X-bit labs

20" LCD Monitors Roundup. Part IV (page 23)

Category: Other

by Oleg Artamonov

[ 09/07/2007 | 10:38 AM ]

By default, the monitor’s got 70% contrast and 100% brightness. To achieve a 100nit white I set the brightness at 45% and the contrast at 49%. The brightness is regulated by means of modulation of the power of the backlight lamps at a frequency of about 270Hz.

Color gradients are reproduced perfectly. Dark halftones are distinguishable from each other at any values of contrast.

The gamma curves differ from each other, especially the blue curve. However, the monitor has no serious problems with them. The entire range of halftones is reproduced normally.

The VP2030b offers six color temperature modes excepting the user-defined one. The setup quality is rather poor. The difference between the different levels of gray is over 2000K even in the 6500K mode and white is everywhere warmer than it should be.

The color gamut is just what you can expect from a modern LCD monitor. It is somewhat larger than the sRGB color space.

The response time average is 8.0 milliseconds, just as promised by the manufacturer. It’s a good result for a VA matrix. Such monitors usually deliver a response time of 9-10 milliseconds.

The RTC error average is 3.2%, which is good, too. Most users won’t notice any visual artifacts. For comparison, S-IPS matrixes with Response Time Compensation have three times that percent and some TN matrixes have as much as five times the percent of RTC errors shown by the VP2030b.

The monitor’s contrast ratio is above 300:1 in every test mode except for the first one. This is a good result for a VA matrix, although nothing exceptional.

In fact, the single serious drawback of the VP2030b is the sloppy setup of its color temperature modes – the difference between the temperatures of different grays is too big. Otherwise, it is an interesting product if you are choosing from among models with an aspect ratio of 4:3. It’s got a good response time with low level of RTC errors, wide viewing angles, and good ergonomics (considering the functionality of the stand). However, if you need an accurate reproduction of colors, you have to use a hardware calibrator, like a ColorVision Spyder or GretagMacbeth Eye-One Display, to achieve it.