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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.
Design and Mechanics
The 2490 has a quality plastic cabinet with a very thin bazel. Up-front it looks compact and elegant on its adjustable stand. From a side it reveals uncompromized industrial "musculine" design.
The 2490 does not look like a colored plastic toy to be placed between flowers and lipsticks. It looks like a serious machine for serious men.
The stand provides all possible adjustments.
The 2490 has a quality plastic cabinet with a very thin bazel. Up-front it looks compact and elegant on its adjustable stand. From a side it reveals uncompromized industrial "musculine" design.
The 2490 does not look like a colored plastic toy to be placed between flowers and lipsticks. It looks like a serious machine for serious men.
The stand provides all possible adjustments.
Connectors
Two digital inputs (DVI-I and DVI-D) are available. Two computers, or a computer and external video device (blu-ray player, PS3, etc.) can be connected at the same time.
Analog D-Sub connector is available as well.
There may be totally 3 devices connected simultaneously.
Direct input selection button is located on the front of the bezel.
Overall build quality
This unit has no defects.
Assembly quality is very good.
The panel sits tightly in the cabinet.
Initially some backlight uniformity irregularity was noted. After some time of use the panel became uniform.
The monitor does not produce any noise.
After hours of work the bottom of the panel is still cool to to touch, the top is warm.
After one year I managed to notice one stuck subpixel. That was done with the use of special software. It's not possible to find it with regular use.
Anti-Glare Coating
The purpose of this layer is self-explanatory.
A few words about so-called "cristalline" effect ("sparkly look", etc.)on the modern LCD monitors.
This will be a "some" chapter.
Every non-glossy panel has this effect to some degree.
Some IPS panels of the past had quite noticeable AG coating effect. Some modern PVA-based monitors have sparkly look as well.
Some misinformed forums posters believe that AG coating effect is a part of IPS technology. This is not true.
Some IPS panels still have it (30" panels). Some IPS panels are glossy with zero AG effect.
Modern 24-26" panels have, let's say, "normal" AG coating with "standard" AG effect.
The NEC 2490WUXi is one of them.
In comparison with older 20" IPS, the NEC 2490 AG coating is much more "neutral".
Sound
The multimedia soundbar is optional.
It is easily attached underneath the monitor.
The 2490 has on-board DC out for the soundbar.
Sound quality is mediocre as it can be expected for this kind of equipment. But it performs its role nicely: the working place is clean of stand-alone speakers.
The soundbar has volume control and headphones connector.
Two digital inputs (DVI-I and DVI-D) are available. Two computers, or a computer and external video device (blu-ray player, PS3, etc.) can be connected at the same time.
Analog D-Sub connector is available as well.
There may be totally 3 devices connected simultaneously.
Direct input selection button is located on the front of the bezel.
Overall build quality
This unit has no defects.
Assembly quality is very good.
The panel sits tightly in the cabinet.
Initially some backlight uniformity irregularity was noted. After some time of use the panel became uniform.
The monitor does not produce any noise.
After hours of work the bottom of the panel is still cool to to touch, the top is warm.
After one year I managed to notice one stuck subpixel. That was done with the use of special software. It's not possible to find it with regular use.
Anti-Glare Coating
The purpose of this layer is self-explanatory.
A few words about so-called "cristalline" effect ("sparkly look", etc.)on the modern LCD monitors.
This will be a "some" chapter.
Every non-glossy panel has this effect to some degree.
Some IPS panels of the past had quite noticeable AG coating effect. Some modern PVA-based monitors have sparkly look as well.
Some misinformed forums posters believe that AG coating effect is a part of IPS technology. This is not true.
Some IPS panels still have it (30" panels). Some IPS panels are glossy with zero AG effect.
Modern 24-26" panels have, let's say, "normal" AG coating with "standard" AG effect.
The NEC 2490WUXi is one of them.
In comparison with older 20" IPS, the NEC 2490 AG coating is much more "neutral".
Sound
The multimedia soundbar is optional.
It is easily attached underneath the monitor.
The 2490 has on-board DC out for the soundbar.
Sound quality is mediocre as it can be expected for this kind of equipment. But it performs its role nicely: the working place is clean of stand-alone speakers.
The soundbar has volume control and headphones connector.
Controls and OSM (On-Screen Manager)
OSM controls represent a part of 2490 advanced ergonomic solutions.
Controls are easily accessible, conveniet in use. Why convenient? They are mnemonic. They can be operated without looking at them. They are as hard to press as you need to feel them working, not more.
L-shape controls are intuitive. Left-Right and Up-Down buttons switch their roles when the monitor is in the Portrait position.
OSM controls represent a part of 2490 advanced ergonomic solutions.
Controls are easily accessible, conveniet in use. Why convenient? They are mnemonic. They can be operated without looking at them. They are as hard to press as you need to feel them working, not more.
