Author Topic: Acer XF240H Review & Viewsonic XG2402 Review: 144hz 1080p Matte TN Panels with AMD-Free-Sync  (Read 12293 times)

NCX

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Dark Scene Comparison: Lights Off
« Reply #15 on: August 10, 2018, 02:05:01 am »
Dark Scene Comparison:
Lights Off


The Order 1886 Statue Reference by Deepinthesky Teslastorm, on Flickr

To properly compare the photos right click on the photos and closely inspect larger versions in a new tab, especially if experience trouble with the spoiler pop downs. Menu calibration refers to my use of a colorimeter and calibration program to increase the color accuracy as much as possible using only the monitors menu settings.  All photos are from my The Order 1886 Lights Off Photo Album which features monitors ranging from 150-1200$ US, and comparisons of AHVA/IPS/PLS, TN and VA panels.

Qnix UHD32R 8 Bit Glossy* AUO AHVA Panel Reference
Spoiler (hover to show)

Acer XF240H 60hz
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BenQ Zowie RL2460 60hz
Spoiler (hover to show)

The BenQ Zowie RL2460 uses a very similar matte 6 bit +FRC 1080p TN panel made by AUO but has more accurate color presets and more linear gamma which closely adheres to the 2.2 HDTV/REC 709 standard.  The BenQ suffers from obvious vertical blue light bleed along the left and right sides.

Acer XF240H 144hz Un-Calibrated
Spoiler (hover to show)

Acer XF240H 144hz Calibrated No ICC Profile/Gamma Fix
Spoiler (hover to show)

I did not take a fourth photo of the XF240H with the ICC profile enabled since the ICC profile barely affects the image quality, and because I did not think of doing so at the time.

Viewsonic XG2402 60hz Un-Calibrated
Spoiler (hover to show)

Viewsonic XG2402 144hz Un-Calibrated
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Viewsonic XG2402 144hz Calibrated No ICC Profile/Gamma Fix
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Viewsonic XG2402 144hz Calibrated with ICC Profile
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The ICC profile corrections remove the XG2402's obvious blue tint of 0-30% white or dark grey.  Without an ICC profile the Acer XF240H suffers from a tiny bit of black crush after the gamma is fix to my preference.  It's possible to have zero black crush, but only if other colors and shades are a bit washed out.
« Last Edit: October 17, 2018, 01:07:06 am by NCX »

NCX

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Dark Scene Comparison: Lights On
« Reply #16 on: August 10, 2018, 02:05:19 am »
Dark Scene Comparison:
Lights On

Spoiler (hover to show)

To properly compare the photos right click on the photos and closely inspect larger versions in a new tab, especially if experience trouble with the spoiler pop downs. Menu calibration refers to my use of a colorimeter and calibration program to increase the color accuracy as much as possible using only the monitors menu settings.  All photos are from my The Order 1886 Lights Off Photo Album which features monitors ranging from 150-1200$ US, and comparisons of AHVA/IPS/PLS, TN and VA panels.  The monitors were connected to my PS4 Pro, placed in front of my closet, and calibrated as best as possible with their menu settings.

Acer H257HU 60hz; Connected to PS4 Pro
Spoiler (hover to show)

The Acer H257HU uses a matte 2560x1440 8 bit panel made by LG, and sells for the same price as most 144hz 1080p 6 bit +FRC AUO TN panels, and is the only matte AHVA/IPS/PLS (gamma shift free) panel I own.

Acer XF240H 60hz; Connected to PS4 Pro
Spoiler (hover to show)

BenQ Zowie RL2460; Connected to PS4 Pro
Spoiler (hover to show)

The BenQ Zowie RL2460 uses a very similar matte 6 bit +FRC 1080p TN panel made by AUO but has more accurate color presets and more linear gamma which closely adheres to the 2.2 HDTV/REC 709 standard.  I used the same camera settings, but my room lighting (a single 6500K 2600 lumen CFL light) died this summer (BenQ photo was taken in January), and was replaced by a 6500k 2200 lumen LED light which is actually brighter since CFL lights deteriorate and loose brightness over time.  The BenQ suffers from obvious vertical blue light bleed along the left and right sides.

