Dell branded LCD Monitors - Anyone have one?

[ibglowin]

Am looking at the Dell line of LCD monitors capable of HD resolution. Right now I have a Sharp 17" Widescreen that looks pretty good with MyHD120 card running in highest resolution. It doesn't handle fast movement very well (jagged lines or artifacts) When the picture is still its excellent though.

I was looking at this : http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/lcd_w2300?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~tab=specstab#tabtop

23" Widescreen. I am not sure its any better at showing HD however. First the Pixel resolution is the same as my Sharp. Thats confusing as the Sharp doesn't say anything about HD ready. Am I missing something. The only thing I see that the Dell has is the Faroujda video processor which supposedly makes for crisp moving images. Second, the contrast on the Dell is only 400:1 and the Sharp is 500:1 (higher numbers are better) and lastly the refresh rate on the Dell is the same (25ms) as the Sharp.

Would I be getting anything better or just a bigger picture with jagged edges?

Anyone have one of these? What do you think? :confused:

[ibglowin]

Not much activity in this Forum! I picked up one of these at Best Buy last week.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1077630479608&skuId=6560642&productCategoryId=pcmcat31800050025&type=product

It had a $200 mail in rebate, plus they gave me another 5% off for another promo. When you combine the rewards certificates This should come out at less than $1100. PQ is excellent! Much better contrast than the Dell. Lots of inputs. Company is owned by BB so no problems with the warranty or repairs if necessary.

[mini1]

This is exactly what I'm looking for, as many people don't know that the Dell line of LCD TV's do not support DVI-HDCP, they only have DVI for a computer input. without HDCP it makes a worthless investment. How is the build quality? how is the PQ for SD and HD? how is it to use for a computer monitor? Thanks for your brief review!

[ibglowin]

The PQ is excellent for both SD and HD. I have this hooked up to a PC with HD Tuner card. I also have DVD hooked up to the YPBR component inputs as well with good results. Also have analog cable on one input that looks so so but then its so so on all the rest of the TV's. I am going to try and hook up to the DVI output on my 921 as well. The PC shares a wall (back to back) with the 921 and I just got a 10' DVI cable so have to pass it through the closet to reach the 921. I should have the best of both worlds with that set up!

I was concerned alot about quality. It appears excellent for the $$ and PQ. This is an unknown name for sure. Box says its made in China. So far so good. It is backed by BB. I am still thinking about the extended warranty. $199 for 4 years seems a little steep. Extended warranty's shouldn't be more than 10% of the cost of the product by definition so this was a little high IMHO. I will wait a few weeks more to send in my rebates just in case it flakes out on me. Best Buy has a pretty liberal 30 day no quibble return policy but you can't have cut out the UPC label and sent in the rebate form.

[mini1]

Thanks for your info! Please update us after a little while, so we can hear how the monitor is holding up and what HD looks like thru DVI (which I would really like to know). Can you test HD thru component for us?

[mini1]

we need an update. the time has come.

[ibglowin]

Still looks great. I'm keeping it! Sent the rebate form in just this week. Can't test HD via component as this monitor is hooked up to the PC only. I have a DVD player hooked up via component and it looks good. They have HD via component i think at Best Buy and that PQ looked awesome which was why I snagged it in the first place.

Still like it!

[Raymond Simonian]

Still looks great. I'm keeping it! Sent the rebate form in just this week. Can't test HD via component as this monitor is hooked up to the PC only. I have a DVD player hooked up via component and it looks good. They have HD via component i think at Best Buy and that PQ looked awesome which was why I snagged it in the first place.

Still like it!
You might be able to help me. I just ordered a new PC. The last one I purchased was in Jan. 1999. It only had a 350 MHz processor. It is a Dell Dimension 8400. It has an Intel Pentium 4 Processor 550 (3.4 GHZ). It has Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. I decided on a 19" Dell Ultra Sharp 1901FP. The Optimum Resolution on the monitor is 1280 X 600Hz.

My question is how do you connect Dish Network receivers to the computer so that you can watch what you are recording. The computer has 8 USB 2.0 ports ( 2 front, 6 back). I almost bought a Television from them to use as a monitor but it bought the price too high. After changing my order several time I decided to get a Pinnacle PCTV Deluxe MPEG Encoder Box from there peripheral order department. It has has S video and composite "IN". It has a cable "IN" also has an analog tuner. It has one USB port out. You can adjust the size of the picture so that you can watch television and do computing at the same time. I don't have the computer yet so I don't have the owner's manual. I think I can hook the dish receivers to the S video and the audio to the composit and run a line out using the USB port.

