Top positive review
115 people found this helpful
Excellent buy. Look here for all the info you need on these
on December 22, 2014
*****UPDATE JUNE 2016*****I finally have the option for pictures on Amazon reviews so I added a few. I have now had these since November 2014 and have no complaints. I haven't had a single problem with them and they still look excellent. If I was buying again today the only thing I would consider is a 1440 or 4k version of this same monitor now that the prices have come down a bit. Other than that these 1080p screens are excellent.
******Original Review*********
I will start out by saying that I love these monitors. I am a compulsive researcher when it comes to buying electronics. I researched monitors for a long time before deciding on what to buy so hopefully I can pass on what I learned about these Dell monitors now that I own 4 of them.
I have 3 of these mounted to an Obutto racing cockpit and one across the room on a desk. All 4 are connected to the same PC that currently has a single Gigabyte GTX 970 G1 card in it (SLI coming very soon). I am a 31 year old nerd that's been doing IT professionally and compulsively for a long time now. I am going to list the things that I got caught up on when researching these monitors in hopes to ease the pain for you
60hz IPS vs 120hz+ TN panel - I really went back and forth on this one. I tried a couple 144hz monitors and they were excellent for gaming. If fast paced online shooters are the only thing you do with a monitor then 120hz+ might be worth the consideration. BUT the trade off is poor viewing angles and slightly washed out colors. I don't play competitively and also work on the same screens so color became more important to me the more I thought about it. The colors and viewing angles on the dell more than makes up for the lack of a higher refresh rate. Especially in a surround setup where the outer monitors are angled. Yes high refresh rate is really awesome for competitive FPS games but to me it wasn't worth the tradeoff. I am happy to report that I have ZERO complaints about these 60hz screens while gaming. From racing sims to RTS to fast paced shooters. I don't notice any lag or blurring or anything else that would make me regret having an IPS for gaming. Best of all the colors look amazing in everything I do with them.
The dreaded nvidia color problems - I decided after reading reviews about this monitor and display port issues that I would stick to HDMI connections. I run one monitor on HDMI, two on DVI to HDMI cables and the 4th desk monitor on an active display port to HDMI adapter. My monitors did show up with limited color selected. This is NOT the fault of these Dell monitors. This is a known issue with nvidia in general and affects other screens as well. I ran the fix for this (see comments for link) and now have full range color on all four displays. It took about 2 minutes to download and run and all is well. You do it once and it sticks. No need to run it again after driver updates. Nvidia has finally acknowledged the problem and will have a fix for it in the future (link to that also in comments).
Daisy chaining via display port - Don't buy these monitors for that. If you need that function then these are not the screens for you. There are countless others having issues with it so just avoid it. I run laptops with HDMI and my gaming rig so I don't personally have a need for it but enough people have had problems with it that it wouldn't make sense to buy these for that purpose.
Dell warranty issues - This issues isn't an issue. Dell does warranty them if you buy them from Amazon or any other retailer. They even warranty them if you buy them privately. The confusion is that Dell monitors under 24" do not have a service tag which means they can't be registered with Dells support site. Check the comments on this review for the full warranty info posted by Dell. Rest assured that your monitor is covered under dell warranty.
Price / Value - Buy these on Amazon and direct from Amazon. Enjoy no hassle returns and a huge savings over dell direct. The monitor is phenomenal for the price. I tried to get Dell to price match Amazon but never got a response from them and still would have had to pay a large amount of shipping. I saved so much buying 4 of these on Amazon Prime that I could have bought 3 extra ones. The price on here fluctuates daily if not hourly sometimes so keep an eye on it for dips in price. I saved even more by frequently checking it.
Touch sensitive buttons - Not my favorite but they aren't THAT bad. As a few others pointed out, use your thumb. Mine work fine with my thumb but don't work at all with my index fingers. If you only run one of these monitors then install the dell utility and you can control most of the settings right through the windows app.
Sound bar accessory - SKIP THIS! Please just don't do it. It looked like a great solution for when I docked my laptop on my desk but it sounds HORRIBLE! Literally any other USB speaker on the market would sound better. The sound bar is almost painful to listen to and it stays on ALL of the time. No way to turn it off separately from the monitor.
So with all of that out of the way what's left to say about these screens? BUY THEM! I love them. The colors were excellent right out of the box. The three I have in surround matched each other pretty good with almost no tweaking. The matte screen is refreshing to someone like me that hates reflections with a passion. None of that here with colors that still look great and a matte coating that isn't grainy. And those bezels! Probably the #1 reason I was so stuck on buying these. If you are doing a multiple monitor setup then these screens should be at the top of your list. Even debezeling and overlapping TN panels won't get you bezels this thin. It's excellent for a surround setup.
Hopefully this long winded review can help dispel some of the reservations you may have on these. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these as an all-around solid investment. 3 year warranty and out of the 4 screens I got not a single one has a dead pixel or serious flaw. If you are still reading, check the comments to see the other info I mentioned above or to ask me any questions about them. Good luck in your search for a new monitor!
**Video is a friend playing GRID Autosport on pretty high settings at 5760x1080. That's on a single GTX 970 locked at 60fps. This video was shot with an iPhone 6 but came out horrible when I uploaded it to Amazon. I wanted to post more pics of my setup but Video was my only option in the review section. Oh well, I tried. Bottom line is you won't have regrets with this monitor.
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on December 22, 2014
*****UPDATE JUNE 2016*****
I finally have the option for pictures on Amazon reviews so I added a few. I have now had these since November 2014 and have no complaints. I haven't had a single problem with them and they still look excellent. If I was buying again today the only thing I would consider is a 1440 or 4k version of this same monitor now that the prices have come down a bit. Other than that these 1080p screens are excellent.
******Original Review*********
I will start out by saying that I love these monitors. I am a compulsive researcher when it comes to buying electronics. I researched monitors for a long time before deciding on what to buy so hopefully I can pass on what I learned about these Dell monitors now that I own 4 of them.
