For the last two years, we've been plugging the LG IPS226V as a top-class monitor. With a reasonable price tag and an IPS screen, it bagged five stars in our 2010 review. However, we've been getting mixed feedback about this monitor from our readers lately!
We've been recommending the IPS226V left, right and centre since its release in 2010, as it's great value for money. Towards the end of last year, we were only too pleased to see its price fall even further to under £200.
However, user feedback from our French sister site (Les Numériques) points to a possible case of panel switching in this display. The excellent, new-generation IPS panel could, in fact, have been replaced by an older panel with lower contrast levels. In any case, that seems to be what two user reviews of this product suggest, one of which included colour sensor readings to back up the claims. Instead of the 1100:1 contrast that we measured, reader Lars got a reading of 500:1. He even added a few pictures to illustrate the problem, with darker scenes looking quite disappointing.
Jojobilou was barely more enthusiastic, giving this monitor a score of three out of five.
It's interesting to note that since 15 September 2011, users in our sister site's forum have been complaining about similar issues, although some users were still perfectly satisfied with the product.
We contacted LG about our readers' findings, and asked them to send us a second, more recent IPS226V to test. If we aren't able to test a recent version, we'll be forced to rethink our initial product review and possibly strip the monitor of some stars. Watch this space for updates.
> Review: LG Flatron IPS226V
> Monitor Reviews: 22''-30'' LCD Displays
We've been recommending the IPS226V left, right and centre since its release in 2010, as it's great value for money. Towards the end of last year, we were only too pleased to see its price fall even further to under £200.
However, user feedback from our French sister site (Les Numériques) points to a possible case of panel switching in this display. The excellent, new-generation IPS panel could, in fact, have been replaced by an older panel with lower contrast levels. In any case, that seems to be what two user reviews of this product suggest, one of which included colour sensor readings to back up the claims. Instead of the 1100:1 contrast that we measured, reader Lars got a reading of 500:1. He even added a few pictures to illustrate the problem, with darker scenes looking quite disappointing.
Jojobilou was barely more enthusiastic, giving this monitor a score of three out of five.
It's interesting to note that since 15 September 2011, users in our sister site's forum have been complaining about similar issues, although some users were still perfectly satisfied with the product.
We contacted LG about our readers' findings, and asked them to send us a second, more recent IPS226V to test. If we aren't able to test a recent version, we'll be forced to rethink our initial product review and possibly strip the monitor of some stars. Watch this space for updates.
> Review: LG Flatron IPS226V
> Monitor Reviews: 22''-30'' LCD Displays
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