Korean 27" High Res Displays

Tom Woj · 08-07-2012, 05:50 PM

Hey all,

If anyone reads tech forums or the like, you may have seen a few threads knocking around about cheap IPS (comparatively that is) monitors from eBay.

Specs seems decent, build quality varies. Apparently they're A- LG Panels (IPS) that are rejected by Apple/LG etc - Sometimes due to stuck pixels/dead pixels/backlight bleed. To what extent is pretty much luck of the draw - could be undetectable to the human eye or could be a couple of dead pixels in the centre - but since being discovered earlier this year a lot of people seem to be taking the risk, and so have I.

They go under various names - Crossover / PCBank / Catleap / Shimian - but the base models from all of em are the same panel just with different shells - 27", S-IPS, LED Backlit, ... and ... 2560x1440 res! Just one input, DVI-D.

They go from around $250 - $300 (which at that res is a steal imo) - more for supposedly "pixel perfect" versions, and higher for versions with a scaler/more inputs.

Anyway, mine should arrive this week - been tracking it's delivery from South Korea, god FedEx move quick. Went for a Crossover branded one due to the hight adjustable stand and supposedly better build quality - I paid £250 odd but I could get hit with import/vat.

Now it's just time to pray and see if/what any issues are with mine. Dead pixels on the edges I can deal with, but hopefully I'm not unlucky with severe back light bleed. Either way, I'm pretty confident it'll be better than my crappy samsung tv/monitor combo at 1080p.

Video here if ya wanna take a look but there are threads on various forums about them - google korean IPS 27" for more info.

You Tube

Will report back when I recieve it!

Last edited by Tom Woj; 08-07-2012 at 06:07 PM.

aleonx3 · 08-07-2012, 07:25 PM

I have purchased the catleap Yamakasi model, it is an amazing E-IPS monitor; except for the stand (little flimsy) it is well worth the money. Don't forget to upgrade the video card as well.

Tom Woj · 08-07-2012, 07:38 PM

Originally posted by aleonx3

Don't forget to upgrade the video card as well.

Got a 5770 which should hold me over for a little bit. Got a couple so could always run em in crossfire if I ever do any gaming.

I will have to upgrade at some point though - this comp is starting to show it's age...

stormtech · 08-11-2012, 12:13 PM

I seriously considered one of these monitors for my recent purchase. A lot of glowing reviews and seemed to be quite a value for the price. But in the end, I ended up buying a Dell Ultra sharp 24" and am very pleased with it. I just didn't want to deal with the possibility of having to return/ship something that big back to Korea.

Let us know how you like it.

Tom Woj · 08-16-2012, 10:22 AM

Monitor arrived a few days ago.

Very pleased with it - as far as I can tell there are no dead pixels, but having said that the pixels are so tiny I doubt I could find any even if they were there.

I calibrated it by eye as best I could with windows calibration tool / websites, and it's performing great. I'm trying to get hold of a spyder or something to calibrate it properly so hopefully that'll make it even better.

Angle of view is brilliant, as are the colours and black levels. The brightness control on the monitor (which is the only control I might add...) doesn't really have much of a range, but oh well. Lightroom is running a little more slugish in survey mode but I'm due for a reinstall of windows too, so hopefully that'll cancel it out. Very please I took the risk, but it was a risk none the less, as some people have had stuck/dead pixels and/or noticeable back-light bleed.

Now I just have to hope it doesn't go boom on me after a bit of use.

Cheers,

WoJ

stormtech · 08-16-2012, 05:14 PM

Thanks for updating. Glad you are happy with it.

aleonx3 · 08-16-2012, 07:01 PM

Originally posted by Tom Woj

Monitor arrived a few days ago.

Very pleased with it - as far as I can tell there are no dead pixels, but having said that the pixels are so tiny I doubt I could find any even if they were there.

I calibrated it by eye as best I could with windows calibration tool / websites, and it's performing great. I'm trying to get hold of a spyder or something to calibrate it properly so hopefully that'll make it even better.

Angle of view is brilliant, as are the colours and black levels. The brightness control on the monitor (which is the only control I might add...) doesn't really have much of a range, but oh well. Lightroom is running a little more slugish in survey mode but I'm due for a reinstall of windows too, so hopefully that'll cancel it out. Very please I took the risk, but it was a risk none the less, as some people have had stuck/dead pixels and/or noticeable back-light bleed.

Now I just have to hope it doesn't go boom on me after a bit of use.

Cheers,

WoJ

I paid a little extra for the 'no dead pixel' category, which I think is a little added insurance and it is worth the money. It has been said that the monitor came from the same line for the Apple monitor production which usually sells a lot more. So, I am very happy with the purchase (especially without extra handling or import duty) for less than half the price of the equivalent Apple monitor. The only weakness is in the stand which is a little wobbly if you touch the monitor but it is not going to break any time soon. Also, I have other 22, 23 monitors, the 27 monitor with 2560x1440 makes a big difference.

kenafein · 08-16-2012, 07:14 PM

Congrats, you've got me tempted.

Quicksand · 08-17-2012, 11:55 AM

Here in the US, Micro Center offers a version:

Micro Center - AURIA EQ276W 27" IPS LED Monitor 207597

Kenafein, there's a store in Tustin if you're anywhere near there.

I wanted to see it for myself, but the day I learned about it and planned to check it out was the same day the Northern California Micro Center went out of business. Bad timing!

It's a little bit more expensive than the direct eBay Korean imports (plus California sales tax for some of us), but it has the advantage of being more easily returnable if there's a problem.

kenafein · 08-17-2012, 12:42 PM

Originally posted by Quicksand

Here in the US, Micro Center offers a version:

Micro Center - AURIA EQ276W 27" IPS LED Monitor 207597

Kenafein, there's a store in Tustin if you're anywhere near there.