L-shape controls are intuitive. Left-Right and Up-Down buttons switch their roles when the monitor is in the Portrait position.
Despite its having been huge in content, OSM menu is easy to use.
The number of clicks to reach a desired menu item is minimal.
The menu is well structured and divided in two submenus.
The first one (Red Frame) comprises selection of the most frequently used functions.
The second one (Green Frame) - Advanced menu - provides access to the whole OSM.
The initial OSM page of an average monitor usually means Brightness and Contrast controls.
The 2490 menu opens with five "first aid" tools.
Eco mode allows to drop brightness to 75%, 50% with one click.
Auto Brightness - this is where 2490 begins.
Auto Brightness has two modes.
1. Brightness is automatically adjusted according to ambient light.
2. Dynamic Brightness.
Do not confuse this with so-called dynamic contrast - a marketing gimmick for cheap monitors.
2490 Dynamic Brightnes is a really working feature.
It regulates brightness according to the screen content.
Black level - makes darker parts of the image look darker. Technically it does not reduce brightness of black.
Black level control can be helpful for manual adjustments in some cases - video with no ambient light is an example.
The number of clicks to reach a desired menu item is minimal.
The menu is well structured and divided in two submenus.
The first one (Red Frame) comprises selection of the most frequently used functions.
The second one (Green Frame) - Advanced menu - provides access to the whole OSM.
The initial OSM page of an average monitor usually means Brightness and Contrast controls.
The 2490 menu opens with five "first aid" tools.
Eco mode allows to drop brightness to 75%, 50% with one click.
Auto Brightness - this is where 2490 begins.
Auto Brightness has two modes.
1. Brightness is automatically adjusted according to ambient light.
2. Dynamic Brightness.
Do not confuse this with so-called dynamic contrast - a marketing gimmick for cheap monitors.
2490 Dynamic Brightnes is a really working feature.
It regulates brightness according to the screen content.
Black level - makes darker parts of the image look darker. Technically it does not reduce brightness of black.
Black level control can be helpful for manual adjustments in some cases - video with no ambient light is an example.
My recommendation:
Leave Contrast and Black level at factory settings (50%) for general use.
Operate all brightness features as desired.
Some information about Advanced menu. It's not possible in this review to talk about every item - too many.
First of all, I skip fine image settings that are "reserved" for professional people.
This review is intended to illustrate how this universal machine can help regular (but demanding!) users.
Let's mention some interesting features.
To open Advanced menu, you switch the 2490 off. Then you press and hold Input button and press Power button.
The first page of Advanced menu appears.
Advanced Menu in default position:
Tag#1
The first page of Advanced menu offers more options. One of additional options is Low Brightness Mode.
The 2490 has three levels of brightness regulation.
The first is default level that has no special name, let's call it Standard.
The access to the second and the third levels of brightness is found on the first page of Advanced menu.
Low brightness mode has 3 positions: Off, On and Advance.
"On" "digitally" reduces brightness of white by 50%.
"Advance" applies further 50% reduction of brightness of white.
Low brightness mode reduces brightness of white only. Brightness of black remains "standard".
While in Low brightness mode, further regulation is done by backlight with the use of regular Brightness control.
"Auto Luminance" stabilizes brightness and colors. It's one of NEC's smart technologies available for professional use.
Tag#4
The unique NEC 90-series scalar is operated from here.
Tag#5
Selection of gamma settings including gamma control with steps equal to 0.1
Tag#6
Color Control.
There are sRGB and Native modes ("N") here as well as several adjustable color presets. You can adjust: Temperature, White balance, then hue, color depth and brightness for each of primary and secondary colors. That's a Pro feature.
"P" mode stand for "Programmable". This mode is for hardware (monitor LUT) calibration.
Tag#7
Side border color is regulated from here. So-called "black bars" can be painted any gray tone from white to black.
Colorcomp improves brightness and color uniformity.
Advanced menu comprises totally 14 tags: 1-9 and A-E.
We will talk about the misterious Tag E little later.
A special software called NaViSet can be downloaded from here.
This is a variation of OSM that can be operated with no touch of monitor controls buttons. It duplicates many of OSM controls but not all of them.
Measurements
NEC advertises 400 cd/m2 brightness and 800:1 contrast ratio.
This review provides a rare possibility to compare 2490 condition over it lifespan. This unit has now over 6500 hours in use.
Although at the beginning of it's career the testing methodology was not as detailed as we practise it now, it's still possible to compare some data.
This unit has revision 2B.
Note: For all measurements Contrast control is left at its factory default - 50%.
Initial measurements 6500 hours ago:
White - 360 cd/m2
Black - 0.46 cd/m2
CR - 783:1
Measurements always fluctuate a little, so we can say that CR was fluctuated around advertised 8oo:1 - it's excellent for IPS today as well as 2 years ago.
