I have a BenQ/Zowie XL2740, and I love it.

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A Solid lad
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I have a BenQ/Zowie XL2740, and I love it.

Post by A Solid lad » 05 Jun 2018, 06:01

SHAMELESS REPOST, as the reply I made to dreamstr1ker's thread didn't seem to get any attention.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I now have the XL2740 too, and I gotta say I'm impressed.
As stated earlier, the "Intensity" setting in the service menu only affects the brightness, strobe utility detects the monitor, but chaning values does nothing, and the buzzing noise at anything above 144hz is present. (Without closed back headphones in a quiet room, it will be annoying.)
Firmware version V001 20171020

So why am I impressed?
Well, that's because of multiple reasons.
1, This is the first 27" 1080p 240hz monitor, out of the three I've tried (xf270ha, LG 27GK750F-b, and this) which doesn't look like a$$.
You know that it's a common point to make in an argument on 1440p 27" vs 1080p 27" discussions, that 1080p is not enough for that screen size...it doesn't look sharp enough, it's blurry in comparison to 1440p.
AAAAAAnd, that's exactly the case with the other two monitors I've tried... not this one though.
A lot depends on the implementation and features I guess, because this monitor, after just a little bit of setting up, looks just as sharp as my xl2411z 24" 1080p display did (With way better colors and contrast on the xl2740 I might add!) ...just stretched out to 27".
To add more credibility to what I'm saying about the sharpness, I'll state that I've played games for a couple of hours recently on my friend's 1440p 27" XB271HU... yes, it's more detailed, and still images look way smoother at that resolution... but that screen (like all g-sync equipped ones AFAIK) lacks a sharpness setting.
Idk what that setting exactly does....but it does a damn good job at it.
Just like my xl2411z did, this screen (xl2740) looks way sharper when set up right (that's a sharpness setting of 7 for me) than the competition's screens that have the same size and resolution, but lack the sharpness setting. (or feature a not-as-good version of it)

2, Finally, this 27" screen is as responsive, as the aw2518Hf, which I found to be the most responsive, out of all the 240hz screens I've tried. (Yes it felt snappier than even the aw2518H, it's g-sync counterpart)

3, Also finally, onscreen motion on a 27" 240hz, is not smeary anymore... on the LG 27GK750, it was. (Can't evaluate the xf270ha fairly, as it had frameskipping)
I'm sorry k2viper, but you're probably only happy with that monitor, because you haven't tried any other 240hz screens.

Scrolling through text is the best I've seen on any monitor to date. Using an AMA setting of High, text won't become thicker or thinner (as it happened on all the LG and ACER 27" screens I've tried) when scrolling, also...
and this is a first, there doesn't seem to be any visible coronas appearing behind the letters! (Like it happened on all other high refresh rate LCDs I've tried, when having even the lowest overdrive setting enabled...)
The olny thing I get is a bit of blurryness when I try to scroll this essay I just wrote (lol) ...let me try turning on strobing for a sec...
So, now with Blur reduction turned on, with "Intesity" set to 1 (for max brightness) and "Area" set to 10 (because I can't seem to get a noticeable improvement in regards to crosstalk by changing it... so I'm just leaving it on default cos too lazy to tinker further),
Scrolled text is even clearer with less blur! The characters are still not getting thicker or thinner. The only downside is, that they seem a bit stuttery... I assume that is either a result of crosstalk or black frame insertion itself.

To conclude this section, I think the scrolling test demonstrates pretty nicely, why I didn't like the LG 27GK750... just like text, everything else ingame just looked different, when it was in motion.
Can't remember wheter text on that monitor got thicker or thinner when in motion...but one of the two things took place, which was REALLY distracting for me...
The thing is, this effect can't be picked up on the moving UFO tests...on those tests, the LG seems to be a good performer, and only now, while writing this pseudo-review, did I come to the realization that I actually have a way of showing you (the text scroll test) what I mean when I say the motion on the LG 27GK750 looks grainy in comparison to screens like the Dell aw2518Hf, aw2518H, Benq xl2411z and xl2740.

So, my previously favorite (aw2518hf) 240hz screen has been dethroned, hail the xl2740... I love this screen.

