HP L2335: Low Response Time and High Resolution LCD
by Kristopher Kubicki on July 8, 2005 7:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Displays
Cable Management, Pivot, Stand
The HP L2335 doesn't win any awards for looks when it isn't turned on. The depth of the LCD leaves something to be desired and the drab silver bezel reminds us of a circa 1998 HP desktop. Form follows function when it comes to computer components (unless you're Apple), and even though the monitor isn't the most attractive thing that we've seen, it still has enormous potential in performance.
All of the component, composite and s-video connectors plug in via a hatch on the side. HP would have scored some bonus points by including Firewire or USB inputs on the display, but we won't hold them against it.
Our only real surprise in this review came when attempting to pivot the display. Unlike Dell, Samsung, LG, Sony and virtually any other display manufacturer that makes a pivoting display, pivoting the L2335 is a counter-clockwise operation. It actually took us a few minutes to catch on this small detail. Furthermore, the 23" screen is very large; it takes a bit of muscle to rotate and tilt this display. Almost to add insult to injury, there is no clearance to pivot this monitor when the stand is at its lowest height, so that too must be adjusted in order to pivot the display. Portrait mode was an interesting concept when LCD displays could only do 1280x1024 resolutions, but pivoting the L2335 makes almost no sense to us; there just aren't that many applications where you would need 1920 vertical pixels. Personally, opening two 900x1200 terminals side by side for paging is a more elegant and practical solution.
Like virtually every LCD that we've seen in the last 5 years, the HP L2335 panel is removable in the event that you'd want to replace it with a VESA compatible arm or wall mount.
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Gatak - Sunday, July 10, 2005 - link
#32You are still wrong. A TFT need 12-14bits resolution per colour channel to be able to resolve the same levels as a CRT monitor.
The reason is simply because a TFT is linear in its response whereas a CRT is not (Gamma). The TFT must compensate for the gamma curve, which requires up to 14bits resolution (or more if you use higher gamma than 2.2).
So, these 14 bit LCDs/TFTs are the only ones getting _CLOSE_ to CRT native colour resolution. A CRT is inherently analogue too, which means it can utilize the 10bit resolution per channel that many modern graphics cards can produce (Matrox, ATi). Remember this is 10bit is with the gamma compensation already applied. For a TFT to reach the same resolution they would need much more than 14bits!
Therms - Saturday, July 9, 2005 - link
Just wanted to add that one of the biggest games of the summer, Battlefield 2, does not properly support widescreen.The best it can do is basically a zoomed 4:3 image which results in a display with the top and bottom parts of the picture chopped off. This means that widescreen users actually see less than standard 4:3 screen users.
semo - Saturday, July 9, 2005 - link
is there a big problem right now with all those different aspect ratios out there?i hear that 16:9, 16:10 and 15:9 are pretty much the same/compatible. why all the standards in the first place anyway?
DragonReborn - Saturday, July 9, 2005 - link
Hmm...interesting. I was definitely ready to buy the 2405...no way to really compare the two, huh? I game, but nothing crazy, and just want a nice big screen. Probably save the $300 and get a nvidia 7800 instead of the 6800... =)Gioron - Saturday, July 9, 2005 - link
"Also keep in mind that a 21" Trinitron has about the same viewable area of a 19" or 20" LCD."Mostly true, but you need to specify whether its widescreen or not, since you lose a bit of area on a widescreen display.
Screen area on a standard 4:3 display with a 20" viewable diagonal is 192 in^2.
Screen area on a widescreen 16:10 display with a 20" viewable diagonal is only 180 in^2. (If I haven't managed to screw up the math...)
If I were being pessimistic on your statement, a 19" widescreen would have a bit over 160 in^2, while a CRT with a 20" viewable diagonal would have 192 in^2. I wouldn't consider that "about the same".
The other thing that some people need to consider is whether you'll be displaying a lot of 4:3 content, in which case you throw away annother 20% of your viewable area to black bars along the side (unless you fill it out and distort the image). Admittedly, this isn't a huge factor for computer use, since most gaming and desktop resolutions can be adjusted to be correct, but its something to consider if you know you're going to be doing a lot of picture viewing or have video sources that are fixed at 4:3.
Pastuch - Saturday, July 9, 2005 - link
29 - Posted on Jul 8, 2005 at 5:59 PM by sviBut most engines stretch or clip a 4:3 picture to produce widescreen output. Source is an exception, and a big one, but you can't make a generalization like that based on a single case where widescreens are better.
Rebuttal:
I wont be buying BF2 until they add Widescreen support. EA WAKE UP! All of the following games have official support for widescreen: Halflife 2, CS Source, World of Warcraft, Everquest 2, Far Cry, Doom 3, GTA: San Andreas PC, and I've heard Dungeon Seige 2 will be fully compatable as well.
KristopherKubicki - Friday, July 8, 2005 - link
SilthDraeth: Icecrown Alliance. Biggest waste of money and time grumble grumble... ... er... Yeah I mean it's a fun game!kmmatney: Supposedly. Somehow I got suckered into an NEC NDA over a *year* ago which I may even still be bound to. NEC had some neat stuff to show me concerning LED backlit LCDs and medical-grade LCD monitors, but unfortunately NEC also has an elitist mentality that has completely barred them from competing on a retail level with anyone. 10-bit panels are not new, I actually saw my first one at *Comdex 2002*. Fortunately I just made a friend at Eizo and I will definitely be asking them for this display.
Thanks!
Kristopher
kmmatney - Friday, July 8, 2005 - link
There are LCD panels out now that surpass CRTs in image quality and color reproduction. See the links:http://www.warehouseexpress.com/news/digpop/698.ht...
NOte the spec: 16.77 million from a palette of 1.06 billion
Also see:
http://www.nec-lcd.com/english/whatsnew/press05030...
These are the real enthusiast monitors for graphic artists.
MrEMan - Friday, July 8, 2005 - link
Does anyone know if either HP or Dell has anything involvement at all with the design of their respective monitors?If they don't then I believe the credit should go to the monitor manufacturers and not the companies whose only involvement is to slap their name on the case.
SilthDraeth - Friday, July 8, 2005 - link
Kris what server on WOW do you play on? I play Deathwing, a pvp server, Alliance side.