monoprice ips ccfl backlit lcd panel wqxga quotation

Included with the monitor was the power brick, dual DVI cable (too short for my placement of the monitor), the base (which by the way is not all that bad), a bag of screws and a phillips screwdriver that reminds me of an old time bottle opener and some barely useful instructions.

Set up was fairly straight forward with the exception that my video card has two DVI outputs of which only one is dual and it isnt labeled as such. My other monitor was also connected to the video card so I thought it would be easy to just disconnect the 27" Samsung and reconnect the new Monoprice 30"......when I first connected the monitor all I could get on it was some funky 1080 x 880 or something like that. I started to panic a little bit because I tried to connect to the other output and had some issue that kept me from using it. ???? It turned out to be operator error. Once I connected to the other output the monitor turned on into the 2560 x 1600.

The picture on the monitor is a bit grainy but I suppose that is the aggressive anti-glare. I was also not impressed with what I saw on the desktop. It too was kind of grainy and I guess I was expecting the IPS screen to just jump out at me as a OMG, WoW kinda thing. It didnt really. I started up Diablo 3 and set the game to display in 2560x1600 and I was a bit more impressed but not that Wow! kinda thing. I then watched a couple 4K youtube videos at 1440p and now I was seeing some difference. Only reason for four stars and not 5.

monoprice ips ccfl backlit lcd panel wqxga quotation

If you look beyond the offerings from major manufacturers, however, there are some good deals to be found online. Unfortunately, it’s much more difficult for us to get our hands on those screens because they often come and go before we have a chance to test them. In 2013, we managed to get an Auria EQ267W in the lab and found it be good-performing monitor at an unbeatable price. If you’re in the market for a 27-inch QHD/IPS screen, they are still available. And of course, gamers will want to check out Overlord’s Tempest X270OC, another 27-inch IPS that runs at up to 120Hz.

Today we’re checking out a unique offering from Monoprice, the 30-inch IPS LED. Yes, that’s really its name. There"s no alphabet soup to mess with. And here’s the best part: it sports a 16:10 aspect ratio. We’ve long lamented how rare this screen size has become, and we’re glad to see you can buy one in a jumbo size for such a low price.

Known merely as “Product 10734” the 30-inch IPS LED is listed (as I write this) for $689.33 at Monoprice.com. Considering the competition is both low in quantity and higher in price, it’s a steal for a monitor this big (especially one with a 16:10 aspect ratio).

Looking at our most recent reviews, the only other screen in its class is the BenQ BL3200PT, a 32-inch VA-based panel with 2560x1440 resolution and super-high contrast. But that one sports a 16:9 aspect ratio and offers only the sRGB color gamut. To find a closer match to the Monoprice, we had to go all the way back to June 2013 when we reviewed 30-inch 16:10 panels from HP and DoubleSight. The HP has since been replaced by a newer model, while you can still buy a DS-309W for around $1100.

You probably won"t want to, though. The Monoprice one-ups both competitors with the addition of a GB-r-LED backlight. The HP and DoubleSight use CCFL. Not only is the LED more energy-efficient, but it enables the wider Adobe RGB gamut. This is not something Monoprice mentions in its description; we discovered it during testing.

monoprice ips ccfl backlit lcd panel wqxga quotation

LED backlighting is the most commonly used backlight for small, LCD panels. Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are practical components for a light source because of their small size. LED backlighting is popular due to its overall low cost, long life, variety of colors and high brightness.

LED backlights are housed in a light box that has a diffuser to evenly distribute the LED light. The light box is then mounted behind the LCD’s viewing area. The LED backlight comes in two configurations: array and edge lit. The array configuration has the LEDs mounted in a uniform, grid layout within the light box. This configuration gives off a very bright, even light. The disadvantage of an array configuration is that it requires a thick light box design to accommodate the number of LEDs required. The high number of LEDs in this configuration also means it consumes more power.

A third type of backlight option available uses an electroluminescent (EL) panel. The EL backlight is constructed of a series of different material layers that work together to create the light. The EL panel generates light when an electric current (AC power) is applied to its conductive surfaces. The advantage with EL backlighting is its low power consumption, no heat emission, and overall thin composition. EL backlighting is limiting in that it requires an invertor to generate the VAC needed to emit the light.

The last common backlight option available are cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs). CCFL backlights are a cost effective option typically found in graphic displays. The CCFL backlight for LCDs is usually configured with the lamp on the edge of a diffuser to distribute the light. An inverter is required to supply the voltage required by the fluorescent lamp. CCFLs offer a bright white light with low power consumption. This backlight option is not ideal for cold-temperature applications (less than 15°C) as the light output decreases with decreased ambient temperature.

There are many different backlight options available for your LCD. The most common types are LED, fiber optic, EL, and CCFL backlights. Cost and application of your product will have the highest influences on which backlight technology is best for your LCD.