As for blur reduction: 240hz strobing is awesome, way more fluid, than 144hz strobing was on the g-sync aw2518H, albeit with more crosstalk... but it's still at an acceptable level. Overshoot was also very much visible ingame on the g-sync Alienware when using strobing, it is not on the xl2740.
Yes, it feels more responsive than LG's 1ms strobing on the 27GK750... but that applies to sample-and-hold operation as well.
If strobing is this good without DyAc, I can't imagine how much brighter and more responsive that has to be on the xl2546... it may even have less crosstalk? (Somebody who has tried that monitor should clarify)

Any questions are welcome.
I'm also planning to make a similar video on it, as I did with the Alienware monitors and Acer monitor on my channel...
I have around a week to do that, since I have to send this monitor back...can't keep it, even though I came to love it quickly, the ridiculous price of 580 eur is keeping me from...keeping it.
Also, I'd feel like an idiot, if I were to keep this monitor, and a couple of months from now, Benq would come out with a new, even better version of it, which has DyAc and uses the new 27" 1080p 240hz 3ms(!!!) base response time panels (which can be then pushed down further with overdrive) that AU optronics will make.
(FYI The xl2740, and most all high refresh rate TN panels currently out on the market use a panel with a base response time of 5ms, which is then lowered by overdrive)

EDIT: Did some gramatical corrections ...also added some extra stuff. Was too hyped at the time of posting. :D
Last edited by A Solid lad on 08 Jun 2018, 08:13, edited 2 times in total.
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lexlazootin
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Re: I've have BenQ/Zowie XL2740, and I love it.

Post by lexlazootin » 05 Jun 2018, 06:45

>if I were to keep this monitor, and a couple of months from now, Benq would come out with a new, even better version of it, which has DyAc and uses the new 27" 1080p 240hz 3ms(!!!) base response time panels (which can be then pushed down further with overdrive) that AU optronics will make.

?? Auo hasn't made a new 1080p 240hz panel, are you thinking of their new 1440p 240hz?

Also did you buy a monitor only to return it? Because that's not very nice.

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Re: I've have BenQ/Zowie XL2740, and I love it.

Post by A Solid lad » 05 Jun 2018, 07:38

lexlazootin wrote:?? Auo hasn't made a new 1080p 240hz panel, are you thinking of their new 1440p 240hz?
Quoting from tftcentral's news article:

"AU Optronics already develop several TN Film gaming panels with a native 240Hz refresh rate, available in 24.5" and 27" sizes and used in various monitors already. These panels have been limited so far to 1920 x 1080 resolution at 240Hz, but AUO now have plans to extend that in the future. Of most interest is a planned new 27" TN Film panel with the same 240Hz refresh rate, but with a QHD 2560 x 1440 resolution. This panel is expected to go in to production in July 2018 and will also offer a 3ms response time (ISO figure without overdrive, down from the typical 5ms limit for TN Film), 400 cd/m2 brightness and even an extended gamut offering 90% DCI-P3 coverage. That 3ms response time spec is AUO pushing the overall responsiveness of the panel, and they rate that as being able to offer <1ms G2G response times with overdrive used, and in fact their target is achieving 0.5ms.

Updates to the already available 24.5" and 27" panels are also planned, pushing the response time performance a little bit and offering the new 3ms ISO response time spec. Those panels are sticking with largely the same spec as before including the FHD 1920 x 1080 resolution, 400 cd/m2 brightness and sRGB gamut. The 24.5" update is planed for August 2018 production, while the 27" update is planned for Q4 2018 some time."

So...they have made neither yet, but they will.
Link for the whole thing: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/news_archiv ... panels_auo
lexlazootin wrote:Also did you buy a monitor only to return it? Because that's not very nice.
I won't sugar coat it...yes, and I do feel a bit of shame...but the desire to try this monitor first hand, was too strong...
let's look at it this way:
I'm going to do a video about it, where I plan to summarize all of the points I made in this post...meaning that I can potentially prevent more people from returning it, as I'm letting them know what to expect, through the video?
ehh...kinda moot point, I know.
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Re: I have a BenQ/Zowie XL2740, and I love it.

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 05 Jun 2018, 10:15

<Technical Reply>

3ms ISO response time specification! That's very good.

Usually, response time is from GtG10%->GtG90% and that's where 0.5ms comes from (I think) but the ISO response time spec is a lot more aggressive/demanding/conservative.

0.5ms GtG will not be visually noticeable in sample-and-hold operation of 60Hz and 120Hz but it will begin to be noticeable in strobed and VRR operation
--> at 240Hz VRR operation with less ghosting variance during variable refresh rate operation
--> Less strobe crosstalk in strobed operation.
0.5ms GtG will halve the height of strobe crosstalk band (GtG zone), versus 1ms GtG.

Image

The height of the GtG zone is usually proportional to refresh cycle time. 1ms GtG means the GtG zone is 1/8th the screen height at 120Hz (8.3ms refresh cycles -- about 8ms when excluding VBI time).

Also, 0.5ms GtG becomes more important for upcoming 480Hz monitors. These 240Hz native panels could eventually (in the coming 3 years) be overclockable to 1080p480Hz with some extra engineering by AUO.

