So after getting the XG270, I wanted to try out the XG2431 very much so, especially for the 60Hz inclusion that I was hoping would eventually come to the first Blur Busters approved monitor.
Out of the box settings were very reminiscent of the XG270, and the more minimalist stand and look definitely suit me more than the RGB lighting of the XG270. The menu and navigation of this monitor does leave something to be desired compared to the more premium feel of the XG270, but I shouldn't be poking around there too much after getting settings the way I want.
My preference is for the Normal or Extreme setting, depending on the amount of daylight there is. Initially I was a bit disappointed at the amount of crosstalk in the modes, but the center of the screen was very clear and motion clarity was very good. 60Hz is what I wanted this for with the most new console/PC games and videos are at that refresh rate, and it's a lot easier to drive harder graphics at this refresh rate since I'm CPU bound around 100-120fps in many games.
However, I tried the Blur Busters Strobe Utility to try to clear up some of the crosstalk issues and it's quite a great tool, with the ability to dial in settings. What blew me away though was using the large Vertical Blanking Interval at 60Hz.
I. Am. Stunned. I set my VBI Total to 2200 @ 60Hz and dialed in my Strobe Pulse Width to 20, Overdrive to 5, and Strobe Pulse Phase to 83, and this looks insanely clear motion-wise. There is NO crosstalk! If I were to be the absolute most nitpicky, I can barely see faint (and I'm talking equivalent to CRT Phosphor trails) ghosting on the UFOs at the top and bottom.
I ran my usual test for motion clarity in RE3 Remake's demo, at the stairs in the subway near the posters, and panned the camera around full speed with the controller. Everything was clear. Mainly, both posters remained legible and lights visible in motion on all parts of the screen at the top, middle, and bottom. It's something that I'd only seen on my CRT beforehand. Bonus points for no phosphor trails from panning over the fluorescent lights in a dark room.
The only drawback perhaps is that the strobing can be a bit harsh compared to my CRTs on brighter scenes (or excel spreadsheets) due to the lack of that familiar CRT phosphor decay, but in video watching and games it's hardly noticeable.
Suffice to say, I finally have a replacement for my Compaq MV940 and Gateway-branded VX720 Diamondtron, and something to take the load off of the Pioneer Kuro when I want long gaming sessions without being paranoid about burn-in. With the large VBI, the XG2431's motion clarity makes this basically a widescreen digital CRT monitor.
Now if only there were a way to get this type of VBI working with the consoles without having to capture through my ElGato.