Best Blur Reduction XL2720Z vs XL2735

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Akaranir
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Best Blur Reduction XL2720Z vs XL2735

Post by Akaranir » 06 May 2017, 18:27

Hello,

Is it possible to have a blur reduction on the XL2720Z that is as beautiful as on the XL2735 using the Blur Buster Strobe Utility ?

For, as i understand it,
The XL2735 has a bright Blur Reduction but it is possible to change this with the Blur Buster Strobe Utility for the XL2720Z.

And the XL2735 has according to the (strange) videos of Benq a better sharpness but here again it is possible to modify this with the Blur Buster Strobe Utility.
Besides, is there the Single Strobe for the XL2735 ? Is there a way to remove crosstalk on this one ?

So i'm a little lost.

Can you help me about the differences in the blur reduction quality of these 2 monitors ?
And what are your opinions regarding the best rendering of Blur Reduction between them ?

Thank you.
Last edited by Akaranir on 07 May 2017, 16:39, edited 1 time in total.

Falkentyne
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Re: Best Blur Reduction XL2720Z vs XL2735

Post by Falkentyne » 06 May 2017, 21:02

Hello there.
Do you own one of these monitors?
What exactly are you trying to ask?
I own the XL2720Z but do NOT own the XL2735, so information I can tell you is very limited.

Please reply back on if you own the XL2735 (also state if you have an AMD or Nvidia video card), as if you do, there is something I would like you to test for me.

As far as image quality:
XL2735 has the same capabilities as the XL2720Z, but should have better image quality and MUCH better overdrive (inverse ghosting/normal ghosting tweaking ability), because the scaler is newer.

You have control over strobe length (persistence, which is called "Intensity") and strobe timing (position of the crosstalk on the screen). This is hidden in the service menu again.

Colors should be better. Also it's a 2560x1440 monitor rather than 1920x1080.
Please ignore Benq's marketing. DyAc is NOTHING MORE than "Benq Blur Reduction" that has been ENABLED by default in the service menu, and "renamed" as DyAc. It can be disabled. Their propaganda videos are just showing off blur reduction and marketing it.

It's UNKNOWN if this monitor will support FREESYNC if blur reduction is *DISABLED*..no one has tested this. It IS known that the XL2540 DOES Support freesync *IF* blur reduction is DISABLED. Freesync will NOT work if blur reduction is enabled. However it's possible that the freesync ID is missing from the displayport firmware for the XL2735, but NO ONE has tested this yet. And for $700, I sure can't test that. The XL2735 and the XL2540 use the EXACT SAME Scaler (realtek 2796BF), so the hardware is CAPABLE of freesync. But it's unknown if the freesync blocks are disabled over displayport completely on the XL2735 or not.

XL2735 has fine level of control over overdrive. There are three settings, AMA off, high and premium, but Benq's AMA high has ALWAYS been extremely aggressive (to try to push response time as fast as possible), which leads to some pretty extreme inverse ghosting. On the XL2720Z, there is a limited way to reduce this, but requires a profile switch bug with changing the AMA Setting after enabling blur reduction (There is another bug where you can get this to apply for blur reduction disabled, which is a much better improvement, but no blur reduction is a bit painful). The XL2735 (And XL2540, and XL2546) however, have a "Factory menu" (this was called the "Burn-in" menu on the XL2720Z) where there is a setting called "OD Gain". This can be set to 255 values, which gives you very fine control over the overdrive setting. Giving you much better picture quality. This setting is NOT persistent, and will reset when you change refresh rates or resolutions, as this is not an official supported setting.

The XL2735 allows "crosstalk reduction" just like the XL2720Z, by using ToastyX CRU and creating custom resolutions and increasing the Vertical Total. VT of 1825 has been tested at 100hz and 120hz, and improves crosstalk drastically (this is similar to the Vertical Total 1500 tweak on the XL2720Z; any VT higher than 1502 will give an out of range error). The absolute maximum VT on the XL2735 is 1852 (done by decreasing the horizontal total to the lowest possible (HT 2641 I think).

At 144hz refresh rate, due to reduced timings being used, the max VT is between 1250 and 1260, anything higher will not work, so crosstalk is going to be very high at 144hz.

