The reason I bought a U2410 was not the IPS panel but rather the 1920x1200 resolution. The increased picture and build quality was just a bonus.
This is why most professionals use IPS - so the colors look consistent for everyone looking at the screen (whether it is a client looking over your shoulder or a group of coworkers). If you just position the monitor the correct way, and are working by yourself, it becomes a moot point. Pure color reproduction is going to be better on an IPS display and often easier to calibrate, however I would venture to say that the difference is hardly noticeable, if at all, if you sit directly in front of the screen and of course, calibrate (not by eye, but with a tool). I'd have to say that resolution is another key benefit of today's IPS panels. It seems you cannot get much higher than 1080P on a TN panel anymore. I would have to agree with the individual who said that his Samsung TN panel is miles ahead of other brands. This has been my experience as well. As for the pricing, I don't know what to tell you guys as I'm in the USA and most of you are in the UK I believe. Locally, I can often pickup a Samsung 21-23" LED LCD for less than $125 on sale. Conversely, that LG IPS screen that was mentioned runs about $219 online and I don't believe any local stores sell IPS (unless you go to the dark side and pick up an Apple Cinema Display).
What if he were black, or is this colour shift racist against white people trying to change their colour?
I'm inclined to agree, but people buy what they want. I would never EVER have spent £1200 on screens for gaming... it was hard enough doing it for work LOL. Probably right, but it's definitely more prominent on larger displays, especially if you sit close to them. My experience with 24" (and above) TN panels is that they are useless for colour critical work because of the vertical colour shift. It may be very subtle, but you simply cannot trust what you are seeing because any given colour appears very slightly different when viewed in different parts of the screen. Not at all - try using a big TN display like my 28" HannsG. Even if you view a block colour straight on, it looks like one of photoshop's smoothest ever gradient fills.
Exactly, because there's always a vertical colour shift, no matter how slight, you can never be 100% confident with colour accuracy on a TN display. Even if you calibrated it perfectly to industry standards, you can never tell if the colour you are looking at is the correct version of the colour it is calibrated to. However, for 99% of people, they obviously dont need that kind of accuracy, and so even if there is always a slight colour shift it is not the end of the world - especially when you consider that modern TN displays can have decent colour reproduction and contrast etc (and so are fine for gaming or for people that dont need amazing colour accuracy). The better viewing angles are still nice if you watch a movie at different positions in your room, or for any other time when you might view your screen at a different angle than straight on, but I can understand when people complain that the benefits IPS brings are overrated on this forum. Some people just will not notice the slight colour shift, and will view their monitor straight on at a desk for most of the time, and so think that the better viewing angles 'benefit' of IPS displays is a moot issue.
I ended up getting lucky, or so I think. Went down to the store and the bloke offered me an Acer P246h for £105 with 3 years direct replacement insurance for free as it had been on the shop floor for a few weeks but was in perfect condition. Been using it for a few days and I'm impressed, for the money it's sharp, bright and responsive. Bargain! Thanks for all suggestions!