I have 3 of these mounted to an Obutto racing cockpit and one across the room on a desk. All 4 are connected to the same PC that currently has a single Gigabyte GTX 970 G1 card in it (SLI coming very soon). I am a 31 year old nerd that's been doing IT professionally and compulsively for a long time now. I am going to list the things that I got caught up on when researching these monitors in hopes to ease the pain for you
60hz IPS vs 120hz+ TN panel - I really went back and forth on this one. I tried a couple 144hz monitors and they were excellent for gaming. If fast paced online shooters are the only thing you do with a monitor then 120hz+ might be worth the consideration. BUT the trade off is poor viewing angles and slightly washed out colors. I don't play competitively and also work on the same screens so color became more important to me the more I thought about it. The colors and viewing angles on the dell more than makes up for the lack of a higher refresh rate. Especially in a surround setup where the outer monitors are angled. Yes high refresh rate is really awesome for competitive FPS games but to me it wasn't worth the tradeoff. I am happy to report that I have ZERO complaints about these 60hz screens while gaming. From racing sims to RTS to fast paced shooters. I don't notice any lag or blurring or anything else that would make me regret having an IPS for gaming. Best of all the colors look amazing in everything I do with them.
The dreaded nvidia color problems - I decided after reading reviews about this monitor and display port issues that I would stick to HDMI connections. I run one monitor on HDMI, two on DVI to HDMI cables and the 4th desk monitor on an active display port to HDMI adapter. My monitors did show up with limited color selected. This is NOT the fault of these Dell monitors. This is a known issue with nvidia in general and affects other screens as well. I ran the fix for this (see comments for link) and now have full range color on all four displays. It took about 2 minutes to download and run and all is well. You do it once and it sticks. No need to run it again after driver updates. Nvidia has finally acknowledged the problem and will have a fix for it in the future (link to that also in comments).
Daisy chaining via display port - Don't buy these monitors for that. If you need that function then these are not the screens for you. There are countless others having issues with it so just avoid it. I run laptops with HDMI and my gaming rig so I don't personally have a need for it but enough people have had problems with it that it wouldn't make sense to buy these for that purpose.
Dell warranty issues - This issues isn't an issue. Dell does warranty them if you buy them from Amazon or any other retailer. They even warranty them if you buy them privately. The confusion is that Dell monitors under 24" do not have a service tag which means they can't be registered with Dells support site. Check the comments on this review for the full warranty info posted by Dell. Rest assured that your monitor is covered under dell warranty.
Price / Value - Buy these on Amazon and direct from Amazon. Enjoy no hassle returns and a huge savings over dell direct. The monitor is phenomenal for the price. I tried to get Dell to price match Amazon but never got a response from them and still would have had to pay a large amount of shipping. I saved so much buying 4 of these on Amazon Prime that I could have bought 3 extra ones. The price on here fluctuates daily if not hourly sometimes so keep an eye on it for dips in price. I saved even more by frequently checking it.
Touch sensitive buttons - Not my favorite but they aren't THAT bad. As a few others pointed out, use your thumb. Mine work fine with my thumb but don't work at all with my index fingers. If you only run one of these monitors then install the dell utility and you can control most of the settings right through the windows app.
Sound bar accessory - SKIP THIS! Please just don't do it. It looked like a great solution for when I docked my laptop on my desk but it sounds HORRIBLE! Literally any other USB speaker on the market would sound better. The sound bar is almost painful to listen to and it stays on ALL of the time. No way to turn it off separately from the monitor.
So with all of that out of the way what's left to say about these screens? BUY THEM! I love them. The colors were excellent right out of the box. The three I have in surround matched each other pretty good with almost no tweaking. The matte screen is refreshing to someone like me that hates reflections with a passion. None of that here with colors that still look great and a matte coating that isn't grainy. And those bezels! Probably the #1 reason I was so stuck on buying these. If you are doing a multiple monitor setup then these screens should be at the top of your list. Even debezeling and overlapping TN panels won't get you bezels this thin. It's excellent for a surround setup.
Hopefully this long winded review can help dispel some of the reservations you may have on these. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these as an all-around solid investment. 3 year warranty and out of the 4 screens I got not a single one has a dead pixel or serious flaw. If you are still reading, check the comments to see the other info I mentioned above or to ask me any questions about them. Good luck in your search for a new monitor!
**Video is a friend playing GRID Autosport on pretty high settings at 5760x1080. That's on a single GTX 970 locked at 60fps. This video was shot with an iPhone 6 but came out horrible when I uploaded it to Amazon. I wanted to post more pics of my setup but Video was my only option in the review section. Oh well, I tried. Bottom line is you won't have regrets with this monitor.
I finally have the option for pictures on Amazon reviews so I added a few. I have now had these since November 2014 and have no complaints. I haven't had a single problem with them and they still look excellent. If I was buying again today the only thing I would consider is a 1440 or 4k version of this same monitor now that the prices have come down a bit. Other than that these 1080p screens are excellent.
******Original Review*********
I will start out by saying that I love these monitors. I am a compulsive researcher when it comes to buying electronics. I researched monitors for a long time before deciding on what to buy so hopefully I can pass on what I learned about these Dell monitors now that I own 4 of them.
I have 3 of these mounted to an Obutto racing cockpit and one across the room on a desk. All 4 are connected to the same PC that currently has a single Gigabyte GTX 970 G1 card in it (SLI coming very soon). I am a 31 year old nerd that's been doing IT professionally and compulsively for a long time now. I am going to list the things that I got caught up on when researching these monitors in hopes to ease the pain for you
60hz IPS vs 120hz+ TN panel - I really went back and forth on this one. I tried a couple 144hz monitors and they were excellent for gaming. If fast paced online shooters are the only thing you do with a monitor then 120hz+ might be worth the consideration. BUT the trade off is poor viewing angles and slightly washed out colors. I don't play competitively and also work on the same screens so color became more important to me the more I thought about it. The colors and viewing angles on the dell more than makes up for the lack of a higher refresh rate. Especially in a surround setup where the outer monitors are angled. Yes high refresh rate is really awesome for competitive FPS games but to me it wasn't worth the tradeoff. I am happy to report that I have ZERO complaints about these 60hz screens while gaming. From racing sims to RTS to fast paced shooters. I don't notice any lag or blurring or anything else that would make me regret having an IPS for gaming. Best of all the colors look amazing in everything I do with them.