Brightness did not achieve 400 cd/m2 and that was just good!
400 cd/m2 is about twice as much as you might need on your monitor.
Now you know that 2490 has three level of brightness control.
At the first level of brightness with Brightness control set to zero 6500 hours ago:
White - 160 cd/m2 (This is medium to high for a regular monitor. For 2490 this is not a problem considering other brightness modes and the variety of calibration options.)
Black - 0.21 cd/m2 (At that time it was an outstanding record for an IPS-based monitor).
What do we see after 6500 hours?
We see that the NEC 2490 is getting better as it is getting older!
Maximal brightness has slided down to much healthier 322 cd/m2 leaving plenty of room for further reduction.
Minimal black dropped below 0.17 cd/m2.
It takes the 2490 18-19 min to reach the full brightness.
The monitor continues to retain its original high contrast ratio near 800:1
NEC advertises 400 cd/m2 brightness and 800:1 contrast ratio.
This review provides a rare possibility to compare 2490 condition over it lifespan. This unit has now over 6500 hours in use.
Although at the beginning of it's career the testing methodology was not as detailed as we practise it now, it's still possible to compare some data.
This unit has revision 2B.
Note: For all measurements Contrast control is left at its factory default - 50%.
Initial measurements 6500 hours ago:
White - 360 cd/m2
Black - 0.46 cd/m2
CR - 783:1
Measurements always fluctuate a little, so we can say that CR was fluctuated around advertised 8oo:1 - it's excellent for IPS today as well as 2 years ago.
Brightness did not achieve 400 cd/m2 and that was just good!
400 cd/m2 is about twice as much as you might need on your monitor.
Now you know that 2490 has three level of brightness control.
At the first level of brightness with Brightness control set to zero 6500 hours ago:
White - 160 cd/m2 (This is medium to high for a regular monitor. For 2490 this is not a problem considering other brightness modes and the variety of calibration options.)
Black - 0.21 cd/m2 (At that time it was an outstanding record for an IPS-based monitor).
What do we see after 6500 hours?
We see that the NEC 2490 is getting better as it is getting older!
Maximal brightness has slided down to much healthier 322 cd/m2 leaving plenty of room for further reduction.
Minimal black dropped below 0.17 cd/m2.
It takes the 2490 18-19 min to reach the full brightness.
The monitor continues to retain its original high contrast ratio near 800:1
After 6500 hours default color temperature drifted somewhat to lower values. It means it looks "warmer" than neutral 6500K. So 6500K after 6500 hours does not look like 6500K.
That can be a problem for a regular monitor, but not for the NEC 2490UXi.
For uncalibrated use: manual color temperature control with 100K steps is at your service.
For calibrated use: it has never been a problem. SpectraView calibration kit takes care of that.
Calibration
The 2490 provides so-called hardware calibration when combined with SpectraView II calibration software and an appropriate colorimeter (sensor). The monitor has rewritable LUT (Look Up Table - a table used to translate input values to output values). In the other words, the 2490 has its own "brains" that can store your commands regarding PQ adjustments and then follows them.
A quote from SpectraView manual:
"The SpectraView system uses a color sensor to take color measurements of the display screen during calibration. The software analyzes these measurements and sends color adjustment commands directly to the display monitor. This means that color adjustments are made in the monitor rather than in the video graphics adapter, resulting in full use of the number of colors available on the graphics adapter and a much brighter image with the maximum possible color gamut. With SpectraView, the video graphics adapter is not used at all to make any gamma or Tone Response Curve corrections to the display, so the full color resolution and fidelity of the system is maintained."
This ability is important for professionals first of all.
Demanding regular users can benefit from hardware calibration too:
1. Colors are kept polished from the first day (this monitor is not factory precalibrated) and over its lifespan.
2. SV kit is a natural extention for OSM options. SpectraView calibration allows some unique setting that are not possible through OSM.
3. The NEC 2490 does not need a computer to maintain calibrated settings. Therefore calibrated setting are applicable to external devices (blu-ray player, PS3). Each input "remembers" its own assignment.
4. SV calibration is very easy. It's done automatically: you load desired values and press Start.
The 2490 provides so-called hardware calibration when combined with SpectraView II calibration software and an appropriate colorimeter (sensor). The monitor has rewritable LUT (Look Up Table - a table used to translate input values to output values). In the other words, the 2490 has its own "brains" that can store your commands regarding PQ adjustments and then follows them.
A quote from SpectraView manual:
"The SpectraView system uses a color sensor to take color measurements of the display screen during calibration. The software analyzes these measurements and sends color adjustment commands directly to the display monitor. This means that color adjustments are made in the monitor rather than in the video graphics adapter, resulting in full use of the number of colors available on the graphics adapter and a much brighter image with the maximum possible color gamut. With SpectraView, the video graphics adapter is not used at all to make any gamma or Tone Response Curve corrections to the display, so the full color resolution and fidelity of the system is maintained."