I, for one, welcome our 0.5ms GtG overlords.

</Technical Reply>
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Re: I have a BenQ/Zowie XL2740, and I love it.

Post by lexlazootin » 05 Jun 2018, 10:30

Ah very good information to know.

If they start producing the panels in August, you have to remember they have to ship them out to distributors, which then need to send them out to monitor manufactures, which then need to produce a product, make the advertisement and what-not and then send them out to store for purchase.

2 months would be a pretty fast turnaround time, you could be waiting till the end of the year Christmas time if that's what you want to do and that's only for the 24.5 inch, the 27 is only *planned* around Q4 :\

I'm probably going to sell my 240hz G-Sync and get a newer one when they come out :)

>that I can potentially prevent more people from returning it

Kind of a moot point since you shouldn't be returning something because you made a bad purchase. If you're going to go out of your way to return something because you didn't like it you should do some searching before hand and just buy the good one in the first place :\

Amazon is starting to ban people that return to many items.

I've seen a few of your videos, I personally think they could be a little shorter. You really should compact the information into a smaller chunk and compress it all down. I personally don't think there is anyone out their that does good monitor videos, there definitely is a market.

But what do i know :P

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Re: I've have BenQ/Zowie XL2740, and I love it.

Post by mello » 05 Jun 2018, 11:08

lexlazootin wrote:Also did you buy a monitor only to return it? Because that's not very nice.
lexlazootin wrote: >that I can potentially prevent more people from returning it

Kind of a moot point since you shouldn't be returning something because you made a bad purchase. If you're going to go out of your way to return something because you didn't like it you should do some searching before hand and just buy the good one in the first place :\

Amazon is starting to ban people that return to many items.
In the EU you can return the product within 14 days (without giving a reason for a return) and seller needs to issue a full refund, excluding shipping costs. Thats the law, and yes it can be abused by people who just want to try/test something and then return it within the return window. Sellers have no choice but accept this (and any additional costs that might go along with it), but it also creates a problem for other customers, because most of the time these products from customer returns are being sold again 'as new'. So essentially, someone else will get the monitor that A Solid lad is currently using, and it will be listed at the full price and advertised as a brand new unit.

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Re: I have a BenQ/Zowie XL2740, and I love it.

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 05 Jun 2018, 12:50

A Solid lad wrote:I now have the XL2740 too, and I gotta say I'm impressed.
...even though as stated earlier, the "Intensity" setting in the service menu only affects the brightness, strobe utility detects the monitor, but chaning values does nothing, and the buzzing noise at anything above 144hz is present. (Without closed back headphones in a quiet room, it will be annoying.)
Firmware version V001 20171020
Strobe Utility has not gotten much testing on certain models of monitors so that creates some problems with its compatibility. It works great on the 144Hz models but it has not gotten much tests on some 240Hz models...

Can you please hit the "F" key (Force select) in Strobe Utility and try selecting Profile 1 and Profile 2, and then see if it works?
If it works, please post a screenshot of the code detected!

Thanks.
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Re: I have a BenQ/Zowie XL2740, and I love it.

Post by Falkentyne » 05 Jun 2018, 13:38

If you guys are willing to check this.....will this still *single* strobe at 60hz refresh rate? :/
(lots of flicker?). Or does blur reduction simply become unavailable? You'll know if it works if you get a perfectly smooth image on Testufo website.

Did Benq learn their lesson yet?

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Re: I have a BenQ/Zowie XL2740, and I love it.

Post by RealNC » 05 Jun 2018, 13:59

Falkentyne wrote:If you guys are willing to check this.....will this still *single* strobe at 60hz refresh rate? :/
(lots of flicker?). Or does blur reduction simply become unavailable? You'll know if it works if you get a perfectly smooth image on Testufo website.

Did Benq learn their lesson yet?
I can imagine you, 50 years from now, haunting this forum (somehow), asking about 60Hz strobing :mrgreen:
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Re: I have a BenQ/Zowie XL2740, and I love it.

Post by Falkentyne » 05 Jun 2018, 15:07

RealNC wrote:
Falkentyne wrote:If you guys are willing to check this.....will this still *single* strobe at 60hz refresh rate? :/
(lots of flicker?). Or does blur reduction simply become unavailable? You'll know if it works if you get a perfectly smooth image on Testufo website.

Did Benq learn their lesson yet?
I can imagine you, 50 years from now, haunting this forum (somehow), asking about 60Hz strobing :mrgreen:
Well it's a serious question
Because if it DOES single strobe at 60hz, I'm buying it.

So someone please test it for me !

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