REVIEW: NEC PA302W 30" Backlit Wide Gamut Monitor

NEC 30" Widescreen LED Backlit LCD Wide Gamut Desktop Monitor

I’ve been lucky enough for NEC to let me review their new 30” backlit display, the PA302W for the past month and I’ve got to say that I’ve been loving it! While the PA301W (review) didn’t impress me much, this one seems to address my concerns enough that I’m almost sorry that I agreed to review it! You see, I have to return this display when I’m done reviewing it and I can assure you that this is definitely one that I don’t want to send back! Of course, I can’t really afford the whopper $2389+ price tag (at the time of this writing), but if I could I’d get it in a heartbeat.

Perhaps it’s the backlight, but this display seems to be much more uniform from edge to edge than its predecessor. Instead of feeling like a large misfit in the lineup, it feels like it’s on par with the PA242W and PA271W that I’ve already reviewed.

Now this is a beast of a display to have on your desktop, so for many there’s not really a need to go dual screen. Since I already own a PA241W that purchased myself, I’m using it in portrait orientation as my 2nd display, so I’m digging all of this massive screen real estate.

Plan to upgrade your video card

NEC AMD FirePro W5000 Dual DisplayPort Video Card (Amazon)

Unless you are already driving a big 30” display, you’ll probably discover as I did that a faster video card is in order. To get the full advantage of all 1.07 billion colors  (Windows only – Mac doesn’t support it), you’ll need to run a DisplayPort cable from the card to the DisplayPort on the PC. None of the other ports will give you this full color mode AND you’ll have to enable this functionality on the driver. The full color support is built into the driver model for Windows, but for some reason Apple hasn’t bothered to add support yet (yes, even in Mavericks).

I updated my video card and things are smoking fast now, but that was over $400 (via Amazon in Nov 2013) that I didn’t expect to have to shell out to try out this display. Keep this in mind if you are upgrading with a lesser video card.

Now to be fair, you don’t need to upgrade your card if you aren’t doing dual monitors or if you don’t care about the 10-bit per color channel color (and for photo editing you don’t really want it). However, my dual display configuration and an aging video card forced me to upgrade my previous model that worked fine with the PA241W and PA301W.

Enabling 10-bit per channel (30-bit total) Color (for 1.07 Billion Colors)

While I don’t recommend this setting for photography (because Lightroom, printers and web browsers don’t support this mode so you might miss banding problems), if you want to see true 10-bit per color channel color then here’s how you do it (Windows only because Apple doesn’t support this feature yet):

FirePro users can enable 10-bit pixel format (to get 1.07 Billion colors) as shown above

Check 30 Bit Display in Photoshop CC Performance Preferences
if you want 1.07 Billion Color Support

WARNING: On both MAC and PC the display will say 30-bit color mode if the video card is enabled for this mode, but it doesn’t work at the OS level on the Mac. On the PC it only works when this functionality is enabled which in some cases is a manual process like shown above for Photoshop CC.

It should be noted that nVidia also has models which support this color mode, but I do not have a screen shot available which shows how to enable it. If you do, please send it to me so I can include it in this article in the future!

Is it worth it to get the 30” instead of the 27”?

As of the time of this writing the PA272W was more than $1000 cheaper than this 30” model, so it begs the question – is the 30” worth the extra bucks?

Consider the following graphic that shows how much of Excel you can show on the 24” (1920x1200), 27” (2560x1440) and 30” (2560x1600):

Excel on Windows - How much can you fit?

The width of what you can show is identical, so the gain is just in the height. Honestly my opinion from the previous generation hasn’t changed in that I don’t see the value in that extra 409,600 pixels you get for the 30”. It’s a bit like exotic sports cars where you might spend an extra $100,000 to get one more mile per hour for the top speed – beyond bragging rights, you really aren’t going to miss those pixels on a daily basis. As a result, if I were putting my hard earned money down I’d go for the PA272W and use that $1000+ to get a PA242W or PA241W as my secondary display. At that point you are getting 2,304,000 pixels (or 1,894,400 more) for your money – or I’d just save the cash. You’ll also save on your electric bill!

Should I upgrade from my PA301W to the PA302W?

Speaking of electricity bills, one of the big advantage of the new models ending with 2 is the backlit display which helps to use up to 40% LESS energy than the predecessors. As a result you get the same great performance but it cost you less to operate. As a result, the environmentalists out there might find this is a great upgrade for that reason alone!

With better performance and less energy consumption, this is the ONLY model in the PA series line up that I can easily say makes a lot of sense to upgrade. For the other models my advice has been to stick with your model and get the new backlit models when you want to upgrade your primary display. However, the performance of this display and the energy savings really make financial sense to sell off your old 30 and upgrade to the new one OR downgrade to the PA272W for the same reasons.

What about 4k UHD?

Check out my review of the NEC PA322UHD – the 32” 4k UHD (3480 x 2160) equivalent of this display if you’ve got a fat wallet, a big desk and want the best photo / video editing display money can buy.

Conclusion

This is a MUCH improved 30” model that I believe blows away the Apple Cinema Display in every way except for the sexiness of the case (Apple is very good at that). With better uniformity of the color from edge to edge over its predecessor and up to 40% less energy consumption it’s an upgrade worthy of replacing its predecessor. While I still think the smart money is on the PA272W instead, I can’t imagine anyone regretting owning this display unless their desk was too small or they threw their back out getting it out of the box – ha, ha!