You record terrestrial HDTV. The computer will have a 16X DVD-Rom and a 16X DVD+/-RW that is dual layer recorder.

[ibglowin]

Sounds like you have it figured out pretty much. I would use the svhs out port from your dish receiver (connect to svhs input on pinnacle box) along with the composite audio (dish audio out to pinnacle audio in). The analog in would be for an RF input like analog cable tv. The only problem left is to make sure the pinnacle box supports USB 2.0 or you won't be very happy with the overall response of the encoder box (too slow).

Hope you got lots of memory and hard drive space. You will need at least 2 hard drives if you want to store very much for very long. We have 3 160GB drives for HD and may have to go to Firewire (external) or a DVHS machine for long term archive.

[Raymond Simonian]

Sounds like you have it figured out pretty much. I would use the svhs out port from your dish receiver (connect to svhs input on pinnacle box) along with the composite audio (dish audio out to pinnacle audio in). The analog in would be for an RF input like analog cable tv. The only problem left is to make sure the pinnacle box supports USB 2.0 or you won't be very happy with the overall response of the encoder box (too slow).

Hope you got lots of memory and hard drive space. You will need at least 2 hard drives if you want to store very much for very long. We have 3 160GB drives for HD and may have to go to Firewire (external) or a DVHS machine for long term archive.

It supports USB 2. I only have ordered 160GB hard drive. I am reluctant to change my order again, although its still in processing. The Pinnacle does not have composite out just the USB 2 port. The Pinnacle was Dell's answer to the satellite receiver dilema.

[ibglowin]

It supports USB 2. I only have ordered 120GB hard drive. I am reluctant to change my order again, although its still in processing. The Pinnacle does not have composite out just the USB 2 port. The Pinnacle was Dell's answer to the satellite receiver dilema.

I see you have this question in another thread as well. If I'm not mistaken the Pinnacle box is going to crunch the video/audio signal and pass it into the computer via the USB port. So, you just need to connect the cables as I said previously. Svhs and composite from the Dish receiver into the Pinacle box. The 120gb will do for now, you can add a second drive later, their very easy to self install.

[Raymond Simonian]

I see you have this question in another thread as well. If I'm not mistaken the Pinnacle box is going to crunch the video/audio signal and pass it into the computer via the USB port. So, you just need to connect the cables as I said previously. Svhs and composite from the Dish receiver into the Pinacle box. The 120gb will do for now, you can add a second drive later, their very easy to self install.

Apparently Dell has made it easy to add a second hard drive. According to what specks I found on their site the chassis has hinges and there are latches to secure a second hard drive. No tools are apparently needed. I had upgraded my order several times and it put the shipping date off by about a week. I am now expected to get it between Dec. 9th and 13th. My old Gateway Computer only had a processor of 350MHz. Going Broadband would not have helped any with that computer. I want to download music. The Dell I ordered has a 160GB hard drive, I had made a mistake.

I probably am not going to be keeping movies on the computer for long. I have the Toshiba RD XS-32 and the 921. I have been copying straight to DVD using Sima Go Video in between the 921 and the Toshiba. I have been making the anamorphic DVD's. Made four so far. By the way is there any other way of burning anamorphic DVDs using the computer (without the 921 in the 480i and s video out). It seems all of those guys at the AVS forum that got the Dish 6000 hacked to firewire to a computer have waisted their money. The 5C cap protection flag is intruding because of the firewire. I have been looking at DVD shrink which you can use to edit Macrovision. But I am getting ahead of myself.

[ibglowin]

I probably am not going to be keeping movies on the computer for long. I have the Toshiba RD XS-32 and the 921. I have been copying straight to DVD using Sima Go Video in between the 921 and the Toshiba. I have been making the anamorphic DVD's. Made four so far. By the way is there any other way of burning anamorphic DVDs using the computer (without the 921 in the 480i and s video out). It seems all of those guys at the AVS forum that got the Dish 6000 hacked to firewire to a computer have waisted their money. The 5C cap protection flag is intruding because of the firewire. I have been looking at DVD shrink which you can use to edit Macrovision. But I am getting ahead of myself.

I have a new Philips 615 DVD recorder hooked up to my 921 via Svhs. I downrez HD to 480i, leave the aspect ratio at 16x9 and then burn to DVD. I get a perfect 16x9 aspect ratio after I adjust the TV's aspect control to FULL. Is your TV 4:3 or 16x9?

