[foghornoso]

Hi PCM2 and friends, after going through some past posts here I’ve found lots of good information already. Thanks for this! I think I’m going to be choosing between BenQ BL2710PT and BenQ XL2720Z. I’m looking for a 27 inch monitor. The priority number one being a screen which would be the least straining for my eyes.

Pros for BL2710PT:
– Reading Mode: for reading documents!
– Colour support 1.07 billion and 2560×1440 for photography (side activity)

Pros for XL2720Z:
– Motion Blur Reduction / 144Hz / 1ms GTG: reduce strain from scanning through websites and documents

For me, one of the most straining things for my eyes while using the computer is quickly scanning through websites for information and quickly scanning through documents for information. I’ve become quite efficient and fast at this but it is really straining for my eyes. I feel that this is one of the major reasons I get eye strain while using the computer. To reduce the effect of this I started considering XL2720Z. Otherwise BL2710PT seems quite a natural choice.

The XL2720Z does not have Reading Mode, right?
Does the XL2720Z have Smart Reminder functionality to take breaks for the eyes every 20 minutes?

Can anyone provide me with some pointers in finding the optimal solution for me. Any differences I’ve missed out and haven’t mentioned? Any other monitors I should consider (I’m looking for the best solution possible)?

I would be very greatful for some help!

[PCM2]

Hi foghornoso and welcome,

I feel that some other advantages of the BL2710PT which could be mentioned include the lighter matte (‘semi glossy’) screen surface and much more consistent and pleasing image quality overall. It is a more pleasing monitor to look at when viewing static content. The extra resolution is also beneficial in terms of increased real-estate when viewing large documents.

Having said that, if you are particularly sensitive to motion blur or find that scrolling documents or moving through them (not with your eyes, but so the monitor has to start displaying new images) causes strain then that changes things. A higher refresh rate and perhaps even the ability to use the ‘Blur Reduction’ setting could be greatly beneficial to reduce strain related to scrolling through documents. The colour accuracy, even if you were to calibrate the monitor using a colorimeter, can really not compare to the BL2710PT. I can’t really recommend one model over the other for you as it really depends just how much strain you get when scrolling through documents on a fast 60Hz monitor vs. a 120Hz+ model.

The XL2720Z offers the same functionality as the XL2420Z. There is no dedicated ‘Reading Mode’ but you can easily assign various custom settings to the ‘Gamer Profiles’ for easy access using the S-Switch. In the XL2420Z review we assigned a profile with reduced brightness and a reduction in the blue colour channel to one of these. This gave us an easily accessible ‘Reading Mode’, essentially. The XL2720Z lacks the ‘Ergonomics’ features of the BL2710PT (‘Smart Reminder’, ‘Eye Protect’ ambient light sensor etc.)

[foghornoso]

Thanks PCM2 for the quickest response ever. I’ll think about this for few days to figure out my priorities. Just one question: you said that XL2420Z and XL2720Z have same functionality and specs. Is this true for the BL2710PT and the 24 inch equivalent? I remember reading that the 27 inch BL2710PT had better performance than the 24 version? Thanks again for all the details!!

[PCM2]

No problem! The BL2411PT and BL2710PT are quite different. They both offer good performance but the resolution, exact panel type and colour performance are slightly different with the 27″ model having a bit of an edge overall. The older BL2410PT is very different indeed to either of these as it uses a VA panel and can’t compare to either of the newer BL series models.

[Ember]

Hi guys. I’m also looking for a comfortable screen. My current problem is that I feel like I’ve exhausted the most obvious choices already, without really having found a monitor that I want to keep yet.

I want a monitor that’s IPS, without PWM, without bothering noise, around 24″, minimum brightness around 50-60 cd/m2, and a decently soft AG coating. I mainly use it for general Internet/programming and if it’s okay enough for a bit of graphics work that would be awesome.

The monitors I’ve tried so far:
– Benq BL2411PT: Nice and clean image, great colors. But two things I didn’t like: the minimum height was around 18″ off the desk which still feels a bit high to me, and the minimum brightness was still a bit too bright. I know that I can always run something like Pangobright, but I’d really prefer a monitor that goes low enough.
– Dell U2414H: Washed-out because of the Nvidia+HDMI issue. Didn’t really want to run the patch because I also have a TV connected to the same graphics card and the monitor had a pretty obvious high-pitched noise.
– Dell P2414H (revision A01, actually) This one I like best so far except that the lower left corner has a bit much backlight bleed+glow, and, more importantly, I can also hear a high-pitched noise coming from this one. It’s barely noticable in normal use, but sometimes gets more obvious depending on the screen content. The lagom.nl clock-phase test makes it really obvious, for example. I will try another one of these, but I have a feeling that I wont have much more luck with this one either. Both the P2414H and U2414H manufactured in march had the same kind of noise, one was just louder than the other.

