Eizo Foris FG2421: 120hz VA Panel

Got it today, set it up, and its great overall.
The first and only LCD so far i'd call good enough for anything, with no big flaws that affect any type of use. The first lcd monitor possible to recommend to people, without knowing what they will use it for.

Here are two pictures and some points.

*Can count the windows at the maximum speed on the testufo.com - moving photo. Photo looks just as sharp as lightboost. No ghosting at the fastest speed on bright content. (Mark, if you read this, can't you add faster speeds to the tests?).
*Great overall quality, quality still great in strobemode. (simply used calibrated settings from the review for now).
*Mild coating, it is mildly reflective. I do not personally feel the need to remove it.
*Blacks really look black, as long as there is anything else to contrast with. A pure black screen in a dark room looks dark gray/purplish (ips/tn look bright gray in the same room).
*Does not flicker to my eyes in strobemode (lightboost 120 does flicker for me, mildly - i suspect lightboost just has too short strobes?)
*Uniformity is great, but not perfect. Minor clouding top right corner, only visible in a dark room. Still one of the most uniform lcds i've seen. The macbook pro retina (samsung panel) is still the most uniform LCD i have seen, probably hard to see in this bad picture.

Two cons I can come up with:
*Mild ghosting or overdrive trailing of bright objects on black (such as the testufo). Not visible unless its bright on dark background, and motion clarity is still miles better than any non-lightboost LCD.
* Color reproduction is great if tweaked, but not perfect.

Awarded with the first time ever LCD "bah, it's good enough until OLED" award!

Picture of Panasonic VT60 in the back, with a macbook pro retina to the left, the eizo middle, and a 7.7" OLED in the corner between the macbook and the eizo. All displaying black screens. (Default user1 settings but with 50 brightness, turbo on).
Both the eizo and the macbook have led logos that might reflect on the plasma, but i tried to hide them.
I'll try sort a better pic later.


FG2421 surround with a Panasonic VT60 as accessory display, in darkness (Default user1 settings but with 50 brightness, turbo on).
MyOLKDKl.jpg


I am done fine-tuning my settings now, here are a couple of pictures with a better quality camera, these really show the great contrast and quality of the panels.
Brightness 53, contrast 50, black level 50, red 100, green 88, blue 87, turbo: on, contrast enhancer: enhanced, gamma 2.4, temperature off. (using eizo's ICC for 2.2 gamma).
After many months of use, I still use these settings but have changed to 2.4 gamma in darkness.

Pictures aren't perfect, but it looks really, really good like this. Taken in a pitch black room. Made the bottom one clicky for full resolution.

iJ0cAegl.jpg



Using the VT60 THX cinema mode as reference (which is nearly perfect, according to reviews - reviewers perfectly calibrated settings deviate very little from this mode.
What seems clear to me that reviews didn't mention (and is readily apparent in my previously posted picture) is that the weakness this panel has in color accuracy is mainly with reds, especially subtler red tones. Reds are probably what makes it get "only" the 89% sRGB score in the review.

Dropping green and blue brings out the reds a bit more, but if dropped too far it tints everything pink. There is no middle ground where you get perfect reds and no tint.

I suggest trying the settings i mentioned, then try to drop blue/green until a pink tint appears, then raise it up again until the pink is gone (perhaps this will be at a higher or lower g/b level than me). For someone who doesn't have a calibration tool, this is probably a good method.

pointing out some not very severe errors:
Look especially at the bottom of the middle image: you can clearly see that the VT60 displays some great looking subtle red tones in the sunset reflection and around the sun, which the FG2421 does not.
The picture is before lowering green and blue, however, so it looks better with my current settings - reds are still not perfect though.
(RGB are all at 100 in the picture, strobing on, brightness 50 iirc).
This picture is actually a pretty decent image to bring out all the weaknesses in the FG2421 - it both has loads of red shades, and also the soft natural colors near the edges that makes the VA panel bleed a tiny bit, and two monitors at an angle.
(Bit of a worst case scenario picture - this is as bad as it gets (still quite great). I now use a black/white/blue moonlight/wolf picture as background that brings out all the strengths instead).