The dreaded nvidia color problems - I decided after reading reviews about this monitor and display port issues that I would stick to HDMI connections. I run one monitor on HDMI, two on DVI to HDMI cables and the 4th desk monitor on an active display port to HDMI adapter. My monitors did show up with limited color selected. This is NOT the fault of these Dell monitors. This is a known issue with nvidia in general and affects other screens as well. I ran the fix for this (see comments for link) and now have full range color on all four displays. It took about 2 minutes to download and run and all is well. You do it once and it sticks. No need to run it again after driver updates. Nvidia has finally acknowledged the problem and will have a fix for it in the future (link to that also in comments).
Daisy chaining via display port - Don't buy these monitors for that. If you need that function then these are not the screens for you. There are countless others having issues with it so just avoid it. I run laptops with HDMI and my gaming rig so I don't personally have a need for it but enough people have had problems with it that it wouldn't make sense to buy these for that purpose.
Dell warranty issues - This issues isn't an issue. Dell does warranty them if you buy them from Amazon or any other retailer. They even warranty them if you buy them privately. The confusion is that Dell monitors under 24" do not have a service tag which means they can't be registered with Dells support site. Check the comments on this review for the full warranty info posted by Dell. Rest assured that your monitor is covered under dell warranty.
Price / Value - Buy these on Amazon and direct from Amazon. Enjoy no hassle returns and a huge savings over dell direct. The monitor is phenomenal for the price. I tried to get Dell to price match Amazon but never got a response from them and still would have had to pay a large amount of shipping. I saved so much buying 4 of these on Amazon Prime that I could have bought 3 extra ones. The price on here fluctuates daily if not hourly sometimes so keep an eye on it for dips in price. I saved even more by frequently checking it.
Touch sensitive buttons - Not my favorite but they aren't THAT bad. As a few others pointed out, use your thumb. Mine work fine with my thumb but don't work at all with my index fingers. If you only run one of these monitors then install the dell utility and you can control most of the settings right through the windows app.
Sound bar accessory - SKIP THIS! Please just don't do it. It looked like a great solution for when I docked my laptop on my desk but it sounds HORRIBLE! Literally any other USB speaker on the market would sound better. The sound bar is almost painful to listen to and it stays on ALL of the time. No way to turn it off separately from the monitor.
So with all of that out of the way what's left to say about these screens? BUY THEM! I love them. The colors were excellent right out of the box. The three I have in surround matched each other pretty good with almost no tweaking. The matte screen is refreshing to someone like me that hates reflections with a passion. None of that here with colors that still look great and a matte coating that isn't grainy. And those bezels! Probably the #1 reason I was so stuck on buying these. If you are doing a multiple monitor setup then these screens should be at the top of your list. Even debezeling and overlapping TN panels won't get you bezels this thin. It's excellent for a surround setup.
Hopefully this long winded review can help dispel some of the reservations you may have on these. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these as an all-around solid investment. 3 year warranty and out of the 4 screens I got not a single one has a dead pixel or serious flaw. If you are still reading, check the comments to see the other info I mentioned above or to ask me any questions about them. Good luck in your search for a new monitor!
**Video is a friend playing GRID Autosport on pretty high settings at 5760x1080. That's on a single GTX 970 locked at 60fps. This video was shot with an iPhone 6 but came out horrible when I uploaded it to Amazon. I wanted to post more pics of my setup but Video was my only option in the review section. Oh well, I tried. Bottom line is you won't have regrets with this monitor.
on December 18, 2014
There have been countless reviews here about how great this monitor is, and that is true. So rather than write yet another similar review, this one is specifically for the MacBook Pro users who may be searching for an external monitor.
For a MacBook Pro user, it's important to know the "Display Port-to-Thunderbolt Port" cable included with this monitor is all you need. I attached this cable to my MacBook Pro and instantly it worked perfectly in the clamshell mode. No adjustments are need regarding the display arrangement in Preferences, as is the case with some external monitors. Also, the MacBook Pro (with Yosemite installed) recognized even the model number of the Dell monitor and automatically adjusted from its Retina display resolution to the full 1920 x 1080 resolution of this monitor.
Speaking of resolution, many Mac users will want to know that fonts on this display at 1920 x 1080 can be much easier to read than the Apple's own 27" Thunderbolt Display. I recently purchased a 27" iMac and lived with the small font sizes at its 2560 x 1440 resolution for a few months before buying a MacBook Pro and this monitor. It's not enough to just go down one notch in resolution on the 27" iMac as it then looks horrible when out of its native resolution. This is something most users find out only after they've purchased it.
For audio options with this monitor and your MacBook Pro, again OS X automatically recognizes the exact model number of this Dell (U2414H) and provides it as an option it the OS X audio preferences. Then all you need to do is plug in your favorite speakers into the speaker jack on the rear of the monitor and you have great sound, freeing up the headphone jack on your MacBook Pro.
If anyone is skeptical about picture clarity with this monitor...find something else to worry about :-) The display quality is every bit as good as the Apple Thunderbolt Display and for me, a plus was the matte finish of this display so I don't have reflections like I had on the 27" iMac. I normally don't care for matte finish displays, but for some reason, this one doesn't bother me...in fact I like it a lot.
Another great feature of this monitor is the easily accessed settings for anything you could dream of adjusting (unlike the Thunderbolt Display). I was able to adjust my brightness and contrast separately to suit my office environment. Bottom line is if you're a MacBook Pro user and want a great monitor you can use by itself, or daisy chain, this should be one of your fist choices.
For a MacBook Pro user, it's important to know the "Display Port-to-Thunderbolt Port" cable included with this monitor is all you need. I attached this cable to my MacBook Pro and instantly it worked perfectly in the clamshell mode. No adjustments are need regarding the display arrangement in Preferences, as is the case with some external monitors. Also, the MacBook Pro (with Yosemite installed) recognized even the model number of the Dell monitor and automatically adjusted from its Retina display resolution to the full 1920 x 1080 resolution of this monitor.
Speaking of resolution, many Mac users will want to know that fonts on this display at 1920 x 1080 can be much easier to read than the Apple's own 27" Thunderbolt Display. I recently purchased a 27" iMac and lived with the small font sizes at its 2560 x 1440 resolution for a few months before buying a MacBook Pro and this monitor. It's not enough to just go down one notch in resolution on the 27" iMac as it then looks horrible when out of its native resolution. This is something most users find out only after they've purchased it.