I wanted to see it for myself, but the day I learned about it and planned to check it out was the same day the Northern California Micro Center went out of business. Bad timing!

It's a little bit more expensive than the direct eBay Korean imports (plus California sales tax for some of us), but it has the advantage of being more easily returnable if there's a problem.

Excellent, thanks for the tip. I work very close to the Microcenter.

aleonx3 · 08-20-2012, 07:43 AM

Just a gentle reminder that you need a dual link DVI connection to the monitor (that usually means video card upgrade)...

Also, warning... it is addictive... once you get this monitor, you don't want to go back to the smaller non-IPS monitor.

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08-07-2012, 07:25 PM	#2
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	I have purchased the catleap Yamakasi model, it is an amazing E-IPS monitor; except for the stand (little flimsy) it is well worth the money. Don't forget to upgrade the video card as well.

08-07-2012, 07:38 PM	#3
Tom Woj Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Stafford, UK Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 163 Original Poster	Originally posted by aleonx3 Don't forget to upgrade the video card as well. Got a 5770 which should hold me over for a little bit. Got a couple so could always run em in crossfire if I ever do any gaming. I will have to upgrade at some point though - this comp is starting to show it's age...

08-11-2012, 12:13 PM	#4
stormtech Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: In the boonies (NW Penna) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,744	I seriously considered one of these monitors for my recent purchase. A lot of glowing reviews and seemed to be quite a value for the price. But in the end, I ended up buying a Dell Ultra sharp 24" and am very pleased with it. I just didn't want to deal with the possibility of having to return/ship something that big back to Korea. Let us know how you like it.

08-16-2012, 10:22 AM	#5
Tom Woj Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Stafford, UK Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 163 Original Poster	Monitor arrived a few days ago. Very pleased with it - as far as I can tell there are no dead pixels, but having said that the pixels are so tiny I doubt I could find any even if they were there. I calibrated it by eye as best I could with windows calibration tool / websites, and it's performing great. I'm trying to get hold of a spyder or something to calibrate it properly so hopefully that'll make it even better. Angle of view is brilliant, as are the colours and black levels. The brightness control on the monitor (which is the only control I might add...) doesn't really have much of a range, but oh well. Lightroom is running a little more slugish in survey mode but I'm due for a reinstall of windows too, so hopefully that'll cancel it out. Very please I took the risk, but it was a risk none the less, as some people have had stuck/dead pixels and/or noticeable back-light bleed. Now I just have to hope it doesn't go boom on me after a bit of use. Cheers, WoJ

08-16-2012, 05:14 PM	#6
stormtech Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: In the boonies (NW Penna) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,744	Thanks for updating. Glad you are happy with it.

08-16-2012, 07:01 PM	#7
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	Originally posted by Tom Woj Monitor arrived a few days ago. Very pleased with it - as far as I can tell there are no dead pixels, but having said that the pixels are so tiny I doubt I could find any even if they were there. I calibrated it by eye as best I could with windows calibration tool / websites, and it's performing great. I'm trying to get hold of a spyder or something to calibrate it properly so hopefully that'll make it even better. Angle of view is brilliant, as are the colours and black levels. The brightness control on the monitor (which is the only control I might add...) doesn't really have much of a range, but oh well. Lightroom is running a little more slugish in survey mode but I'm due for a reinstall of windows too, so hopefully that'll cancel it out. Very please I took the risk, but it was a risk none the less, as some people have had stuck/dead pixels and/or noticeable back-light bleed. Now I just have to hope it doesn't go boom on me after a bit of use. Cheers, WoJ I paid a little extra for the 'no dead pixel' category, which I think is a little added insurance and it is worth the money. It has been said that the monitor came from the same line for the Apple monitor production which usually sells a lot more. So, I am very happy with the purchase (especially without extra handling or import duty) for less than half the price of the equivalent Apple monitor. The only weakness is in the stand which is a little wobbly if you touch the monitor but it is not going to break any time soon. Also, I have other 22, 23 monitors, the 27 monitor with 2560x1440 makes a big difference.

08-16-2012, 07:14 PM	#8
kenafein Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Southern California Photos: Albums Posts: 4,082	Congrats, you've got me tempted.

08-17-2012, 11:55 AM	#9
Quicksand Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central Ohio (formerly SF Bay Area) Posts: 1,519	Here in the US, Micro Center offers a version: Micro Center - AURIA EQ276W 27" IPS LED Monitor 207597 Kenafein, there's a store in Tustin if you're anywhere near there. I wanted to see it for myself, but the day I learned about it and planned to check it out was the same day the Northern California Micro Center went out of business. Bad timing! It's a little bit more expensive than the direct eBay Korean imports (plus California sales tax for some of us), but it has the advantage of being more easily returnable if there's a problem.

08-17-2012, 12:42 PM	#10
kenafein Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Southern California Photos: Albums Posts: 4,082	Originally posted by Quicksand Here in the US, Micro Center offers a version: Micro Center - AURIA EQ276W 27" IPS LED Monitor 207597 Kenafein, there's a store in Tustin if you're anywhere near there. I wanted to see it for myself, but the day I learned about it and planned to check it out was the same day the Northern California Micro Center went out of business. Bad timing! It's a little bit more expensive than the direct eBay Korean imports (plus California sales tax for some of us), but it has the advantage of being more easily returnable if there's a problem. Excellent, thanks for the tip. I work very close to the Microcenter.

08-20-2012, 07:43 AM	#11
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	Just a gentle reminder that you need a dual link DVI connection to the monitor (that usually means video card upgrade)... Also, warning... it is addictive... once you get this monitor, you don't want to go back to the smaller non-IPS monitor.