The one bad thing about ALL of the newer Benq monitors (even the XL2540, which is NOT even advertised as supporting blur reduction, as Benq hid the option from users in the service menu, but it's there), is the lack of *SINGLE STROBE* capability (one strobe per frame) lower than 100hz refresh rate. Namely, being able to strobe at 60hz. Consoles output 60hz, so these monitors will DOUBLE STROBE instead, which causes a very ugly double image, which many people hate, and isn't much better than blur reduction off. This is also an issue for games that are 60 FPS locked, like Dark Souls series and some console ports and arcade fighting games. The XL2720Z (and the XL2420Z, XL2430T, XL2411Z, XL2420G (Classic mode) have a Single Strobe override which will enable single strobe for 60hz-85hz refresh rates. The newer Benq monitor (XL2735, XL2540, XL2546) do not. (please avoid the XL2730Z--it's very buggy and will not even strobe at 100hz correctly, AND VT TWEAKS DO NOT WORK ON THIS MONITOR).

Again--if anyone does get the XL2735, please go into the service menu and DISABLE DyAc, turn off and turn the monitor back on, and then see if "Freesync" gets detected on AMD video cards. This works on the XL2540, and it is UNKNOWN whether this works on the XL2546 (the XL2546 is simply benq marketing and 'enabling" blur reduction' by default, and "removing" freesync, but again it's unknown on the XL2735 and XL2546 if disabling DyAc forces freesync to work again).

By comparison, the XL2540 has Benq Blur Reduction DISABLED in the service menu by default, but it can be enabled.

The Windows Strobe Utility will ONLY work on the MSTAR scalers (meaning XL2720Z and older), not on the realtek scalers, but will not work on the XL2430T, possibly to Benq blocking DCC communication.

Akaranir
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Re: Best Blur Reduction XL2720Z vs XL2735

Post by Akaranir » 07 May 2017, 04:58

Thank you for this very informative answer, i had already read a lot of your posts regarding these 2 monitors but i finally have a general vision.

I do not yet have one of these 2 monitors.

Currently owning an old AMD 7850 i think would be able to test if the FreeSync works with the XL2735 in case i buy it.
Regarding the XL2735 i'm afraid that for QHD at 144Hz AMD cards are not sufficiently perfomante, so i am considering the purchase of a new NVIDIA card.

In addition (tell me if i am wrong) it is impossible to use Blur Reduction and FreeSync/GSync at the same time (except with the nvidia 3d v2 bug on some monitors) and it is possible to limit the effect of Tearing by blocking the number of FPS depending on the frequency of the monitor.
So i do not think using the FreeSync/GSync.
In the worst case for solo games, is the VSync so embarassing ? The latency being less annoying than for multiplayer.

The Blur Buster utility is not intended for the XL2735 because it already has these options in its menu ?
The only problem with the XL2735 concerns the games in 60 FPS ? It would be embarrassing for me too because i need to be able to connect a PS3/4 in addition to my PC.
Or just do not activate the blur reduction for somes games, but...

In summary the XL2735 has nothing more than the XL2720Z has already ?

Thank you in any case for these useful explanations.
Last edited by Akaranir on 07 May 2017, 16:39, edited 1 time in total.

Falkentyne
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Re: Best Blur Reduction XL2720Z vs XL2735

Post by Falkentyne » 07 May 2017, 09:55

The XL2735 should have significantly improved picture quality over the XL2720Z, because it's a true 8 bit TN panel (not 6 bit+FRC), and because of the OD Gain setting in the factory menu. The only advantage the XL2720Z has over the XL2735 is the ability to use single frame strobing at 60hz and 85hz for HDMI consoles and 60hz locked games.

Almost no users here seem to have the XL2735. Some people have it somewhere, but because blur reduction is set to default enabled in the service menu, and because Benq does not tell people how to enter the service menu, the average user wouldn't even know you can disable blur reduction (and then see if freesync might work).

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Re: Best Blur Reduction XL2720Z vs XL2735

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 07 May 2017, 12:33

Akaranir wrote:The Blur Buster utility is not intended for the XL2735 because it already has these options in its menu ?
All of them is adjustable via Service Menu too, even if also Strobe Utility.