For audio options with this monitor and your MacBook Pro, again OS X automatically recognizes the exact model number of this Dell (U2414H) and provides it as an option it the OS X audio preferences. Then all you need to do is plug in your favorite speakers into the speaker jack on the rear of the monitor and you have great sound, freeing up the headphone jack on your MacBook Pro.
If anyone is skeptical about picture clarity with this monitor...find something else to worry about :-) The display quality is every bit as good as the Apple Thunderbolt Display and for me, a plus was the matte finish of this display so I don't have reflections like I had on the 27" iMac. I normally don't care for matte finish displays, but for some reason, this one doesn't bother me...in fact I like it a lot.
Another great feature of this monitor is the easily accessed settings for anything you could dream of adjusting (unlike the Thunderbolt Display). I was able to adjust my brightness and contrast separately to suit my office environment. Bottom line is if you're a MacBook Pro user and want a great monitor you can use by itself, or daisy chain, this should be one of your fist choices.
on April 27, 2016
At first, I thought this was the best monitor I have gotten so far, as the ergonomics of the monitor are Superb. The swivel, pivoting and height adjustment is awesome, and I wish other monitors would have these features. However, on the other hand, Recently, about 3-4 months after my purchase of this monitor i'm starting to have some problems (which as I found out are very common) with the DisplayPort connection. It will randomly decide that it can't recognize the connection to my graphics card, and I'm using the dell provided DP cable. Not only that, but when it does work, it doesn't even work in max resolution (1080p). This monitor looks beautiful on the outside, but is riden with problems that apparently dell won't admit to. Stay away from dell monitors if you want a monitor to last. My acer crap monitor is still working Great and I've had it for about 2-3 years now. Am going to try to get a refund, as this is ridiculous.
on September 30, 2016
It's a small complaint overall but increasingly annoying. There is a fluctuating line running across the entire monitor about a third of the way down from the top. It's been there since new (July 13, 2016). It's most distracting while scrolling up and down, the image or text fluttering across that one very narrow deadzone. When not scrolling, that line is not visible, only while scrolling. When I finally reached the point of aggravation when I decided to do something about it, I found the monitor is only under warranty for a month. Next, I'll try using the Square Trade extended warranty I added to my purchase -- it's supposedly good for three years.
I bought it to complement my older Dell U2312HM monitor, added the Dell MDS14 Dual Monitor Stand (5TPP7). I don't know how I made it this far through life with just that single monitor -- dual monitors are such an advantage, and that stand pulls it all together. Now if I can just rid myself of this distracting annoyance . . .
On October 12, 2016 I added my circular firing squad ordeal with SquareTrade -> Dell -> Amazon -> SquareTrade below. No resolution whatsoever yet. Looks like I'll need to just trash this monitor and drive out to BestBuy to purchase another.
My SquareTrade Experience:
After contacting SquareTrade via Amazon, I received a response on Sep. 30 requesting my warranty information. I received email instructions to call "Finn" at 1-877-927-7268.
On Wed., Oct 12 I called SquareTrade at 10:30 AM. After 37 minutes on hold listening to muzak I was connected to Daniel Johnson (Claims). After explaining my situation, he transferred me to Sam (Computers), after a wait on hold for another 16 minutes. Sam transferred me to Eddie (Electronics) after being on hold for another 13 minutes.
Eddie informed me that my monitor was still under warranty by Dell, that I needed to contact Dell first for warranty coverage (1-800-624-9897). Eddie transferred me to Dell.
After answering many questions as to the monitor's providence, Dell informed me that the monitor was built 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days ago and was no longer covered under Dell's one-year warranty. I was advised to contact Amazon. (At this point, I had over 3 hours invested this morning in this quixotic quest, and counting.)
I called Amazon, spoke with Tiffany. She told me Amazon only warranties this purchase for 30-days after purchase (which I learned when this circular firing squad began weeks ago). She told me it "should be" covered under my SquareTrade contract, that I "shouldn't have to" go through this ordeal. She advised that I call SquareTrade. I told her once again that I'd been there, done that, and here I am. She promised that she'd email SquareTrade about this situation. I told her that I WILL NOT respond to SquareTrade's request to call them AGAIN only to waste hours on hold only to begin this circular firing squad all over again. She said she'd request that THEY call ME. I told her "When the phone doesn't ring I'll know it's SquareTrade."
If SquareTrade actually DOES call, more will follow here . . .
UPDATE: Oct 20, 2016
SquareTrade never contacted me per Amazon's request. I had been advised by Amazon to give SquareTrade two business days to reply. When three had passed without a word from SquareTrade I called and spoke with Amazon again. The gentleman I spoke with couldn't understand why everyone was giving me such a hard time, such a run-around. He simply processed a full replacement, shipped it one-day delivery. It arrived today. I set it up and it seems to be running perfectly. Sheesh, what an ordeal, but thank you to the last Amazon customer support guy for restoring my faith in Amazon. I even reactivated my Amazon Prime membership, which I had dropped after last week's run-around.
I have just requested a full refund from SquareTrade. I'll update here when/if I receive a response, or if I need to pursue that further as well.
I bought it to complement my older Dell U2312HM monitor, added the Dell MDS14 Dual Monitor Stand (5TPP7). I don't know how I made it this far through life with just that single monitor -- dual monitors are such an advantage, and that stand pulls it all together. Now if I can just rid myself of this distracting annoyance . . .
On October 12, 2016 I added my circular firing squad ordeal with SquareTrade -> Dell -> Amazon -> SquareTrade below. No resolution whatsoever yet. Looks like I'll need to just trash this monitor and drive out to BestBuy to purchase another.
My SquareTrade Experience:
After contacting SquareTrade via Amazon, I received a response on Sep. 30 requesting my warranty information. I received email instructions to call "Finn" at 1-877-927-7268.
On Wed., Oct 12 I called SquareTrade at 10:30 AM. After 37 minutes on hold listening to muzak I was connected to Daniel Johnson (Claims). After explaining my situation, he transferred me to Sam (Computers), after a wait on hold for another 16 minutes. Sam transferred me to Eddie (Electronics) after being on hold for another 13 minutes.
Eddie informed me that my monitor was still under warranty by Dell, that I needed to contact Dell first for warranty coverage (1-800-624-9897). Eddie transferred me to Dell.
