Is it a monitor, or is it a TV?
Posted on 10th May 2010 at 10:46 by Richard Swinburne with 31 comments
Since moving out to Taiwan I needed a monitor, so I gave the lovely people at Asus a buzz and asked if they could hook me up with something spare. Anything. I'm not fussy, just cheap poor like all journalists (where's my violin?). All it had to do was display an image - I didn't even care if the green and reds looked like they were made within a nuclear reactor.
Click to enlarge
However Asus being Asus, dropped off a box the size of Wales with 27in LCD inside. Part of me went giddy with excitement on discovering it, then the rest of me when hnnrrrghhh as I hauled it into the lift and then dragged it out and into my apartment.
Click to enlarge
After finding that construction was something more akin with an Ikea purchase - screwdriver with no instructions - I plonked it on the desk and admired.
Yes, it's still just as massive. Behold: The MT276HE!
Click to enlarge
I recently bought myself a Samsung 24in for my own personal use (OK, I'm not a total skinflint), which is a lovely 1,920 x 1,200 screen. The new MT276HE is a 1080p one - 1,920 x 1,080. That said, it still dominates my desk.
Click to enlarge
While the panel itself is a little bigger than the Samsung, the MT276HE is considerably bulkier. There's a particularly meaty 3cm bezel on all sides, and unfortunately there's no height adjustment either so it appears to have a very stout midriff. In all honesty, to use it is more like a TV since the included stereo speakers in the base are some of the best monitor speakers I've heard. OK, that's a low bar to hit, but I'm using them as they're not half-bad and there are two HDMI ports it's exceptionally simple to hook them up: both my Radeon HD 5870 and Intel GMA HD throughput the audio perfectly.
Click to enlarge
There's no DVI mind, and the only other input is VGA, which the technical toff in me naturally turns his nose up at. If you can't get audio over HDMI then the MT276HE will accept a standard 3.5mm stereo jack and even S/PDIF too! Again - more TV than monitor?
What's annoying is that display inputs jut directly out the back, so it can’t be pushed right up against the wall, and I’d imagine this also possibly interferes with a low profile VESA mount as well.
In terms of colour quality and image speed I've got nothing to compare it to here so you'll have to get an objective "not bad-to-pretty good", however currently I am having issues getting the full resolution working properly on ATI cards over HDMI, but Nvidia cards work perfectly. I've still yet to nail down that issue, and I'll update this when I do.
While 1080p is perfect for a 27in TV, for a 27in monitor, Asus really needs to up the resolution - 1,920 x 1,200 feels the right size on a 24in and so stretched over 27in, it lacks crispness. Unfortunately more pixels means more money and $360 is competitive for a "27in", although it seems us UK folk will have to import from abroad. Boo!
Click to enlarge
However Asus being Asus, dropped off a box the size of Wales with 27in LCD inside. Part of me went giddy with excitement on discovering it, then the rest of me when hnnrrrghhh as I hauled it into the lift and then dragged it out and into my apartment.
Click to enlarge
After finding that construction was something more akin with an Ikea purchase - screwdriver with no instructions - I plonked it on the desk and admired.
Yes, it's still just as massive. Behold: The MT276HE!
Click to enlarge
I recently bought myself a Samsung 24in for my own personal use (OK, I'm not a total skinflint), which is a lovely 1,920 x 1,200 screen. The new MT276HE is a 1080p one - 1,920 x 1,080. That said, it still dominates my desk.
Click to enlarge
While the panel itself is a little bigger than the Samsung, the MT276HE is considerably bulkier. There's a particularly meaty 3cm bezel on all sides, and unfortunately there's no height adjustment either so it appears to have a very stout midriff. In all honesty, to use it is more like a TV since the included stereo speakers in the base are some of the best monitor speakers I've heard. OK, that's a low bar to hit, but I'm using them as they're not half-bad and there are two HDMI ports it's exceptionally simple to hook them up: both my Radeon HD 5870 and Intel GMA HD throughput the audio perfectly.
Click to enlarge
There's no DVI mind, and the only other input is VGA, which the technical toff in me naturally turns his nose up at. If you can't get audio over HDMI then the MT276HE will accept a standard 3.5mm stereo jack and even S/PDIF too! Again - more TV than monitor?
What's annoying is that display inputs jut directly out the back, so it can’t be pushed right up against the wall, and I’d imagine this also possibly interferes with a low profile VESA mount as well.
