Asus outdoes itself with new 24, 25.5-inch displays

Asus is ritzing up its LCD inventory with four new high-end displays this month -- the VK266H and VW266H at 25.5 inches (beating out the manufacturer's current top end) and the VK246H and VW246H at good ol' 24 inches. They all feature the company's new Splendid Video Intelligence Technology, run at at 1,920 x 1,200, and have a 20,000:1 contrast ratio, which is a significant improvement over the current Asus flagship's 3,000:1, but the max brightness is a bit lower. Why two at each size, you ask? Actual specs are identical across the board, but the VK266H and the VK246H have built-in webcams, while the VW266H and VW246H don't -- unfortunately, pricing info is not yet available, so there's no telling how much extra you'll be paying to record cringe-worthy YouTube diaries.

[Via PCLaunches; thanks, Vinit]

[Jeremy K. @ Oct 20th 2008 4:12PM]

Who wants to bet that they're cheaper than the new Apple "cinema" display?

[MyHeadisFed @ Oct 20th 2008 4:47PM]

Whoever bets against you loses.

[Patriks7 @ Oct 20th 2008 4:47PM]

But does this one have the oh so awesome 3 in 1 cable?


Didn't think so!

[Oli D @ Oct 20th 2008 5:48PM]

apple hasn't released a new cinema display
they released a new glossy LED display along side their cinema range.

Its a completely different product.

[Jeremy K. @ Oct 20th 2008 6:18PM]

Sorry Oli D, you're wrong. They both go by that stupid nomenclature.

[E71 @ Oct 20th 2008 8:41PM]

I have the ASUS MK241H and just wanted to say the webcam is terrible.

Aside from the terrible sensor quality, the video is extremely choppy even at 320x240. Don't expect much from the webcams in these new models either.

Also, watchout for the OSD buttons... they're an array of unlit buttons with very faint labels above each. It's a pain using them since you have to slide your finger across them to know which button you're about to press. That is, unless you're in a fairly bright room.

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Oct 20th 2008 4:14PM]

Ahhhh, 25.5"... Reminds me of the good old 21" Monitor (19.8" viewable) days....

[Canoo @ Oct 20th 2008 4:15PM]

panel type?

[Phil Perman @ Oct 20th 2008 4:24PM]

Viewing angles suggest TN

[Josh Warner @ Oct 20th 2008 5:33PM]

Agreed with Phil on the viewing angles almost certainly indicating a TN based panel. The 2ms GtG response is also indicative of a TN panel.

Pass.

[Phawx @ Oct 20th 2008 4:19PM]

Are these using CCFL or LEDs?

[ijyt @ Oct 20th 2008 4:29PM]

I hope the 24" has an appetising price.

[Yem @ Oct 20th 2008 4:30PM]

I don't know why I bother clicking stories about LCD monitors - they almost /never/ indicate whether the panel is 8 or 6 bit or the type (PVA/IPS/TN/???). Fundamental specs no?

Assuming this story comes to Engadget off the wire or direct, perhaps the editors could demand this simple information from the manufacturer on our behalf. That would be a useful service.

[tamosius @ Oct 20th 2008 4:58PM]

I can not agree more on that.. as well, panel type would be helpful, so that we do not need to guess based on viewing angels

[Evangelion @ Oct 20th 2008 4:53PM]

[= ˙pooƃ ʎʇʇǝɹd sʞool

[Phoenix @ Oct 20th 2008 4:56PM]

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD stop it!

No wonder your profile is private

[lars @ Oct 20th 2008 5:42PM]

¿ʇɐɥʇ op noʎ op ʍoɥ

[bangladeshiluv @ Oct 20th 2008 5:46PM]

ʎɐƃ sʞool

[Wolfticket @ Oct 20th 2008 5:56PM]

Please turn your monitor upside down while reading this comment, I can't be bothered to find the upsidedown text thingy.

[DoomGaZer @ Oct 20th 2008 6:07PM]

.spuɐɥ ɹᵊᵎɥʇ uo ᵊᵚᵎʇ ɥɔnɯ ᵒᵒʇ

[Evan @ Oct 20th 2008 6:09PM]

@Samuel Axon

Please post the panel type (e.g. TN or PVA) and color gamut. They are the two most important specs!

If the manufacturer doesn't release that info, it's a good indication that they are trying to hide unflattering specs. For example, Dell divulges that the 2408WFP is PVA and 110% color gamut, but doesn't mention either for their inferior S2409W. Regardless, an educated consumer can be figured out from the specs. PVA panels can be identified because they have wider viewing angles (for example, Apple's 24" display has a 178 degree viewing angle, so it's almost definitely a superior PVA panel even though they don't say). Obviously we can determine that the Asus monitor is sub-par by clicking the read link, but it would save us the trouble if you added to the story something like: "Based on the viewing angle, it looks like another mediocre TN panel".

[Josh Warner @ Oct 20th 2008 8:43PM]

TN and PVA are not the only technologies out there, and in fact they are both inferior. PVA is better than TN, true, but both pale in comparison to S-IPS or the newer H-IPS panels. Also, color gamut does matter but who cares if the panel can't be calibrated to a sufficient deltaE?

There is a reason companies like NEC and Eizo exist - professionals go to them for professional solutions, and everybody else is playing in the consumer space waving stupid overblown specs that mean nothing. Blunt, but true.

[CW @ Oct 21st 2008 2:09PM]

> 178 degree viewing angle, so it's almost definitely a superior PVA panel

Not definitely - TN panels also have 178 degree viewing angle, but the trick is to measure it for contrast ratio 5:1. Usually, viewing angle is measured for contrast 10:1, where TN panels have 160~170 degrees, higher values indicate *VA/*IPS technologies.

[Information Central @ Oct 20th 2008 7:38PM]

"Why two at each size, you ask?"

No, we ask why bother with that small a size differential at all. 24" vs. 25.5"? BFD.

[Todd @ Oct 20th 2008 7:55PM]

Seems a bunch of australian sites have this thing for sale already.....

http://www.shopbot.com.au/pp-asus-vw246h-price-129369.html

~$450 retail on the 24 incher, and no hits for the 26 incher.

maybe b/c they are close to Taiwan than we are....?