Here are some more pictures, most of these are actually near worst case scenarios for this monitor (lots of reds, soft greens, dark grays, etc). Still looks really great, imo.
Obviously, a camera can't capture it perfectly. These are even taken with a (pretty good) video camera (in a pitch black room).
Same settings as above.






 
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Morkai said:
Got it today...
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Good stuff :) Although *VA is a pretty broad catagory I've yet to hear of one that doesn't struggle a bit with certain transitions, so some smearing/overdrive trailing was probably to be expected. Maybe you could try a green object moving around on a blue background to really challenge it?

I hate to complain when people are posting feedback, but may I request the image link be edited to the large or small thumbnail? imgur can auto generate these but you only need to edit the tag by adding lower case 's' or 'l' at the end of the url tag mSVFg1Us.jpg or mSVFg1Ul.jpg



 
*Mild ghosting or overdrive trailing of bright objects on black (such as the testufo). Not visible unless its bright on dark background.
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Can't believe someone already has this.

Question: Can you experiment in the menu with the adjustments for 240? If I recall correctly there are variable settings of some sort for the 240Hz feature?

I'd just be interested to see if there's anything that would affect that one way or the other.

http://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1383107475

They posted their calibration settings in the review. Folks that have or get this monitor may want to try their recommended settings for the two different profiles they recommend. Let us know what you think. Maybe their settings will help you out.
 
Whats nice is manufactures are starting to come out with 120hz. Just a few years ago it was unheard of. I'll hold out for a 1200p monitor though.
 
Galvin said:
Whats nice is manufactures are starting to come out with 120hz. Just a few years ago it was unheard of. I'll hold out for a 1200p monitor though.
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Sadly, I fear 16:10 is going the way of the dinosaur if you meant 1920X1200 here.
 
Hello and thank you for your inquiry for the new FG2421 monitor. This monitor was released yesterday to EIZO's North America resellers so it should be getting inputted into order systems from our dealers today. The product is in stock and can ship same day PO received from EIZO's warehouse. EIZO does not sell direct, so this product must be purchased through a reseller. Please find a list of resellers using the below link:

http://www.eizo.com/na/purchase/where/resellers.html

Thank you
EIZO Sales

____________

Eizo has handled this release very well. Announcement, reviews, shipping all within a few days. Impressive.
 
I've also noticed in this pic:

Eizo_FG2421_tangentbordsreflex.jpg


The screen has a nice semi-gloss coating, so it should not need to be removed.
 
It will be interesting to see how long it is before we see other displays with the M240HW02 V5 panel used by Eizo in it. Although the panel itself is 120hz I guess they have to be offering the 240hz uspcale option to be able to compete, or offer it for a lower price. We also have the M270HW02 V2 panel up for grabs to anyone interested in a larger 1080p display. Judging by the track record of the foris displays I doubt we will see a larger one from Eizo, however Benq and others could very well release 27" versions to compete in that segment.
 
Q-BZ said:
Can't believe someone already has this.

Question: Can you experiment in the menu with the adjustments for 240? If I recall correctly there are variable settings of some sort for the 240Hz feature?

I'd just be interested to see if there's anything that would affect that one way or the other.

http://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1383107475

They posted their calibration settings in the review. Folks that have or get this monitor may want to try their recommended settings for the two different profiles they recommend. Let us know what you think. Maybe their settings will help you out.
Click to expand...

The turbo is either on/off, and there are no options that i can find for overdrive. It is great as is, though, especially considering its a VA.
There is a different setting called "smoothness", but its grayed out in turbo mode (edit: apparently smoothing is related to resolution scaling).
 
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Hey Morkai, can you pop the front bezel off and take some photo's? The anticipation is killing me!
 
Vega said:
Hey Morkai, can you pop the front bezel off and take some photo's? The anticipation is killing me!
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Hm, it does not seem obvious how to do it except use force and bend it off, so i think i won't (it goes all the way around back all around)
 
Q-BZ said:
I can see people are having a hard time tracking down price besides just me. One site said 499 Euros... Eizo has the five year warranty on this.

I did a search for this monitor and can see the news is making waves pretty fast.
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@ $422. at Amazon...
 
For FPS gaming...

BenQ 2420TE versus Eizo FG2421............

OR...

