Hardware Benq FP241W

With no aspect scaling this monitor sucks, you can't even say it does 1080p properly due to the retarded thing stretching every input vertically (I mean vertically ffs!).

Why have all the inputs on the thing if you’re just going to enforce the screens native res? That and it's still not out, it was due in July - now on the website says the 6th of November and yet I still don't see any stock in Overclockers (Benq's preferred supplier). I bet you don't see it this side of Christmas....

 

No mention about the lack of 1:1 Pixel mapping?

 

Neweggs got em.

Due to my distrust of dell and not wanting to be caught with a hp product this monitor looks pretty good.

 

Does the dell do 1:1 mapping? I'll soon be in the market for a 24" display but this complicates matters . . .

 

Had this monitor for 3 months now. I own dell 24in, samsung 24in and this one at home.
I have also used the gateway 24inch at work and I can say they have flaws when used on a daily basis. The only one I have not used are the apple and HP and other provider of 24inch.

Here are some things you might need to add about this unit in case people want to buy it.

Cons:
Built in USB Hub does not power when switched off using side power button instead of Main switch. Very annoying when external drive gets disconnected when power is switched off. (Dell and samsung do provide power as long you don't turn off the main switch at the bottom. Samsung does have the worst place of position the USB input link cable though.)

Slow Response on switching inputs or options or opening menu or switching screens in menu. If you switch between inputs there is usually a 3-5 second lag before the next input shows up. Also the annoying message stay on the screen for another 3 seconds and you cannot do any other option during this.
(Dell has 1-3 second response on switch. Samsung only 1 sec)

Senseye feature cannot be turned off. You can only play with demo which makes half screen off and half on and this only works when not in standard mode.

Button are quirk most times in that you have to push hard on them. No marking on the front corner to help you know which button is where. You have remember their location over time. Takes a little while to get used their location.
(both samsung and dell have buttons on the front and easy to work with. Gateway has touch sensitive button on front right side and really good to work with.)

No advance Replacement. Both Dell and Samsung do this but BenQ does not. They do have onsite however advance ship is what matter when it comes to getting it replaced.


Pros:
So far in games the LCD works better on my eyes compared to samsung or dell. Haven't played games on the Gateway yet. Maybe next month when I don't have too much work at work.

Excellent color. Black are most black on this monitor even when compared to samsung.

Very little bleeding on sides.

I hope this helps all.

 

Please, for the love of freaking god, would someone, either the reviewer or owner, let us know how the monitor scales things?c

If it sticks everything to 1080 resolution and stretches x,y,z input, it sucks and I don't freaking want to touch it with a ten foot pole.

If it allows other resolutions to be displayed 1:1 with different options for stretching, I want to touch with my two foot pole.

So can someone let us know how this thing scales content? That really is the make or break for most people. I mean, why have a gang of inputs if its going to stretch everything awkwardly as some people here claim.

 

This monitor sounded great from the review, then I read the comments in this thread about the scaling. Surely the reviewers would have mentioned that if it were a major problem?

Ah well, it's all academic anyway, since I don't have a cool £670 (or even £150 for that matter ) to spend on a monitor.

 

"Lack of 1:1 Pixel Mapping: The absence of this feature from the FP241W is strange, and might well be an issue to potential buyers. Without it, the image from external devices or non native resolutions from a PC are always stretched and scaled to fill the screen, rather than offering options to maintain the aspect ratio or map the pixels 1:1 via the hardware itself. It has been confirmed in the FP241W manual that this option is not available, and also by BenQ support. Note: the forthcoming FP241WZ will also be without this option."

Taken from http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/benq_fp241w.htm

 

If you are running an Xbox 360, you can select 1920x1200 as a resolution in the dashboard and the Xbox will manage the best way to play back your games and HD-DVD movies.

If you are running to a PC, the software on your PC will manage the scaling on the HD-DVD / Blu-ray / other high def.

The only time that scaling and pixel mapping becomes an issue on this monitor is if you are using a high-def source other than a PC or Xbox 360 or, in all likelihood, PS3.

Let me repeat - with PC-based HD footage, Xbox 360 or likely PS3, there are no problems with scaling.

Unfortunately, we don't have a stand-alone Blu-ray or HD-DVD player to test scaling via a dedicated source.

 

You don't need a hi def source to show scaling, it’s a lame excuse at best and a very similar one Trusted Reviews gave… funny that.

You can just plug any std def device into the thing… like a PS2 or a standard DVD player then watch in horror.

 

Since when did the 360 allow 1920x1200 resolution? Last I looked 1920x1080 was the max :|

 

That's absolutely true, but scaling standard def on any high-def screen looks absolutely awful, full stop, without spending thousands of pounds on a dedicated upscaler.

If you want 1:1 pixel mapping on a standard def source, you're going to be looking at a picture that is about 3 inches across on your screen, which is clearly rubbish as well. Why on earth would you want 1:1 mapping for standard def? Why even buy a high def screen if you're worried about standard def?

 

Thanks for that. One these monitors and a 360 might make it under my xmas tree this year if im lucky. Then try and shift my 2 x IBM 19" P96 CRT monitors to someone.

 

Right so no one has answered my question. If i have say £700 to spend on a monitor which one should i go for.

 

Go for the FP241WZ not the FP241W. I heard it will be getting the windows vista logo end of this month. And the WZ has an anti ghosting capability i think.

 

That looks like a nice monitor ... too bad I already have a 21in Gateway can't really justify the price for an extra 3in's ... I will wait for 30in LCDs to start comeing down in price. mmmmmmmm 30in's .......

 

Hey Everyone,
Anyone here have experience using both the Samsung 215TW and the BenQ FP241W?

I would like to now how they compare in qualities for photo editing purposes.

Right now I am deciding between the Benq, the Samsung 215TW, and the NEC 20WMGX2 ( a little different than the one reviewed here).
I would like the larger screen but not at the sacrifice of much of overall image quality, colour reproduction etc.

Anyone have info on this? Also, anyone have a link that shows a method of calibrating a monitor without special tools?

Regarding the Pixel Mapping- I read somewhere that there is supposed to be a firmware upgrade available in December that will fix this...at least allow for a fixed aspect ratio.

Thanks.

 

Im thinking of getting this screen... I currently have a 19" Viewsonic VX912 and thinking of replacing this screen that is on my gaming box and connecting my 19" up to my laptop for when im doing development work...

Can anyone tell me when/if the WZ will make it to Australia..? I'm really tempted to buy the screen now, however i think i might wait till december to see what happens and pick up an 8800 at the same time...

Nice review BTW, very +ve...

EDIT:http://www.benq.com.au/support/downloads/downloads.cfm?product=2356

 

1:1 Pixel Mapping

I've been following that HardForum post for the last month and a half... the pixel mapping issue has been the biggest deterant for me, and if they're really going to be fixing the issue (and quite possibly having it fixed when the FP241WZ is released, natively), then I'm all over this puppy... I might have to get two of them... I dunno... One 24" Widescreen with two smaller 19" 4:3s on either side of it might work... or 3 24inchers... Geeze... I dunno...

 

Again guys not helping

Dell or this