NEC Display Solutions P221W-BK 22-Inch 8ms(GTG) 300 cd/m2 1000:1 Widescreen LCD Monitor (Black)

I spent many hours and days researching monitors prior to purchasing 2 of these and am certainly glad I chose them.

I was tired of the uninspiring image quality produced by TN panel monitors. While not too horrible, cheaper TN panels never gave me what I hoped for when editing images and videos. Even with good color calibration software, I could never get consistent results especially in a dual monitor setup. The limited viewing angle of TN panels also became a real issue as I began to move up in size. The larger the TN panel, the more color shift occurs at the edges.

While IPS monitors are currently regarded as being the top tier, they come at a hefty price and my budget/conscience just wouldn't allow me to invest so much money in a dual monitor setup. I have compared my two NEC S-PVA monitors with another manufacturer's IPS monitors and I will say that I see no difference and the NEC's have far more features.

After purchasing the SpectraView...Read more

I received two P221w's this weekend and so far so good. I will update this review over the next month or so. I'm running two monitors with the NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT that came with my MacPro dual 2.66. Initial impressions are compared to my set of Samsung Syncmaster 226bw that the monitors are replacing. Both were calibrated with colovision spyder2pro, but with the NEC spectraview II software on the p221w's. Blacks are MUCH better on the P221w's. Very noticeable when you shut down the computer and the screen goes black for a period of time. Resolution is better on the p221w's, despite the similar proclaimed resolutions. Color accuracy appears to be much better on the P221s's, but I have created prints just yet. The most notable benefit to me so far is that the two displays appear to be consistent. I was never able to get both of the syncmasters to calibrate the same. I'm calibrating on a regular basis with the idea that the monitors are really just burning themselves in in...Read more

I am a serious amateur and have spent thousands of dollars in camera equipment, editing software and calibration software. But I kept on using my regular desktop screen or laptop screen, thinking that calibrating them was good enough.

This display has dramatically improved my viewing experience and I deeply regret not having purchased a professional monitor long ago. The major advantage that a professional monitor gives you in addition to larger size and better colors, is the much larger viewing angles. You can move your head up and down or sideways and the image does not change like in traditional displays. I can have friends around me and they can see the image in full splendor.

This NEC display can be calibrated with special software, but if you want, the display's Native mode using the included ICC profile is 99% perfect right out of the box.

When I have the money I may go for the NEC LCD2490WUXi2 or LCD2690WUXi2 which are more high end and...Read more