Where to order

The following links can be used to get the latest NEC displays from B&H (or use the Amazon links in parenthesis if you prefer Amazon):

• PA242W – 24” Backlit Model (Amazon)
• PA272W – 27” Backlit Model (Amazon)
• PA302W – 30” Backlit Model (Amazon)

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device
• NEC PA322UHD 4k UHD 32" Display Review
• NEC PA301W Review
• NEC PA242W Review  (NEC PA241W & PA271W Monitors)
• NEC SoundBar Pro Display Speakers
• NEC SpectraSensor Pro (powered by X-Rite)
• NEC MultiProfiler - A Must for NEC Displays!
• Eizo CG243w

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

NEC Adds Quick Print Emulation to MultiProfiler 1.2+

NEC has updated its MultiProfiler software (available at no charge for both Mac and PC for P & PA series displays). The latest version makes the previously obscure task of setting a paper profile to one of your Picture Modes to a ICC profile (for soft proofing) and makes it much easier now thanks to the Quick Print Emulation Wizard.

The following is an example run through of how it works on both Mac and Windows systems.

It starts off with an optional page that tells you about how to get the best results.

You are then asked for the output profile you want to emulate. In this case, I’m using a paper profile for my Canon PRO-1 printer. The profiles loaded are whatever you have installed on your system, so yes your printer is supported. You can also select profiles from alternate locations.

You can then choose the rendering intent you plan to use when you print your image, and I always check the simulate checkbox.

In this step you are asked what existing preset you wish to replace with this new setting, and a name is suggested based on your profile name. I accepted the default here, but normally I’d suggest a better name.

In the final step, notice how the previously Untitled Picture Mode now becomes the name you set on the previous page (Canon PRO 1 GL) with settings that simulate the profile you selected during the wizard.

This is cool because it helps you to better match what you see on the screen with what should come out of your printer (assuming you use the same print settings, and your printer is operating properly). It should be noted that if you use this feature you should NOT use any additional soft proofing in Lightroom, Photoshop, etc… as you’ll end up with double soft proofing which leads to inaccurate results.

It should be noted that this feature works best on wide color gamut NEC monitor models like the PA series. Less expensive models (P series, and others) effectively render a near sRGB color space so this feature will not work with those models.

Once you have this picture mode set up you can use it at any time without re-running the wizard, and you can replace it by running the wizard again.

Conclusion

While Photoshop’s soft proofing can be very good, it’s only as good as your monitor calibration. If you don’t have a properly calibrated display and have been struggling with soft proofing, this might be a great solution to help you better understand what your print will look to others before you hit print. It’s certainly handy when editing an image for a specific output type.

Once you have things set in place the Shortcuts feature of MultiProfiler can be used so you can quickly switch between picture modes without using this software directly.

North American users can get the update from http://www.necdisplay.com/support-and-services/multi-profiler/downloads.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• NEC PA Series Monitors (30" Display Review)
• New PA242W Backlit Display
• NEC SoundBar Pro Display Speakers
• NEC SpectraSensor Pro (powered by X-Rite)
• Printing Series
• Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device
• Which Printer Should I Buy? Epson or Canon?

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

REVIEW: NEC PA242W Color Critical Wide Gamut Backlit Desktop Monitor (vs PA241W)

NEC PA242W-BK Color Critical Wide Gamut Desktop Monitor

If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you’ve probably read my NEC PA Series reviews. I love my NEC displays because they are a fraction of the cost of an equivalent Eizo with quality differences that can only be measured with instruments, and not the naked eye. The price / value ratio of these displays have made them some of the hottest selling displays on the market for photographers, so I was pretty excited when my NEC contact informed me about the new backlit models they are introducing.

The NEC PA242W (and upcoming PA302W in November) take everything you love about the current models, and add HDMI input and a backlight to them which translates into a 41% power consumption savings. While I’m told the green and blue primaries in the new backlit displays are supposed to be better, I can’t easily notice a difference.What I do notice is that these are effectively as great as the monitors that I’ve enjoyed over the last few years, but my electricity meter spins a little slower now. ;-) Given how many electronic devices I have in my house, this is a very good thing!

The Upgrade Question

Just as flexible as its predecessor

I think the burning question on the minds of any PA Series owner is going to be – should I upgrade?

My short answer is probably not. While it’s great to use less energy for both environmental and cost savings reasons, this model isn’t going to look measurably different against your current display. I do think if you are buying a new PA Series, this is the model to get because of the energy savings which theoretically should also translate into a longer service life. The energy cost savings will probably pay for itself after a few years, and if this gives you a longer life for your display then it just makes sense. In addition, HDMI is becoming even more popular so that might be a great reason to own it for some as well.

I wouldn’t dump my old PA series for this model just to have the latest model as I haven’t fully realized my investment cost of my display. I suspect this will be the case for many of my readers as well. However, if I were to add another display, then this would certainly be the one I’d get.

What about the Calibration Hardware & Software?

NEC PA242W-BK-SV (includes SpectraView II and SpectraSensor Pro)

As I’ve mentioned in my previous review, you definitely need the SpectraView II software and a compatible calibration device. If you buy the bundle you get the best deal, but if you already have a compatible calibration device and/or the software then it makes sense to buy the monitor by itself. The SpectraSensor Pro does not appear to have improved since I reviewed it last, so if you own that device and/or the SpectraView II software then all you need is version 1.1.15.00 or later and you are in business.

It should be noted that SpectraView II supports multiple NEC displays, so you can mix and match with wide gamut PA series models without any problem. No new hardware or software purchase is required for this scenario.

Click here to learn more about SpectraView II and its compatible devices.

Conclusion

I had already moved to a backlit TV in my family room, so I already had some expectations about what to expect with this new PA series display. While I was a little disappointed that the picture quality didn’t really improve as it had done for my TV, I was very pleased that I was still able to get excellent calibration and soft proofing performance using SpectraView II and a SpectraSensor Pro. This is a great display to add to your system when you are in the market for a new display, but I wouldn’t retire a healthy current generation PA series display for this one.

