After an incredible amount of deliberation and soul searching I decided... I definately needed the U2713H, even though im still dubious if my laymans eyes will benefit a great deal from its display. Having never had a top end display, can you guys give me some pointers on setting up the display to its full potential from a technical standpoint? I can take some pictures and details on the display and give you any info you might want Goodbytes as there isnt much out there atm. Would quite like a go at calibrating the display as best as possible if there is free software available to?
Excellent choice. You might get a seizure by the awesomeness of the colors... ok I am kidding, but really nice monitor. I tell you.. once you go IPS, and certainly once you go with a high-end consumer grade monitor, it's a curse. You'll never be able to accept anything less. And you'll understand why I have high standard when recommending monitors to others. Ok getting started with the U2713H. Now, I can't see any open box of this monitor, so I'll base it from the U2711 (I know it) and U2410 (I have). -> The monitor is HEAVY. This isn't your ordinary budget monitor that floats out of the box as you open it. So FOLLOW the instruction on the box, on how to get the monitor out. The last thing you want is to scratch things, or drop it. -> As you pull out the monitor from the box, if you see any cables pre-attached on the monitor, I would recommend to remove it, so that it doesn't block you when putting it on the desk. -> The monitor will have a protective foam/film on the screen. Only remove it, once the monitor it full installed and connected. Again, the monitor isn't cheap (at least not to me), you really don't want to take any chances in scratching it, by accident. -> Once you install it, and turn the monitor on for the first time, the default colors that you see are what are called, "standard", or what I like to call it: "Store Shelf settings". A profile, for just in case it ever is displayed at a store, has the colors adjusted to appear better than the over-saturated panels next to it. While it might look nice already.. it's really not what the monitor can do. Go on the monitor menu, under Preset Mode If you don't see this option in front of you, go under Menu > Color Settings > Preset Mode(you'll see how the menu of Dell monitor are the best to navigate), go to Adobe RGB or sRGB, which ever you like best. Both of these profile are calibrated for you, hence the report paper you have. Please note that this paper, is original to your monitor. You need to KEEP the paper with you in the case you need to return the monitor, else re-stock fee will be charged to you if you ship it back to Dell. As they'll need to recalibrate it again. If your monitor beeps like a microwave as you press buttons, you can disable that in Menu option. Go to Menu > Other Settings > Button Sound. And you are done. There are no software calibration tool, you can't calibrate a monitor via software. You need a color calibrator equipment that you put on your screen to calibrate it. Example: In your case, the monitor comes pre-calibrated. Now any professional that require pin-point color accuracy will tell you the following: >> As you use the monitor, the wear of the back light and panel will decalibrate the monitor, so the pre-color calibration is useless feature. You need a color calibrator and calibrate your monitor monthly, or even twice a month. >> Dell only calibrate the screen at the center of the screen. >> Finally, Dell calibration sucks. And they are correct... then again, they purchase professional grade monitors that cost much more than your U2713H. However, as you don't need pin point color accuracy, the offset of a few percentage point... you won't notice. They would, and big time once they print their work on high-definition printers for magazines and such. But for you and me, no way, even after 3-4 years. So rest easy and enjoy. One last thing to do, Run Windows update, to get the color profile of Windows installed for your monitor. Open the Windows Color Management panel, check the box: Use my settings for this device. Now, you'll have 3 profile that you can add/pick. The Windows Update one, The one that is from the disk, and selecting sRGB from the Add button. I don't know the monitor that you have as its brand new. But for the U2711 and U2410, this is what I recommend: Set the monitor itself to use Adobe RGB color profile, and set the Windows Color Management to sRGB. Please note that any picture viewer program, including Windows Photo Gallery, requires to restart to re-load the Windows color profile. So a cool thing if that you can view 2 instances of the same picture side by side, and you can compare profiles. Now if you are interested in calibrating and doing things right and getting the most out of your monitor, check out this thread, we are lucky enough to have on this forum, a professional in the filed, PookeyHead ready to share his secret. http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=229685
100% agree with this, just bought three and couldnyt have put it any better. Do love the remote switch though as I have a profile setup for desktop work (nice and dim) and 2 different ones setup for gaming depending on wether the room is light or pitch black. Bloody brilliant feature!