This ability is important for professionals first of all.
Demanding regular users can benefit from hardware calibration too:
1. Colors are kept polished from the first day (this monitor is not factory precalibrated) and over its lifespan.
2. SV kit is a natural extention for OSM options. SpectraView calibration allows some unique setting that are not possible through OSM.
3. The NEC 2490 does not need a computer to maintain calibrated settings. Therefore calibrated setting are applicable to external devices (blu-ray player, PS3). Each input "remembers" its own assignment.
4. SV calibration is very easy. It's done automatically: you load desired values and press Start.
Actually this "switch" does not do anything more than setting several OSM controls to positions that the manufacturer considers "optimal" for the next steps: SV calibration and color-critical work.
SV calibration can be done without switching to SV setting.
During the calibration appropriate controls are changed automatically.
North American 2490/2690/3090 models and SV calibration equipment can be bought separately. Assembled together, they create SpectraView monitor.
There has been a confusion about European 2690s.
According to many reports, Tag E SV switch is important for European models. The NEC 2690WUXI and the NEC 2690SpectraView are positioned as separate models there.
European "SpectraViews" are sold bundled with a different calibration software - SV Profiler.
Tag E switcher enables SV Profiler support. For a "regular" 2690 this option is blocked.
This restriction caused rumors that European 2690 are not hardware calibratable.
That's not correct.
Again, according to many documented cases, European 2690 can be calibrated with SpectraView II software. Same for the 3090.
We can expect the same situation when the NEC 2490 comes to Europe. What restrictions will be and how exactly they are implemented - we don't know so far.
The 2490 can be calibrated as a regular monitor too.
But in this case the benefits of hardware calibration are lost.
SV calibration can be done without switching to SV setting.
During the calibration appropriate controls are changed automatically.
North American 2490/2690/3090 models and SV calibration equipment can be bought separately. Assembled together, they create SpectraView monitor.
There has been a confusion about European 2690s.
According to many reports, Tag E SV switch is important for European models. The NEC 2690WUXI and the NEC 2690SpectraView are positioned as separate models there.
European "SpectraViews" are sold bundled with a different calibration software - SV Profiler.
Tag E switcher enables SV Profiler support. For a "regular" 2690 this option is blocked.
This restriction caused rumors that European 2690 are not hardware calibratable.
That's not correct.
Again, according to many documented cases, European 2690 can be calibrated with SpectraView II software. Same for the 3090.
We can expect the same situation when the NEC 2490 comes to Europe. What restrictions will be and how exactly they are implemented - we don't know so far.
The 2490 can be calibrated as a regular monitor too.
But in this case the benefits of hardware calibration are lost.
General Image Quality
The NEC 2490 sets up highest image quality standards in the industry.
High contrast ratio H-IPS panel with calibratable LUT, combined with A-TW polarizer leaves no chances to its competitors. The closest one (2690WUXi) is from the same stable, but it has wide color gamut. Wide color gamut is beneficial for a particular part of professional users (1%? of all users). But we belong to the 99% of users for whom wide color gamut issue is just irritating.
In addition to its unique panel, 2490 has various convenience features and qualities. Some of them have been mentioned above in this review. Some will be overviewed below.
Viewing angles
A monitor can have excellent measured values even out of box: formally accurate colors and deep black. But that is on paper.
When it comes to reality, viewing angles decide what is good and what is not.
TN monitors
For these monitors good measured values, of course, are desirable but they mean little. TN panels suffer from severe angle color shifting, especially vertical color shifting.
Colors on a TN panel are never evenly distributed regardless the point of view.
The NEC 2490 sets up highest image quality standards in the industry.
High contrast ratio H-IPS panel with calibratable LUT, combined with A-TW polarizer leaves no chances to its competitors. The closest one (2690WUXi) is from the same stable, but it has wide color gamut. Wide color gamut is beneficial for a particular part of professional users (1%? of all users). But we belong to the 99% of users for whom wide color gamut issue is just irritating.
In addition to its unique panel, 2490 has various convenience features and qualities. Some of them have been mentioned above in this review. Some will be overviewed below.
Viewing angles
A monitor can have excellent measured values even out of box: formally accurate colors and deep black. But that is on paper.
When it comes to reality, viewing angles decide what is good and what is not.
TN monitors
For these monitors good measured values, of course, are desirable but they mean little. TN panels suffer from severe angle color shifting, especially vertical color shifting.
Colors on a TN panel are never evenly distributed regardless the point of view.
*VA (PVA, MVA) monitors
Many of them are able to show accurate colors and deeper black when left with a colorimeter "one-to-one". But this is "technical" black.
In fact, *VA monitors suffer from angle issues too.