Please consider my previous review when shopping for NEC displays.

Where to order

Click here to order the PA242W or click here to order the PA302W from B&H. My friends at Adorama have it available here. You can also click here to order from Amazon (but look carefully at the model numbers).

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• NEC PA Series Monitors (NEW- 30" Display Review)
• NEC SoundBar Pro Display Speakers
• NEC SpectraSensor Pro (powered by X-Rite)
• NEC MultiProfiler - A Must for NEC Displays!
• Understanding 10-bit Color by NEC’s Art Marshall
• Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device
• Printing Series
• Eizo CG243w – PA Series competitor that performs slightly better

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

My love for NEC displays landed me on their testimonials page, but I do not get financially compensated from NEC.

REVIEW: NEC PA-241W & PA-271W LCD Monitors

My PA241W-BK is configured in Landscape mode at 1920x1200 with a hood

Here’s an index of my NEC reviews not covered by this article:

• NEC PA242W Review (replaces the PA241W discussed here)
• NEC PA302W Review 
• NEC PA301W Review (old model replaced by above)
• NEC SoundBar Pro Display Speakers
• NEC SpectraSensor Pro (powered by X-Rite)
• NEC MultiProfiler - A Must for NEC Displays!

In September 2010 one of my most respected photography mentors contacted me and told me that I needed to review the NEC PA-Series displays because he felt they were almost as good as the Eizo ColorEdge CG221 ($5,034 @ B&H on 12/24/2010) for a fraction of the price (I paid $899.95 for My PA241W-BK on 8/3/2010). I liked my Dell 2407WFPb display and thought that there was no need to replace it. It had served me well for several years and I was actually looking forward to the day when I could buy a monitor for a couple hundred bucks!

Every time I talked to my mentor he would rave about this PA-Series monitor which he had added to his own collection, and during my printing series I was really struggling to get soft proofing results that matched what I was seeing in my GTI light box.

I did a little shopping around and some research and found out that this NEC display might be a wise investment, so I finally put down my own cash for the monitor and hood. I had no contacts with NEC (at that point) and purchased it just as you would. Here was my email to my photography club after I got this display:

So I ended up buying this NEC PA series monitor and calibrated it last night - OMG this thing rocks! I feel like I did when I went from my old TV to a nice LED 1080p HDTV. I thought my old Dell was good, but this thing blows it away. I felt like I could reach in and touch stuff in the photo.

I did the monitor hood too which has helped a lot and was built a lot better than I expected. Its felt lined on the inside and has a trap door for the calibration device, so it’s a lot more complex than one would think. I see why it’s $99 now, and given the cost of hoods I think it’s an okay value for what you get - much better than I thought when I threw it in the cart.

No regrets on this one - it’s a great monitor. I had zero noise with it too - can’t hear anything from it. I was glad to see it had USB ports and multiple input ports too. My pro source below told me that NEC engineers said the best results are only possible with the Display Port, and I have to use DVI so that’s a bummer. However, I can’t see how it could be much better - it’s damn good with DVI.

Since I have a MacBook Pro with a Display Port this sent me on a quest to try this display out with a Display Port to see if I could see the “better” results. Eventually this quest ended up with me talking to NEC directly where I got many of my questions (and probably some of yours too) answered. Here’s what I learned:

• The PA241W came out in February and the PA271W has been released since then. The PA271W has a slight edge in pixel density. Both are great displays, and I haven’t been able to observe any practical differences in everyday use between the 24 & 27 (more on that later).
• One REALLY cool feature is that you can do side-by-side of the same input in two windows on one of these displays and display the windows using different picture modes.
  
  Where this is really cool is that I could have one set for the full color gamut and the other set for a sRGB (for web proofing) or a printer paper profile (for soft proofing). This works best when the monitor is in portrait orientation as over and under looks a lot better than side by side. I find this extremely useful because wide color gamut displays show more of the red portion of the color gamut so it is easy to overcompensate for sunburned looking skin only to have the sRGB image for the web look like crap. Alternatively there are also shortcut buttons on the display to just change picture modes for the whole display so you can edit for the web’s sRGB colorspace and return to the wide colorspace when imaging for print.
• This display has built-in KVM functionality so you plug your mouse and keyboard in and when you switch inputs they will go with you to the other computer – this even works between the Mac & PC. Furthermore, you can stick a USB Flash drive in the display and that device will be available for the active computer so you can use it for situations where file transfer between computers isn’t working well (especially on mac/pc or pc/linux scenarios)
• The SpectraView II calibration device that NEC ships (offered below) is the X-Rite i1Display 2 that has been modified to support the wide color gamut display. Other calibration devices will work too and are shown here – page down. The word on the street is that the i1Pro or the ColorMunki are the preferred calibration devices for the best results.
• Calibration typically works on the display card by creating a profile that acts as a mapping table to render the accurate results on the display. Their SpectraView II software is unique in that it actually programs the look up tables in the display itself for what NEC claims offers OS independent calibration (especially useful if you are switching between computers with the same display – you only need to calibrate once)
• The MultiProfiler software on their web site is worth downloading and you can use it to control the Ambient Light Compensation (recommended off), Response Improve (on – esp, if motion video is important), Metamerism correction (optional and personal preference).

In the end I learned that there is a PC-only configuration that can be done to get the improved 10-bit display output which does require a display port video cable using a video card that has yet to be released and a PC driver configuration that is not for the faint of heart. In short, it’s vaporware now so don’t worry about connecting your NEC display via the DVI port at this time.

