I bought this monitor simply to pair it up with the nVidia 3D vision gaming. I considered the following to upgrade my 22" Samsung 206BW -* Samsung 2233 3D monitor - too expensive and only 1 DVI input
* Viewsonic 3D monitor - too expensive and only 1 DVI input
* Alienware 3D monitor - way too expensive
I needed something to hook up my Xbox360 and PC to and play in 3D. This was the answer for $100 more than the Samsung/Viewsonic and totally worth it - you get FULL HD resolution - 1920x1080 [ vs 1680x1050 from Samsung/Viewsonic ], you get 24" ( 23.6" technically ) [ vs 22" ], you get 3 ( yes, THREE ! ) inputs [ 1 dual-link DVI, 1 HDMI and 1 VGA vs 1 DVI from Samsung/Viewsonic ], PLUS an audio out cable so you can send the HDMI audio signal to good external speakers, AND it has external controls for all settings, unlike the Samsung/Viewsonic so its easy to adjust.
All this means, the Acer is a phenomenal value over the Samsung/Viewsonic anyday if you need more than 1 Input.
After I repartitioned my Linux to make space for Windows 7 and I got grub2 going again to boot up Win XP, Win 7 and Linux, I tried out the monitor in each of the 3 environments.
Its got a problem in Linux when switching virtual consoles. If you stick with the X-console ( the VC that runs the Xserver ), you will be fine, but switch to one of the other VC's and X locks up. I'm using the latest nvidia drivers from the restricted repo in Ubuntu. However, it works quite well at 1920x1080. The colors are crisp and vivid, however, unless you adjust the settings a bit, the text can be bit small/fuzzy. A little Xconfig ( via nvidia control ) tweaking and it looked great. I think it looked better than my 22" Samsung and I had great real estate. Easily fits 3 terminals side by side. !!!
Then tried WinXP and it worked great too at 1920x1080. Just ensure ClearType LCD effect is on and fonts render crisp and sharp. Gaming response was terrific ( 2ms ) but I already had 2ms gaming before. No ghosting. Then, I finally tried out the piece de la resistance - Windows 7 with 3-D glasses. Win 7 looked amazing ( the wallpaper looked breathtakingly good ) and installed the 3D stereo driver. After calibration, the first image popped up of Burnout and it looked PHENOMENAL. I was simply blown away. I did game in 3D almost 10 years ago on my eDimensional 3D glasses with CRT back then and after a decade, I was seeing 3D at home again !!! WHAT A FEELING... 3D is the future. Its just .... incredible. Its gotta be seen to believe it. Anyone thinking its a gimmick, well, you don't know what you're missing out. Too bad.
Now, mind you, nothing pops 'out' of the screen. i.e. nothing crosses your screen boundary. You get an immense sense of depth - like you're looking out a window with objects correctly positioned in front and behind. In effect, your screen feels like it goes beyond for a huge distance.
Also, there's a few seconds of screen going blank as the display switches to 120Hz and when it switches back.
I tried out the picture packs and some demo videos ( which didn't play for some reason even though I tried out the nvidia stereo player. I think its because it can only be 3D in full screen mode because refresh rate has to be 120Hz whereas in window mode, you can't have that ). I tried out Half Life: Portal and it looked AWESOME in 3D. The portals took on a whole new life.
I don't think however, you can game for more than an hour or two at most in 3D. Its somewhat taxing on the brain. ( which is a good thing btw ). Also, you're stuck with nVidia and the few 120Hz LCD monitors but this isn't a drawback at all. Its bad for the market, but good for them.
In conclusion - this ACER monitor is a good buy and I wholly recommend it. 5/5 stars.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Acer GD235HZbid Widescreen 23.6" 3D LCD Display
Product Description:
The 23.6" Widescreen 3D LCD is designed for the graphics-intensive, win-or-lose moments of today's fastest high-def 3D games.
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