Right! It's snowing in England so the boss sent us all home early, great for me cause the monitor arrived early this morning! First impressions on unboxing - Good well made piece of kit. My old alienware monitor had a metal stand where this one doesn't, but the quality is still rock solid. Put it all together and oh my god it's huge!! So much screen in front of my face. Wired her up and turned it on... Wow! The colours are so vibrant and in your face, I am completely amazed at how good it looks. Completely staggering. In the first 2 minutes I decided this was worth every penny! Did as you said Goodbytes and set it all up, updated windows etc etc. Everything runs fine and is great... But! When playing games it seems to cycle in brightness, altho I may be mistaken and it may actually be just the colour profile is changing. Every 10 seconds to a minute, seemingly at random the colours will darken or lighten, and by a distinctly noticeable amount. I'm assuming it's a setting somewhere, I wondered if it adjusts depending on ambient lighting but I couldn't find anything. Any ideas? Can't quite believe how much better everything looks, am totally staggered!
Man.. if only it was like this in Canada... I would rarely work in winter No sir, even if you open your door, and you have snow getting half way to your door... school are still open, work is full days work. You see! Screw TN panel crap! I am very happy that you are amazed by the monitor. And you find it, like me, that they are worth every penny. A monitor is your main interaction to the computer, it makes no sense to get something cheap with our fancy computers. And the monitor, while not cheap, is not something that you always update. You keep it for many years, especially something this awesome. Of course. What you are seeing is Dynamic Contrast Ratio has been turned on. Either you turned it on by accident from the monitor menu, or you have installed (or Windows Update did), the monitor software that switches your monitor settings based on games and program you run. I would suggest to uninstall it, and stay with the color profile: AdobeRGB and dynamic contrast ratio turned off, for the best experience in games. After all these years, I am still amazed by my monitor
DCR is blanked off in the monitor menu, cant select it. Cant find anything on my PC that might be controlling it, have you got any ideas? Ive looked in my Nvidia control panel as well but cant find anything for that, but I havent changed that since my last monitor and didnt have this before.
When you are using Adobe RGB or sRGB color profile, DCR is disabled and turned off. If you maximize a window, your monitor backlight will not change. But when you play a game, your monitor has a software installed on your computer that detects that you are running a game that it knows, and changes your monitor profile to Movie or Game, or multimedia, and turns on DCR (or that profile has DCR turned on). You need to uninstall this Dell program in Windows.
It doesn't actually change the profile on the menu, as I have checked that. The actual symptoms arent that the colours change while im in game, they are that while in game they colours change every 10-20 seconds, even when not alt tabbing. Ive checked everything I can think of :/
Well, I uninstalled the drivers and ticked the remove software box for the monitor... Backlight still changes when I alt tab out of a game, and does it regularly while ingame. I haven't knowingly installed anything to cause this, and cant find any Dell software. Edit: Have noticed, if I put the monitor into game mode, even with DCR on the contrast doesn't change. Its only when in RGB or sRGB modes...
Hmm... I am hoping that the monitor isn't broken. I know it's a lot to ask, but can you film (with your web cam or camera) and upload to youTube, you scrolling through every menu option of the monitor, while you are in a game. And show show what you are seeing on the screen as your problem. If that is too much to ask, call Dell... maybe they know, or will send you a new one (as you are still in the return period, assuming you got the monitor from Dell). Don't worry Dell will ship you a new monitor. You get to keep yours until you receive it, once you receive it, swap the monitor, and in the box, you'll see a printed return shipping label, just stick it on the old one, and call the mail carrier to come and pick it up). If it's like in Canada, you have 10 day from delivery. Ask to be sure.
Ok.. after some research, I can be bi more helpful! Go there, turn off uniform compensation (just to be sure its not that), and go under "Smart Video Enhance", Can you disable this?
Hey Goodbytes, sorry I havent replied, ive been working all weekend and havent been at home! I have a feeling that when in adobe rgb mode that uniform compensation is unselectable, but I also think you can disable smart video but I didnt as I didnt think it would be that (should have tried anyway). I'll be home in about 4 hours and will try. Thank you for all this help, I am in your debt!!
Sorted!! As said, uniform compensation was blacked out in rgb mode, but smart video was on movie, turning it to off has stopped the fluctuations in colour! Cannot thank you enough, playing games and even to be honest using the net is so much nicer on this piece of kit. I am converted!!
Ah excellent to hear! Yea I didn't think it was uniform compensation option in any case... I just wanted to rule it out, if you could, to put it out of the equation. So good new super! Yea, once you with such display, it's a curse to your wallet, you can never go down again