This time it's horizontal color shifting. Two components of the issue are: loss of dark details from the front view and quick increase in brightness of black (=CR drops) from angle view, especially from diagonal view.
Below:
*VA Colorshift Diagram is supplemented with angle view comparison taken from prad.de tests (one of expensive Eizos on PVA).
A famous test photo on the NEC 2490 and the Eizo CG241(PVA).
Some darker details (the bottom parts of turtles) are lost on PVA. They reappear from angle view, but note: all turtles look different that is false (all three are identical).
The NEC 2490 vs 27" PVA (WG). Although "technical" black is blacker and CR higher on this PVA, the movie scene looks washed out. Note: so-called "deeper colors" of WG are eaten by angle colorshift.
Many of them are able to show accurate colors and deeper black when left with a colorimeter "one-to-one". But this is "technical" black.
In fact, *VA monitors suffer from angle issues too.
This time it's horizontal color shifting. Two components of the issue are: loss of dark details from the front view and quick increase in brightness of black (=CR drops) from angle view, especially from diagonal view.
Below:
*VA Colorshift Diagram is supplemented with angle view comparison taken from prad.de tests (one of expensive Eizos on PVA).
A famous test photo on the NEC 2490 and the Eizo CG241(PVA).
Some darker details (the bottom parts of turtles) are lost on PVA. They reappear from angle view, but note: all turtles look different that is false (all three are identical).
The NEC 2490 vs 27" PVA (WG). Although "technical" black is blacker and CR higher on this PVA, the movie scene looks washed out. Note: so-called "deeper colors" of WG are eaten by angle colorshift.
No Wide Gamut Issues
Introduced by marketologists as a picture quality improvement, wide color gamut turned out to be a real problem for many regular users.
The major part of photo/video content around us (90-95%) is standard gamut based.
Viewing standard gamut content on a WG monitor reveals color gamut mismatch that leads to oversaturated, unrealistic, "chemical" colors.
Color presentation works with numbers. The same number of color tone gradations (steps) is used for both standard and wide color gamut. Therefore each step in WG is wider than in standard gamut. While pure white and pure black are identical when a standard gamut image is presented on a WG monitor, everything in between is distorted.
Below:
A simplified diagram with an imaginary ruler and a real photos to illustrate WG color mismatch.
The NEC 2490WUXi is a standard gamut monitor that means no WG issues.
Introduced by marketologists as a picture quality improvement, wide color gamut turned out to be a real problem for many regular users.
The major part of photo/video content around us (90-95%) is standard gamut based.
Viewing standard gamut content on a WG monitor reveals color gamut mismatch that leads to oversaturated, unrealistic, "chemical" colors.
Color presentation works with numbers. The same number of color tone gradations (steps) is used for both standard and wide color gamut. Therefore each step in WG is wider than in standard gamut. While pure white and pure black are identical when a standard gamut image is presented on a WG monitor, everything in between is distorted.
Below:
A simplified diagram with an imaginary ruler and a real photos to illustrate WG color mismatch.
The NEC 2490WUXi is a standard gamut monitor that means no WG issues.
A-TW Polarizer
The NEC 2490WUXi was born with a A-TW (Advanced True Wide) Polarizer - a unique feature that cannot be underestimated.
This feature prevents LCD glow from angle view. It keeps colors, especially black, stable.
This quality is never reflected in traditional picture quality measurements (brightness, color accuracy, contrast ratio, etc.). This quality is not measurable but it's invaluable.
A-TW Polarizer makes NEC 2490/2690WUXi a class of their own.
2490 owners can observe some very light color tint on a pure black screen in darkness from exreme angles: greenish from the left and dark purple from the right - both not visible in real applications. Is it bad? No. It's great. It indicates A-TW polarizer.
What does A-TW polarizer do in practice?
You'll the video in a moment.
Below:
The NEC 2490WUXi next to the HP 2475w with "newer" H-IPS panel (no A-TW polarizer).
The NEC 2490WUXi was born with a A-TW (Advanced True Wide) Polarizer - a unique feature that cannot be underestimated.
This feature prevents LCD glow from angle view. It keeps colors, especially black, stable.
This quality is never reflected in traditional picture quality measurements (brightness, color accuracy, contrast ratio, etc.). This quality is not measurable but it's invaluable.
A-TW Polarizer makes NEC 2490/2690WUXi a class of their own.
2490 owners can observe some very light color tint on a pure black screen in darkness from exreme angles: greenish from the left and dark purple from the right - both not visible in real applications. Is it bad? No. It's great. It indicates A-TW polarizer.
What does A-TW polarizer do in practice?
You'll the video in a moment.
Below:
The NEC 2490WUXi next to the HP 2475w with "newer" H-IPS panel (no A-TW polarizer).
Unlimited Scaling
Unlimited scaling is another feature that can be found in 90-series NECs only. It's somеthing you've never seen before.