So what’s left unless I also start considering VA panels? I found the HP Z24i, but it is a bit too expensive (for what it is) and apparently suffers from cross-hatching and responsiveness issues.

[PCM2]

Hi Ember,

I agree that’s a tricky one. Perhaps consider something like the Samsung S24D390HL. As mentioned in the review (hot off the press) it’s a very impressive monitor really and is excellent when it comes to eye comfort. It goes down to an incredibly low 26 cd/m2, uses a flicker-free backlight and is nicely set up in the colour department. It doesn’t feature an adjustable stand but sits fairly low on the desk compared to something like the BL2411PT. I’d quite happily add this to the recommendations section too but I usually like some positive user feedback before doing that.

[Ember]

@ PCM2: Thanks, that one looks great. I like PLS panels anyway (had a S24A850DW for a while). I ordered the S24D390HL so I can directly compare it to the P2414H and will report back when it arrives (hopefully tomorrow).

One question that is maybe slightly of topic: does the Nvidia RGB range toggler still work with the newest driver revision 335.23? I read a comment that a few of the range toggling “tricks” don’t work anymore.

[PCM2]

The Full Range tool works fine on the newest drivers. I tested the S24D390HL using 337.50 betas and there were no issues.

[Ember]

I had some time to test the Samsung S24D390HL and I must say I quite like it.

As mentioned in the original review the image out of the box is good, but has a slight green tint that is easily corrected (R=49, G=48, B=50 for me. Same as in review). Backlight bleed is very minor and even. The anti-glare coating seems to be pretty light. I can’t detect any flicker even on the lowest brightness setting, which is the lowest I’ve seen so far from any recent monitor. While looking at some text, I noticed that the default sharpness of “60” is a bit much and the lagom.nl sharpness test seems to verify this. I changed the setting to 51 (taking it from 60 to 57 is a pretty big jump, but the next few steps don’t differ that much anymore).

Everything else is just as advertised. There’s no weird quality control issues and no (and I mean NO) noise coming from the (external) power supply. The monitor also correctly detects whether a full range HDMI signal is being used and if it is, it greys out the black level OSD setting. I think that’s a pretty good solution because people who don’t know or care about such things will always get a decent image regardless of what the graphics card sends, and people who do care have an easy way to verify the correct signal.

So in short: it’s just fine for the price. I would still prefer the Dell P2414H because the image “feels” a tad more comfortable (I might be imagining things here, though) and I’d really like to have height adjustment and a less glossy and dust loving chassis, but I don’t seem to be having any luck with the Dell. The first one had high pitched whine and some odd flicker on the clock/phase LCD test (even though it was connected by DVI!), the second one has the same whine and a long’ish scratch on the bezel that QC apparently didn’t see or care about.

[Ember]

Spoke too soon. I actually found a bit of a (minor?) flaw after I removed the foil that protected the bezel: the right edge of the screen (the very edge) is a bit darker and “blotchy”. Either that’s because of the way the monitor is assembled or that’s something only my unit has. The other edges have a bit of a “shadow” too depending on how you look at the screen, but on the other edges the shadow is even.

Well, I will keep this one anyway because by now I’m tired of exchanging monitors and not having a decent one to keep using.

[PCM2]

That sounds like a minor uniformity issue, quite common but not something that all units suffer from. It’s something that may or may not disappear or become even less pronounced as the panel ‘settles’ over time. It sounds like you’re quite happy with it overall though and I appreciate the feedback you’ve provided.

[LionDog]

Hello, i’m sorry to bother you,but i really need help.
Basically i can’t find any monitor which doesn’t cause me eyestrain,headache and dizziness.

I was using an old Samsung PX2370 until a dog of mine throwed it to the ground.

And well,while it hadn’t the best image and colors quality for sure, it has been used for years without any issue for my eyes.

Now, i use pc a lot both for work (reading,writing and some editing) and in my free time (i’m not exactly and hardcore gamer but i like to play some games as well as watch movies and surf the web).. and i absolutely need a comfortable monitor.

My first try has been an Asus VG248QE which,even leaving the horrible colors alone, i returned in 4 days because of the headache and dizziness it gave me.
I thought it could be a PWM issue, so my further pick has been a BenQ XL2420Z: nothing changed..

At that point i tried an IPS: the Dell U2414H …with no luck:dizzines and eyestrain were still there.
Last step was a 1440p, the ViewSonic VP2770 i’m using right now.
But unfortunately i’m still having eye issues and i can’t keep this.

Now, what i don’t understand is what this monitors have (or haven’t!) in common which causes me this issues..should be something my old samsung hadn’t (or had).

Just wondering if there is any chance you can help me to make a right pick..you know before Amazon tells me where to go…[and honestly they are right..i returned 3 monitors in less than a month and i’m about to return the fourth].

I was thinking about the Eizo FG2421,but at this stage, i really don’t know.

Hoping in your help,
Have a nice day.

