1080p is the current “holy grail” of HD resolutions. 1080p adoption rate is quite slow right now, but sooner or later it will become the HDTV standard. Blu-ray and HD-DVD are encoded at 1080p, so I would love to enjoy HD video at it’s native crisp resolution. However, in order to get a 1080p HDTV I would need a lot amount of money that just isn’t at my disposal. For that reason I went through my options and found the best compromise, the Dell 2407WFP.
First and foremost the Dell 2407WFP is a computer monitor. It has 24″ diagonal viewable area, so you could say it’s big for a monitor but small for a TV. I’ve been gaming with my PS2 on a 21″ SDTV for quite a while, and in my personal space a 21″ TV is pretty big. I don’t have access to a huge living room to game in, so I don’t need an overwhelming 40-50″ TV. Since the Dell 2407WFP is going to be used almost exclusively with my eventual PlayStation 3, I wanted something that wasn’t too big, nor too small. 24″ I think fits the bill just right in my opinion.
I did quite a lot of research on the Dell 2407WFP because I wanted to be sure that I would get what I want, which is 1080p gaming and movies. Below is a revised post I did on a forum with all of the tidbits of my research.
I thought I’d contribute to the thread again with my research since there may be others in my position. A few pages back I asked whether or not anyone knew if 1080p HDCP encoded video from a set-top device was possible on the 2407WFP and I got hope, but it was a vague answer. Now I believe to have all of the important bits pieced together that make me sure it is possible.
There have been many problems with the transition from the 2405WFP to the 2407WFP as we all know. I’m going to focus on the monitor’s ability to display HDCP encoded video from a set-top device such as a game console or standalone disc player.
The monitor is indeed HDCP compatible. We’ve had several reports saying this is absolutely true, however, they are not able to get a 1080i/p (via DVI) signal (encoded with HDCP) displayed on the monitor, only 720p. Many are aware that the 2405WFP was able to accept a 1080i signal through the DVI port and display it. The first piece of the puzzle that needs clearing up is that the 2405WFP had a de-interlacer which allowed it to receive a 1080i signal through its DVI port. This 1080i signal in turn would be de-interlaced to a progressive signal and then displayed, essentially giving you 1080p. For non-HDCP encoded HDTV Cable signal (via HDMI->DVI cable) or any source at 1080i with no protection this was suitable.
Fast forward to the 2407WFP we’ll notice this is no longer possible. Even though the 2407WFP is HDCP compliant, it will not allow a 1080i signal through its DVI port. This is due to the 2407WFP’s lack of a de-interlacer on the VGA/DVI ports. The Genesis controller FLI5962H will only process progressive signals because of this limitation. Most HDTV’s have de-interlacers in them, so HDMI ports are commonly fed 1080i signals. Unfortunately, the 2407WFP can’t do this.
So if 1080i is no go, there shouldn’t be a problem with 1080p because its progressive and the FLI5962H can work with progressive signals, right? Well, it should, but there’s more to it.
The monitor will accept a 1080p signal through DVI as shown above. However, this is not HDCP encoded, so how does the 2407WFP fare there?
The best source of 1080p so far is the Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-Ray player. It’s the only native 1080p HD source available right now. The Toshiba HD-DVD players all output 1080i (supposedly they will upgrade to 1080p in the near future but thats a totally separate subject). Just like I explained above, the 2407WFP will not accept an interlaced signal through DVI like the 2405WFP could (that was not HDCP protected) so you’re out of luck with current HD-DVD players. 1080p content on both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are mastered at 1080p/24 on the disc. Very few displays will accept a 24hz signal (Dell 2407WFP not being one of them). Although the master is at 24fps, BD players are required to be able to output at 60fps, which is a progressive 1080p format supported by the 2407WFP as seen above.
On a side note, the Samsung BD player was not able to get the progressive to progressive conversion working before it launched. What it does is take the 1080p/24 master on the disc, downscale it to 1080i/30, and then de-interlace that to 1080p/60. Although the player has to go through this ordeal, the end result is a progressive signal at 60hz. The 2407WFP should be able to handle this like shown above.