Please watch a video supplement for this review.
Below:
Making an old 4:3 game "widescreen" - proportions maintained. Compare to a regular "24" monitor.
Unlimited scaling is another feature that can be found in 90-series NECs only. It's somеthing you've never seen before.
Please watch a video supplement for this review.
Below:
Making an old 4:3 game "widescreen" - proportions maintained. Compare to a regular "24" monitor.
Office Work
For office work the 2490 offers a standard resolution screen (1920x1200).
Although 24" 0.27mm dot pitch is legible, it's always recommended (for any monitor) that dpi setting is increased to 120% for better fonts accuracy.
The 2490 has three levels of brightness regulation.
Measured brightness varies from 260 to 30 cd/m2.
Zero mark for the first level now equals to comfortable 110cd/m2 with max CR maintained.
The panel has matte coating that effectively prevents reflection. As mentioned, the coating unlike IPS panels of the past, has minimal "cristalline effect".
The hood protects from bright light.
Auto Brightness feature is available.
The panel position can be adjusted in all known ways.
Attached soundbar saves working space.
Being a standard gamut monitor, the 2490 is free of WG issues that can affect text readability.
Plain H-IPS pixel structure is good for text.
Compare to PVA pixel structure. PVA pixels are not evenly lit that makes text look slightly fuzzy.
For office work the 2490 offers a standard resolution screen (1920x1200).
Although 24" 0.27mm dot pitch is legible, it's always recommended (for any monitor) that dpi setting is increased to 120% for better fonts accuracy.
The 2490 has three levels of brightness regulation.
Measured brightness varies from 260 to 30 cd/m2.
Zero mark for the first level now equals to comfortable 110cd/m2 with max CR maintained.
The panel has matte coating that effectively prevents reflection. As mentioned, the coating unlike IPS panels of the past, has minimal "cristalline effect".
The hood protects from bright light.
Auto Brightness feature is available.
The panel position can be adjusted in all known ways.
Attached soundbar saves working space.
Being a standard gamut monitor, the 2490 is free of WG issues that can affect text readability.
Plain H-IPS pixel structure is good for text.
Compare to PVA pixel structure. PVA pixels are not evenly lit that makes text look slightly fuzzy.
Responsiveness
This section usually three separated items:
1. Pixel response time.
2. Input lag.
3. Overdrive artifacts.
Some internet resources still provide pixel response time measurements. Some don't do so anymore because measurements may contradict visual impression.
In the other words, response time measurements should be taken with a grain of salt.
Practical user experience is all subjective.
The good news is that nowadays all monitors have pixel response time low enough for everything, including video and games. It's really hard to find an exception.
The 2490 is not an exception. More over, IPS technology is famous for being actually "faster" than PVA/MVA/TN when the same pixel response time listed in manuals.
Input lag. This "quality" (also subjective) is the least respected by the industry experts. But video games pandemic has become so vast that no review skips input lag evaluation now.
Formal input lag test (20-30 photos taken) reports 31ms input lag for the 2490. This is considered "standard" number for PC monitors. It's about 2 frames delay. This is normal for video and regular gaming.
The camcorder (as seen in supplement video) is able to catch just one frame delay.
Subjectively, input lag on the 2490 in direct comparison with a CRT monitor is minimal.
The 2490 has no artifacts of overdrive.
I wouldn't say that setting overdrive to On or Off makes any effect on the real picture.
Even with overdrive Off the 2490 is fast enough for any application with no overdrive artifacts guarantee.
This section usually three separated items:
1. Pixel response time.
2. Input lag.
3. Overdrive artifacts.
Some internet resources still provide pixel response time measurements. Some don't do so anymore because measurements may contradict visual impression.
In the other words, response time measurements should be taken with a grain of salt.
Practical user experience is all subjective.
The good news is that nowadays all monitors have pixel response time low enough for everything, including video and games. It's really hard to find an exception.
The 2490 is not an exception. More over, IPS technology is famous for being actually "faster" than PVA/MVA/TN when the same pixel response time listed in manuals.
Input lag. This "quality" (also subjective) is the least respected by the industry experts. But video games pandemic has become so vast that no review skips input lag evaluation now.
Formal input lag test (20-30 photos taken) reports 31ms input lag for the 2490. This is considered "standard" number for PC monitors. It's about 2 frames delay. This is normal for video and regular gaming.
The camcorder (as seen in supplement video) is able to catch just one frame delay.
Subjectively, input lag on the 2490 in direct comparison with a CRT monitor is minimal.
The 2490 has no artifacts of overdrive.
I wouldn't say that setting overdrive to On or Off makes any effect on the real picture.
Even with overdrive Off the 2490 is fast enough for any application with no overdrive artifacts guarantee.
What do you lose with 16:9 monitors?
A huge part - about 12% of vertical resolution (considering interfaces) for general use is lost.
