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Introduction

It has been about two years since I published the first testing review of the NEC 2490WUXi in the Net - at that time a very new and unknown monitor.
Since then the NEC 2490WUXi (2490 for short) has been serving as a reference monitor for many other monitor reviews. 2490's reference career was growing, so was its publicity.
After those reviews 2490 appeared in the recommendation list of anandtech.com LCD forum. Take a minute to look at that exceptionally popular and helpful source, a must for beginners.

There is a good reason to update the story: 2490 is now one step from it's long awaited premiere in Europe.
I think it's high time to put all previously published and some new chapters together to see what the 2490 is and how it looks after 6500 hours of intensive use.
Note: pictures selected for this review show "6000 hours" but in fact it's already 6500.
Is 6500 hours much? Yes, it is. It's equal to more than 800 full working days or more than 3 full "working" years.
This monitor is just 24.1" diagonally, but it's huge inside.
I still study 2490.
How to compose a 2490 review? That's a tough question. The story can be endless. I will try to be as brief as possible.
I will try to minimize lyrics, give a regular review structure as I usually do and complement that with illustrations - scenes from 2490's life, from meeting with 2490's numerous "clients" (tested monitors).
There will be a new video as well.
I hope this caleidoscope will help the readers to get a better vision of this outstanding monitor.

The equipment for the test includes:
The NEC 2490WUXi with the full package: SpectraView II calibration kit, optional hood and speaker bar
17” CRT monitor
2 brand name PCs
LaCie Blue Eye Pro calibration software
GretagMacbeth Eye-one Display2 probe
Blu-ray stand-alone player
DVD stand-alone player
Blu-ray movies
DVD movie
Digital Still Camera
Mini-DV Camcorder
Photo images


Specification

The 2490 specification can be found here.

Some more detailed specification is available from the UK site.

For unknown reason in both cases the key panel feature (H-IPS A-TW TFT) is not specified.
Bad omen?
Forgetfulness?

The 2490 comes fully assembled in a large box.
The box is 692x592x452mm (27.2"x23.3"x17.8") and 17.0kg (37.5lbs).
The monitor is covered by a regular plastic bag, placed in a stone-hard styrofoam cocoon and then again in a durable silverish plastic bag.
The whole package tells just one word: "quality".
2490 shares the same manual with its twin-brother 2690.
The 2690 is mechanically and electronically the same monitor but with 1.4" larger panel and different chemicals used inside backlight lamps that produces so-called wide color gamut.




Unboxing of 90-series NEC in process.