Boy, was I pleasently surprised!, April 22, 2009

By 

M. K. Russell “Techy Guy” (Salt Lake City, UT USA) – See all my reviews

  

I began my search for an LCD HDTV/Monitor over a month ago and purchased 4 other similar items before purchasing this ViewSonic VT2430 and returned the previous 4 for poor performance. I was actually looking for a unit which included a DVD player for use in training lectures. But, I couldn’t find the right combination so I decided to settle on a unit without the DVD player, since those that are built in are all cheap players. This way, by keeping the TV and the DVD player separate I can always update the player as needed (BlueRay!).

I looked at a LOT of HDTV/Monitors and chose the VT2430 for its native 1920×1080 pixel resolution. This works out perfectly with the 1920x1080i signals coming via my cable. And…the pictures are absolutely stunning! More so than I even expected, even already knowing the quality of Viewsonic monitors. And there are plenty of options for modifying and managing the images from all inputs. One reason for returning a Toshiba unit was that it’s native resolution is 1680×1050 pixels, which, when fed a 1920×1080 pixel signal (HDTV) stretches the image vertically…without any way of correcting the distortion. In fact, the manual states that “image size adjustments are not available with 720i and 1080i signals”! VERY poor planning as most cable signals are either 790i or 1080i.

The PC image obtained with the VT2430 is absolutely awesome. I’m typing this review with this monitor with the resolution set at 1920×1080, a perfect match with my PC. There are at least 10 other resolution settings that work as well – just lower resolution results. Regardless of the resolution sent from my PC, the VT2430 automatically adjusts for the best picture with each setting. Very neat.

The audio was another problem I found with all of the other units I tried. Most of them were either too low in volume or, when the volume was turned up became very distorted. Not so with the VT2430. Plenty of clean sound at all volume settings, including loud enough for filling the rooms where I do my training.

The image I get from my (LG) DVD player, which upgrades to a 1080i output via an HDMI cable, is very good. I also have a BlueRay player which puts out a 1080p signal, which, again, perfectly matches the resolution of the VT2430, for a beautiful picture.

The overall picture of this monitor is far more accurate, clean, and viewable than any of the other monitors I looked at. The dynamic range is very wide, including the darker colors and grays and blacks, not quite up to my 52-in Samsung (Over ,300!), but closer than any other comparable sized monitor.

Physically, I like the fact that the monitor can be tilted back for watching from higher positions. Also, the flat stand can be quickly removed for transporting in its original box, which I do often when I’m training.

Great monitor. I would recommend it to anyone. I would, however, downgrade its rating by 1/2 point for not having a DVD player. But, that is not what it is! ViewSonic does sell an LCD HDTV/DVD Combo monitor, but it has a lower pixel rate designed more for 720i resolution, which is OK for most uses at this smaller size. But, having been a TV studio tech in charge of adjusting and maintaining studio monitors, I became too picky and always need(!) the best.

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Easily surpasses expectations, June 3, 2009

By 

J. DiMarco “Professional Skeptic” (Greer, SC USA) – See all my reviews

  

Why a ViewSonic VT2430 24-inch 1080p? The VT2430 24-inch was selected as the smallest set compatible with our dinette area. The decision was helped by my experience with another 1080p. Some highly reputable reviewers tend to dismiss 1080p in a set this small (disclosure: We have a nice 19″ Sharp 1080p, too).

One thing usually overlooked as regards sizing is how legible English subtitles appear at typical viewing distances. The 24-inch set gives ample legibility for the furthest viewer (11 feet) without sacrificing detail for the closest (7). Tech recommendations specify a minimum screen size of 40 inches for 10 feet viewing distance — much too large to keep in our dinette.

The range of available sound power available is stunning. Why have an energy-saving LCD HDTV, if you have to add a power-burning amplifier to get adequate sound? With our VT2430 a family member with some hearing difficulty has absolutely no auditory problem. Except to test, we have never used a sound level much over half what the VT2430 delivers. With my older Sharp however, the maximum sound level is inadequate whenever a window air conditioner runs in a 10′ x 16′ room.

We were concerned about our over-the-air reception due to the effect of a new metallic roof on our attic-mounted antenna. With just a cheap, indoor, amplified antenna we pick up more stations than with pre-roof, standard TVs, and indications are that an external antenna will eventually restore the PBS stations lost due to their reductions of transmitter height with transition to DTV.

Set-up and remote use are very easy. The best surprise was perhaps the on-screen DTV program “Guide” the VT2430 provides. The program listing was not expected and is sometimes very convenient, as our local newspaper does not carry DTV channel listings yet. Wish my old Sharp had that feature.

With its many positives and superior quality this set would rate 5 stars. Since we have not owned our VT2430 a year, it would be unfair to attest to its durability so soon, however.

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Great 1080 bedroom HDTV, May 19, 2009

This unit’s main claim to fame is that, at this time, its about the only 1080p HDTV available in this size-range which has the full set of video inputs. I decided to take a chance and upgrade my old 23″ 720p “HD-ready” bedroom set, since I was hankering to go up to 1080 with a built-in ATSC tuner. And yes I can definitely tell the difference from 720.

ATSC tuner: works fine, reasonable sensitivity, broadcast 1080i is spectacular of course.

QAM tuner: I’ve just been experimenting with clear-QAM, which my CableCo now provides quite a bit of (I do not yet subscribe to digital cable, and have no set-top box). The only annoyance is that when I use the set’s handy programming function to manually “name” each channel (up to 8 characters I think) it sometimes looses some of the entries. Also every once in a while some “hidden” channels suddenly start showing up, and I have to manually “hide” them all over again. Luckily in Cable mode the tuner correctly intermixes legacy NTSC analog and clear-QAM digital channels transparently; I don’t have to switch modes.

HDMI from DVD player: I use it with an upconverting DVD player; aspect-ratio has to be changed manually. Wide-screen DVDs look great.

HDMI from computer: from my older Mac laptop’s DVI output; worked great and the Mac’s video auto-sensed the full 1080 screen size and set it up as monitor #2 which was VERY convenient; I didn’t have to adjust anything. The image was perfect. I suspect that if people experience problems with PC video, they may be encountering issues with their video cards or drivers, and not the monitor.

Composite video: I’ve used it with an old VCR, no problems. The upconversion is OK; this depends greatly on the quality of the source of course.

Sound: I don’t use the built-in speakers; I’ve got the audio-output connected to my sound system.

I haven’t tried these inputs: VGA / Component / S-video

The picture quality of the panel is reasonable for this low price-range – its certainly better than my old 720 panel, especially the black-levels – but its not going to win any videophile awards. Sometimes the blacks are a bit “plugged”. I notice a very small amount of light-leakage around the edges when the screen is black.

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