Should I buy the NEC Calibration Device or Software?

My recommendation is that if you don't have an i1Pro or ColorMunki spectrophotometer, and you don't intend to generate paper profiles then get the NEC bundle with the calibrator as you'll save yourself a lot of headaches. It is included in bundles when ordering (see below) or you can purchase it after the fact here, but even with it you’ll need to purchase the NEC software separately.

If you have one of the X-Rite products then just get the display and buy the SpectraView software from NEC.

I also found this article to be useful in discussions about calibrating this display.

One very cool feature of these displays for calibration is that you can use the MultiProfiler tool to load your paper profiles as input to get display based softproofing which can effectively bring softproofing to Lightroom – which doesn’t exist today. NEC confirms that Photoshop’s soft proofing of paper profiles is superior, but this method works wonders for those looking to bring soft proofing to well color managed applications that don’t currently support it.

How does the PA241W compare to the PA271W?

My PA271W-BK is configured in Portrait mode at 1440x2560

After I got involved with NEC my contact suggested I try out the 27” display to which I replied – I’d love to if you send it, but I can’t afford it. NEC agreed to let me borrow one for a short time which is kinda like your local crack dealer giving free samples for newbies – some things you shouldn’t sample unless you are prepared to make it a part of your life!

My PA241W-BK with my old Dell 2407WFPb on the right
(NOTE: Colors and lighting way off in photo so make no inferences from this shot)

When I got the 27” I ditched my Dell 2407WFPb and put the PA271W-BK in portrait mode as shown above and configured in my control panel below as follows:

My Windows 7 system display layout

In practical use I’ve not seen any negative aspects of the 27” over the 24”, and in fact I use the 27” to write my blog articles as I’m doing now. I absolutely love this 27” display and it is wonderful when viewing Lightroom 3.3’s 2nd display window in Grid mode as the high resolution allows me to see the details I need yet still view a lot of images from the library.

PA231W-BK – The new addition to the family for much less

NEC has added the PA231W to the line up for a much more friendly price at a slight cost in features. This is effectively the budget minded solution at the expense of not being a wide-gamut display (useful for photo editing – critical for soft proofing/printing).

I have not tested this display, so I only mention it for completeness. It should be suitable for sRGB photo editing and proofing for display, not print, output. it is for this reason why I’m perplexed as to why this monitor is part of the PA series as it seems more suited to a different series of displays.

I am of the opinion that it’s not worth replacing your display unless you are moving up to wide gamut so my advice is for the other PA series displays featured in this article.

A word about switching to wide color gamut displays

When you go from a normal display to a wide color gamut display it takes some getting used to because the colors that you can now see (especially in the reds) can throw you when you edit your photos. This is why when I do my final photo edits before sending them to display output (i.e., web, facebook, flickr, etc…) I like to switch my NEC display to sRGB mode to see how it will look. I still edit with the full color gamut turned on which can burn me sometimes for output to web browsers, but the output on properly color managed devices and print is brilliant. I therefore edit for print and then adjust or remove some Photoshop layers to get my display output – in a separate file (or virtual copy in Lightroom). This is a challenge for moving to ANY wide color gamut display, not just these NEC’s.

I also advise that if you are a business and you are doing color critical work that you should only upgrade your displays until you can afford to move all color management displays up to wide color gamut displays to avoid headaches of switching between color spaces and having two people image the same file differently because of what they see on their display.

UPDATE: Comparison to Eizo FlexScan SX2762W

The 2560 x 1440 resolution makes of the FlexScan SX2762W makes it competitive with the PA271W, so its clear that Eizo is targeting this display to NEC PA Series buyers. The SX2762W seems to have a slight benefit in edge to edge performance, and it has the typical Eizo super fast startup & warm up times (which is critical for accurate calibration). I much prefer the PA Series SpectaView calibration software and hardware and the PA series value is unmatched, so if I were buying a 27” display I’d still go for the NEC. With that said, Eizo loyalists will probably favor the SX2762W for its impressive feature list (click here) and the superior edge to edge performance that make Eizo so popular. However, if I were buying a 27”, I’d go for the NEC.

Conclusion

I love these displays! They’ve been rock solid and a joy to use. I did have one glitch in that my display started to blink, but it turns out that it is known issue if you have your PIP (picture-in-picture) display input set to display port (not the default). If your PIP input is set to anything else then you won’t see this problem.

I also missed my speakers attached to my Dell display, but you can buy the NEC Soundbar to work around that problem.

Now that I have used both I’d want to keep the 27 over the 24 as the extra screen real estate is VERY nice to have, but it is also a no comprise high quality display. The 24 is better on paper, but the 27 is just as good to me and my eyes.

I strongly recommend the hood (27” requires a different model) for those displays in landscape mode, but I find the hood useless and annoying in portrait mode. I had zero issues with glare, so the hood recommendation is based on pure color management advice of avoiding light contamination on your photo editing display.

It’s also a must that you get the SpectraView II Software (sold here) if you wish to properly calibrate this display with non NEC calibration devices. I do suggest buying the NEC calibration device if you already don’t own a supported calibration device). UPDATE: Check out this article for NEW calibration devices by X-Rite which support wide gamut displays like these.