However, look at the results after plugging in a Samsung BD-P1000 player into the 2407WFP:
Using an HDMI to DVI cable, the 2407WFP accepts the HDCP signal and displays 720p video with no problem. However, as you can see in the last picture, the player does not see the 2407WFP as compatible with 1080p so it’s not selectable.
The Samsung player defaults to displaying at 720p, which is what happened with the 2407WFP. 1080i is selectable, but we already know that it is not possible to view the interlaced signal with DVI.
The tricky part comes here. If the Genesis controller is only able to process progressive signals, why is it that the 2407WFP can’t take the 1080p HDCP signal from the Samsung player? Well, the problem is in the player itself, not the display. The Samsung player comes equipped with a EDID sensor that scans the monitor/TV/display it’s connected to so it knows exactly what are its limitations before allowing a signal through. This is separate information from HDCP and its purpose is to protect a display from receiving a signal it can not process and not damage the display. The EDID data for the 2407WFP shows 1080i as the maximum resolution which is untrue. The Samsung BD player will not allow you to force a signal into a display that is not listed on its EDID.
What’s funny about this is the player has a safety mechanism so that if you feed a display a signal it can’t take, i.e., it goes black, you can return back to where you were by ejecting the disc and holding the fast forward button. Had Samsung relied only on that and not the EDID data, we should of been able to get full 1080p from the first-gen Samsung BD player. It is possible that Samsung will rectify this in future versions of their player because with digital connections EDID data is not that important.
This behavior can also be seen on the Westinghouse LVM-42w2 monitor, another 1080p capable monitor with HDCP support. Here’s a paragraph detailing this from a review:
Quote:
|
While the 1080p deinterlacing tests were done on a Samsung HL-S5688W 56” DLP rear projection television, viewing evaluations were done using a Westinghouse LVM-42w2 monitor. What we didn’t expect was the fact that the BD-P1000 absolutely refused to send 1080p to the Westinghouse display. Apparently the strict implementation of EDID for setting display resolutions prevented the Samsung from allowing the fully-compliant 1080p monitor to mate with it at the maximum resolution. To say this is disappointing is an understatement, especially since the player already has a mechanism in place to deal with incompatible monitors (you can eject the disc and hold the fast forward button on the front panel.) Based on Samsung feedback (or lack of it) this does not seem to be something that will be fixed with a firmware update. |
In other words, if you’re expecting 1080p you need a player that will output to 1080p without being reliant on EDID data. Right now there are none, but there’s a shimmer of hope in the near future and beyond. The next big BD player is obviously the PlayStation 3. Here’s a screen shot of the Xross Media Bar (XMB) settings menu:
Thankfully, it seems the PS3 does not rely on EDID data like the Samsung BD-P1000 does, and will allow you to manually select your display settings. You should be able to feed 1080p to the 2407FPW without any problems. (This includes movies and games of course).
Also, before anyone mentions it, I’m aware the 2407WFP accepts 1080i via component. Component video does get de-interlaced, because there is a de-interlacer for those ports. The problem with component 1080i on the 2407WFP is that the quality of the process is not so good (based on most of your impressions). It’s also not something anyone wants to deal with if the ICT/DOT flags were to be utilized in the future. The 2407WFP’s component inputs are a mediocre implementation at best, but fortunately DVI (when Faroudja is turned off) looks great.
So in a nutshell:
Can I watch 1080i HDTV or movies with DVI? No
Can I watch 720p HDTV or movies with DVI? Yes
Can I watch 1080p movies with DVI? Yes*
*Only if you can get passed the EDID (which is a problem with the player, not your monitor)
The 24″ BenQ has been the talk among those hoping to score both a capable monitor and a usable HD display workable up to 1080p. The BenQ will most likely feature a de-interlacer thats workable through the HDMI port and should handle 1080i HDTV signals. The quality of that de-interlacer is yet to be seen, but being optimistic it should work out well. If HDTV is more important to you than HD movies then the BenQ seems to be your best option. Hopefully it also does not have any EDID problems and allows a much smoother experience dealing with standalone HD devices.