DVDshrink will make a backup copy of any DVD. I use this all the time and it works really well. It will not convert anything else to my knowledge. You can use Nero 6 to make DVD's out of imported MPEG video files. It works quite good and is very easy to use.

[Raymond Simonian]

I have a new Philips 615 DVD recorder hooked up to my 921 via Svhs. I downrez HD to 480i, leave the aspect ratio at 16x9 and then burn to DVD. I get a perfect 16x9 aspect ratio after I adjust the TV's aspect control to FULL. Is your TV 4:3 or 16x9?

DVDshrink will make a backup copy of any DVD. I use this all the time and it works really well. It will not convert anything else to my knowledge. You can use Nero 6 to make DVD's out of imported MPEG video files. It works quite good and is very easy to use.I

I have been making anamorphic DVD's like you have from the 921. My TV is 16X9. We were addressing how to do this in another thread about a month ago. But my question is can you get a 16X9 ratio of a HD movie with the Nero 6 from imported MPEG files? I know you can't record HD but is there some way of getting an anamorphic equivalent like we did with the 921?

[ibglowin]

I

I have been making anamorphic DVD's like you have from the 921. My TV is 16X9. We were addressing how to do this in another thread about a month ago. But my question is can you get a 16X9 ratio of a HD movie with the Nero 6 from imported MPEG files? I know you can't record HD but is there some way of getting an anamorphic equivalent like we did with the 921?

If you have a 16x9 HD program and you select 4:3 as the TV size it will letterbox it (16x9 aspect in 4:3 ratio). Other than that, the only thing you can do is leave it at 16x9 and import it into your computer. You will get 16x9 squished into 4:3 that you can then burn in Nero and will look just fine on a Widescreen TV as long as you stretch it back using the aspect control on the TV.

[Raymond Simonian]

If you have a 16x9 HD program and you select 4:3 as the TV size it will letterbox it (16x9 aspect in 4:3 ratio). Other than that, the only thing you can do is leave it at 16x9 and import it into your computer. You will get 16x9 squished into 4:3 that you can then burn in Nero and will look just fine on a Widescreen TV as long as you stretch it back using the aspect control on the TV.

Have you done either of the above? I will be using the "s" video out of the 8ll. The 811 is in another room. It has aspect ratios adjustments of 16x9 4x3#1, 4x3#2 and TvTpe 1080i, 720p and 480p. It looks like no matter what adjustment I do, the 16x 9 HD programing comes out the s video squished top and bottom. I will just have to experiment. The s video will be going into the Pinnacle. Do you think there is any way I can salvage a decent picture out of this or would I be better off just sticking with the anamorphic DVD that I make with the 921. I am beginning to think that is the best method. At least with the 921 I can copy straight to the DVD. It sounds too convoluted to accomplish the above. But have you had any success with a computer copying a 16X9 program from a Dish Receiver?

[ibglowin]

I use my 921 to make DVD's via my Philips recorder several times a week so I have it down pat as far as making DVD's from HD material or 4:3. I have also used my laptop and DV camcorder to make DVD's using iPhoto and iDVD. Your going to have to play with the pinnacle software to see how it works but I'm sure its pretty much the same as all the others.

Bottom line is on the 921, if its HD material (16x9) leave the aspect at 16x9 and then switch to 480i so that it will output to the svhs port then start your import into pinnacle. This will get you 16x9 squeezed into 4:3 that you can then stretch back to widescreen using your TV aspect control. if its SD material, select the 4:3 setting on the 921.

If you want to watch HD material on a 4:3 TV set the 921 to 4:3 and it will letterbox the program and you will have it scaled to show properly on a 4:3 TV sort of like watching ER or some of the other TV shows these days that are filmed in 16x9 and shown on the regular SD station.

Have you done either of the above? I will be using the "s" video out of the 8ll. The 811 is in another room. It has aspect ratios adjustments of 16x9 4x3#1, 4x3#2 and TvTpe 1080i, 720p and 480p. It looks like no matter what adjustment I do, the 16x 9 HD programing comes out the s video squished top and bottom. I will just have to experiment. The s video will be going into the Pinnacle. Do you think there is any way I can salvage a decent picture out of this or would I be better off just sticking with the anamorphic DVD that I make with the 921. I am beginning to think that is the best method. At least with the 921 I can copy straight to the DVD. It sounds too convoluted to accomplish the above. But have you had any success with a computer copying a 16X9 program from a Dish Receiver?