These are a great couple of displays that I can’t recommend highly enough. I will warn you though – once you try them you’ll be hooked, so if you don’t have the budget then run away now! :)

Online Ordering Information

PA241W-BK 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor with Wide Color Gamut

• VGA + DVI-D + DisplayPort
• 1920 x 1200
• 1000:1 Contrast Ratio
• 360cd/m² Brightness
• 178° Viewing Angle
• 8ms ray-to-Gray Response Time
• 98.1% Coverage of AdobeRGB Color Space
• Height Adjustment and 90° Pivot

PA241W-BK-SV 24.1" Widescreen LCD Monitor with SpectraView II Color Calibration Solution

• Same as above, plus SpectraViewI I Colorimeter and Software

PA271W-BK 27" Widescreen LCD Computer Display

• · DVI-D + DisplayPort
• · 2560 x 1440
• · 1000:1 Contrast Ratio
• · 300cd/m² Brightness
• · 178°/178° Viewing Angle
• · 7ms Response Time
• 97.1% Adobe RGB
• 3-Port USB 2.0 Hub

PA271W-BK-SV 27" Widescreen LCD Monitor with SpectraView II Color Calibration Solution

• Same as above, plus SpectraView II Colorimeter and Software

NEC PA231W Series

• VGA + DVI-D + DVI-D + DisplayPort
• 1920 x 1080
• 1000:1 Contrast Ratio
• 270cd/m² Brightness
• 178°/178° Viewing Angle
• 8ms Response Time
• 72% NTSC
• 3-Port USB 2.0 Hub

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• NEC PA242W Review (replaces the PA241W discussed here)
• NEC PA302W Review 
• NEC PA301W Review (old model replaced by above)
• NEC SoundBar Pro Display Speakers
• NEC SpectraSensor Pro (powered by X-Rite)
• NEC MultiProfiler - A Must for NEC Displays!
• Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device
• Understanding 10-bit Color by NEC’s Art Marshall

Disclosure

NEC loaned me a PA271W display, a Spectraview II calibration device and the software, but everything else I owned via my own private party purchase. I may get a link if you purchase using the links in this article, so I would appreciate your support for more articles like this if you come back here when making your purchases.

REVIEW: NEC Soundbar Pro Speakers

Many people like me have come to love the NEC PA Series displays for their outstanding image quality, color and value (compared to the nearest competitor – Eizo). However, if you are also like me you probably had to a monitor before that included an integrated speaker so one of the downsides of going with a new high end display is the lack of integrated audio. Of course, you can put speakers on your desk, but who wants the clutter of that?

NEC has been listening to this concern and has responded with the Soundbar Pro (available at B&H and Amazon). This is a no-frills, but effective business-class speaker that mounts on the bottom of your display with no hassle. Sure, it’s not as sexy as Edifier Spinnakers nor does it possess the audiophile quality sound of Audioengine A5+ Premium speakers, but it gets the job done in a compact size that integrates nicely with your NEC MultiSync 90, P-Series, or PA-Series display.

• Reasonable price for a sound bar, but better and cheaper freestanding might make it a hard sell for some (e.g., Logitech X-140 2.0 Speakers are < $30).
• It’s super easy to install and integrates very well.
• A USB extension cable is a nice included item because this allows you to plug the sound bar into the computer and leave your SpectraSensor Pro plugged into your display. It kinda makes you wonder why printer makers don’t include USB cables huh?
• There’s no external visible indication it’s on or getting power on my unit – unlike the blue light shown in the photo above. I consider it a negative, but others might consider it a plus. To be fair though, the display responds to volume adjustments and push to mute so you can easily see it working.
• The volume control feels flimsy and I prefer an old rotating knob, but its design (much like many cars these days) allows for push to mute and digital synchronization with volume changes on your desktop (which a traditional knob typically can’t do).
• The sound quality is mediocre compared to my old Dell Soundbar that had a rotating knob, light, and nice integration with the display.

Conclusion

While this speaker won’t win any audiophiles hearts, it gets the job done at price that will be worth it to some so they can keep their desktops free of speaker clutter.

Where to order

Click here to order the SoundBar Pro at the B&H web site. My friends at Amazon have it available here too. As of the time of this article, this product was not sold by Adorama.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• NEC PA Series 24 & 27” Display Reviews.
• NEC PA301W 30” Display Review
• NEC SpectraSensor Pro (powered by X-Rite) Review
• Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device
• Understanding 10-bit Color by NEC’s Art Marshall
• Things You Need AFTER You Buy Your New Camera - Must Have Photography Accessories
• Printing Series 

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

I was also provided with a SoundBar Pro to test with my NEC PA Series display (that I purchased myself at full retail price from B&H).

REVIEW: Eizo FlexScan SX2762W–27” Wide Gamut IPS Photography Display

Eizo FlexScan SX2762W

In early January 2011 Eizo had a press release for the FlexScan SX2762W that seemed to be too good to be true – a IPS LCD panel with a native resolution of 2560 x 1440, a maximum brightness of 270 cd/m², contrast ratio of 850:1, 6 ms gray-to-gray response time and 178° viewing angles – without the typical several thousand dollar Eizo price tag!

Here are some key features:

• Wide color gamut reproduces 97% of the Adobe RGB color space.
• 10-bit display allows the monitor to show 1.07 billion colors simultaneously from a 16-bit look-up table (LUT).¹
• Digital Uniformity Equalizer (DUE) compensates for fluctuations in brightness and chroma uniformity that are characteristic of LCD panels.
• EIZO-patented technology stabilizes the brightness after start up or coming out of sleep mode.
• Integrated sensor counteracts the influence that changes in ambient temperature have on the display of color tones.
• On-screen button guide for easy adjustment in dark work environments.
• USB 2.0 hub with one upstream and two downstream ports.
• Consumes less than one watt in power save mode and no power when turned off.
• Simulation of two types of red-green (protanopia and deuteranopia) and one type of blue-yellow (tritanopia) color blindness.³ This allows designers to ensure their color schemes can be recognized by people with all types of color vision.
• Limited five-year manufacturer's warranty.⁴

All of these features add up to a nice display that seems to be more consumer focused than their other offerings. One such feature is its EcoView sensor. This feature puts the display in sleep mode when you aren’t actively moving in front of the display. I had to disable this feature as apparently I don’t move much when I’m working and for photography you want the display running at full operating temperature when you are working, so this feature really isn’t for Photographers.