BenQ XL2420Z versus Eizo FG2421.........

"Who's your Daddy?" ...............
 
Tried some games now @120fps, and that really gave a "wow" feeling.
The sharpness of LCD, the motion clarity of CRT, great colors and general quality of VA.
 
While I'm more interested in getting a gsync monitor I just might get this because the flicker free aspect is maybe something I can appreciate for everyday usage. If I don't like it I can return it.
 
Morkai said:
Tried some games now @120fps, and that really gave a "wow" feeling.
The sharpness of LCD, the motion clarity of CRT, great colors and general quality of VA.
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Where did you find one at in-store, if I may ask? I'll go grab one if it's at a Microcenter or something.
 
another review http://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1383107475

it seems like pretty damn good gamin monitor, scanning back-light is way to do motion blur reduction, not full on-off flickering. It will definitely be much better on eyes than LB monitors. Maybe won't be as fast with all transitions as TNs but still better with overal picture quality, especially with >4000:1 CR and proper gamut and colors. LB monitors colors suck and in LB they suck even more. This EIZO should be much better in this regard. Also big plus is that no hacks needed, it is just built-in function independent of installed system and software.

Now we wait for something similar but IPS :)
 
So there's also 27" version of the panel used in this eizo ?

Crap that means i might need to wait a month or two before buying one as i'd really prefere bigger one ( i don't want to dowgrade size from my 24" 16:10)
 
@XoR

Mold.

------

A 27" version has not been announced.
 
XoR said:
another review http://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1383107475

it seems like pretty damn good gamin monitor, scanning back-light is way to do motion blur reduction, not full on-off flickering. It will definitely be much better on eyes than LB monitors. Maybe won't be as fast with all transitions as TNs but still better with overal picture quality, especially with >4000:1 CR and proper gamut and colors. LB monitors colors suck and in LB they suck even more. This EIZO should be much better in this regard. Also big plus is that no hacks needed, it is just built-in function independent of installed system and software.

Now we wait for something similar but IPS :)
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This monitor operates exactly the same as a Lightboost display in 240Turbo mode. It is a full strobe, edge lit monitor, not scanning. As for IPS, I'd rather have VA's contrast and blacks. The last IPS I tested glowed so much it was unusable.

Michaelius said:
So there's also 27" version of the panel used in this eizo ?

Crap that means i might need to wait a month or two before buying one as i'd really prefere bigger one ( i don't want to dowgrade size from my 24" 16:10)
Click to expand...

No.
 
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Ordered this earlier today on impulse. Hopefully, Amazon will get some in stock soon! I'll be upgrading from a Dell U2311h, so I'm anticipating that the motion clarity will be a big step up, especially for shooters. I just hope that the relatively poor viewing angles on this panel (as per flatpanelshd.com) will not be super noticeable for my daily usage.
 
Namelessme said:
I recall reading they were working on 120hz panels some time ago, and the datasheets are from like 2010-2011. Were they simply not quite ready for release or sitting around for the past 2-3 years and no manufacturers wanted to use them?
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AUO started production of both displays as early as December 2011, so yes they have been sitting around for quite some time. As to why that is, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe they wanted to milk the TN tech a bit more before introducing this into the market ?

http://news.softpedia.com/news/AUO-Starts-Producing-Two-New-120Hz-VA-Display-Panels-240484.shtml
 
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fobis said:
Ordered this earlier today on impulse. Hopefully, Amazon will get some in stock soon! I'll be upgrading from a Dell U2311h, so I'm anticipating that the motion clarity will be a big step up, especially for shooters. I just hope that the relatively poor viewing angles on this panel (as per flatpanelshd.com) will not be super noticeable for my daily usage.
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Don't worry. I don't know what crack was flatpanels guy smoking when he wrote about bad angles but VA are much better then TNs and slightly worse than IPS in that regard.
 
Vega said:
Just because that panel is listed, doesn't mean it's being put into a production model. It also listed as discontinued. He inferred that there was 27" version coming out, which hasn't been announced and is pure speculation.
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http://www.panelook.cn/M240HW02%20V5_AUO_24.0_LCM_overview_14492.html

Both models are listed as discontinued. My answer was in regards to his direct question "So there's also 27" version of the panel used in this eizo ?" , and not if there is any display coming out in the near future.