In terms of colour quality and image speed I've got nothing to compare it to here so you'll have to get an objective "not bad-to-pretty good", however currently I am having issues getting the full resolution working properly on ATI cards over HDMI, but Nvidia cards work perfectly. I've still yet to nail down that issue, and I'll update this when I do.
While 1080p is perfect for a 27in TV, for a 27in monitor, Asus really needs to up the resolution - 1,920 x 1,200 feels the right size on a 24in and so stretched over 27in, it lacks crispness. Unfortunately more pixels means more money and $360 is competitive for a "27in", although it seems us UK folk will have to import from abroad. Boo!
31 Comments
Discuss in the forums Replyagree with Bindi, we need more Dell U2711 or iMac 27inch kind of resolution monitors, 2560 x 1440 for 27inch sounds about right for a desktop monitor.
After having a look at one of the those iMac 27" models, I'd like a 27" screen of that sort of resolution, but the prices out there are a bit crazy.
On secondary note, why do you accept a monitor that Bit-Tech wouln't review?
Or better said...review more cheap large monitors!
My mate has a 40" Sony LCD which has pretty nice sound, but it just lacks any kind of bass. That's the trouble with these fancy newfangled flat screens, no room for decent speakers :(
i used to have an asus "confused" monitor, with speakers and more inputs than i ever needed like: component, composite, vga and dvi
So i had sky and the xbox hooked up when the misses was watching girly crap on tv.. but with no remote meant little ol me had to keep getting up to adjust the volume etc.. so i sold it and bought another TV ;) (oh and a 30inch dell muha)
btw, for the asus^^ there are right-angle hdmi cables out there, just like s-ata
Careful, they might have sent you a GTX 480 tri-SLI PSU instead.
Asus should just go all the way and put the RF input and TV tuner in it then sell it for $200
He's going to put it on a desk.
Desk.
Try gaming with a 42" in front of your face.
I wouldn't want to go much bigger for an FPS though, but for something like a racer you can't go too big. I played Burnout Paradise on a 60odd ft 4K cinema screen once & that was phenomenal.
So it's just a fancy shmancy monitor :-)
methinks you are in need of something like a 90° HDMI adapter, like this here http://www.tvcables.co.uk/cgi-bin/tvcables/hdmi-90-degree-angle-adapter.html
hope that helps
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/192000
This one even has a 180 degree movable joint.
+1. I missed a boat, hell I didn't know there was a harbor.
90 degree + HDMI->DVI, and the not problem problem is solved.
The issue is, the dongle should have came with it, or it shouldn't require a dongle at all.
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/1m-Scan-CDLHD-901-HDMI-cable-with-swivel-ends-v13B-Spec
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Scan-HDHD-RA90-HDMI-Right-Angled-Gender-Changer-90-Degrees-(Check-the-Top-Connector)
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Scan-HDHD-RA270-HDMI-Right-Angled-Gender-Changer-270-Degrees-(Check-the-Top-Connector)
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/18m-Scan-CDLHD-902-HDMI-cable-with-swivel-ends-v13B-Spec
The best part is all of the mentioned cables are under a tenner, so they are cheaper then store bought ones. (I think there is even a "gold plated" one in there too.
Please consider solutions instead of just complaining. It is much more helpful, especially since many Monitors/TVs have this "problem"
At LANs everyone says they want one, even sitting next to my friend with his £1000+ Dell 2007WFP.
Also I use a DVI -> HDMI cable. You can get 90 degree angled connectors but I don't use any (my TV actually has a cable tidy loop for 90 degree connectors to go through so they all run down a single column at the back - excellent stuff).
If anyone wants pics or has questions to using a TV as a monitor feel free - but I have absolutely no regrets.
+1
I have a samsung syncmaster 2333HD, (which is 23") it has a DVI, VGA, 2x HDMI, component, and a scart connection. Also comes with a a remote. 1920 x 1080p res.
Also has built in freeview!!
All for less then £210
any way as for quick review needs more ports, and a bigger res i guess.
Also Taiwan..? for work? you must be having a blast there?
whats the tech there like?
i remember when i was in Japan, they had some cool stuff, but too prices to bring here, also they love mobiles there, and heated toilet seats :D
Yeah, I ran into this problem as well when I installed a new ATI Radeon HD 5770. It really took the shine of the new graphics card for the first few days until I finally gave up and asked!
Anyway, in order to get ATI graphics cards not "overscan" at 1920x1080 you need to do this: http://www.avforums.com/forums/graphics-cards-internal-video-devices/1170770-ati-hd5770-underscanning-1080p-lcd.html#post11420497
Why the hell they default like this when going out over HDMI I have absolutely NO idea...