BENQ XL2720Z 27" of goodness :) [Version 2 firmware is good]

[GitDat]

A rep on Nvidia's Facebook page recommended me to your site when I mentioned comparisons of G-Sync and ULMB.

That's pretty cool to hear. Which rep was that?

[Chief Blur Buster]

Good stuff. Glad to see NVIDIA recognize Blur Busters -- I've been waving my hands at NVIDIA (yoo hoo) and they finally noticed.

Blur Busters are already industry influencers now, and some people (e.g. aahigh) have entered new careers because of work done by Blur Busters.

[lol37]

so you mean there's less strobetalk on a Lightboost/ULMB monitor than in the motion blur technology from Z series ? (with or without tweaking)
it makes me more hesitating about a new monitor !

[revnu]

The XL2720Z does not have automatic accelerated scan-out and blanking-interval lengthening techniques (that ULMB, LightBoost, and Turbo240 does)

Hi,

I bet you know that.....can you plz confirm me that the XL2720Z has non PWM-dimmed, non-pulsed-DC backlight ?

For me this is the main reason Im going for this monitor.

Normal monitors flicker then you dont have it on 100% brightness. I want a monitor there I can set to 20% brightness for working at night, and the backlight should be powered with direct current (non pulsed DC!)

I even have all my lights here in non-pulsed DC, really healthy light°!!

greetz revnu

[Chief Blur Buster]

I bet you know that.....can you plz confirm me that the XL2720Z has non PWM-dimmed, non-pulsed-DC backlight ?

It is ZeroFlicker, and completely PWM-free when you turn off BENQ Blur Reduction.
You can set to 0% brightness, and there is no flicker.

If you are truly sensitive to all modes of flicker (even motion blur reduction) you'll want to avoid motion-blur-reduction modes. Even though motion-blur-reduction strobing (during fast action gaming) is a less evil PWM than unsynchronized PWM, some people cannot handle it. While others get eyestrain from PWM but not from motion blur reduction strobe backlights (synchronized at one carefully-timed flash per refresh, to reduce motion blur eyestrain). It really depends on what a human threshold's for flicker strain versus motion blur strain is, as I know people who cannot play games with motion blur and have quit FPS gaming because of motion blur. Someday we can simultaneously solve motion blur and solve flicker, but 1ms flickerfree persistence requiring filling all 1ms moments in a full second, which means 1000fps@1000Hz is needed for a flickerfree CRT-clarity motion. So motion blur reduction strobing is here to stay, for many years (Even as an optional mode in OLED, etc).

For those who know they CANNOT use LightBoost or even 100Hz+ CRT, those of you can go ahead and buy an XL2720Z today if you will never use BENQ Blur Reduction, as the bug mentioned in this thread is only affecting BENQ Blur Reduction strobing -- essentially BENQs' version of LightBoost.)

[Scout255]

Strobe crosstalk is roughly as follows:

less strobe crosstalk (razor-sharp ghost images)
ASUS VG248QE/BENQ XL2411T (LightBoost / ULMB)
BENQ XL2420TE
ASUS VG278H (Contrast55%, dull but strobe crosstalk free)
BENQ XL2720T/ASUS VG278HE
BENQ XL2720Z(BENQ Blur Reduction, fixed firmware, ToastyX tweaked)
EIZO FG2421 (warmed up, most colorful strobed monitor)
ASUS VG278H (Contrast94%, more colorful)
BENQ XL2720Z(BENQ Blur Reduction, fixed firmware, not ToastyX tweaked)
EIZO FG2421 (cold)
BENQ XL2720Z(BENQ Blur Reduction, buggy firmware)
more strobe crosstalk (razor-sharp ghost images)

I have more than half of the above monitors sitting here, and have otherwise seen samples of others at other times. If strobe crosstalk bothers you so much above color issues, I highly recommend the VG248QE. If colors bothers you so much, I highly recommend the EIZO FG2421 as it's the most colorful, bright, contrasty, non-TN strobed 120Hz monitor (albiet with a smidgen more lag & panel need to be a warm temperature to be mostly ghost free).

How would the XL2420TE rank on that list? Would it be approximately where the 2420T is?

Based on that list I don't think i'll wait for the issues with the newer Benq monitors to be fixed and just grab either the Asus VG248QE or the Benq 2420TE (The T is available near me but is around $200 more than the TE.....). It would appear that reviews generally seem to favor the Benq on overall image quality / colors (for gaming and non-gaming uses), and if the motion clarity difference is close it may be a good tradeoff to go with the Benq and have colors you can live with with very good gaming clarity. Thoughts?

[Chief Blur Buster]

How would the XL2420TE rank on that list? Would it be approximately where the 2420T is?

Ooops, I was referring to the XL2420TE amongst these.

