I finally moved to an LCD panel in teh last week from my 5 year old "hi end" 19" CRT graphics monitor. The new monitor is a Philips 230WP7NS. It has teh updated IPS panel, which means it's contrast ratio is up from 500:21 to 700:1 and it's speed is now inline with the fastest TN gaming panels: Black to black is now 12ms and grey to grey is 6ms.

If you are not up on panels, read this:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/panel_technologies.htm
and then you can use this database to see which panel is in which brand by simply typing in the brand and name:
ex:
Result:
Philips 230WP7NS has a 23 inch 12 ms S-IPS (LG.Philips) panel.

Don't believe stupid reviewers, like PC magazine, that state the 12ms time is from grey to grey. I called Philips and they said that was wrong and would put the black to black over 24ms which would be as slow as the 2004 model. And don't believe the reviews that give bad reviews for ghosting--that doesn't happen. I've tried gaming on it and DVDs and they are perfect. It's the sleeper monitor of the year for sure getting little attention from sources like Tom's Hardware, HardOPC, and Extreme Tech. I have no idea why those people dropped the ball on this monitor. Tom's even has the Sony 23" that came out in 2004 wiht the same panel, but not the new updated version that has higher contrast and speed, which is in the Philips 230WP.

It is probably the best panel out right now unless you go over 3 grand US.

I'm printing with it tomorrow so we will see if on screen is acceptable compared to print (Yes, it is calibrated with haradware, a Spyder2).

My only bitch about this monitor--and from what my freind says too, who also ownes a 23" LCD and has looked at many of them, was that it has this matte type finish on the outer most screen. It's not an antiglare hard enclosure, since those have proven to distort color quality. But it makes images in some areas, like very light pastels, look grainy if you look for it. It's definitely not a smooth in those areas as my now retired professional level 19" CRT proves.

Have any of you had experience with this phenomenon? You've seen the new LCDs on the Toshiba and HP laptops that have that hard palstic cover on the LCD and everything loosk like wet glass, no grain at all. I wonder why these larger LCDs cannot do that?

Other than that, this monitor rocks, and playing Counter Strike with my friend when we take work breaks is truly a virtual reality expereince in 1900x1200 resolution. It's incredible. If any of you decide to buy this 23" panel, you will be impressed. Side by side (dual monitor set up) my CRT and this LCD colors look near idential with the colors in the LCD being more bright--not more saturated which would be bad. They look equally blue, or red, or gray, or black (this monitor shows blacks REALLY black, which is good for an IPS panel).

Anyway, I'd like to hear what others have to say about higher end LCD panels and that mattte type finish that looks like grain. Incidentally, if I sit back around 2.5 feet from the panel, it goes away becsaue your eyes cannot resolve that little of detail at that distance. Remember, this is not pixelation due to a too large resolution, like you get using the standard resolution of TV LCDS at 1376 x 766 on a 37 inch panel because this is a 23" panel running at 1900x1200. So pixelation is non existent, even sitting 12 inches from it.

Do any of you use LCD panels?

I've had an Eizo ColorEdge CE240W for a while now, and I have to say, that it is by far the best monitor I've ever used. I work as an Art Director so my screen is quite regularly updated and this new 24" (1920x1200) Eizo tops anything I've seen in the past 12 years that I've been working in the business.

Highly recommended

-Lamantine

Just installed a 23" Apple Cinema display on my XP Pro windows box and am very impressed. I've used a Sony Artisan on this system previously but decided to go LCD as my work is not color critical, just color accurate. Tried the 20" Cinema first and it was so good I took it back the next day and traded up to the 23". It may be my imagination but the 20" may have had a liitle less of that outer "grainy" look that you speak of. Anyone near Rochester, NY who wants a great deal on a lightly used Sony Artisan ?

Sageman, can you elaborate on the difference (for you) between color critical and color accurate?