EDIT: New future version of Strobe Utility may be able to support the XL2735. Keep tuned.
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StrobeMaster
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Re: Best Blur Reduction XL2720Z vs XL2735

Post by StrobeMaster » 08 May 2017, 04:26

Chief Blur Buster wrote:
Akaranir wrote:The Blur Buster utility is not intended for the XL2735 because it already has these options in its menu ?
All of them is adjustable via Service Menu too, even if also Strobe Utility.

It's just because there are no communications (DDC/CI codes) available in the XL2730 and XL2735 for third party strobe calibration utilities. The only way to adjust these settings is via Service Menu.
In the "Unsupported" list on https://www.blurbusters.com/benq/strobe-utility/, all monitor names are crossed out, which I kind of interpret as "supported" (double negative), but it is confusing. Anyway, is StrobeUtility supposed to work with XL2730Z and XL2450? With the XL2730Z, StrobeUtility doesn't complain about the monitor model but also doesn't seem to change anything. On the XL2450 it complains right away about the monitor model being incompatible. My point is that both monitors would actually allow controlling MBR via DDC (codes are documented here: http://display-corner.epfl.ch/index.php ... _.28MBR.29 and http://display-corner.epfl.ch/index.php ... _.28MBR.29).

Falkentyne
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Re: Best Blur Reduction XL2720Z vs XL2735

Post by Falkentyne » 08 May 2017, 12:06

Calling @Chief!

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Re: Best Blur Reduction XL2720Z vs XL2735

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 10 May 2017, 12:46

StrobeMaster wrote:
Chief Blur Buster wrote:It's just because there are no communications (DDC/CI codes) available in the XL2730 and XL2735 for third party strobe calibration utilities. The only way to adjust these settings is via Service Menu.
In the "Unsupported" list on https://www.blurbusters.com/benq/strobe-utility/, all monitor names are crossed out, which I kind of interpret as "supported" (double negative), but it is confusing. Anyway, is StrobeUtility supposed to work with XL2730Z and XL2450? With the XL2730Z, StrobeUtility doesn't complain about the monitor model but also doesn't seem to change anything. On the XL2450 it complains right away about the monitor model being incompatible. My point is that both monitors would actually allow controlling MBR via DDC (codes are documented here: http://display-corner.epfl.ch/index.php ... _.28MBR.29 and http://display-corner.epfl.ch/index.php ... _.28MBR.29).
Excellent, I need to make changes to support XL2730Z and XL2540.
Your pages are very detailed as always, I sure missed the VCP codes part.

XL2730Z: VCP code 4Dh: Blur reduction on/off, 4Fh: Intensity, 4Eh: Area
XL2540: VCP code 40h: Blur reduction on/off, 41h: Intensity, 42h: Area

Does anyone know if XL2735 has specific VCP codes?

I was currently unaware of the presence of these DDC/CI codes available for these additional models. The next version of Strobe Utility (1.5) will now attempt to detect these models. Would you mind being a beta tester for the next version of the app?

Thanks!
Mark Rejhon
Chief Blur Buster
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Akaranir
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Re: Best Blur Reduction XL2720Z vs XL2735

Post by Akaranir » 21 May 2017, 14:59

Excuse me if it sounds silly, but.

Can someone explain to me how the XL2735 allows a blur reduction brighter than other benq ?

and

With the XL2735 in 144hz will there be double strobe if i have a game that turns (for example) to 50 fps ? and 86 fps ?

Thanks.

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Re: Best Blur Reduction XL2720Z vs XL2735

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 21 May 2017, 16:41

Akaranir wrote:Can someone explain to me how the XL2735 allows a blur reduction brighter than other benq ?
Generally, the BenQ/Zowies are roughly similar to each other, though some BenQ's have brighter backlights than others. Do you have a source specificially saying XL2735 is brighter than a specific BenQ? And which BenQ?
Akaranir wrote:With the XL2735 in 144hz will there be double strobe if i have a game that turns (for example) to 50 fps ? and 86 fps ?
Double-strobe applies to refresh rate, and not frame rate.

However, low framerates at high refresh rate can still have an effect similar to a monitor manufacturer's double-strobed refresh cycle. 144Hz doesn't automatically double-strobe, 72fps @ 144Hz can create an effect that looks similar to double-strobe -- creating an identical double-strobe effect.

In short, it's best recommended to use strobe modes for high framerates -- only with framerates matching refreshrates. If you consistently run at framerates less than 100fps, it's usually best to turn off blur reduction.
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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.
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