How does it compare to the CG243W?

The Eizo CG243W (replaced by the CG246-BK) is the best monitor I’ve ever used – period. While the SX2762W is nice because it offers a big honking amount of screen real estate and lots of cool new eco friendly features that make it cheaper to operate, I just never liked it as much as the CG243W. I’m probably biased as the CG243W was my first long-term personal experience with Eizo displays, but this display didn’t have that super high-end feel of the CG243W.

From what I can tell, this is not a hand inspected display like the CG series so it doesn’t come with an inspection report. The out of box quality of my test unit was outstanding (no dead pixels, calibrated very well out of the box, and fantastic edge to edge performance).

How does it compare to the NEC PA Series?

See my NEC PA Series article for comparison details.

Very unhappy with the calibration story

Let me state up front that this display supports the superior hardware calibration design and can be calibrated accurately. I just hate how that process works with this display.

Eizo tried to make this display easier to calibrate with its own Eizo branded EX1 Color Sensor, but honestly I hated the EasyPix calibration software. It also really annoyed me that it kept a window open all of the time so my task bar (instead of the system tray) was always occupied with a running app that I couldn’t close. I already own 4 other sensors, yet this display requires you to use their sensor to calibrate which is honestly just lame.

If you haven’t invested in a calibration solution then this shouldn’t deter you as the software works fine and using their sensor makes it very easy to calibrate your display accurately. However, I think hard core calibration geeks with existing hardware will be very frustrated as I was. Eizo users who have used Color Navigator will probably be rather upset at the dumbed down solution of the EasyPIX Software. I give Eizo kudos for trying to simplify the calibration process, but I absolutely dread this product,

WARNING: This display (like all good high-end displays) requires hardware calibration, so you may NOT use a third party calibration solution or software to calibrate it. Doing so is virtually useless.

Ordering

I recommend that you order the FlexScan SX2762W from B&H, Adorama or Amazon. At only $1469 (as of the time of this writing) it’s a screaming deal for an Eizo! A hood is also available.

Conclusion

If you are used to an Infiniti or Lexus car and you end up in a Nissan or Toyota that is functionally equivalent to the luxury brand, you can’t help but still think that the product you are in is inferior. Now a data analysis might suggest they are identical, but there’s that subjective thing that keeps getting in the way. This is basically how I feel about this display.

It’s a good product that performs well and is a true Eizo display, but it feels a bit like some magic is missing. I’m sure if I looked at it objectively I’d have to pinpoint my feelings on my desire to have more control over the calibration process using my preferred calibration hardware, so it really isn’t anything to do with the monitor itself. As a result, I think I can honestly give this display a solid recommendation as I can’t imagine anyone not loving the great picture it offers (especially when calibrated) as well as its great size and feature set.

I’d say that Eizo faithful are still probably going to be happier spending the extra money on something like a CG275W, but this display is half the cost of that so it’s hard not to choose this model instead. That’s the magic that NEC has enjoyed with its PA Series, and after having this display side by side to an NEC PA Series for a couple months, I’d say that the picture quality is probably better on this display. Given the superior warranty and Eizo’s good name, it’s tough not to spend the extra bucks and go for the SX2762W.

Disclosure

I was provided with a loaner display for review. I may also get a commission if you make a purchase using the links in this article. Thanks for supporting the blog by using my links!

REVIEW: NEC SpectraSensor Pro (powered by X-Rite)

NEC SpectraSensor Pro

The NEC SpectraSensor Pro is a specialized version of the i1Display Pro that was built in conjunction with NEC to calibrate their wide gamut displays (like the PA Series 24, 27 and 30” models). You can actually use this, a ColorMunki Photo, ColorMunki Display, i1Display Pro or other wide gamut calibration devices to calibrate your NEC monitors, but this is the new NEC version that was tested to work specifically with NEC monitors.

It is important to note that some monitors like the NEC PA Series have what is called a LUT (look up table) where the calibration information is stored. As a result you MUST use the NEC SpectraView II software to calibrate this display, as that is the only calibration software that can program the LUT in this display. Click here to learn more.

This is a replacement for the older calibration devices by NEC which also supported wide gamut color and could program the LUT, but was less accurate than this newer device. If you old the device or other supported devices, then you only need to make sure that you have the latest version of SpectraView II (recently updated to support Lion).

Use with SpectraView II

When using this sensor with the latest SpectraView II,
Choose XRite iOne Display Pro (I1D3) as your sensor type

If you are using SpectraView II then you should go to the NEC web site an install the latest version. Once you do, you’ll need to choose the new sensor type called “XRite iOne Display Pro (i1D3)”.

Recommendation for new NEC display buyers

If you are buying a new NEC display and don’t have a calibration device, then I recommend you get this or a ColorMunki Photo (a spectrophotometer for print soft proofing). I DO NOT recommend that you get the discontinued bundle that features the older NEC calibration device.

UPDATE: NEC tells me that going forward, all SpectraView bundles will contain the new sensor (even if web sites show the old sensor on their photos). If you should end up with an old sensor at this point, I wouldn’t worry too much. The old ones will work fine and feel more substantial than the new ones, so all you really lose is compactness from what I can tell.