[PCM2]

Hi LionDog and welcome,

I’m really sorry to hear you’re having such trouble with your monitors, having already tried an array of monitors including some apparently eye-friendly models. I’ve merged your thread with this one as it would be a great addition to this thread. There is also some good advice on the first page on things to look out for and things to consider.

Since you’ve tried a good range of different monitors I can draw a few conclusions. I’m fairly confident that you’re not having an issue with motion blur sensitivity as you’ve tried some 144Hz monitors and presumably tested the ‘motion blur reduction’ mode on the XL2420Z as well. The XL2420Z in its normal operating mode and the VP2770 you’re currently using are PWM-free so it doesn’t seem that backlight flicker is an issue.

So what does that leave? Well let’s focus on the VP2770 you are using now as you could test a few things. One question I’d have is what brightness setting are you using and what sort of lighting environment do you have? How close are you sitting to the screen? You may also have a sensitivity to blue light. By chance the PX2370 may have been configured to have a warmer colour temperature than you’ve been used to on the other monitors you’ve tested and maybe that was more agreeable to you?

And don’t worry you’re not bothering me by asking this sort of question. It’s what we’re here for.

[LionDog]

Hi, and thank you for your help.

Answering your questions:
I’m around 60cm to 1 meter from the screen usually.
At the moment i’m using User setting with 100 green,98 yellow and 94 blue.
About brightness and contrast..i tried lot of different settings..
Sometimes i feel as if an higher contrast is better for my eyes…on the other hand rising up contrast too much the screen becomes too bright ..and that hurts my eyes too..but in a different way: it’s more like a burn feeling rather than “stunning” effect i usually have. It is still there,don’t take me wrong,but it manifests itself slower.

At the moment anyway i’m using standard eco mode, 80 contrast and 16 bright (with the color settings i wrote up here)…

[PCM2]

I’d recommend trying the ‘Warm’ preset. Just use the default contrast of ’70’ (although ’80’ should be fine too) and set brightness to whatever you’re comfortable with. The image will look strange and unbalanced at first but your eyes will adjust. You don’t have to keep things like this forever, but give it a go and see if you find it more comfortable on the eyes.

[Ember]

@ LionDog: Let me be the devil’s advocate here for a second. Have you considered that it’s not the monitor, but the fact that you changed it? We get quite comfortable with the things that we use regularly. So comfortable that it’s sometimes difficult to just replace them and expect absolutely no (temporary) ill-effect.

What I’m saying is: the first monitor you’ve tried (the ASUS) had a PWM dimmed backlight, and a very bright max brightness. Maybe that marked change gave you some discomfort and sensitized you to the entire “monitor ergonomics” problem.

If the monitor has no obvious ergonomic problems (PWM, high minimum brightness, bad adjustability) I’d just stick to it and see how you can adjust to it after two weeks or so.

And one more thing: I have rather dry and sore eyes right now (not directly monitor related) and I can tell you that the single most comfort related attribute of a monitor is its brightness relative to what’s behind the monitor. If the screen is significantly brighter then the wall or room behind it’s strenuous to look at it.

[Nocturnus]

Hi, PCM2. I have an old 19 inch monitor

LG Flatron L1952S
19 inch
0,294 mm
300 cd

and I want to buy this IPS:

LG 24MP56HQ
23.8 inch
0.2745 mm
250 cd

On the 19 inch I use Custom DPI Setting 102% because at 100% the text seems a little small for my eyes. So, on 23.8 the text will be the same? please let me know. Thanks

[PCM2]

Hi Nocturnus,

The pixel pitch is indeed a significant factor when it comes to the visibility and size of text. The text would appear just slightly smaller on the 23.8″ model because its pixel density is just a little higher.

There are other factors that can affect sharpness, though. The LG being an old low-contrast TN model with an analogue (VGA) connection being a major factor there. You may also find you’re able to sit closer to the LG due to its ‘kinder’ flicker-free backlight and possibly better minimum brightness as well which might help.

[Nocturnus]

Great info. Thanks a lot. I also found two other alternatives at 23 inch, so we have

LG 24MP56HQ – 23.8 inch – 0.2745 mm – Anti-Glare, 3H

LG 23MP75HM – 23 inch – 0.2652 mm – 25% Haze treatment of the front polarizer (there’s a big difference versus Anti-Glare, 3H?)

LG 23MP65HQ – 23 inch – 0.24795 mm – Anti-Glare, 3H

which model you think will be better for me? don’t want a smaller text size.

[PCM2]

Since they all have the same resolution and offer similar performance the original 23.8″ model you were considering would be most suitable out of those ones. They all have the same matte anti-glare surface. 3H describes the ‘hardness’ (scratch resistance) of the surface and 25% haze describes how heavily they diffuse light as a part of their anti-glare properties. They are all 3H, 25% haze.

P.S. The pixel pitch is 0.2652mm on both 23″ models as they have the same resolution. ~0.248mm is for a 21.5″ 1920 x 1080 screen, just a typo from LG.

[Author]

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