You did ask about strobe crosstalk.
However, color quality appears higher contrast in XL2720Z strobed than XL2420TE.
So while one attribute is worse, another attribute is better.

I'll be making a grid of what's bad and what's good (e.g. min/max brightness, min/max persistence, amount of strobe crosstalk, contrast ratio, etc) of all four major brands of modern-era strobe backlights (LightBoost, ULMB, BENQ Blur Reduction, Turbo240), in an upcoming strobe backlight shootout.

However, the XL2420TE is a good compromise, unless you're looking for GSYNC, then get the ASUS VG248QE (it also happens to become PWM-free with the GSYNC upgrade, in GSYNC mode and non-LightBoost mode).

[TheRulesLawyer]

I like that BENQ actually listened to my suggestions & added a wide-range persistence adjustment. (~0.5ms through about 3-4ms). They are seriously interested in improving the motion blur problem (coming out with a 75Hz-capable strobe backlight that actually works in 1Hz increments all the way to 144Hz), and finally adding a persistence adjustment. Even though it isn't as ghost-free as ULMB/LightBoost, and may need some experimentation, they added a few really interesting semi-undocumented adjustments (based on my suggestion) that I've not seen in any other strobe-backlight display.

Any chance at Ezio listening and adding a variable strobe to their monitor? I'd much rather have the VA panel, but being able to strobe at variable rates is a huge huge huge win.

[Chief Blur Buster]

Any chance at Ezio listening and adding a variable strobe to their monitor? I'd much rather have the VA panel, but being able to strobe at variable rates is a huge huge huge win.

Recent tests I did, showed that the EIZO supports synchronized strobing at 105 to 122Hz using a Custom Resolution Utility. But anything lower than 105Hz is either unsynchronized or double-strobe.

[motormann]

I want to let people know my experience with BenQ service regarding this XL2720Z firmware issue, and up front: It has not been good.

I specifically chose this monitor for it's blur reduction feature, I want to use it for simulated RC racing (vrc.com), where the cars are very fast moving, and my 60hz monitor produces extreme ghosting. After learning about this monitor I found this blog, and it was in this very forum topic that I learned the monitor was available finally from NCIX. I placed the order and shortly after that I learned of the firmware bug. Reading that a beta firmware fix had been developed and judging from the info here, I felt it was safe not to cancel my order but to wait and allow BenQ the chance to address it, I was eager to get the monitor but willing to send it to BenQ for service if that was needed.

I got the monitor on the 14th of January, and verified that it did have the bug, and saw that the ghosting in-game was not improved by turning on the blur reduction feature. I waited a few days to contact BenQ, and did so on Friday the 17th. The guy I spoke to, after describing my issue, had some idea what I was talking about, because without naming this blog, he mentioned blur busters, but he told me that he didn't have enough info right then on what I should do, that he would do some research and get back with me. I took that to mean I would hear back shortly, but a week went by and I heard nothing. So today, the 23rd, I called them again, and spoke to a different guy. I described the issue again, and this guy acted like he was clueless. He seemed to be skeptical that there would be a bug or that I should have a way to know that I had a bug. I told him I was eager to learn what I could do to resolve the issue, or at the least that BenQ was going to be addressing it, otherwise I must consider returning the monitor and he flat out told me that's what he would recommend. I was stunned quite frankly and asked him if he was serious, he told me that I should expect there would be bugs with a brand new model, and yes, that would be my best option. I told him I wasn't even certain if I could return it at that point not having explored that option yet, and if it turned out I could not, what would BenQ do for me, and he actually hung up on me. Now I do want to be clear that in no way was I irate with this guy, I definitely expressed my disappointment and probably sounded rather exasperated, but in no way should he have hung up on me, I gave him no reason to do so, it was simply that he didn't want to talk to me any more.

Certainly you can have different experiences with service people, and I'm sure if BenQ knew of this they'd probably fire this guy or give him a major reprimand at the least, but I have to say that knowing that BenQ has been aware of this issue for several weeks, and with the way that 2 service reps have responded regarding this problem it's clear that they are not taking this seriously and they are not taking responsibility for their own fault.

For my part I was so angered and so put off by BenQ, that I did in fact look to NCIX to return this monitor. After explaining the issue to them, it took them very little time to find confirmation (not from BenQ but from blur busters) that this bug exists. But they told me my options were to return for a replacement (useless) or for store credit. They told me they could not do a firmware update themselves, so that left me with no good option. I could wait to see if BenQ started to ship new monitors with fixed firmware, but who's to say that the monitor they shipped me would not be one of the old ones? After expressing my frustration with how BenQ has dealt with me on this issue and asking for special consideration, they did agree to refund my purchase, for which I was very thankful.

So bottom line, NCIX service: good, BenQ service: horrible. Name of this forum topic should be changed to 27" of badness.