Remember that it's the vertical resolution that defines the rank of the panel (in terms of size).
And all of 16:9 "HDs" so far are ... TNs - the bottom level of LCD technology!
Let's dim these marketing bells and put a big cross on those half-finished "Full HD" TNs, because HD means High Quality first of all.
Now back to REAL HD monitors.
The 2490 has several features that work well for advanced video support.
Two digital inputs and D-Sub for multiple video signals.
Supports progressive signal up to 1080p without overscan.
Supports 1080p/24p incoming signal (displayed as 1080p/60) and everything between 24-60Hz.
Viewing angles same as plasma TV due to A-TW polarizer.
Internal LUT calibration valid for standalone devices (BD-players, PS3, etc.)
Separate calibrations can be performed (for each input).
Unlimited scaling. Black bars can be adjusted or removed. Any frame format can be adjusted to fit the screen. Wrong format video (incorrect aspect ratio) can be corrected.
The NEC 2490WUXi was used as a reference monitor in the first review of the Dell 2408:
A huge part - about 12% of vertical resolution (considering interfaces) for general use is lost.
Remember that it's the vertical resolution that defines the rank of the panel (in terms of size).
And all of 16:9 "HDs" so far are ... TNs - the bottom level of LCD technology!
Let's dim these marketing bells and put a big cross on those half-finished "Full HD" TNs, because HD means High Quality first of all.
Now back to REAL HD monitors.
The 2490 has several features that work well for advanced video support.
Two digital inputs and D-Sub for multiple video signals.
Supports progressive signal up to 1080p without overscan.
Supports 1080p/24p incoming signal (displayed as 1080p/60) and everything between 24-60Hz.
Viewing angles same as plasma TV due to A-TW polarizer.
Internal LUT calibration valid for standalone devices (BD-players, PS3, etc.)
Separate calibrations can be performed (for each input).
Unlimited scaling. Black bars can be adjusted or removed. Any frame format can be adjusted to fit the screen. Wrong format video (incorrect aspect ratio) can be corrected.
The NEC 2490WUXi was used as a reference monitor in the first review of the Dell 2408:
Accessories
Of course, #1 accessory is a legendary SpectraView calibration kit (software + NEC rebranded Eye-One Display 2 based colorimeter).
Optional plastic hood protects from bright light and creates privacy.
The hood is easy to install. A little drawback: some black plastic parts inside the hood are not covered with light-absorbing material and produce minor reflection.
The soundbar is not intended for high quality sound.
But it saves room on your table and provides connection for head phones.
Of course, #1 accessory is a legendary SpectraView calibration kit (software + NEC rebranded Eye-One Display 2 based colorimeter).
Optional plastic hood protects from bright light and creates privacy.
The hood is easy to install. A little drawback: some black plastic parts inside the hood are not covered with light-absorbing material and produce minor reflection.
The soundbar is not intended for high quality sound.
But it saves room on your table and provides connection for head phones.
Ergonomics
The 2490 has advanced mechanics: height adjustment, tilt, rotate, pivot.
A small point for criticism is here. The panel does not go all the way down to desk level leaving some 3" space. The fully equipped NEC 2490 needs that space for the soundbar though.
What makes credit to the height adjustment mechanism: it's sturdy enough to lift and hold the heaviest 24" monitor with added hood, soundbar and cables.
As mentioned before, optional hood and soundbar futher expand 2490's functionality.
Advanced technologies are implemented to reduce eye strain.
Wide range of brightness regulation from high to very low.
Auto Brightness feature automatically adjusts backlight according to ambient light.
Dinamic Brightness (Mode 2 of auto Brightness) automatically adjusts brightness according to actual brightness of the picture currently displayed. So the monitor will not blind you when a dark movie scene (or dark WEB page) is followed by a bright one.
A-TW polarizer stabilizes viewing angles. You can demonstrate your art work to a client or a group of friends, or watch video from any point in your room in the same way as you would normally do with a CRT monitor or plasma TV.
To save your vision, keep upper rim of a screen at eye level or lower. This is especially important for larger monitors (26"+).
Place your monitors this way to meet ergonomic requirements:
The 2490 has advanced mechanics: height adjustment, tilt, rotate, pivot.
A small point for criticism is here. The panel does not go all the way down to desk level leaving some 3" space. The fully equipped NEC 2490 needs that space for the soundbar though.
What makes credit to the height adjustment mechanism: it's sturdy enough to lift and hold the heaviest 24" monitor with added hood, soundbar and cables.
As mentioned before, optional hood and soundbar futher expand 2490's functionality.
Advanced technologies are implemented to reduce eye strain.
Wide range of brightness regulation from high to very low.
Auto Brightness feature automatically adjusts backlight according to ambient light.
