LCD Monitor Blurring / Ghosting
Kemal86
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I have a Westinghouse L2210NW LCD Monitor. I've recently noticed that it seems to be blurring...or ghosting...I'm not sure of the proper term.
It's most noticeable when playing games, specifically Fallout 3.
Let's say I'm in 1st person looking at a tree. I strafe left to right in front of the tree, and as I do so, the tree leaves a "trail" where it used to be. It's most noticeable when the image is dark, such as night-time. So I don't notice it in stuff like Team Fortress 2. But in Fallout3 and Far Cry 2 it's pretty ridiculous.
I've tried using both a VGA and a DVI-D cable.
I have two Radeon HD4850 video cars running in Crossfire - swapping the video cable from one to the other didn't fix anything. I'm running in my monitors native resolution - 1650x1050@60hz. I also tried the only other supported refresh rate, 59hz, just for shits. Catalyst Control Center says my monitor supports up to 75hz, but only 60 and 59 are available.
Is my monitor just jacked for life, or is there some magical fix for this?
It's most noticeable when playing games, specifically Fallout 3.
Let's say I'm in 1st person looking at a tree. I strafe left to right in front of the tree, and as I do so, the tree leaves a "trail" where it used to be. It's most noticeable when the image is dark, such as night-time. So I don't notice it in stuff like Team Fortress 2. But in Fallout3 and Far Cry 2 it's pretty ridiculous.
I've tried using both a VGA and a DVI-D cable.
I have two Radeon HD4850 video cars running in Crossfire - swapping the video cable from one to the other didn't fix anything. I'm running in my monitors native resolution - 1650x1050@60hz. I also tried the only other supported refresh rate, 59hz, just for shits. Catalyst Control Center says my monitor supports up to 75hz, but only 60 and 59 are available.
Is my monitor just jacked for life, or is there some magical fix for this?
i used to test games now i sit on my couch and am lazy all day
PKMN White FC: 0046 2138 1298
PKMN White FC: 0046 2138 1298
Kemal86 on
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Try to find some professional reviews of a monitor before you buy it. I've found that sites like AnandTech do a good job testing different things, including response time/ghosting.
So 2MS is not good enough?
PKMN White FC: 0046 2138 1298
It should be, as anything below 20ms shouldn't produce any ghosting in a good quality LCD. However you should bear in mind that is no standard for such ratings. It's completely up to the manufacturer what they consider 2ms to be. Same goes for contrast ratios. Basically the only way to find a decent LCD is to test it in store, and find a store with a hassle-free return policy. There's also a couple very reputable LCD review sites, but their URLs escape me right now.
I never finish anyth
I think I may just have gotten a dud. I read several reviews for my monitor on Newegg and almost no one had any problems with it.
PKMN White FC: 0046 2138 1298
Isolating the problem is probably the best way to fix it.
Check the cables, make sure you're using DVI-D. You probably are (and even if you're using DVI-A it shouldn't make ghosting) but it can't hurt to know exactly what's going on. Are the cables super long? That can cause problems too.
The video cards shouldn't be causing problems but I guess it's within the realm of possibility. You got an old card laying around you could throw in and try out?
If you've done all that and still see ghosting, I'll assume the monitor is defective. You shouldn't be seeing any ghosting with that screen.
yeah from what you've been describing, I'd be leaning towards a dud or a defect that has developed over time.
I never finish anyth
This is the cable I'm using:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882196013
"Cables To Go 26911 6.6 ft. DVI-D M/M DUAL LINK DIGITAL VIDEO CABLE M-M - Retail"
I'm pretty sure there was also ghosting when I used a VGA Cable (plus a VGA-DVI adapter, my video cards only have DVI ports on them), but I'll have to check when I get off work for sure. 6.6 feet too long?
Also, thanks to those of you helping me out here , it's much appreciated
PKMN White FC: 0046 2138 1298
Sounds like the monitor is busted. Get an RMA time!
So either it's the model in it's entirety or your LCD specifically.
LCD response time, like contrast ratio, can be measured in a lot of different ways and manufacturers tend to inflate figures. While reviews of your display might not mention ghosting, sometimes a reviewer has a different standard of quality that you do (for example, there are dozens of reviews of wireless mice specifying that the mouse in question has 'no input lag'. Ask a pro-gamer what he thinks about that --different level of standards.)
I find the best way to buy LCDs (or any sort of display) is to hunt up some that you're interested in online, and then hunt up big-box retailers with that specific model so you can look at it. In fact, personally I always get the retailer to open a new box so I can see it hooked up to a machine on it's own rather than look at a display model. It might sound aggravating, but in truth no one cares about opening up a product for you when you're investigating a purchase that you really intend on making.
It's worth it, too. There are excellent TFT-TN panels on the market --and lots more shoddy ones. I use two 24"ers that are side by side to show clients the difference (and my 2443bw is hardly a shoddy LCD, just 'average'.)
helpful tips for spotting a good LCD outside of specs:
-Load up something with WHITE text on different backgrounds (black and some with colours. Like the reply box I'm typing into right now:)). Grab it with the cursor and sweep it slowly back and forth over your monitor, starting with as slow a rate as you can and working up the speed. If you get a sort of 'shimmering' at the right speed on either the text/background or both, that's not good. You're visually testing the speed at which white changes to another colour, and shimmering means it's not doing it fast enough.
-Load up a colour gradient. Vista's aero interace will work. Move the gradient back and forth. Or if using Vista to check, grab a moveable window, and move it slowly on the horizontal pane, while watching the program bar (you know... the thing on top you're grabbing to move the window.) Again, move slowly. Do you get strange almost-checkerbox patterning or super shimmering? If so, either you've got a bum refresh rate or 6-bit panels.
-Run timedemos on games (both at max speed and at real-time if possible) to look for obvious issues. Something you can sit back and watch that doesn't require constant input will be easier as a test for LCD problems than just messing around in a game for a few minutes.
I managed to dig out my receipt and apparently because it's the holidays I have until Jan 8th to return it to Best Buy. Hopefully since the product is Defective, I won't need the box it came in....apparently my roommate recycled it -_-;;. I'm going to try getting the same model monitor, as I really like everything else about it and I haven't read hardly any bad reviews on it. I'll see if I can get them to let me test one out of its box in the store first though.
PKMN White FC: 0046 2138 1298
2 ms possibly means it uses something called "overdrive" where it supercharges the pixels to get them to change faster, but unfortunately this might leave black/inverted trails (which kind of defeats the purpose of achieving higher response times). If you can turn it off in your LCD's menu, then good for you...
"black/inverted trails" sounds exactly like what i see. unfortunately, I don't have an option for "overdrive" in my menus
PKMN White FC: 0046 2138 1298