Has been, 19" monitors have been replaced by similarly priced 20"s, who in turn have been overrun by 22" monitors released at less than 300 euros. So why settle for a small monitor? For the bigger competitors, 23 and 24" monitors are threatened imminent extinction by 26 and 27"s. The problem of the latter is that even if they are found at approximately the same prices they havefull HD panels with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, which results in a big pitch (up to 0,303 mm with the 27"). However, some users want to have a large monitor and more information displayed such as spreadsheet columns, graphic tools, and games and not necessarily bigger text.
On the left the Samsung 305T, on the right the Dell 3007WFP-HC. Center : Samsung SyncMaster 226BW 22"
The resolution of 30" monitors is indeed 2560 x 1600 pixels. A single monitor of this size is almost equivalent to a dual monitor configuration with two 24" (the ratio is 1.8), three 19"s or five 15"s.
In addition to the resolution, some might also want a 30" as a combined monitor and TV. It is indeed possible to directly connect an ADSL box or via a computer and that's it! If you add one of the first Blu-Ray player/burners or the Xbox 360 HD-DVD player, that your graphic card is HDCP compatible and that you have the right software player, you will be able to enjoy movies on the big screen. Such a combined use helps justify the monitor's price at approximately 1,500€. This is particularly expensive compared to 32" TVs usually found at less than 800 euros. Their resolution is nevertheless much less at 1366 x 768 pixels. For office use (spreadsheet, text, web surfing, etc.) this isn't enough and the pitch is 0.51 mm!
A good image is sometimes worth a thousand words. When we speak of pitch this may be a bit abstract for some of you. In practice, here is the size of text with the font Arial 18 displayed with Photoshop, a 30" monitor and several other monitors (including a 32" TV ):
The models in competition: summary
With two really different products, here is just the type of battle we like to see.
In the left corner, we have Dell who launched its first 30" monitor last year. This new 3007WFP-HC replaces the first 3007WF. The panel is an IPS like the first edition (manufactured by LG-Philips). The response time has improved a bit, but the major difference is the replacement of its backlighting by a new generation with a wider gamut.
Samsung uses the first PVA 30" panel produced by its own factory (Samsung being the only manufacturer to build these panels). The claimed response time is a bit better than the Dell. However, this is something that we usually don't rely on too much, so we will verify it later in practice.
The tests
We run tests for reaction time in games, delay of display, and video rendering (SD, HD 720p, HD 1080p). We also evaluate ergonomics, viewing angles, the quality of upscaling, the panel's brightness homogeneity…
For color fidelity we use the LaCie Blue Eye Pro colorimeter, based on the Gretag tool and coupled with the new LaCie software suite. More evolved than the previous version, this helps us to compare a monitor’s display quality (color spectrum and DeltaE) in standard settings and after calibration. Results are sometimes surprising as it’s often best to take the time to manually adjust colors (or at least contrast, brightness and color temperature). The results of our study of 18 patches makes it possible to create a table visually resituating the variation of colors compared to an ideal gray scale.
For game tests, after developing a response time measuring procedure last year with a probe and an oscilloscope, we eventually came to the conclusion that the measurements weren’t representative of what we actually saw on the screen. We then developed a new test procedure based on pictures of images on the monitor. The software used is Pixel Persistence Analyzer (or PixPerAn for regular users). Pictures showing these ghosting effects are captured with a Canon 350D at a shutter speed of 1/1000 s. We take 50 pictures in burst mode for each test to precisely measure the progression of afterglow between images. We haven't given up on the games, HD and DVD video, web surfing, etc.
Finally, we measure the delay to display images compared to CRT monitors.
The test computer is self-assembled, has an AMD Athlon 64 3500+ processor and NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX card.
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Standard color rendering, gamut
Color quality
The quality of colors is measured with the LaCie BlueEye Pro colorimeter, which in fact is a Gretag colorimeter coupled to the software suite developed by LaCie.
Just to remind you, we work with a value called DeltaE. It represents a measurement between the color requested and the one really displayed on the monitor. The higher the result obtained, the less true colors are. The value is also counter-balanced for human eye color sensitivity.
Delta E > 3 the desired color is noticeably different from the one on the screen. 2 < Delta E < 3 color quality is satisfactory, but a graphic designer probably wouldn’t be content 1< Delta E <2 colors are accurate. Delta E < 1, the result is perfect.
Each time, 18 patches of color are studied and 16 results are reported in a graph.