However, if you are currently planning to get a cheap 1080p display (like me) for your PlayStation 3, the 2407WFP is still a viable choice. I don’t plan to watch OTA HDTV so I could care less about that. Others do want to watch HD channels so they won’t enjoy the 2407WFP as much. If you’re only interested in 1080p movies from an HD player/game console then the 2407FPW should suffice. It should also allow 1080p HDCP encoded movies in Vista if there’s anyone interested in that. The FLI5962H controller does not limit HDCP content to 720p at all like some people predicted. It’s just a collection of keys to handshake with approved players and its the first step in the chain before an image is displayed. No processing is done after that in regards to HDCP.
I hope this helps out someone. 
Do you think you’ll be doing a follow-up review on this when PSP3 comes out? I just bought one of these monitors, more so to use with my computer, but if I could connect a HD source (1080p) to it also, that would be great. Do you have any suggestions on a suitable HD DVI switcher that would not interfere with the operations of the monitor, in the event that PSP3 does work and can be used in addition to my computer. One last question (really!), do you have any good suggestions for a graphics card to be used with this monitor? Thanks!!
Kishan
When I get one, definately! I don’t have one secured for launch and I don’t know when I’ll be able to easily get one, but I’ll definately post about it. The best way to use this monitor with your PC and the PS3 is to connect the PS3 using an HDMI->DVI cable in the monitor’s DVI port, and connect the PC using the VGA port. This way you can switch between the two using the front buttons on the monitor. As far as graphics cards you can use pretty much anything out there, since every single-link graphics card maxes out at 1920×1200. If you’re going to be doing some PC gaming at 1920×1200 you should find the most powerful one you can buy
. I’d suggest you stick to an nVIDIA card since they can do aspect ratio control from the card itself. This helps if you’re playing a non-widescreen 1600×1200 resolution game, for example.
I’ve been waiting a long time for someone to publish something concrete regarding the 2407WFP and it’s HD capabilities over DVI/Component.
I’ve been a user of a 2005FPW and a HD tuner and discovered that the 1680×1050 display is capable of accepting and deinterlacing 1080i signal. How exactly it does that and wheather it has any more detail than a 720p signal is still a mystery to me. On the other hand, any 480p signals coming into the DVI port are totally messed up. The display interprets them as 720×480 and it becomes impossible to get the correct aspect ratio to appear. Furthermore the composite/S-Video ports don’t seem to handle 480i properly as there appears to be image cropping and aspect ratio probelms again.
It’s quite sad to see such a relatively inexpensive panel from a solid vendor be plauged with so many input/scaling problems.
At least I now know that the 240WFP is, despite having HDCP, sadly not future proof for all 1080p sources out there.
Ok, so you seem to know quite a bit about all this HD stuff and the 2407. Well I was hoping you could help me out. I have recently bought the 2407 (and I’m loving it) so i could hook up my ps2 to it as well. I thought it would look just as good as it would on my regular old crt tv. but it looks like crap! the images exhibit extreme aliasing and it definitely looks a lot worse than it did on my tv. I bought component cables for the ps2 because i thought that would help. Well it didn’t, the images still look crappy. Is there any way I can make my ps2 display better image quality on the 2407? final fantasy 12 is beginning to shine in all its glory….
if you could email me with a response I would appreciate that very much, thank you.
Well, unfortunately that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
As you already know, your 2407WFP is a 1920×1200 resolution monitor. Your PS2 games are rendered at 640×480, or 720×480 if they have widescreen modes. This in itself poses as a problem when you try to feed it SD content which is much lower in resolution.
Obviously, using standard composite cables you’re feeding the display 480i which anyone would agree looks terrible on most LCDs. Going with component you should be able to get better quality picture if you play games that support 480p(Such as God of War, there’s a few out there). LCD screens are designed as digital devices and inherently handle progressive signals much better.
In the end though, a CRT TV is going to hide all of the imperfections you see in most PS2 games. Since it’s not a fixed-pixel display, it can sort of “blur” the aliasing and other issues. An LCD won’t hide anything and will show the true colors of the content since it’s not an analog display like a CRT.
I believe if you took a look at the 1:1 ratio option you might notice a better picture, but it would be so small you wouldn’t be able to play.
I hope you didn’t buy the 2407WFP just for PS2 games. Out of all the display types out there, LCD is pretty bad unless you feed it content that matches its native resolution. The PS3 one day may allow for upscaling games to HD resolutions and that should help a lot, but since that is not a reality right now we can’t even consider that as a “fix.”
Hope this helps.