Viewsonic XG2402 60hz; Connected to PS4 Pro
Spoiler (hover to show)

Make sure to right click on the photos and closely inspect larger versions in a new tab, especially if experience trouble with the spoiler pop outs. The monitors were connected to my PC and placed on my desk, part of which has a black table cloth over it, and pinned to the wall the desk is up against.

Viewsonic XG2402 60hz; Connected to PS4 Pro
Spoiler (hover to show)

Viewsonic XG2402 60hz Un-Calibrated
Spoiler (hover to show)

Viewsonic XG2402 60hz Menu Calibrated
Spoiler (hover to show)

Viewsonic XG2402 144hz Un-Calibrated
Spoiler (hover to show)

Viewsonic XG2402144hz Menu Calibration
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Viewsonic XG2402 144z Calibrated with ICC Profile
Spoiler (hover to show)
« Last Edit: October 17, 2018, 01:30:24 am by NCX »

NCX

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Ugly
« Reply #17 on: September 11, 2018, 03:01:53 am »

This vertical gamma shift comparison of the BenQ XL24200G (144hz 6 bit +FRC AUO TN panel with G-Sync), Dell S2716DG (144hz 8 bit AUO TN panel with G-Sync) and a Qnix QX2710 (8 bit overclock-able Samsung PLS panel) I made in 2015 shows how TN panels colors are obviously uneven from top to bottom, even when viewed correctly since the gamma shift is not a result of off angle viewing.  This comparison applies to both the Acer XF240H and Viewsonic XG2402, which are actually a bit worse since neither the BenQ nor Dell suffered from obvious contrast loss in the bottom quarter of the panel, or gamma loss at 144hz versus 60hz.

Both monitors have normal (very restrictive) viewing angles for a TN panel, so forget about viewing either of them on a desk while sitting in bed, leaning back in a desk chair, or with the desk chair lowered.

There is one correct viewing angle, or one correct way to view TN panels, which is from above or while looking down at them.  The below photo compilation is of photos taken for the Asus VG258Q Review by PRAD.  The Acer and Viewsonic's viewing angles are basically identical to the VG258Q's:

Spoiler (hover to show)

If raised or looked up at TN panels become very dark since their optimal viewing angle is from above while being looked down at.  Even when viewed the correct way, one still has to deal with vertical gamma shift which causes TN panels colors and shades to be darker in the top quarter (black crush if the gamma is 2.2-ish in the center), and washed out in the bottom half of the panel.

Spoiler (hover to show)

Squares 1-5 are normal in the center area, but become quite dark when moved up since TN panel gamma is much higher in the top quarter of the panel, and can cause black crush if the center gamma is 2.2 or higher:

Spoiler (hover to show)

In the photo of the XG2402 below one can see how much darker grey is in the top part of the panel, as well as is significantly darker on the sides compared to center bottom the middle:

Spoiler (hover to show)
« Last Edit: October 17, 2018, 01:53:26 am by NCX »

NCX

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Playstation 3 & 4
« Reply #18 on: September 11, 2018, 03:02:04 am »
Playstation 3 & 4

DSC_0038 by Deepinthesky Teslastorm, on Flickr

Both monitors scale 1280x720 and 1920x1080 without issue

PS3:

Go to Settings>Display Settings>Scroll down and select RGB Full Range (HDMI)

Go to Settings>Video Settings>Scroll down and select 1080p 24hz Output Automatic.

To use external audio devices use the 3.5mm audio in & out ports located on the back of the Crossover or use the included Playstation 3's RCA cord:

Or insert an optical cord into the optical out port located at the back of the PS3 or 4 to connect the PS3 or 4 to an external device such as a DAC.