After answering many questions as to the monitor's providence, Dell informed me that the monitor was built 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days ago and was no longer covered under Dell's one-year warranty. I was advised to contact Amazon. (At this point, I had over 3 hours invested this morning in this quixotic quest, and counting.)
I called Amazon, spoke with Tiffany. She told me Amazon only warranties this purchase for 30-days after purchase (which I learned when this circular firing squad began weeks ago). She told me it "should be" covered under my SquareTrade contract, that I "shouldn't have to" go through this ordeal. She advised that I call SquareTrade. I told her once again that I'd been there, done that, and here I am. She promised that she'd email SquareTrade about this situation. I told her that I WILL NOT respond to SquareTrade's request to call them AGAIN only to waste hours on hold only to begin this circular firing squad all over again. She said she'd request that THEY call ME. I told her "When the phone doesn't ring I'll know it's SquareTrade."
If SquareTrade actually DOES call, more will follow here . . .
UPDATE: Oct 20, 2016
SquareTrade never contacted me per Amazon's request. I had been advised by Amazon to give SquareTrade two business days to reply. When three had passed without a word from SquareTrade I called and spoke with Amazon again. The gentleman I spoke with couldn't understand why everyone was giving me such a hard time, such a run-around. He simply processed a full replacement, shipped it one-day delivery. It arrived today. I set it up and it seems to be running perfectly. Sheesh, what an ordeal, but thank you to the last Amazon customer support guy for restoring my faith in Amazon. I even reactivated my Amazon Prime membership, which I had dropped after last week's run-around.
I have just requested a full refund from SquareTrade. I'll update here when/if I receive a response, or if I need to pursue that further as well.
on April 13, 2017
I bought this display almost solely based on the review by LarryMcJ titled "MacBook Pro Users, this review is for you." I have a 2015 MacBook Pro with Retina display, so his review was extremely helpful, and absolutely spot on. I love this display. The only thing I have to add to his review is that I made the happy discovery on plugging this monitor in that it responds and displays the "NightMode" option from the MacBook Pro. This is a HUGE plus for me, as I suffer both from insomnia and the very not-good habit of staying up on my computer too late into the evening. This monitor exceeds all expectations so far. Easy to set up. Great picture. The screen real-estate that I've become used to. I have yet to play video games on it to judge the picture and response with that, but I'll update here when I do. All in all, I'm exceedingly happy with this purchase. Everything came as expected and when expected.
on August 3, 2014
I bought three of these monitors at the same time, as well as 3 DisplayPort 1.2 cables (I TRIPLE checked this because of how I wanted to configure the system). My setup is somewhat unique, so this review is primarily for those that want to have a single displayport 1.2 cable driving all three monitors in a daisy chain setup. The idea is relatively simple: Your graphics card output going into monitor 1 input. Then you connect a cable on monitor 1's displayport OUTPUT to monitor 2's displayport input. Repeat for up to a total of FOUR monitors. Sounds like an easy way to rid yourself of wires and have a clean setup right? Well, here's my experience.
Some background. This monitors are revision A01, my graphics card is a Gigabyte 7870. It has two mini DPs, a DVI out and am HDMI out. I used the supplied adapter from the graphics card for a mini DP to full sized DP, then hooked in the Cables Matters Displayport 1.2 cable to my first monitor. I daisy chained the other two according to Dell's instructions. BY DEFAULT the Dell's DisplayPort 1.2 capability is OFF. With it off you will definitely get no signal in a daisy chain configuration, from any of the monitors. To fix this, on monitor 1 (the monitor with the direct input from the graphics card) touch the menu button directly to the left of the power button. Make sure the monitor registers your touch- you will know if it does because the monitor will display a message saying it has no signal and you can select a different input by clicking the menu button. Once the menu comes up with different inputs, make sure the DisplayPort option is selected and HOLD the green checkmark button for approximately 8 seconds. A menu will come up asking if you would like to switch to DisplayPort 1.2. Make sure enable is selected and click the green checkmark. Repeat these steps on each monitor EXCEPT the last monitor in your DisplayPort daisy chain configuration. This one should stay in DP 1.1a mode.
Alright! So now everything is set up correctly and it should be smooth sailing from here on out right? Well.. not in my case. I experience a plethora of issues: one of more of the monitors will flicker, one or more of the monitors not coming on at ALL, one of the monitors will randomly shut off while the other two work properly and wont reinitialize. Essentially what it feels like to me is that the monitors aren't able to adequately send the signals to each other. I can't tell if this is a throughput issue, some type of handshake issue, graphics card drivers issue, etc. It's somewhat confusing honestly; in my experience all three monitors will initialize and display (albeit in a mirror mode NOT an extended mode) before Windows loads. My theory is that post-Windows, the signal sent to the monitors is displayport 1.1. The monitors don't seem to have a problem sharing a displayport 1.1 signal and displaying in mirror mode, but what's the point of that? That's not why people are getting three monitors! We want monitor extension, eyefinity, etc. When Windows loads, I THINK that the graphics card switches to DP 1.2 mode. So it appears like its a Windows issue or drivers issue but I think its a DP 1.2 issue. This could be two things. A cable/throughput issues or a monitor issue. AMD software has a displayport troubleshooting program, and when I can get all three monitors to actually work and display, the displayport program shows a total bandwidth of 20gb/s and each monitor is taking approximately 4.5 gb/s. So that says to me that its not throughput.. which leads to the only thing left.. the monitors themselves.
I believe these monitors have a serious issue with DP, specifically 1.2. I think DP 1.1a works fine.. but if you want to daisy chain you are REQUIRED to use DP 1.2 because of the throughput limitation of 1.1a. In this monitor's current state, I would not recommend this type of configuration. You can still use the HDMI inputs or the mini or full-sized DP (make sure 1.2 is turned off) and everything should work fine.. but for the sake of this review, I wanted to speak directly to the issue of DP 1.2 and daisy chaining.
I will update my review after I get my setup hooked up via HDMI for all three monitors. My plan is to use two Mini DP to HDMI adapters and hook two monitors up using that configuration, and my third monitor will simply be an HDMI connection from my graphics card to monitor.