The probe quickly confirmed our first impression. The Samsung monitor had good initial settings (it's even pre-calibrated) while the Dell had oversaturated colors. The 3007WFP only provides better results in one situation. Monochrome photos were better and grays more neutral. Once again, the probe confirmed our visual assessment:
IPS 6 ms : Dell 3007WFP-HC
S-PVA 6 ms : Samsung SyncMaster 305T
In practice with the gray scale:
IPS 6 ms : Dell 3007WFP-HC
S-PVA 6 ms : Samsung SyncMaster 305T
Either way, these monitors should be calibrated and we hope that the color variation from the center to the side of the screen will be as minimal as possible. We want to have accurate colors on the entire monitor (see below for the homogeneity test).
After calibration, the Dell monitor shows accurate colors, the proof that there was no factory pre-calibration.
In fact, the Dell monitor takes the lead if we take the gamut into consideration:
IPS 6 ms : Dell 3007WFP-HC
S-PVA 6 ms: Samsung SyncMaster 305T
The gamut explains the initial color rendering of the Dell, which before seemed so excessive except in grays. Besides the fact that it wasn't pre-calibrated, the 3007WFP-HC displays more intense shades than other monitors thanks to the wider gamut.
For image professionals, such wide space can be very handy and might become absolutely indispensable very quickly. More and more, reflex cameras offer the possibility of surpassing the standard sRGB space and use Adobe RGB. With a normal monitor, you won't see the difference. However, with wide gamut screens it can display more new colors that were captured by the camera. This makes a difference in the following step, printing.
In the gamut graph above, the black triangle corresponds to the color space displayed by the monitor. The orange is the sRGB and reference and the white is ISOcoated. This last one is the color space of professional printers and is wider than the sRGB. There is a risk with standard monitors when working with images taken in Adobe RVB as you might change colors that are outside of this space without realizing it. On the screen, the color space will be the same, but the printer, which is set to ISOcoated, will possibly identify a modified color scale. Wide gamut monitors show these colors and avoid these types of mistakes in extreme color shades.
Now, we will have to verify if colors are as rich and nice throughout the entire panel. This isn't something to take for granted and we remind you that we measured gaps of up to 50% with the first generation of Dell and Apple 30"s. So will we see the improvements that Dell has claimed for months now to have made?
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Brightness homogeneity
Brightness homogeneity
For this test, we measure the brightness of white in various areas of the panel. We calculate the average brightness and the variations between each point.
This test is only made on monitors that we know have been checked in the factory for brightness homogeneity. With entry level LCDs, we have already measured completely different brightness variations in two monitors of the same series. This means that there can be no consistant evaluation. And even with such high end monitors, don't rely on this test too much. The result depends on many factors such as transportation. It could also be the case of a selection of monitors particularly well adjusted for us, the product testers. It is only logical to believe that a manufacturer will avoid sending a monitor with obvious brightness disparities.
Now with the above in mind, here is the result with our two monitors: a variation of 21% was measured with the Dell and only 15% with the Samsung.
IPS 6 ms : Dell 3007WFP-HC
S-PVA 6 ms : Samsung SyncMaster 305T
Besides the graph's results, in practice this means more accurate colors for Samsung in all areas of the monitor. The 305T has a DeltaE inferior to 3 in every corner. This isn't the case for the Dell, which can only make such a claim in the middle of the screen.
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Gaming in 2560 x 1600
Gaming !
Not all graphic cards are able to support the 2560 x 1600 resolution. First off, it has to be able to display as many pixels with the standard DVI port, and for this, the card has to have a Dual Link type DVI interface. DVI is limited to 1920 x 1200 and the two TDMS signals of 165 MHz have to be combined to generate the 2560 x 1600. This is the case for all GeForce 7 / Radeon X1x00 middle and high end models.
In addition to being able to display this resolution, the next step is to be able to provide a nice framerate in games. The 2560 x 1600 requires twice the graphic power necessary for 1600 x 1200 and is also the reason it's imperative to have a very high end graphic card. For now, this means buying a GeForce 8800 GTX. Even worse, if you want to activate effects such as antialiasing with heavier games, you will have to add another one of these cards in SLI and that will cost you.
Finally, there is support of the game. They have to have this resolution available and really support it. Here, we have to say that the situation has really improved since the first tests of 16/10 monitors.
Once these obstacles are overcome and you play in full resolution, you will be amazed. Total immersion is guaranteed! If you have the right peripherals, keyboards, a fast mouse, joystick and steering wheel, it's even better than an arcade. Here is an example of the rendering with Toca Racer Driver 3:
Of course, you do have to have some distance between you and the screen, around 1.5m to 2 meters. Your field of vision will cover the entire monitor and one non-negligible advantage is that monitor afterglow will be less disturbing.
