BenQ G2420 - Quick Review

This one is a quick review of the newly launched [still unlisted on Benq INDIA] Benq G2420 a slight upgrade to the already existent G2412. I will try to write the review to help anyone in confusion to buy an LCD in the 24 inch segment which has recently become very affordable.

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I am sure by the end of the review you will be able to contemplate why I closed in on this specific piece , since that seems to be the major problem with so many monitors to chose from in the 11.5k – 12.5 k segment. No doubt each monitor has its pros n cons and no monitor is the best , its just a matter of convenience at the end of the day.
So without much-a-due lets get started with the UNBOXING ! :hap2:

PS : My first Review EVER !

[BREAK=Unboxing : Revealing the Package]

The basic carton , standard packing. Came neatly packed with cables tidily tucked in pockets in the packing. Whole thing weighed around 6.5 Kgs.

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Came with the following accessories :

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From Left-To-Right

1. Standard POWER Cable
2. DVI CABLE :hap2:
3. VGA Cable
4. Manual , Installation Kit

So the DVI cable is bundled along with the Monitor, seems to be a standard now with BENQ products. :cool2:

Finally ! Out with the old , In with the NEW is what I always say :ashamed:

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[BREAK=Technical Specs]

Here are the Technical specs :
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Some observations straight away :

1. The Size mentioned is full 24 Inches and not 23.56 as in G2412 and alike . Which is all BULLSHIT ! OR a marketing stunt maybe. Measure the area myself. It's LOGIC : If it is 16:9 it will be 23.6 inches ONLY !
2. Marginally higher pixel pitch , some .5 more.

3. The video Bandwidth is 210Mhz Vs 205 Mhz in G2412.

4. Has an HDMI port unlike the Samsung P2350.:hap2:

Now dont exactly know how all of this would affect the performance but numbers never hurt anyone :P .Also these stats seem to vary with BenQ India and Global :S so most of these are as verified by the authorized dealer.

Comes with all 3 display options with multiple input with HDMI switching as well.
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Buttons took a bit of time , but 20 mins down i was cruising through the menu.
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Now lets hook it UP !

[BREAK=Entertainment Benchmarking]

16:9 panels are pure awesomeness for the 1080p prints and pretty decent for the 720p ones as well. I used the Default preset , as found it to be the most comfortable. However the dynamic contrast one was looking a bit better in animation movies. Brightness : 80 , Contrast : 45

Up - 720p
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Animations are made to be watched in HD ! As proven by this super 720p rip of "UP".

Tropic Thunder - BDRIP

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The Images do not do justice to the picture quality [and i ain't no photographer]. The greens in tropic thunder we uber real.

The Dark Knight - 720p
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No problems with the light/dark spots while watching as well. The colors seamlessly gel into one another. No bleeding visible.Although i am not an expert when it comes to spotting bleeding. I am from the school of thought which believes in the fact " If it looks OK, chances are IT IS :P"

- 700MB rips are shit as expected. While the 2CD ones are watchable from a distance.

The viewing angles aint bad at all :

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It can be tilted with a tolerance of 20 degrees which is pretty decent , you can always mount it on the wall for more awesomeness .

Note to self : Desi rippers dont know shit about HD encoding.

[BREAK=THE VERDICT]

At a cost of around 11.5 k it is definitely value for money. Did some research on the After sales for Benq and found it satisfactory plus the dealer was a treat to deal with. After so much of confusion I can say i am finally satisfied with what I have purchased.
Total Damages a la Pune :
- Monitor : Rs 11,700 [ Stupid Octroi ]

However , having said that I did not find conclusive evidence that would justify the price of G2420 over a G2412 , having marginal differences. Only thing is the 2420 is a newer panel and being new you expect it to be better. [ Yet , I ain't buying L4D2 :P] So , make your own call on this one. But in any case both 2412 or 2420 are EXTREME VFM !

Pros :
1. 16:9 res is pure awesomeness for 1080 p movies.
2. Nice clean display with no apparent ghosting
3. Vibrant colors , perfect VFM for a TN panel
4. Blacks and Greys were seamless with no pixelation n bleeding.
Cons :
1. Buttons do take time to get used to.
2. Cost cutting in the ergonomics make the adjustment in position a bit tricky but is a one time process.
3. GAMING : You do feel bad when you have to step down on the settings to increase the FPS in games, but with better cards getting cheaper that is a temporary roadblock. However my HD4850 was able to handle most of the things that I threw at it at MED - High settings @ playable FPS :hap2:

DID not attach gaming screens as no point in doing that


I would like to give a BIG thanks to the TE community for stepping up as usual to help a fellow TEite decide on a good purchase. Thank you all for your feedback n responses to my numerous threads. I have tried to help other members as well during the course of my search for my LCD through all the knowledge that I had gained through TE and dealing with almost every respectable dealer in Pune :P , hope the review helps as well. My first one at that so wouldn't mind the criticism :P.
 
Hey when you said that you had to reduce the settings to improve Gaming, is it because of the graphics card?...I am buying a hd 5850 and then go crossfire. So do you think it will be a problem?...
 
MAGNeT said:
whats its present price?? and also warranty 3 or 5 years plus onsite or carry in?

Got it yesterday for 11.3k shipped from ebay after coupon. 3 Yrs warranty (onsite as per benq website).
 
MAGNeT said:
whats its present price?? and also warranty 3 or 5 years plus onsite or carry in?

Price- 10.8k .. from prime

warranty - 3 yrs on site

Its a like a day & night difference between this and my old viewsonic 1912wb3
 
Re: BenQ G2420 - Calibration settings

I bought it :hap2: in Pune from Sujata - 11.1k all incl! Two days back! TE reviews helped a lot ofcourse...

I'm still playing around with the settings - so far I have found that most of the scenes in stuff like "Revenge of Sith" look none too great. Though it could be because of my Philips 720p player.

Would anyone care to recommend custom settings?

Cheers,
Neel
 
I bought G2420HD 2 weeks back and i have nvidia fx5200 gfx which has DVI port whenever i connect my monitor using DVI cable while watching movies the monitor restarts [quick on off ] but when i use the normal d-sub no such problem occurs..plz help
 
3. GAMING : You do feel bad when you have to step down on the settings to increase the FPS in games, but with better cards getting cheaper that is a temporary roadblock. However my HD4850 was able to handle most of the things that I threw at it at MED - High settings @ playable FPS

How is this a con?,well whatever nice review.
 
got this moniter some time ago. connected my PS3 and desktop to it. the only thing i find annoying is switching from hdmi to dvi modes.. the buttons should have been better placed.
 
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