So should you be concerned that this monitor doesn't really function properly in DP 1.2 mode? Only if you MUST run a daisy chain configuration. The main difference between DP 1.1a and 1.2 is throughput. You need that extra throughput to send enough signal through the cable to allow all three monitors to get a "chunk" of data. 1.1a cant push enough data through the cable, so you can't daisy chain. DP1.2 is also needed for high resolutions, for the same throughput reasoning. More data, more throughput required. The dell is a 1080P monitor so that's not an issue.
Some background. This monitors are revision A01, my graphics card is a Gigabyte 7870. It has two mini DPs, a DVI out and am HDMI out. I used the supplied adapter from the graphics card for a mini DP to full sized DP, then hooked in the Cables Matters Displayport 1.2 cable to my first monitor. I daisy chained the other two according to Dell's instructions. BY DEFAULT the Dell's DisplayPort 1.2 capability is OFF. With it off you will definitely get no signal in a daisy chain configuration, from any of the monitors. To fix this, on monitor 1 (the monitor with the direct input from the graphics card) touch the menu button directly to the left of the power button. Make sure the monitor registers your touch- you will know if it does because the monitor will display a message saying it has no signal and you can select a different input by clicking the menu button. Once the menu comes up with different inputs, make sure the DisplayPort option is selected and HOLD the green checkmark button for approximately 8 seconds. A menu will come up asking if you would like to switch to DisplayPort 1.2. Make sure enable is selected and click the green checkmark. Repeat these steps on each monitor EXCEPT the last monitor in your DisplayPort daisy chain configuration. This one should stay in DP 1.1a mode.
Alright! So now everything is set up correctly and it should be smooth sailing from here on out right? Well.. not in my case. I experience a plethora of issues: one of more of the monitors will flicker, one or more of the monitors not coming on at ALL, one of the monitors will randomly shut off while the other two work properly and wont reinitialize. Essentially what it feels like to me is that the monitors aren't able to adequately send the signals to each other. I can't tell if this is a throughput issue, some type of handshake issue, graphics card drivers issue, etc. It's somewhat confusing honestly; in my experience all three monitors will initialize and display (albeit in a mirror mode NOT an extended mode) before Windows loads. My theory is that post-Windows, the signal sent to the monitors is displayport 1.1. The monitors don't seem to have a problem sharing a displayport 1.1 signal and displaying in mirror mode, but what's the point of that? That's not why people are getting three monitors! We want monitor extension, eyefinity, etc. When Windows loads, I THINK that the graphics card switches to DP 1.2 mode. So it appears like its a Windows issue or drivers issue but I think its a DP 1.2 issue. This could be two things. A cable/throughput issues or a monitor issue. AMD software has a displayport troubleshooting program, and when I can get all three monitors to actually work and display, the displayport program shows a total bandwidth of 20gb/s and each monitor is taking approximately 4.5 gb/s. So that says to me that its not throughput.. which leads to the only thing left.. the monitors themselves.
I believe these monitors have a serious issue with DP, specifically 1.2. I think DP 1.1a works fine.. but if you want to daisy chain you are REQUIRED to use DP 1.2 because of the throughput limitation of 1.1a. In this monitor's current state, I would not recommend this type of configuration. You can still use the HDMI inputs or the mini or full-sized DP (make sure 1.2 is turned off) and everything should work fine.. but for the sake of this review, I wanted to speak directly to the issue of DP 1.2 and daisy chaining.
I will update my review after I get my setup hooked up via HDMI for all three monitors. My plan is to use two Mini DP to HDMI adapters and hook two monitors up using that configuration, and my third monitor will simply be an HDMI connection from my graphics card to monitor.
So should you be concerned that this monitor doesn't really function properly in DP 1.2 mode? Only if you MUST run a daisy chain configuration. The main difference between DP 1.1a and 1.2 is throughput. You need that extra throughput to send enough signal through the cable to allow all three monitors to get a "chunk" of data. 1.1a cant push enough data through the cable, so you can't daisy chain. DP1.2 is also needed for high resolutions, for the same throughput reasoning. More data, more throughput required. The dell is a 1080P monitor so that's not an issue.
on June 23, 2015
Works great with my old early 2011 Macbook Pro. Even comes with a Mini-Displayport cable! I followed advice from another reviewer about size, 27" vs 24", looked at a couple of 27" monitors in a store, and decided the smaller screen was easier to work with. Plus for long web pages, the screen tilts to 90-degree portrait view but I scroll the page up anyway because I want the section I'm working on directly in front of me. Actual viewing area of screen 20-3/4 inches wide by 11-5/8 inches high.
Set up monitor with Macbook Pro:
There are two display ports about dead center on the back of the monitor. I started with the mini-Displayport cable plugged into the display port on the right but found it has to go in the display port to the LEFT. I didn't write down steps as I went along so not sure of the order. The five teeny tiny dots for "touch" buttons on the lower right front of the monitor frame are barely visible but locate the power "button" far right and turn on the monitor. You'll notice now due to the light from the screen, the buttons are not visible at all. (Terrible design but you don't need to access often.) Press on the front of the frame to the left of the "on" light and four icons pop up on the screen--left to right are color, brightness, menu and X. Touch the frame just below the menu icon, then touch the frame below the up and down arrows to navigate. You can do everything in the menu section or use color and brightness sections separately. Took a little playing around but I used these settings: Input Source: Display port (NOT mini-Displayport!!!); Brightness/Contrast: 34/75 (it was way too bright for me); Color Settings: Custom Color>Preset Modes>Custom Color: r100/g88/b100 (strictly personal); Display Settings>Aspect Ratio: Wide 16:9. (To adjust color, I put my laptop next to the Dell monitor and adjusted as closely as I could to match my Macbook.) Your display won't be looking too good yet, but click on the Displays icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen and select 1080p (p not i - 1080i is blurry). Then click "Turn Off Mirroring" or use Mac preferences for that. You may have to set resolution for Dell back to 1080p after you make mirroring change. If you're going to work in "clamshell" mode, you can skip mirroring change and just close your Macbook. You should see the Dell screen change to the proper aspect view and resolution. Pretty now? I hope so. This may not be the exact steps in the right order but maybe will cut down a bit on your experimenting and frustration!