More NEC Related Content

• Display Calibration Device Comparison
• Guest Blog: Understanding 10-bit Color by NEC’s Art Marshall
• REVIEW: NEC PA301W 30” Display
• REVIEW: NEC PA-241W & PA-271W LCD Monitors

Disclosure

I was given an evaluation copy of this device to test with my NEC PA241W. My display was purchased from B&H at full market prices (i.e., no discount) BEFORE I had established any marketing contact with NEC.

Guest Blog: Understanding 10-bit Color by NEC’s Art Marshall

NEC Display Solutions launched our first 10-bit color LCD, the 24” MultiSync PA241W, in February 2010. One of the questions that we are asked regularly by people evaluating all of our MultiSync PA Series models is “what is the difference between 8-bit color and 10-bit color?” and that is generally followed with “How do I get 10-bit color?” Ron and I have been discussing this for a while and, thanks to his feedback, we’ve put together something that I hope answers those basic questions.

Overview of LCD Color

(This is intended to give you a brief overview of the way that LCDs create color. For much more detail on LCD technologies, see the Wikipedia article on LCDs.)

Understanding how the computer creates color in an LCD is important to getting the most color from the display. Generally LCD pixels are made of 3 colored “subpixels”: red, green and blue (RGB). The LCD combines these subpixels based on the information that the computer sends over the video card. The amount of bits of color that the computer sends controls the number of colors that can be represented by the display, and the computer sends data for each of these three colors.

8 bit color: Typical desktop displays support 8 bits of color data per RGB channel. This means that there are 256 (8 bits) of possible values for each of the colors and combined the display can produce 16.8 million colors (256 x 256 x 256). This is also known as 24 bit color.

10 bit color: MultiSync PA Series displays, when used with a compatible video card, support 10 bits of color data per RGB channel. This yields 1024 values for each color and a total of 1.07 billion (1024 x 1024 x 1024) possible colors that can be represented. This is also known as 30 bit color.

Side note: older display technology featured 32-bit output. This was actually a combination of 8 bits for each RGB channel as well as an alpha (transparency) channel. Comparing this to today’s technology, 30-bit technology is true 30 bits of color data compared to the 24 bits of color data in the older, 32-bit technology.

I have a 10-bit LCD, now what?

8-bit color	10-bit color

It turns out that every element of the combination of application software, operating system, video card, video connection and display must support 10 bit color in order to achieve true 10 bit color output.

Several video cards from major manufacturers including ATI (R6xx, R7xx, R8xx ATI Radeon hardware) and NVIDIA (Quadro series with DisplayPort, not Quadro FX) support 10 bit color. In addition, you need a DisplayPort connection to connect the video card to the display.

To enable 10-bit color on an AMD / ATI video card, click here. [Ron likes this doc better]

To enable 10-bit color on NVIDIA video cards click here. [Ron – nVidia calls this feature Deep Color in their drivers]

Finally, you need both operating system and application support for 10-bit color. 10-bit color is only available on computers running Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. MacOS versions including 10.6.x do not support 10-bit color output.

Application support for 10-bit color is constantly evolving. 10-bit color is typically only supported by software that uses either OpenGL or DirectX. Contact your software vendor for questions on 10-bit color support.

Most typical desktop configurations are limited by some component in the system and can only produce 8 bit color. For example, you could have a 10-bit LCD, 10-bit capable video card, DisplayPort video connection and Windows 7 operating system but without an app that can generate 10-bit color data, you will not see the advantage of those extra bits of data. By using the correct software, an operating system, video card and display that support 10 bit color, you can produce over 1 billion colors.

If you have an NEC MultiSync PA Series display, you can download a sample application (for Windows only) to see if your system is displaying 10-bit color. [Maximize and ALT+TAB between windows for the best result]

I hope that this helps. Contact me on Twitter using @Art_Marshall or post any questions in the comments!

Art Marshall is the Product Manager for Professional Desktop Displays, including the award-winning MultiSync PA Series, at NEC Display Solutions of America.

You can find more about NEC Display Solutions on twitter @NEC_Displays, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/necdisplay or at http://www.necdisplay.com/

Ron’s Reviews of NEC PA Series Displays

Click here to read Ron’s reviews of the 24 & 27” PA Series, or click here to read Ron’s review of the 30” PA series.

Photoshop & 10-bit Color Depth Support (by Ron)

While it isn’t very well documented (here’s the closest hit I found), both Photoshop CS4 & CS5 for Windows support 10-bits per channel color depth (30-bits total) by enabling the correct option in Open GL as shown in the following sections. I’m not currently aware of any support in Lightroom for this feature.

These directions will ONLY work if you are running a compatible video card using the correct cables (dual link DVI or DisplayPort) to a compatible display (like most, not all, NEC PA Series).

Enabling 10-bit Per Color Channel (30-bits total) in Photoshop CS4

Step 1 – Click Advanced Settings under Enable OpenGL Drawing

Step 2 – Match your settings as shown above (DO NOT check Color Matching)

Enabling 10-bit Per Color Channel (30-bits total) in Photoshop CS5

Step 1 – Click Advanced Settings under Enable OpenGL Drawing

Step 2 – Choose Normal or Advanced Mode and leave the check boxes checked

NOTE: I’ve got this working on my system before, but as of the time I wrote this article I could not get CS5 to work (CS4 on the same system worked fine). Each time it has been more challenging in CS5 to get this to work and has required multiple restarts of Photoshop to get accurate results.

Testing 10-bit Support in Photoshop

Download Ramp.psd from AMD (web search if link is broken) and open it in Photoshop. If you see this dialog:

just click OK. On a properly configured system you’ll see the correct results even using sRGB.

As the dice example above shows, in 8-bit you’ll see segments that clearly define the different shades of gray. In 10-bit per channel color you’ll see a smooth white to black gradient with no hint of any segments. If your video driver isn’t very good it can fail, and some buggy video drivers require you to restart Photoshop or even your system to get this to work properly.