Dinamic Brightness (Mode 2 of auto Brightness) automatically adjusts brightness according to actual brightness of the picture currently displayed. So the monitor will not blind you when a dark movie scene (or dark WEB page) is followed by a bright one.
A-TW polarizer stabilizes viewing angles. You can demonstrate your art work to a client or a group of friends, or watch video from any point in your room in the same way as you would normally do with a CRT monitor or plasma TV.
To save your vision, keep upper rim of a screen at eye level or lower. This is especially important for larger monitors (26"+).
Place your monitors this way to meet ergonomic requirements:
Various Myths, Scenes, Observatios, Comments
An old myth about how to tell IPS from PVA.
IPS has colored (violet-like) tint from angle on a black screen in darkness while PVA has not.
Forget it.
The only reliable factor that makes them different is color shift on *VA (PVA,MVA). IPS has no color shift.
Black screen on the NEC 2490WUXI next to 24" PVA:
An old myth about how to tell IPS from PVA.
IPS has colored (violet-like) tint from angle on a black screen in darkness while PVA has not.
Forget it.
The only reliable factor that makes them different is color shift on *VA (PVA,MVA). IPS has no color shift.
Black screen on the NEC 2490WUXI next to 24" PVA:
"Variety of inputs", "Plethora of inputs" - pardon my French.
Remember: there are no inputs other than digital.
A DVD movie scene in "clone mode" directly from the DVD player.
Both monitors are at factory default settings. No adjustments made.
The NEC 2490 - HDMI
The Dell 2707 - Component
On the Dell 2707 in this case you see all issues in one.
Overscan, distortion, cropping - mostly attributed to analog input (Component, Composite, S-Video).
Oversaturated colors - wide color gamut.
Loss of detail - PVA colorshift.
Remember: there are no inputs other than digital.
A DVD movie scene in "clone mode" directly from the DVD player.
Both monitors are at factory default settings. No adjustments made.
The NEC 2490 - HDMI
The Dell 2707 - Component
On the Dell 2707 in this case you see all issues in one.
Overscan, distortion, cropping - mostly attributed to analog input (Component, Composite, S-Video).
Oversaturated colors - wide color gamut.
Loss of detail - PVA colorshift.
The Lonely King.
Bad news has come from NEC.
The new "updated" NEC 2690WUXi2 that should replace the 2490's twin-brother 2690WUXi has no A-TW polarizer!
The 2490 sadly loses its running mate.
No doubt, the 2690WUXi2 will be a great screen, but without A-TW polarizer there may be no equality with the 2490 anymore.
A disastrous comparison photo of the black screen on the "newer" NEC 2690WUXi2 (left) with the "older" NEC 2690WUXi (right):
Bad news has come from NEC.
The new "updated" NEC 2690WUXi2 that should replace the 2490's twin-brother 2690WUXi has no A-TW polarizer!
The 2490 sadly loses its running mate.
No doubt, the 2690WUXi2 will be a great screen, but without A-TW polarizer there may be no equality with the 2490 anymore.
A disastrous comparison photo of the black screen on the "newer" NEC 2690WUXi2 (left) with the "older" NEC 2690WUXi (right):
What to buy?
Top10 universal and closest to universal monitors on the consumer market (September, 2009).
1. NEC 2490WUXi
2-3. NEC 3090WQXi and NEC 2490WUXi2
4-5. NEC 2690WUXi2 and Dell 3008
6-7. Dell U2410 and Gateway XHD 3000
8. HP LP2475w
9. NEC 24WMGX3
10. Dell 2709w
Why not Eizos?
Those excellently equipped monitors typically features PVA panels only.
At the same time they are ridiculously overpriced that puts them out of recommendation list. They have an interesting 27" model to enter Top 10 at 6-8 place, but $1700 for PVA is out of the question.
Top10 universal and closest to universal monitors on the consumer market (September, 2009).
1. NEC 2490WUXi
2-3. NEC 3090WQXi and NEC 2490WUXi2
4-5. NEC 2690WUXi2 and Dell 3008
6-7. Dell U2410 and Gateway XHD 3000
8. HP LP2475w
9. NEC 24WMGX3
10. Dell 2709w
Why not Eizos?
Those excellently equipped monitors typically features PVA panels only.
At the same time they are ridiculously overpriced that puts them out of recommendation list. They have an interesting 27" model to enter Top 10 at 6-8 place, but $1700 for PVA is out of the question.
Conclusion
Over the past two years the NEC 2490WUXi has gained a tremendous reputation of the best available monitor.
This reputation has become so solid and fortified with so obviuos reasons that potential reviewers risk losing their own reputation saying opposite.
I don't want to be among those reviewers.
Over the past two years the NEC 2490WUXi has gained a tremendous reputation of the best available monitor.
This reputation has become so solid and fortified with so obviuos reasons that potential reviewers risk losing their own reputation saying opposite.
I don't want to be among those reviewers.
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