A few questions about LCDs

I picked up a Dell UltraSharp at PepsiCo yesterday. My first impression is that it's actually a pretty solid monitor for the $300 price point. However, I noticed the brightness isn't quite uniform—it seems brighter at the bottom and darker toward the top. During one color test, the red looked terribly washed out, though it seemed fine in another test. I eventually realized it’s just due to the viewing angles. I knew LCDs were sensitive to that, but I didn't expect them to be quite this finicky. To make things more interesting, when I pull up Google, there's this weird tinting happening; the right side looks slightly bluish while the left side looks yellowish. The further I move my gaze to the right, the bluer it gets, and vice versa. Moving toward the left makes the effect much less noticeable. Any ideas on how to minimize this? I tried checking for backlight bleed, but the blacks look perfectly uniform. Maybe I just need some time to adjust, considering I used a CRT for eleven years straight.

Here’s a quick photo to give you an idea of what I mean. It isn't great since I just snapped it with my phone.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/689/imag0501k.jpg/

Maybe mess around with those RGB settings a bit—try cranking up the blue levels. Is this hooked up via a VGA connector?

It’s connected via DVI, and regardless of which settings I tweak, the picture stays the same. I tried switching over to VGA too, but it didn't change anything. It's mostly noticeable when you're looking at it from an angle; it seems a bit better straight on now, but you can still definitely spot it on Facebook. I tried adjusting the monitor controls a little, but nothing seems to help.

And honestly? It’s probably just going to be some backlight bleed somewhere.

So, how do I check this? I ran a test using a black background, and when I look at it straight on rather than from an angle, everything looks fine. But if I tilt my head, I start seeing this yellowish tint. Is that actually a defect, or is it just how it works? It’s an LED-backlit monitor.

stormyhound29 said:How am I supposed to verify this? I tested it with pure black, and when looking straight on, everything looks fine. But if I look at an angle, there's this yellowish tint. Is that actually a defect, or just how it works? It's an LED backlit monitor.

If you can't get the contrast dialed in no matter what, you might as well just return it. It doesn't cost anything to file a claim.😉

I think I'll try emailing the service center first, just so I don't end up driving halfway across town for nothing.

I mean, it shouldn't be normal—it’s probably just some cheap, sloppy manufacturing. I get that with a TN panel you're going to see color shifts depending on how you tilt your head, but what you're describing feels like a bit much—especially since the angle in that photo isn't even that extreme. I actually have a monitor with an LED strip running all the way around the bezel, and honestly, I catch a slight yellowish tint if I practically press my nose against the screen and try to look at it from the side.

If they claim this is normal, I might just take it back. I know how viewing angles work on an LCD monitor, but this feels excessive. The top of the screen looks noticeably darker even when I'm looking at it from maybe a 10-degree angle.

The yellow tint is far too pronounced. Given that this is a brand-new monitor, such an issue should not be occurring. My recommendation would be to seek a replacement.

Dropped my monitor off at the repair shop today. The guy said he’d give me a call tomorrow, so I guess we'll see. It'll either be a brand new screen or $50 a lighter wallet and a crappy picture
.

The repair shop declared it a total loss, so I ended up paying an extra $47 for a Dell UltraSharp Monitor. It’s actually a great screen, I guess. 🙂