PS4:

Go to Settings>Scroll down and select Sound and Screen>Video Output Settings>Resolution: 1080p>

RGB Range: Full

Go to Settings>Video Playback Settings and set Output at 1080p/24hz to Automatic.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2019, 03:56:11 am by NCX »

NCX

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Xbox 360 & Xbox One + S
« Reply #19 on: September 11, 2018, 03:02:15 am »
Xbox 360 & Xbox One

Xbox 360

To get audio with external sources use an Xbox 360 RCA adapter, or use the included 3.5mm audio cord to connect to the desired sound device.

Use the following Image Settings

System Settings> Console Settings> Display> HDTV Settings>Select 1080p

Enable Display Discovery in the System Settings>Console Settings>Display Settings tab or

System Settings> Console Settings> Display> Reference Levels: Standard

System Settings> Console Settings> Display> Color Space>YCbCr709

Xbox One

Not tested.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2019, 03:59:24 am by NCX »

NCX

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Settings & ICC Profiles
« Reply #20 on: September 11, 2018, 03:19:31 am »
Settings & ICC Profile

DSC_0057 by Deepinthesky Teslastorm, on Flickr

Acer XF240H Settings

Acer XF240H 144hz no ICC Profile: Brightness 31 [] Gamma 2.4 [] Black Level 4

Acer XF240H 144hz with ICC Profile: Brightness 34 [] Black Level 4 [] Gamma 2.2 [] Red Gain 48 [] Green Gain 46 Blue Gain 47

ICC Profile

Use Color Sustainer to install ICC profiles

Acer XF240H 60hz HDMI: Brightness 30 [] Black Level 6 [] Gamma 2.2

Changing the color settings will more likely decrease the accuracy of different units, but here are my settings:

[] Red Gain 49 [] Green Gain 48 [] Blue Gain 49 [] Blue Bias 51

Viewsonic XG2402

Viewsonic XG2402 144hz no ICC Profile

Viewsonic XG2402 144hz with ICC Profile: Brightness 27 [] Black Stabilization 9 [] Gamma 2.4 [] Red 96 [] Green 92 [] Blue 86

ICC Profile

Use Color Sustainer to install ICC profiles

Viewsonic XG2402 60hz HDMI: Use the Text View Mode with 29 Brightness and 10 Black Stabilization
« Last Edit: October 10, 2018, 08:00:02 pm by NCX »

NCX

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Acer XF240H Performance Summary
« Reply #21 on: September 11, 2018, 08:04:36 pm »
Acer XF240H Performance Summary

DSC_0695 by Deepinthesky Teslastorm, on Flickr

+
-

+Sturdy materials and no build quality issues
+Fully adjustable stand
+Perceived black depth increasing grey bezel
+Displayport, Dual-Link DVI and HDMI Inputs
+48-144hz AMD Free-Sync
+Negligible ghosting or overdrive issues at both 60 and 144hz
+Negligible input lag
+Excellent 60hz preset color accuracy
+Excellent 144hz accuracy after two gamma setting changes
+Calibration barely improves image quality
+Good screen uniformity and no back-light bleed
+Simple and easy to use menu

-Reduced contrast, gamma and uniformity at optimal 144hz refresh rate versus 60hz
-Very low gamma at 144hz resulting in obviously washed out image quality
-Blue light bleed visible in content with black, dark brown and greys
-Displayport and HDMI image quality is slightly different
-Need to use different calibration settings for 60hz and 144hz
-Slightly skewed color gamut resulting in minor over and under saturation
-Banding in very dark content


I did not list the TN panel's very restrictive viewing angles and dull and uneven colors from top to bottom as negatives since these flaws are often givens when buying a TN panel, as well as unavoidable.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2018, 04:47:04 pm by NCX »

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Viewsonic XG2402 Performance Summary
« Reply #22 on: September 14, 2018, 02:20:14 am »
Viewsonic XG2402 Performance Summary

DSC_0053 by Deepinthesky Teslastorm, on Flick

+
-

+Sturdy materials and no build quality issues
+Fully adjustable stand
+Displayport and multiple HDMI inputs
+48-144hz AMD Free-Sync
+Negligible ghosting or overdrive issues at both 60 and 144hz once the overdrive setting is changed
+Negligible input lag
+Average image quality for a TN panel out of the box
+Only suffers from minor gamma loss or washout at 144hz
+Excellent image quality for a TN panel after calibration
+Full HDTV/REC 709 and sRGB color space coverage
+Ability to save different menu/image quality settings