Set up monitor with Macbook Pro:
There are two display ports about dead center on the back of the monitor. I started with the mini-Displayport cable plugged into the display port on the right but found it has to go in the display port to the LEFT. I didn't write down steps as I went along so not sure of the order. The five teeny tiny dots for "touch" buttons on the lower right front of the monitor frame are barely visible but locate the power "button" far right and turn on the monitor. You'll notice now due to the light from the screen, the buttons are not visible at all. (Terrible design but you don't need to access often.) Press on the front of the frame to the left of the "on" light and four icons pop up on the screen--left to right are color, brightness, menu and X. Touch the frame just below the menu icon, then touch the frame below the up and down arrows to navigate. You can do everything in the menu section or use color and brightness sections separately. Took a little playing around but I used these settings: Input Source: Display port (NOT mini-Displayport!!!); Brightness/Contrast: 34/75 (it was way too bright for me); Color Settings: Custom Color>Preset Modes>Custom Color: r100/g88/b100 (strictly personal); Display Settings>Aspect Ratio: Wide 16:9. (To adjust color, I put my laptop next to the Dell monitor and adjusted as closely as I could to match my Macbook.) Your display won't be looking too good yet, but click on the Displays icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen and select 1080p (p not i - 1080i is blurry). Then click "Turn Off Mirroring" or use Mac preferences for that. You may have to set resolution for Dell back to 1080p after you make mirroring change. If you're going to work in "clamshell" mode, you can skip mirroring change and just close your Macbook. You should see the Dell screen change to the proper aspect view and resolution. Pretty now? I hope so. This may not be the exact steps in the right order but maybe will cut down a bit on your experimenting and frustration!
on June 4, 2015
After having used an Asus TN panel for the last 4 years, the jump to IPS was an extremely noticeable one. Within minutes of turning this monitor on, I was left wondering why I hadn't made the switch to IPS sooner.
First in terms of style, the bezel is almost non-existent. My unit does have a fair bit of backlight bleed, more pronounced in the bottom right corner and slightly noticeable in the other corners, but nothing that really bothered me. IPS glow from off-angle is present, but inherent to the tech and really not an issue during normal use. The anti-glare panel coating works well. Height and tilt adjustment work well.
I use my computer almost exclusively as a gaming rig, so when I decided I had enough with the poor color reproduction and terrible viewing angles of a TN panel and started looking for an IPS display, I first narrowed them down by response time. Note that while other IPS displays may claim a lower response time of 5ms, as compared to the 8ms of the U2414H, you can't always take those numbers as truth. Scouring professional reviews for this monitor I found that it was about the best you will get in terms of response and input lag for an IPS display. I can say that I notice almost zero difference form my Asus TN panel, which claimed a 2ms response and is often seen in reviews as one of the lowest response monitors out there (the Asus VS248H-p if you are interested). Simply put, those worrying about response time of this IPS vs a good TN have nothing to worry about. This monitor performs great from 3rd person RPGs like the Witcher 3 to fast paced FPS like Battlefield 4. I don't notice a difference from my old TN.
I'm also a bit of a color nut. I consider myself a novice calibrator/enthusiast. The main reason I wanted to jump to IPS was for the supposed increase in color reproduction and IQ. In short, this monitor blows away my old TN panel in this department. I had thoroughly calibrated my TN panel, and had even recently bought a Spyder 4 colorimeter to try to acheive a better calibration. However even with hardware calibration the TN was still off. Gamma was always a mess, and obtaining a neutral 6500K white was almost impossible.
I was very interested in the U2414H because it comes with a factory certified calibration, which is activated in the sRGB mode. It also comes with an included calibration report with Color temperature and gamma charts. I will say that the factory calibration was quite good, and if I wasn't sensitive to calibration I would have probably been happy with it. However I immediately noticed that the image was fairly warm and the gamma felt a little high (too dark). I was able to verify this using the Spyder 4 sensor and dispcalgui calibration software (highly recommended if you intend to calibrate your monitor further).
In the factory calibrated sRGB mode, I measured a color temperature of about 6250K, which is a good bit warmer than the 6500K target. I also measured a gamma of 2.3, slightly darker than the 2.2 standard. There was also noticeable clipping in the high end with red and magenta, causing red, orange and pink type shades to be over-saturated. This is what I measured only for my unit though, other units may have better calibrated sRGB modes, so you may get better results than what I did. However I will post my settings, using my colorimeter and software, to help those who are unhappy with the sRGB mode.
In order to obtain a 6500K white point, in the Custom Color mode I ended up on the following:
R = 100
G = 97
B = 99
Contrast = 75
Brightness = 32 (for 120 cd/m2)
After making those simple changes, the display was very close to ideal. White point measured at 6540, and gamma came in at 2.1, as it is in most of the other modes from my testing. Although the gamma is slightly lighter, the colors are extremely accurate. After running through a full calibration with dispcalgui, the end result was only slightly different than what I got just from adjusting the monitor controls. The difference in normal images was almost imperceptible, and could only really been seen when looking at a grayscale or the like, where the extremely slight reddish tint was removed. Using the verification function in dispcalgui showed colors with errors less than 2 across the board and 99% sRGB coverage.
Overall, for the price point this IPS monitor is wonderful. It sports extremely accurate color reproduction with only a small amount of effort and has very fast response time that should pose no issue for gamers. The factory calibrated sRGB mode is fairly close to the standard out of the box, but at least on my unit was not ideal. By making small adustments to the custom color mode, I was able to dail the display in to 6500K fairly easily with a default gamma of 2.1. I think most people would be happy with the custom color adjustments I posted above. If you have a colorimeter, using dispcalgui you can obtain an almost ideal calibration on this monitor. Extremely pleased. Why did I wait so long to go IPS?!
First in terms of style, the bezel is almost non-existent. My unit does have a fair bit of backlight bleed, more pronounced in the bottom right corner and slightly noticeable in the other corners, but nothing that really bothered me. IPS glow from off-angle is present, but inherent to the tech and really not an issue during normal use. The anti-glare panel coating works well. Height and tilt adjustment work well.
I use my computer almost exclusively as a gaming rig, so when I decided I had enough with the poor color reproduction and terrible viewing angles of a TN panel and started looking for an IPS display, I first narrowed them down by response time. Note that while other IPS displays may claim a lower response time of 5ms, as compared to the 8ms of the U2414H, you can't always take those numbers as truth. Scouring professional reviews for this monitor I found that it was about the best you will get in terms of response and input lag for an IPS display. I can say that I notice almost zero difference form my Asus TN panel, which claimed a 2ms response and is often seen in reviews as one of the lowest response monitors out there (the Asus VS248H-p if you are interested). Simply put, those worrying about response time of this IPS vs a good TN have nothing to worry about. This monitor performs great from 3rd person RPGs like the Witcher 3 to fast paced FPS like Battlefield 4. I don't notice a difference from my old TN.
