Blur trail test and MG248Q vs XG2401

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Btomat
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Blur trail test and MG248Q vs XG2401

Post by Btomat » 31 Jan 2017, 02:32

Hi monitor newbie here

I recently found out what PWM is and realized it was probably one of the reasons why my BenQ G2420HD was causing me problems. Since I was getting new and flicker free I thought I might as well get a high refresh rate monitor so I ended up with the MG248Q after looking around tftcentral and some other reviews. I mostly chose it over the xl2411 because it had display port and I only discovered the XG2401 which seem to be consensus best 24" 144hz 1080p monitor on a number of websites.

1) What exactly am I suppose to see on the Blur trail test on a PWM monitor vs a non PWM monitor which the MG248Q is suppose to be. I recorded a video on my phone and for both monitors there are 2 vertical lines moving across the screen. Tftcentral's review said the MG248Q is flicker free but I am seeing the same thing so I am a bit confused.

2) What makes the XG2401 better than the MG248Q? Or if any owners of either could comment on their experiences so far with them it would be great. I bought the MG248Q very recently so I can definitely still exchange it if I change my mind. So far I think I do prefer the asthethic of the MG better but 10 minutes into using it while I was fiddling with the Panel settings the Displayport signal dropped randomly which left a bad taste in a my mouth. Hopefully its just a bad cable that was included in the box.

3) Are there any test I should run to make sure everything is in order on the monitor? Any settings I need to be aware of make for a better gaming experience (mostly multiplayer games such as Dota)?

Thanks in advance

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lexlazootin
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Re: Blur trail test and MG248Q vs XG2401

Post by lexlazootin » 31 Jan 2017, 08:08

PWM will show lines across the screen when you trace the line with your eyes, were NON-PWM will be a fluid single line blur.

The MG is a pretty good monitor, unless you really don't like it for some reason you should just keep it.

Not really, just play with the settings and have fun with it!

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Chief Blur Buster
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Re: Blur trail test and MG248Q vs XG2401

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 31 Jan 2017, 09:17

Maximize window. Track your eyes on the line. The http://www.testufo.com/blurtrail becomes more than one vertical line (or thin black lines inside a thick blurred line) if there is PWM. It is noticeable by the naked eye. This specific test is not currently designed to produce successfully interpretable photos/videos except when done by pursuit camera (following the motion perfectly with the camera, preferably using a camera rail).

But that is overkill for a user -- it can easily be done by eye for this particular test.

1. Launch http://www.testufo.com/blurtrail and maximize to full screen

2. First, as a test, monitor to maximum brightness. There is usually no PWM at maximum brightness. Track your eyes on the line. Line is a solid motion blurred line.

3. Now, dim the monitor brightness. Track your eyes on the line. On monitors with PWM, thin vertical black lines start appearing inside the thicker vertical (motion blurred) line. The black lines become thicker as the monitor adjustment gets dimmer. The darker, the easier to see.

Please note, not everyone gets eyestrain from PWM. There are those that get eyestrain from poor colors, TN viewing angles, excessive brightness, or even motion blur (for those situations, motion blur reduction strobe backlights can actually reduce strain on average, if the person is not flicker sensitive). Source of eyestrain varies a lot from person to person. Test the following:
1. Maximum brightness. Does eyestrain go up/down?
2. Lower brightness. Does eyestrain go up/down?
3. ULMB / LightBoost / Blur Reduction. Does eyestrain go up/down? (Especially in high-motion situations)
If you get strain on all three of above to similar amounts (flickering 2/3 is never worse than non-flickering 1) then flicker probably is having no effect, and PWM is probably NOT your issue (it can be, yes, but not for everyone). In this case, instead try testing an IPS LCD too.
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Btomat
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Re: Blur trail test and MG248Q vs XG2401

Post by Btomat » 31 Jan 2017, 15:00

Thanks for the detailed response. I coukdnt decipher what I was suppose to see or not see for PWM vs non PWM.

As for the MG248Q, overall Im happy with it as long it does what its suppose to. The dropping of the Displayport signal gave me a scare. I did notice one annoying thing though which is the start up time of the monitor is not that snappy. Perhaps the Asus splash screen makes the delay more obvious but from physically turning on the monitor to the desktop showing up seem to take quite a bit of time. The Asus graphic also does this closer together animation at start up that make it seem laggier. It would be great if other MG248 owners can chime in let me know if thats standard behaviour or if I just got a laggy one.

I am inclined to stick with the Asus cause it does look better off. The "gaming" racing stripe on the Viewsonic is a bit...

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Re: Blur trail test and MG248Q vs XG2401

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 31 Jan 2017, 15:45

This will help explain things in a different way:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/pu ... lation.htm

They provide an alternate method of testing PWM (static line + camera-in-motion method). For this alternate testing method, you don't want the line moving, like the TestUFO blur trail
Head of Blur Busters - BlurBusters.com | TestUFO.com | Follow @BlurBusters on Twitter

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Forum Rules wrote:  1. Rule #1: Be Nice. This is published forum rule #1. Even To Newbies & People You Disagree With!
  2. Please report rule violations If you see a post that violates forum rules, then report the post.
  3. ALWAYS respect indie testers here. See how indies are bootstrapping Blur Busters research!

Btomat
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Re: Blur trail test and MG248Q vs XG2401

Post by Btomat » 01 Feb 2017, 04:23

I see.

I was expecting to be able to pull 120fps constant after adjusting setting but this doesnt seem to be the case. If I lower the FPS cap in the game what should I set the FPS of the monitor to for best results. My AMD card is an older one and I dont believe it has Free sync.

Does a 144hz monitor perform equally at each available refresh rate option such as 80, 100, and 120 or are there certain sweet spots?

Is there any benefit having extra FPS above the montior rf rate? For example I set my monitor to 80hz and set my in game cap at 100. Or is it best for the Fps and Rf rate to match? I leave Vsync off if that matters.

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