Game : Lock On, in 1280 x 1024 with the le VX922, in 2560 x 1600 with the 3007WFP
Game : Civilization IV, in 1280 x 1024 with the VX922, in 2560 x 1600 with the 3007WFP. With the Dell, it is better to zoom out a little to avoid having things being too big. The disadvantage is the blur effect that automatically occurs once we have reached a certain height.
Inside the city
Game: Far Cry.
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Reaction time
Reaction time
A car moves from left to right at high speed.
Movement isn’t perfectly fluid. Depending on its speed, the car is shown in several successive positions. If the car goes very fast, the positions are very close and the eye perceives a flowing movement.
perfect monitor
monitor with two afterglow images
A monitor without ghosting effects would have previous images completely fading away when a new one appears. This is the theory and in practice, it's often not the case as images progressively fade. Sometimes up to 5 afterglow images remain on the monitor and represent the visible white trail behind objects. Some monitors have strong overdrives in addition to image anticipation algorithms. In this case, an image can appear in front of the main object, creating a white halo ahead of objects in motion.
We capture afterglow with a camera at a shutter speed of 1/1000 s for an LCD. We take 50 pictures per test. We then can see a monitor’s ghosting effects, or all the car’s position in the entire process. The most important image is the one on the left, the better one. It will be the most displayed on the monitor, while the one on the right is in transition.
Here are the two extreme states with each monitor as afterglow oscillates.
IPS 6 ms : Dell 3007WFP-HC
S-PVA 6 ms : Samsung SyncMaster 305T
The two monitors have similar reaction times. This is typical behavior of PVA monitors and a rather good result for the IPS of the 3007WFP-HC. Here are for comparison, three screenshots of previous monitors, the recently tested Dell 27" (PVA panel), the previous Dell 30" (a slower IPS panel) and a TN with an announced response time of 2 ms. In practice, this is the fastest reaction time:
PVA 6 ms : Dell 2707WFP
IPS panel 11 ms : Dell 3007WFP
TN panel AUO 2 ms : ViewSonic VX922
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Viewing angles and movies
Viewing angles
We take pictures of monitors from a 50° angle from all sides. The claimed viewing angles in a product’s characteristics are often exaggerated.
IPS 6 ms : Dell 3007WFP-HC
S-PVA 6 ms : Samsung SyncMaster 305T
IPS technology is the best for viewing angles. They aren't perfect, contrast is bit reduced at 90° but at 50° the results, as shown in the picture, are quite convincing and almost perfect.
Samsung's PVA monitor is a little less gifted in this area. Vertical viewing angles are smaller and a bit washed out compared to Dell's IPS. Nevertheless, this result is already excellent and not many of you will be dissatisfied. Samsung has even progressed with this new generation as you can see in comparison with previous PVA monitors:
PVA 6 ms : Dell 2407WFP
PVA 5 and 6 ms : Acer AL2616WD and Dell 2707WFP
And for those who wants to compare with MVA monitors (AU-Optronics panels), here is the difference :
P-MVA 8 ms : Belinea 10 20 30W
Movies
I don't remember this test ever being the deciding factor for the winner of a screen test. Well, it had to happen one day… and this test gives it to the Dell monitor for one simple reason: -The 3007WFP-HC has a DVI interface and is HDCP compatible. - The 305T also has a DVI input but isn't HDCP.
In 2007, this is clearly a mistake! This would have been OK if it was possible to switch to VGA input when the digital one is restricted, but here we don't even have the choice! And what's worse is that with big diagonals there are differences in contrast between these two inputs.
With SD and (non protected) HD sequences, the two monitors have the same disadvantage. There is an accentuation of compression defects resulting in strong twinkling and imperfect color scales.
Once again, we insist on the importance of calibrating the Dell, or else colors in movies will be strongly distorted.
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Dell 3007WFP-HC
Dell 3007WFP-HC
To the above specifications, there is also the question of memory card players, an integrated USB hub, the pivot mode and vertical adjustment… To show these ergonomical aspects, this time we decided to make a video. We believe this is a bit more explicit than several pictures to see the monitor's design, etc.
Compared to the previous 2707WFP, the 3007WFP-HC is a generation behind. With the 2707WFP Dell moved on to a metal body. The 30", however, has a majority of plastic parts, but nevertheless looks very good.
