HP Monitor

[Reaper]

Just bought an HP LP2475w 24" Monitor after seeing a few reviews recommending it and I have to say it is a fine looking monitor, good colours, great viewing angles etc all at 1920x1200.

But! It seems to give me a headache and I can't work out why, I've calibrated it using the HP software and it seems to be in focus. I had a similar problem with a 19" monitor at work when it was set to 1440x900 so I knocked that down to 1280x720 and I've been ok with that since. I don't want to knock the resolution on the HP to 1680x1050 because then it isn't as sharp.

Annoyingly I also have an HP 2207w at home set to 1680x1050 (it's highest res) which I have no problems with at all. The main difference between the 22" and the 24" or the work monitor is the 2207 has a glossy screen whereas the others are matte finish.

My graphics card is four years old (x850pro) so I did wonder if it was having trouble with the higher res.


Help!

[rush_tech]

What is the refresh rate of the monitor?

[Reaper]

It defaults to 60. I did change it to 75 which I think was Ok, though I'm fairly sure it's not back to 60 after I was fiddling last night.

[synaesthesia]

Not that it matters, "refresh rate" is a complete misnomer on flat panels. They should just be run at 60Hz regardless of capability. My 22" will run up to 75 but it won't make the slightest bit of difference what it does

Now, I've *heard* people are getting headaches merely from the shiny/glossy screens over matte screens from a few people before, whether that is the actual cause yet I've not to see or prove. The graphics card shouldn't really have much effect on it unless the software is playing with anything - hence my next point. Have you checked the more obvious things like contrast, brightness? Sometimes the bright white (such as the space in which I'm typing this) is very overwhelming on my screen's default settings and that does cause discomfort.

[Reaper]

Yeah I've fiddled with the constrast and brightness quite a bit already. The default on this panel was really bright.

[Theblacksheep]

Now, I've *heard* people are getting headaches merely from the shiny/glossy screens over matte screens from a few people before.

True, the eye keeps focusing on both surfaces (glass and screen behind) at quite a fast rate. Happens more often where there are bright lights in the room as this intensifies the reflection on the glass.

[Reaper]

Seems typical then that I have absolutely no problem with the glass monitor but I do with the Matte one.

[SYNACK]

First off what kind of cable are you running you should really be running DVI for someting like that as standard XGA can be affected by EMI. The other possibly unpopular thing to check would be your eyes. Higher resolutions can test the eyes much more than lower resolution devices. I would also check the lighting in your environment as a syncronized strobe from the tube lightimg coul dedefiantly cause these issues with hedaches.

[Reaper]

It's running through a DVI cable that converts from a VGA, initially it wouldn't pick up a DVI to DVI connection though I have since seen a fix which i will try later on.

I did consider my eyes and will probably get a test, the only thing that goes against that theory is that the work monitor at 1440x900 causes problems but my other home monitor at 1680x1050 doesn't.

The 24" is used in my office at home which is lit by a normal energy saving bulb.


Thanks for all your replies btw

[SYNACK]

The 24" is used in my office at home which is lit by a normal energy saving bulb.

Energy saving bulbs are just as bad as fluresent tubes as they use the same technology, try it with a standard incandesant or with the light switched off for comparison. Synced up lighing is a nasty eye strain risk as the whole environment a[ppears to be flickering at the same rate as your screen

I'd also try for DVI-DVI as this is a much more stable signal than the analouge tripe that you will be getting from a VGA-DVI which is still an analogue signal and very vunrable to interfearnace at higher resolutions.

[Reaper]

I'm now on DVI-DVI though it's a damn chore to get it to pick up the signal (biggest flaw of the monitor, it has difficult detecting DVI output.) and the lighting at the moment is day light so that shouldn't cause any problems. Lets see how I get on :|