HP LP3065: A new contender for the 30" throne
by Jarred Walton on March 22, 2007 7:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Displays
Subjective Evaluation
Given that most users do not have access to hardware display calibration tools, we like to spend some time using displays before properly calibrating them in order to gain an impression of how most users would react. We will start with our subjective evaluation before getting to the actual quantitative results.
Considering that we've now had access to the Dell 3007WFP - the older model 30" Dell LCD - for a couple months, we were interested to see if the newer panel on the HP LP3065 offered any noticeable improvements. While we certainly aren't image professionals, subjectively we would have a difficult time noticing the "improved color gamut". There are some minor improvements on paper, but to our eyes we simply couldn't see the difference. Brightness, contrast, and color accuracy all appeared to be about the same, and only the viewing angle appeared slightly better. That's not to say the new display looks bad; in fact, quite the opposite: it looks great! It just doesn't look substantially better than the Dell 3007WFP.
What we did notice is that HP includes what amounts to a $400 KVM replacement. For anyone that has more than one computer that they would like to use with a 30" LCD, we can find absolutely no reason to get anything other than the HP LP3065. You would still need to purchase an inexpensive KVM to handle the keyboard and mouse, and you would have to push two buttons (one on the display and one on the KVM) to switch between computers, but that's a minor inconvenience considering the cost savings.
Except where noted, the remaining tests were run after calibrating the displays using Monaco Optix XR, both the professional version of the software as well as the XR (DTP-94) colorimeter. In some of the tests calibration can have a dramatic impact on the result, but certain aspects like viewing angles and response times remain largely unchanged.
Given that most users do not have access to hardware display calibration tools, we like to spend some time using displays before properly calibrating them in order to gain an impression of how most users would react. We will start with our subjective evaluation before getting to the actual quantitative results.
Considering that we've now had access to the Dell 3007WFP - the older model 30" Dell LCD - for a couple months, we were interested to see if the newer panel on the HP LP3065 offered any noticeable improvements. While we certainly aren't image professionals, subjectively we would have a difficult time noticing the "improved color gamut". There are some minor improvements on paper, but to our eyes we simply couldn't see the difference. Brightness, contrast, and color accuracy all appeared to be about the same, and only the viewing angle appeared slightly better. That's not to say the new display looks bad; in fact, quite the opposite: it looks great! It just doesn't look substantially better than the Dell 3007WFP.
What we did notice is that HP includes what amounts to a $400 KVM replacement. For anyone that has more than one computer that they would like to use with a 30" LCD, we can find absolutely no reason to get anything other than the HP LP3065. You would still need to purchase an inexpensive KVM to handle the keyboard and mouse, and you would have to push two buttons (one on the display and one on the KVM) to switch between computers, but that's a minor inconvenience considering the cost savings.
Except where noted, the remaining tests were run after calibrating the displays using Monaco Optix XR, both the professional version of the software as well as the XR (DTP-94) colorimeter. In some of the tests calibration can have a dramatic impact on the result, but certain aspects like viewing angles and response times remain largely unchanged.
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Renoir - Friday, March 23, 2007 - link
That sounds like a very reasonable assumptionStill looking around for confirmation but I thought the ICT only affected analogue connections. If it does indeed affect digital connections then why are current software players not allowing full res over non HDCP compliant dvi ports given that no current discs have ICT enabled? We should be able to answer most of these questions when you get that laptop. I very much look forward to the review.
JarredWalton - Friday, March 23, 2007 - link
Bad news... the laptop is single-link. :(I'll still be able to test HDCP on a non-HDCP display, though. I've got a 2405FPW so we'll see what happens. Could be the software companies enforcing something that isn't strictly required?
chakarov - Friday, March 23, 2007 - link
Hope this could help you:http://www.behardware.com/articles/656-1/hdcp-prot...">http://www.behardware.com/articles/656-...ion-is-n...
Renoir - Sunday, March 25, 2007 - link
That link seems to confirm what I said which is that the ICT only applies to analogue connections and HDCP is always required for full res over a digital connection. At first Jarred I thought you might be right in that the software companies may be implementing something that isn't strictly required but the article linked shows that standalone units operate in the same way suggesting that that's the way it's supposed to work.chakarov - Friday, March 23, 2007 - link
In the specs:http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF06a/3820...">http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm...382087-6...
And even in the detail specs:
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/1262...">http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/1262...
There is no mentioning of HDCP support.
There is nothing officially written.
May be there is a reason?
JarredWalton - Friday, March 23, 2007 - link
Interesting... I'm sure I saw HDCP there when I was working on the review, and I can find numerous web links where it says HDCP is supported (at single-link resolutions). I wonder if they updated the page recently to remove HDCP?Renoir - Friday, March 23, 2007 - link
Well the review states HDCP support and Loyd over at extremetech said that he was told by HP that the display "offers HDCP at full dual-link bandwidth". This information is what I'm basing my questions on although the fact that HDCP isn't mentioned in your links merely confirms that the situation is clear as mud. Clearly someone is either misinformed or spec sheets have been poorly writtenmi1stormilst - Thursday, March 22, 2007 - link
I have delt with a number of companies when trying to help friends and family with store bought PC's and there is no question that HP is second to none with tech support. If you own a HP system use the online chat support...it is excellent.leousb - Thursday, March 22, 2007 - link
To buy a monitor this huge just for gaming is IMHO a complete obscenity.OrSin - Thursday, March 22, 2007 - link
People been saying the asme thing about BMW, 65" tvs and pretty (but dumb) women.In the words of bart "We do what we like"