I have the monitor 2407WFP …. to be able to connect the PS3 to it
you will need the DVI-D to HDMI converter
(http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/DVI-hdmi_adapt.html)
and for the sound if you don’t have a stereo with optical Toslink input you will need:
Toslink Digital Optical to Digital S/PDIF RCA Coax Digital Audio Converter
Dolby Digital, DTS Compatible
so that is 29.95 + $25.95 + shipping …
uhm.. makes me think why did I got that LCD again….
PS3 and DELL 2407WFP
well after reading about it… on different websites…
Looks like I will need a converter… like the one here http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/DVI-hdmi_adapt.html
…
Well it’s obvious the monitor doesn’t have any sound inputs, so you shouldn’t complain. It doesn’t have speakers, yes I know, but I made the post originally on a forum where that was widely understood.
In your case, yes, you need an HDMI-DVI cable to hook up the PS3 to this monitor. Just in case it’s not clear, the cable does not “convert” anything, DVI and HDMI carry the same digital video signal. The only difference HDMI has from DVI is that HDMI has a USB-like form factor and is easier to manage, plus it carries sound if you have an HDMI reciever to work with up to 7.1 surround sound.
The cable is not expensive, especially if you know where to shop. Also, unlike analog cables like component cables, HDMI is digital so they all work the same way. You don’t need $100 Monster cables or anything like that for good picture quality.
Here’s a 3.3ft cable:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812189137
Here’s a 7ft cable:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812189056
Depending on your cable-length needs (3.3ft vs 7.0ft) you can use either one.
You don’t need to use optical for sound if you only have standard stereo sound. You could easily get an RCA female to mini-stereo cable and hook up the multi AV cable from your PS3 to any regular set of 2.0 speakers. You could even use the 2407WFP sound bar speakers if you purchased them when you go the monitor, or any other simple mini-stereo plug speakers.
If you’re using optical it means you’re prepared to use DTS/Dolby Digital 5.1 or better sound quality, and you should have the necessary hardware for that. There are at least two sets of good quality Logitech 5.1 speaker setups for around $250-$300 that offer 5.1, but if you don’t want or need 5.1 you don’t need to spend a whole bunch of cash.
Thanks for all of your informative research. What I’d like to do is connect a standard DVD player (one that “upscales” to 1080p) to the 2407WFP. The upscaled 1080p signal would come out of the HDMI port on the DVD player and go to the DVI port on the display (using an HDMI-DVI cable). One player that does this is the Denon 1930-CI, which is HDCP compliant.
So…is there any way to know (short of buying both items and trying it) if this will work via EDID, or if I have to override EDID and if so, am I going to have problems with aspect ratio and optimal use of all those pixels? It’s my understanding that EDID includes information about the native resolution of the display, which is critical to displaying the video correctly. Any thoughts?
Well in the specific case I used in my original post, the Samsung blu-ray player had that problem. It seems it was an oversight that they felt was going to make it easier to use if the player auto-detected the maximum resolution of the display.
The Denon 1930-CI product sheet doesn’t explicitly give any useful information, and I don’t think I can find the manual which is probably the best place to look. All you really need to know is whether the player lets you set your resolution, or if it picks it for you.
Short of searching the net for people who have that particular setup, it’s going to be pretty difficult to know exactly what is going to happen. Not many people consider 24″ monitors as TV’s, so you won’t find much users out there with the same setup. Hopefully the manual is posted on their website sometime and that might provide some answers.
i have been considering the 2407wfp for pretty much the same reasons you cite.
but is component really that bad? i want to input 480p, but word here is that is not the best plan.
I have looked though the test report of connecting PS3 to Dell 2407fpw. It’s find for us to connect PS3 to 2407 throught the HDMI>DVI cable. But at the same time it says that only “dell 2407 A00 verson” supports 16:9 scale, if using other versons (e.g A03,A02), the image may be stretched to 16:10, is it true? if yes, any solution?
To Tj, I don’t have first hand impressions of the quality of component yet, but I do plan to compare it with DVI and see for myself which one I prefer. Most PS3 games will be 720p, which both DVI and component can handle, so I’ll do my own judgment. With pixel-scaling 480p can look pretty good it seems, especially if you’re watching a widescreen DVD.