One last comment in this area. Those who will use this monitor with a non Dell computer can't install the Color Monitor application, which replaces the monitor's OSD. They will only be able to access brightness, which is the only option available directly on the monitor. For other parameters, it will be necessary to go through the graphic card driver. A colorimeter will also be of use to correct colors, and, unfortunately, it won't be possible to change the color temperature. The default temperature is 5900K and if you don't have a Dell computer (like us) you will have to stick to it.
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Samsung SyncMaster 305T
Samsung SyncMaster 305T
Samsung's arrival on the 30" monitor market was something that we expected. And we have to admit that the attitude of this manufacturer towards users has really improved - at least for computer monitors (for TVs, it's less obvious). It has been a year since the Korean manufacturer realized how important it was to have accurate colors from the start and not impose the use of a colorimeter owned only by a few professionals. Recently they also started another fight in the brightness homogeneity area in order to have accurate colors in every corner of the panel.
The 305T illustrates perfectly these two points with a minimum of brightness disparity- especially for a monitor of this size - and colors that have been obviously pre-calibrated in the factory.
Samsung SyncMaster 305t Unfortunately, the 305T has two downsides, one of them being really serious. The first is the absence of new wide gamut backlighting and a limitation to the sRGB color space. It isn't a huge problem and at least, it has accurate colors from the start, which isn't the case for the Dell. Secondly, and this is what really hurts this product, is that its DVI interface isn't HDCP compatible. With a monitor of this size this is more than a problem!
Samsung and our tests with a Blu-Ray movie confirmed this non compatibility.
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Conclusion
Conclusion
Finding another winner other than Dell for a survey of large monitors would have a been much to our liking. We are almost fed up with recommending this manufacturer for all sizes: 24, 27 and now 30 inch, they are everywhere.
And yet, in the first few tests, the Samsung 305T showed great results. Factory pre-calibration (the Dell has rather inaccurate initial colors), integrated USB hub, wider viewing angles than the previous generation of PVA panels…and then there was the big mistake, Samsung forgot one essential point: the only interface, the DVI input, isn't HDCP compatible. How will we read HD protected movies with this monitor?
This left us with the new Dell 3007WFP-HC. Initial colors lack a bit of accuracy, and LG-Philips, the panel manufacturer, seems to have calibrated the monitor to have neutral grays without paying attention to other colors. However, you "only" have to calibrate the screen to have more accurate and richer colors than Samsung, because Dell has chosen a new generation of wide gamut backlighting.
The last point is the price. Here, the two monitors are pretty much equivalent and their MSRP is around 1500€ (at least during promotional periods).
There is one product left in the domain of 30" monitors, an Apple. We tested it and found two major problems. The first was that it isn't for graphic designers in our opinion. And secondly, the Cinema Display denomination is misleading because its DVI input isn't HDCP compatible. It is also very expensive at 2300 euros…
There is now one question left, which was asked by several readers: For a multi-use, movies and computer, is it better to buy a TV or a computer monitor? This question deserves a more complete answer than just that the resolution is in favor of computer monitors. It is indeed 2560 x 1600 for monitors and usually 1366 x 768 for 32" TVs. For videos though, TVs have much better circuits for the correction of images (at least the better ones do), which is currently more efficient than graphic cards especially for HD videos. We really appreciate the efficient correction of MPEG compression or video noise and that some TVs are no longer even affected by twinkling effects.
However, when you have the right graphic card, playing with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels is much better! For office use, unless you have poor eyesight and want to have really large text on the screen, the answer is definitively the computer monitor. It is up to you to make you decision based upon, what is your priority, office or media center use.
Finally, if you have never seen what a 2560x1600 image really looks like, open the image below in full size:
For color fidelity we use the LaCie Blue Eye Pro colorimeter, based on the Gretag tool and coupled with the new LaCie software suite. More evolved than the previous version, this helps us to compare a monitor’s display quality (color spectrum and DeltaE) in standard settings and after calibration. Results are sometimes surprising as it’s often best to take the time to manually adjust colors (or at least contrast, brightness and color temperature).
For game tests, after developing a response time measuring procedure last year with a probe and an oscilloscope, we eventually came to the conclusion that the measurements weren’t representative of what we actually saw on the screen. We then developed a new test procedure based on pictures of images on the monitor. The software used is 
Finding another winner other than Dell for a survey of large monitors would have a been much to our liking. We are almost fed up with recommending this manufacturer for all sizes: 24, 27 and now 30 inch, they are everywhere. 