NOTE: If you switch the settings on and off in a single session of Photoshop, you won’t see any changes unless you force a repaint so zoom in and then zoom back to actual pixels again to see the changes (again, ONLY on a properly function video driver).

A Word About 10-bit Per Channel Color Depth & Printing

The world of printing is way behind display technology, so Ron’s advice for those doing print soft-proofing is to DISABLE 10-bit per channel (30-bit total) color support from Photoshop. The reason why is that you’ll hide banding effects that might show in your print as many (not all) printers still only print in 8-bit using a much smaller color space, even if you enable 16-bit printing. This will result in printing surprises and therefore is not recommended.

More About High Color Support on Windows XP & Greater

To understand how and why Windows can support this advanced color mode when the Mac can not, please read this document. It helps to understand what is possible by software that may not support advanced color today. Please forward this link to your software vendor to help spread the word (i.e., educate them) on how they can add advanced color support to their products.

Disclaimer

NEC is a partner of this blog and has provided Ron with loaner PA series displays to review (all of which have been returned). Ron also owns a NEC PA series display that he purchased at B&H with no discount or assistance from NEC. Ron may get a commission if you make a purchase using links originating from this blog.

REVIEW: NEC PA301W 30” Display

NOTE: This model is being discontinued and has been replaced by the PA302W. Click here to go to that review now. Here’s an index of my NEC reviews not covered by this article:

• NEC PA242W Review
• NEC PA302W Review 
• NEC SoundBar Pro Display Speakers
• NEC SpectraSensor Pro (powered by X-Rite)
• NEC MultiProfiler - A Must for NEC Displays!

When I wrote about the NEC PA Series earlier this year the response was overwhelming. I got lots of questions and lots of emails from those who bought the PA241W-BK or PA271W-BK who said they loved them. Of course for some of you asked me “what about the big 30” display”, to which I had little to say. I explained that I had heard that they weren’t as good as the 24 or 27 inch displays, but that I hadn’t actually used one myself.

My Desktop Configuration with a GTI Lightbox, PA301W and PA241W in Portrait Mode

I’m pleased to say that I’ve had the luxury of using the PA301W since March and NEC had to remind me to pony up the money to buy it or send it back. It’s with regret that I’m choosing to send it back, but not because it isn’t a blast having such a huge monitor.

I’m sending it back because for $1149.95 (at the time of this writing) I can get the PA271W-BK which I feel performs better than paying $2169 (6/23/11 @ B&H) for the PA-301W-BK. Those extra 3 inches aren’t worth $1000 to me, and the time it takes to get the 27” up to operating temperature is about 50% less. For a photographer that means that you can calibrate your display at operating temperature and work at a later time 50% faster because you aren’t waiting for the display colors to normalize.

Does Size Really Matter?

Don’t feel insecure by going three inches shorter with the PA271W because you don’t lose any width as the graphic above demonstrates. Instead you just lose a little height which can easily be compensated for by using my favorite configuration – a PA241W in portrait orientation to the right of the PA271W. Here’s how it breaks down:

Display	Resolution	Max Excel Cell
PA241W	1920x1200	AC47
PA271W	2560x1440	AM60
PA301W	2560x1600	AM67

As you can see, you only are getting an extra row that’s 160px tall (or 7 more cells in Excel), but for those pixel peepers out there that is an extra 409,600 pixels. 

Performance

Aside from the aforementioned warm-up time, and a nasty color shift at startup, this display performed very well. I was able to successfully view 10-bit per channel color on it (Windows only) and calibrate it with both a ColorMunki and i1XTreme using NEC’s SpectraView II software (required). It worked fine with my MacBook Pro and Windows 7 64-bit systems using DisplayPort connections.

Conclusion

Overall I enjoyed this display and it was nice to have the extra space. Once the display got to operating temperature it performed well and was wonderful for proofing large landscape prints. As I mentioned earlier though, for the price I’d much rather spend the money and get a PA271W-BK and a PA241W-BK which results in a lot more space and two outstanding monitors that are a brilliant together in a color managed photography workflow.

I will say that this display BLOWS AWAY the Apple 30” Cinema HD Display which is only capable of up to 16.7 million colors versus this display which can do 1.6 BILLION colors (via DisplayPort on PC only at this time). It also doesn’t have the annoying reflection problems of the Cinema HD. It also has significantly better contrast, response time, viewing angle and more so if you have a Cinema HD and want to upgrade – this is MUCH better than anything Apple has to offer – even the new Apple 27” LED Cinema display!

No matter which display you get, I highly recommend getting a ColorMunki to calibrate both your display and printer. They make a great team! I also would get the hood for the landscape display (doesn’t work on portrait orientation)

To learn more about this display, visit NEC’s website or visit B&H. 

Where to order

Order your NEC PA Series display by clicking any of the following B&H links:

• PA241W-BK
• PA271W-BK
• PA-301W-BK

NOTE: Use the links below to see the newer models and links for both Amazon and B&H for those new models

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• NEC PA242W Review (replaces the PA241W discussed here)
• NEC PA302W Review 
• NEC SoundBar Pro Display Speakers
• NEC SpectraSensor Pro (powered by X-Rite)
• NEC MultiProfiler - A Must for NEC Displays!
• Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device
• Understanding 10-bit Color by NEC’s Art Marshall

Disclaimer

NEC loaned this display to me for a few months so I could experience it in every day life and review it. I did return this display and NEC had no influence on this article in any other way.

I may get a commission if you purchase using links in this article, so please support this blog by coming back and clicking my links when you are ready to order.