To Henry, it seems that the 2407WFP will pixel-scale and pixel-map anything except 1600×1200 and 1920×1080. I was under the impression that the problem was only with *x1200 resolutions, but some people are saying they are getting stretched images with 1920×1080 with VGA and DVI. Earlier models such as the A00 probably did not stretch to fill, so you are probably correct. It still works with 720p and below though, you can get 16:9 with black bars on the top and bottom, but for some reason (I’m not totally sure yet) it stretches 1080p to fill. I believe component still works with pixel-mapping, but again I’d need to find a more conclusive report or figure it out myself when I’m ready to buy.
According to several threads I just read on Dell’s support forums, the 2407WFP does NOT support 1080p. In your article, you stated that you encountered a problem with your DVD player and presumed that the monitor would have otherwise functioned in 1080p if fed the proper signal. Other than the native resolution of the monitor (1920×1200) what leads you to believe that this monitor is capable of 1080p when Dell’s own tech reps state otherwise in their forums?
so the 2407wfp does work with the ps3?
The Dell 2407WFP accepts a 720p signal and will allow you to use 1:1 pixel mapping/scaling options. If you feed it a 1080p signal it will also accept it and display it, but it won’t allow you to pixel map/scale it. This means you’ll get 1080p stretched to 16:10 instead of black bars on the top and bottom of the screen.
1200p is the native resolution of the screen, so 1080p is something the monitor can resolve easily. The only real problem is that you lose 1:1 pixel fidelity because it won’t pixel map that particular resolution, but it will pixel map everything else below (sans 1600×1200). It’s a software error that would require a new firmware, but Dell is probably done with the 2407 line and will “hopefully” fix everything in their 2409WFP.
1080i NOT possible with DVI though, only progressive signals such as 480p, 720p, and 1080p(stretched upwards and downwards 60px from 1920×1080 to 1920×1200). 1080i is achievable with component only.
I did my own research because I really wanted a 1080p monitor, but in reality 720p is more important to me. If I were in the market for an actual HDTV I would never consider the 2407WFP because it lacks many features offered on cheaper monitors that are half the price (such as interlacing support). The only reason why I still like the 2407WFP is because most games on PS3 will be 720p native, so I’ll get to play all my PS3 games at native resolution, pixel perfect. It also allows me to watch Blu-ray movies at 1080p, albeit stretched a few pixels. Once Sony releases a firmware update and allows 720p rendering for Blu-ray, I’ll probably run movies at 720p too. Games that run at 1080p will support it on this monitor, and I’ll judge for myself if I can handle the stretched picture and I still have the choice of rendering at 720p if I don’t like the stretching.
Dell is the only company that offers a 3 year warranty standard and is soooooo very easy to handle any hardware issues with. I worked as a Dell tech support agent for a year, so I know exactly what I need to do if anything goes wrong with my Dell equipment. If I order any other monitor and something goes wrong, I may be in a world of hurt, so I’d rather not risk it. It’s really just a mix of support, product features, and confidence in that I’m getting what I need. Anyone else who wants more is probably not going to like the 2407WFP. I don’t have mine yet, I’m waiting until I can get my PS3 before I order one.
Thanks for the clarification. I wonder if any software out there (ie. PowerDVD, etc) will take an HD-DVD or BluRay signal and output a 1080p image as a 1920×1200 image w/ black bars above and below so you really could get a 1:1 pixel map? That’d certainly be nice.
Definitely. Although you may run your OS at 1920×1200, any software media player worth a damn nowadays is able to do exactly what you described. For example, software such as VLC Player is able to run at many different scaling modes. You can also use full screen and it should display the video at native resolution and thus “fit” on the screen, and the software will add the black bars on its own.
I have the 2407WFP monitor, and I was wondering if the display would be streched/skewed, blurry, or messed-up if I connected a Nintendo Wii? (I think the Wii outputs a 480p signal.) Thanks.
Well the Wii only has two outputs, composite and component. You can hook up a Wii to a 2407WFP and you can get it to run at its native 480p 16:9 resolution. Some Wii games may not provide widescreen I believe, but you can still play those on the 2407WFP with black bars on the sides. The quality of composite with this LCD is going to suck, since it interlaces like crap. 480p with component should provide a better picture that doesn’t jitter due to the combing, but the 2407WFP isn’t known for quality component inputs. Most people say component gives a dark oversaturated image where colors bleed into each other.