Still, I might have to revise my opinion slightly and change it from a yes to a "maybe" ;)

Weird thing is that the 120hz panels aren't listed on AUO homepage anymore, and if both are correctly marked as discontinued from the links I have provided, then what panel is Eizo using?
 
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Falconetti said:
Weird thing is that the 120hz panels aren't listed on AUO homepage anymore, and if both are correctly marked as discontinued from the links I have provided, then what panel are Eizo using?
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Maybe it was an unprofitable limited production run, later discontinued?
Who knows, maybe these great monitors will run out of stock fast, never to return.. ;)

(I think that was what happened with the 7.7" oled samsung tablets for example, amazing quality screens, then bam, pls/ips in the newer versions - probably a test run to see if mass production could be profitable at that size).
 
Falconetti said:
Weird thing is that the 120hz panels aren't listed on AUO homepage anymore, and if both are correctly marked as discontinued from the links I have provided, then what panel is Eizo using?
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I may be mistaken, but wasn't the 24" panel listed as being CCFL? Perhaps it's a later revision, maybe exclusive to Eizo?

I guess one possibility is that the panels cost a fortune and manufacturers simply didn't think there would be a market for them. Eizo is one of the few companies that can get away with charging an unusually high price for a 23.5" monitor. Or an utterly insane price for an industrial monitor. Even if the panel alone costs $200-$300, it's still profit.

Or they are getting it somewhere else, but that does seem unlikely. I guess we can find out if any brave soul opens it up and peeks at the panel ... perhaps Vega will, when he de-bezels.
 
Namelessme said:
I may be mistaken, but wasn't the 24" panel listed as being CCFL? Perhaps it's a later revision, maybe exclusive to Eizo?

I guess one possibility is that the panels cost a fortune and manufacturers simply didn't think there would be a market for them. Eizo is one of the few companies that can get away with charging an unusually high price for a 23.5" monitor. Or an utterly insane price for an industrial monitor. Even if the panel alone costs $200-$300, it's still profit.

Or they are getting it somewhere else, but that does seem unlikely. I guess we can find out if any brave soul opens it up and peeks at the panel ... perhaps Vega will, when he de-bezels.
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Here we have them all annouced by AUO back in december 2011. Looks like Vega is the man who will be shedding some light on this, cause Eizo support is tight-lipped as usual.

M240HW02 V6 - 24" AMVA panel, 5000:1 static contrast ratio, W-LED
M270HW02 V1 - 27" AMVA panel, 5000:1 static contrast ratio, W-LED
M270HW02 V3 - 27" ultra-thin AMVA panel, W-LED

M240HW02 V5 - 24" AMVA panel with 120Hz support, CCFL
M270HW02 V2 - 27" AMVA panel with 120Hz support, W-LED
 
An OEM like AUO isn't going to tool up and do a production run unless there is a customer purchasing them. The only exception is manufacturers like Sharp that produce their own panels and sell their own monitors. Whether Eizo wants AUO to put the 27" panel into production for one of their future models is unknown. I could see it happening if the 23.5" is a hit.

Just think about all the millions of 120+ Hz TN panel owners who must now upgrade to this monitor as its vastly superior. :)
 
Vega said:
An OEM like AUO isn't going to tool up and do a production run unless there is a customer purchasing them. The only exception is manufacturers like Sharp that produce their own panels and sell their own monitors. Whether Eizo wants AUO to put the 27" panel into production for one of their future models is unknown. I could see it happening if the 23.5" is a hit.
Just think about all the millions of 120+ Hz TN panel owners who must now upgrade to this monitor as its vastly superior. :)
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"Vastly superior..."
Meaning, it is as fast and clear, yet with better color reproduction and contrast?
 
Just as good motion clarity or maybe even better since Eizo is quoting ≤ 1ms backlight strobing. Versus the current crop of 120+Hz TN in Lightboost mode monitors the Eizo has around ten times the contrast, far superior blacks, colors, viewing angles and AR film. Vastly superior. ;)
 
In the next 6 month we will see a lot more 24"/27" 120 Hz MVA Monitors from other manufacturers.
 
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