-Reduced contrast, gamma and uniformity at optimal 144hz refresh rate versus 60hz
-Obvious loss of black depth/contrast and uniformity at 144hz versus 60hz
-Skewed preset gamma and gamma settings which cause light colors and shades to be too dark and dull
-Skewed preset RGB levels which require an ICC profile to get rid of blue tinted dark colors and shades (0-30% white)
-ICC Profile required to get good image quality for a TN panel
-Stuck red pixel in the middle-center-right
-Black matte bezel reduces perceived black depth versus the XG2401's grey bezel
-Best overdrive setting not selected by default
-Need to use different calibration settings for 60hz and 144hz
-Banding in very dark content

? Over-abundance of menu settings including many useless settings
? Over-abundance of awful color presets

I did not list the TN panel's very restrictive viewing angles and dull and uneven colors from top to bottom as negatives since these flaws are often givens when buying a TN panel, as well as unavoidable.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2018, 04:47:21 pm by NCX »

NCX

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Conclusion
« Reply #23 on: September 14, 2018, 02:20:33 am »
Conclusion

DSC_0698 by Deepinthesky Teslastorm, on Flickr

The Acer XF240H is a better monitor over-all, but not to those unaware of the 144hz AUO TN panel wash out, or loss of contrast, gamma and uniformity 144hz 1080p AUO TN panels suffer from when set to 144hz versus 60hz.  The XG2402 is less dull or washed out at 144hz due to the higher preset gamma, but the skewed gamma curve causes some light colors and shades to be too dark and dull, and it suffers from an obvious blue tint to dark greys which can only be fixed by an ICC profile created by a colorimeter and quality calibration software.  The XG2402 also suffers from obvious color streaking and a bit of smearing out of the box since its best overdrive (Rampage Response) setting is not the default setting.

Both monitors can be significantly improved by changing two menu settings which affect the gamma; once their settings are changed the Acer XF240H is easily the superior monitor for 144hz gaming, but it lacks the multiple Custom Menu settings the XG2402 has which allows one to save three sets of settings, such as one setting for 60hz (console use) and one set of settings for 144hz since the different refresh rates need to have different settings to ensure the best accuracy at the most important refresh rates (60 & 144hz).  The Viewsonic XG2402 also offers slightly better calibrated image quality when an ICC profile is active since it can fully cover the HDTV/REC 709 and sRGB color space, but this is irrelevant to the majority who do not own a colorimeter.   

The Acer XF240H has higher contrast and better uniformity, as well as did not have a stuck red pixel like the XG2402 I tested, but these issues could be the result of the panel lottery being in the favor of the XF240H I tested.  Lastly, the Acer XF240H has a bright matte grey bezel which vastly increases the perceived black depth and helps high the contrast and uniformity loss.  The XG2402 has a matte black bezel which reduces the perceived black depth, and is an odd feature to change since the XG2401 had a bright matte grey bezel.  Viewsonic could have saved money by continuing to use the XG2402's predecessors casing, and instead invested the money and time into improving the preset color accuracy and overdrive/pixel response time performance.


I prefer the Acer to the Viewsonic, but without seeing more reviews it's hard praise it since I don't know how consistent or non-consistent it is image quality wise.  All of the 144hz AUO TN panels suffer from some degree of wash out at 144hz, and some are clearly better than others.  If similarly priced the LG 27GM79 (set gamma to 4 at 144hz) is a better value than both the Acer and Viewsonic since the LG has both AMD Free-Sync and back-light strobing.  If after better image quality both the AOC C27G1 and Samsung C24GF73 are great choices, but they suffer from horizontal gamma shift, center crush and have less sharp text than the TN panels.  I'd also recommend the Viewsonic XG2401 over the XG2402, but not the XF240HA assuming my unit represents the typical performance of an XF240HA and was not a panel lottery winner.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2018, 06:00:06 pm by NCX »