I'm also a bit of a color nut. I consider myself a novice calibrator/enthusiast. The main reason I wanted to jump to IPS was for the supposed increase in color reproduction and IQ. In short, this monitor blows away my old TN panel in this department. I had thoroughly calibrated my TN panel, and had even recently bought a Spyder 4 colorimeter to try to acheive a better calibration. However even with hardware calibration the TN was still off. Gamma was always a mess, and obtaining a neutral 6500K white was almost impossible.
I was very interested in the U2414H because it comes with a factory certified calibration, which is activated in the sRGB mode. It also comes with an included calibration report with Color temperature and gamma charts. I will say that the factory calibration was quite good, and if I wasn't sensitive to calibration I would have probably been happy with it. However I immediately noticed that the image was fairly warm and the gamma felt a little high (too dark). I was able to verify this using the Spyder 4 sensor and dispcalgui calibration software (highly recommended if you intend to calibrate your monitor further).
In the factory calibrated sRGB mode, I measured a color temperature of about 6250K, which is a good bit warmer than the 6500K target. I also measured a gamma of 2.3, slightly darker than the 2.2 standard. There was also noticeable clipping in the high end with red and magenta, causing red, orange and pink type shades to be over-saturated. This is what I measured only for my unit though, other units may have better calibrated sRGB modes, so you may get better results than what I did. However I will post my settings, using my colorimeter and software, to help those who are unhappy with the sRGB mode.
In order to obtain a 6500K white point, in the Custom Color mode I ended up on the following:
R = 100
G = 97
B = 99
Contrast = 75
Brightness = 32 (for 120 cd/m2)
After making those simple changes, the display was very close to ideal. White point measured at 6540, and gamma came in at 2.1, as it is in most of the other modes from my testing. Although the gamma is slightly lighter, the colors are extremely accurate. After running through a full calibration with dispcalgui, the end result was only slightly different than what I got just from adjusting the monitor controls. The difference in normal images was almost imperceptible, and could only really been seen when looking at a grayscale or the like, where the extremely slight reddish tint was removed. Using the verification function in dispcalgui showed colors with errors less than 2 across the board and 99% sRGB coverage.
Overall, for the price point this IPS monitor is wonderful. It sports extremely accurate color reproduction with only a small amount of effort and has very fast response time that should pose no issue for gamers. The factory calibrated sRGB mode is fairly close to the standard out of the box, but at least on my unit was not ideal. By making small adustments to the custom color mode, I was able to dail the display in to 6500K fairly easily with a default gamma of 2.1. I think most people would be happy with the custom color adjustments I posted above. If you have a colorimeter, using dispcalgui you can obtain an almost ideal calibration on this monitor. Extremely pleased. Why did I wait so long to go IPS?!
on November 15, 2014
After weeks of reading reviews, technical details, etc. I bought the Dell U2414H and am very pleased with it. I like the easily adjustable stand, the clarity, and the size of the monitor. For the price, I believe I got a very good monitor.
The only downside is the touch sensitive buttons used to the monitor on and off, and to adjust the settings. They do not respond to a touch and I find that I have to repeatedly touch a button to make an adjustment. While this isn't a deal breaker, the quality is lacking on this feature. I use another Dell monitor at work and the touch buttons on it work perfectly 100% of the time.
I tried some of the monitor's presets when I received it, and ended up using the sRGB setting, which gave me the truest color. One nice feature of this monitor is that it comes with a printout of the monitor's color analysis from the factory. The only thing I adjusted was the brightness and contrast. Once these were set, I didn't have to make any further changes.
I ended up downloading the Dell Display Manager from the Dell website to use for making adjustments to the monitor. The software allows me to use the mouse to make adjustments, which is much easier than using the monitor's buttons. All in all, I'm very pleased with the monitor and would recommend it to anyone.
The only downside is the touch sensitive buttons used to the monitor on and off, and to adjust the settings. They do not respond to a touch and I find that I have to repeatedly touch a button to make an adjustment. While this isn't a deal breaker, the quality is lacking on this feature. I use another Dell monitor at work and the touch buttons on it work perfectly 100% of the time.
I tried some of the monitor's presets when I received it, and ended up using the sRGB setting, which gave me the truest color. One nice feature of this monitor is that it comes with a printout of the monitor's color analysis from the factory. The only thing I adjusted was the brightness and contrast. Once these were set, I didn't have to make any further changes.
I ended up downloading the Dell Display Manager from the Dell website to use for making adjustments to the monitor. The software allows me to use the mouse to make adjustments, which is much easier than using the monitor's buttons. All in all, I'm very pleased with the monitor and would recommend it to anyone.
on April 19, 2016
UPDATE ADDED AFTER MONITOR BROKE IN 6 MONTHS.
Excellent monitor that I use as an extension to my laptop connected via a docking station. Images are sharp and the colors are solid. The best feature of this monitor is the ultra-slim bezel, an advantage I felt useful while having two monitors adjacent to each other.
I had some trouble configuring it for the first time, but, from then on, it was all smooth and good.
UPDATE (AFTER 6 MONTHS OF USE)
I am changing this to a 1 star review for the monitor. It was working fine and efficient until it gave up on one fine day. The screen got grainy and started to flicker for no reason.
It was a good monitor for as long as it was working, but I expect a monitor to last for more than 6 months.
Excellent monitor that I use as an extension to my laptop connected via a docking station. Images are sharp and the colors are solid. The best feature of this monitor is the ultra-slim bezel, an advantage I felt useful while having two monitors adjacent to each other.
I had some trouble configuring it for the first time, but, from then on, it was all smooth and good.
UPDATE (AFTER 6 MONTHS OF USE)
I am changing this to a 1 star review for the monitor. It was working fine and efficient until it gave up on one fine day. The screen got grainy and started to flicker for no reason.
It was a good monitor for as long as it was working, but I expect a monitor to last for more than 6 months.
