DELL U2711 monitor

[Digiphilic]

Hi,
Is anyone using this Dell monitor for their post-processing?
It's a 27" IPS panel, same as Apple cinema display but has anti-glare coating (which seem to get a lot of negative feedbacks) but cheaper. $764 vs $1299.

Thanks for sharing your experience or comments about this Dell monitor. I am considering getting it and link it to my Macbook Pro for post-processing.

Cheers,
Quang

[hakka]

I'm also thinking about getting one of these, I really want the 30inch but its a big price jump.

I currently have a Dell s2409w, which has the anti glare coating. Sitting at the desk right now I can see the whole room reflected in the laptop display, but the Dell shows no reflections at all. I would definitely go for the anti glare screen.

[jjphoto]

I have the 2710, not sure if the surface is identical to the 2711, but I have no issue with it re the surface. By the way readability and resolution are a notch better on a 27" at 1920x1200 than a 24" at the same settings.

If I were to buy another screen in the short term I'd buy the 2711.

JJ

[Digiphilic]

Dell had a sepcial on yesterday and I was thinking of getting two (which is still cheaper than getting one Dell 30" one). But because there are quite a few mixed feedback, I thought I better get just one for now. I just ordered a 15" MBP with anti-glare screen as well as the glossy screen is great to view photos and videos (in the right lighting) but the reflections are so hard to process photos with.

I'm also thinking about getting one of these, I really want the 30inch but its a big price jump.

I currently have a Dell s2409w, which has the anti glare coating. Sitting at the desk right now I can see the whole room reflected in the laptop display, but the Dell shows no reflections at all. I would definitely go for the anti glare screen.

[screamer]

Have had a 2711 for a few months now and it's great for photo editing and display. Set Win 7 to large fonts at the screen native resolution and find it fine. Only issue is with Google chrome - doesn't seem to like sharp resolution int he browser. Firefox 4 is fine - but the large fonts cause it some grief for a few websites.

Was a bit confused for a while when I used my old digital cable and screen wouldn't display at it's highest resolution. Seems not all digital cables are the same and I need the "extra connectors" for the wide screen 2711.

All in all, I am very happy with it as I purchased it for photo editing.

[Digiphilic]

Hi, thanks for sharing your experience with this monitor.
I did some reading and for me to get the native resolution (2560x1400) on the 2711 monitor with the Macbook Pro, I need to use a minidisplay port (which connect to the macboo's new thunderbolt slot) - displayport cable. Lile you said, not all cables will give you high res. Most of them (HDMI,DVI) only give max 1920x1200 There wasn't many places in Oz selling these cables either but I got one from Macfixit in Melbourne. The Dell 2711 is getting delivered tomorrow and hopefully my new mackbook pro next week....will post up my impression.

Was a bit confused for a while when I used my old digital cable and screen wouldn't display at it's highest resolution. Seems not all digital cables are the same and I need the "extra connectors" for the wide screen 2711.
All in all, I am very happy with it as I purchased it for photo editing.

[fess67]

I have had the 30" Dell for a couple of years now and I have to say it is a great monitor. I would not swap it for anything. I used to be in the IT industry and we used Dell kit across the board. I have my wife's business kitted out with it too. I do not want to sound like a fan boy but unless you really want to go specialist I think Dell is a very good option.

[hakka]

Hi, thanks for sharing your experience with this monitor.
I did some reading and for me to get the native resolution (2560x1400) on the 2711 monitor with the Macbook Pro, I need to use a minidisplay port (which connect to the macboo's new thunderbolt slot) - displayport cable. Lile you said, not all cables will give you high res. Most of them (HDMI,DVI) only give max 1920x1200 There wasn't many places in Oz selling these cables either but I got one from Macfixit in Melbourne. The Dell 2711 is getting delivered tomorrow and hopefully my new mackbook pro next week....will post up my impression.

I was planning to order one this week but I will be connecting to a laptop which has HDMI and VGA, no display port. Is there any way to run full res without the display port?

[Digiphilic]

Hi Hakka,

This link should explain a lot about your question: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1479962

Hope that helps.