As a dedicated display just for a Wii I would find it hard settle for a 2407WFP, but if you already have one its worth trying out for yourself and see how your mileage goes. It should provide similar quality to PS2 games on this display; functional but CRT does a better job.
well, that post about the wii adresses one of my big reasons for buing it.
no 2407fpw for me. i want a wii
Hi, I own a Dell 2407wfp (revision A03) and am about buy a PS3. I have the same 1080p pixel mapping problem over VGA and DVI, and Dell have no fix for it. Will the 2407wfp accept 1080i or even 1080p over component (without pixel mapping problems)? As I’ve heard that the Dell does not accept a component 1080p input from xbox 360, only 1080i. But that could be a problem of the xbox and not the dell. Has any one tried 1080p over component on the 2407wfp?
No, the 2407WFP does not accept 1080p over component. Hardly any displays do.
Heh didn’t realise HD was so complicated! I can live with a stretched 1080p image via DVI. Provided that 2407wfp even accepts it with the HDCP.
Thanks for the great article. I own a PlayStation 3 and received my new Dell 2407WPF yesterday. I don’t know what revision it is, but here are my findings:
I connected it via component cable. The highest resolution I can get is 1080i, which is sharp but jittery, which is normal for interlace mode.
Running my PS3 at 720p is beautiful, as all my 720p games (like Resistance) look sharp and smooth. Running PS2 games with my PS3 on this monitor look crappy; the resolution/scaling/etc. makes everything look very rough. But, if the PS2 game supports 480p (like God of War), it looks much better.
Even though I have my PS3 set to 720p, Blu-ray movies switch to 1080i mode, which is somewhat jittery. Hopefully Sony will eventually let movies run at my system resolution of 720p in a future firmware update?
My 2407WPF -does- support 16:9 scaling in all PS3 video modes, at least with the component cable. The options on my onscreen menu are 1:1, aspect, and fill. The image slightly vertically shrinks and shows the black bars on the top & bottom of the image, indicating that the monitor is properly displaying 1080 lines.
I am waiting to receive an HDMI-to-DVI cable in a couple of days, so hopefully I can run my PS3 at true 1080p once this cable arrives. Based on the success of my component cable, I’m sure that it will.
Hope this helps someone,
Tom Hammond (tomhammond@myrealbox.com)
Wow! Thanks a lot for that. Most of what I go by is analysis based on bits and pieces I get from others, but most of the people I get my information from are really picky. Hopefully I find the quality of component (720p) as acceptable as you do in the event I decide to plug in another console. I had always assumed pixel mapping and scaling was available with component since it was on the 2405FPW, but nobody confirmed it before, so that’s good to know. Once you get a HDMI-to-DVI cable I hope you let me and everyone else know how it goes.
Once again thanks a lot!
I have a PS3 and a 2407.
I tried connecting it using an HDMI->DVI cable (No Brand, Hong Kong Cheapo) I purchased off ebay. It did not work.
I’ve found conflicting reports online whether it works or not.
Not Working: http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=563936
Working: http://forum.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_monitor&message.id=69668
Tom your results would be appreciated
Thanks for the explanation of all this. I’ve read loads on this previously, and this is the first time I’ve understood it.
I got my HDMI-to-DVI cable yesterday and it works great with my Dell 2407FPW (revision A03) & PS3. I got my 3-ft. cable from http://www.monoprice.com for $5 shipped. 1080p is supported, which makes HD games and Blu-Ray movies really shine. NBA ‘07 looks absolutely phenominal!
All video modes at 720p & lower are scalable (via choosing “Aspect” from the Dell onscreen menu) to reflect a true 16:9 aspect ratio. However, 1080p mode is -not- scalable; it stretches to fill the screen and is not changable via the onscreen menu.
Blu-Ray movies play at 1080p (via HDMI cable) or 1080i (via component cable), regardless of the default resolution chosen for the PS3 system. So movies will appear (very) slightly distorted, but it’s not noticeable, really. 1080p games are also slightly distorted, but again, I can’t really tell the difference as it’s so slight.