I was planning to order one this week but I will be connecting to a laptop which has HDMI and VGA, no display port. Is there any way to run full res without the display port?

[Watchamacallit]

I use a U2711 at home (with another 24") and never looked back. I've colour calibrated mine and use it all the time for PP, images, etc - your only problem may be all the pixel peeping you can (and will :P) do because everything is blown up. Very handy if you're going to be producing large prints or display on large digital devices, as a shot that works for a small image may not be so nice enlarged.

Also a very good value for money monitor, especially with Dell's discounts (I got mine for about $650 last year).

[Digiphilic]

Hi Adam, Can you tell me how you connect your monitor and which cable do you use to get the max native res at 2560x1440?
I got the U2711 for $764 on special. I have also ordered a X-rite Eye One Display 2 to calibrate the monitor.

Cheers,
Quang

I use a U2711 at home (with another 24") and never looked back. I've colour calibrated mine and use it all the time for PP, images, etc - your only problem may be all the pixel peeping you can (and will :P) do because everything is blown up. Very handy if you're going to be producing large prints or display on large digital devices, as a shot that works for a small image may not be so nice enlarged.

Also a very good value for money monitor, especially with Dell's discounts (I got mine for about $650 last year).

[Watchamacallit]

I believe you need either:
a) Display Port
b) Dual-link DVI cable (These are not your normal DVI cables but DVI-D)

I used the DVI-D cable because it's hooked up to my home PC (and the graphics card doesn't have display port) but you should be able to do a mini-display port to display port and have it working fine, though I'm no mac user.

[etherial]

I seriously considering buying this monitor, but I have read so many reviews saying the anti glare screen ruins it for photo editing?? I wish I could actually see one before buying!!

I don't know what to do.

[Digiphilic]

Hi Mic,
I've got mine a few days ago and connected it to my MBP easily, haing full 2560x1440 resolution on the Dell U2711. Both MBP and the Dell have antiglare surface. I must say having an iMAc with glossy screen for some years now, the antiglare surface of the Dell monitor is quite difficult to adjust to and I am still trying to figure out how to calibrate both my MBP and the Dell to have the same display colors as I am using the Dell as extended display to the MBP.

The upside is I have no annoying reflection like the glossy screen.

I definitely recommend if you can see them before you buy it. I might have not bought it if I saw it (the reviews on internet was very mixed, some hate it and some loved it). Hopefully, with time and correct calibration using X-rite Eye one display 2 unit I will be much happier. So if anyone have any tips on color calibration, I would love to hear from you.

I seriously considering buying this monitor, but I have read so many reviews saying the anti glare screen ruins it for photo editing?? I wish I could actually see one before buying!!

I don't know what to do.

[etherial]

Well I did it. I bought one and it arrived today. OMG!!!! I didn't know monitors could be this good!! Now to figure out all that profiles and calibration stuff.

I'm in heaven

[arthurking83]

Good to hear!

you can do a couple of things about calibration:

Get a pre calibrated profile from the .... TFT Central database(just scroll down to the U2711 link and download it)

or try a pre calibrated profile already in set up in the screen.. aRGB would be best, if you think you will occasionally use that for editing(raw images), but if not then the sRGB calibration profile would be perfectly acceptable.
The aRGB calibration in the screen's set up menu is pretty good according to TFTCentral(in their review), but the sRGB profile needs a small amount of tweaking.
It still beats having to do a manual calibration if you just want it up and running NOW!

[etherial]

Thanks Arthur, Well after a lot of playing with calibration profiles and the like, I did end up using one from the TFT Central database. I played with the windows 7 calibrations, all the presets on the screen, my graphics card settings, the dell profile that came on the disc etc but settled on the user calibration in the database which has all the OSD settings etc. It seems to be the best fit when checking it on http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/ So many of them would be good on the blacks test, but poor on the whites, and visa versa. This one is good at both ends. It also appeals the most to my eye, it feels right.

I'm convinced that the software calibration methods (windows 7 and following the web site adjustments) just don't get it good enough though and it appears a proper calibration is the go. Now to find a cheap Spyder3 I guess!