When choosing between component or HDMI to connect your 2407FPW to your PS3, the only difference is that HDMI gives you 1080p mode for games & Blu-Ray movies with HDCP protection. If you don’t need 1080p mode, a component cable will be fine for this monitor.
I’ll be calling Dell & Sony about the forced “stretching” in 1080p mode, but I doubt that anything can be done about it. But hopefully Sony will release a firmware patch that allows 1920×1200 mode that is software-scaled to 1920×1080. One can only hope.
This monitor is definitely a keeper, as I can play 720p games scaled properly and 1080p games very slightly stretched. It sure has wonderful colors & response time. The only bummer is that picture-in-picture mode doesn’t work with VGA & DVI inputs simultaneously; only s-video, composite, or component can be the “secondary input”. So I can’t check my e-mail on my regular PC while playing Resistance.
Hope this helps,
Tom
An additional note for “John”. Perhaps why your HDMI cable didn’t work is that you need to temporarily connect both composite/component & HDMI cables to the 2407. When the PS3 boots up and initially defaults to the composite/component cable, switch to that input on your 2407 then go into the PS3 system settings and set the video mode to HDMI. Then switch your 2407 to the DVI input. Then it should work fine for you and you can unplug your composite/component cable.
Hi Tom,
Thanks for your long detailed posts, I know they take a while to write, but people like me really appreciate it.
I had been testing with the method you described but I decided to give it another go around.
The original time when I tried I kept getting “No DVI Cable”.
When I tried this time, I no longer got such a message, the monitor would just kick me into “Power Save” mode.
When I took the cable out, I noticed it came out way to easy.
So I jammed the cable into the port as much as I could and tried again……
….and IT WORKS!
And I feel like such an idiot…..cables not connected properly….hahaha what a newbie mistake.
1080p on the 2407 using HDMI->DVI cable work great.
Component cables for stereo audio works great.
I can cofirm the same results as Tom, 1920×1080 gets streched to 1920×1200 and you can’t do anything about it.
Not being able to go into 1:1 Wide mode is definitely weaksauce.
I don’t really get why that option is blanked out.
http://www.costco.ca/en-CA/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10296785&whse=BCCA&topnav=&browse=
Did anyone try this before?
Hello everyone,
You say that the PS2 and the Wii look bad using component. How bad is it really, when compared to an old 14″ TV (composite obviously) that I’ve been tolerating for years? Might it actually be better? I hope so. Thanks for the help and for this great post in general.
Jason,
The Benq has one obvious problem; non PC inputs have no 1:1 mapping (so non native res is stretched). There are claims from Benq people unofficially that it’ll get a firmware fix. But they have to do it. So you either wait or buy and send it back. Plus it’s more expensive, plus there’s a ‘Z’ version coming that’s even more expensive (same firmware problem though). trustedreviews.co.uk. have a z for review at the moment.
For someone like me without a PS3, with the Dell stretching any non PC, potential HD-DVD source from 1920×1080 to 1920 1200, and a question mark over HDCP working even with a PC, the only point of the Dell is as the cheapest non-HDCP material protected PC screen…(as I see i!) – Is that right, anyone??
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2357645&CatId=0
hm.. but they are saying that they support full HD
for ps3…
Can you check this?
Thx
This site has a ps3 running on a 2407wfp version 0. The first version of this monitor does do 1:1 pixel mapping, all the newer ones don’t.
http://axts10.web.infoseek.co.jp/kusunoki/ps3/
(need to translate it via google if you don’t know Jap, link’s too long)
Thanks for all the info. guys. I just hooked up my PS3 to the Dell 2407 via HDMI-DVI cable and WOOWWW: it is truely 1080p resolution !!! I confirmed the resolution via both PS3 and the LCD ~~ It works. Now I feel good about my PS3 purchase.. Thanks..
good stuff! I currently own a 2407 and its nice to know that when I do get a PS3, my monitor will be able to support 1080p on it.
Hi, when you say “The EDID data for the 2407WFP shows 1080i as the maximum resolution which is untrue”, can you tell me how to tell from the EDID data that the maximum resolution is being 1080i and not 1080p? Thanks!
Hi there. Have been following this thread for quite some time now since I’m keen on both a new LCD and the PS3. After reading Tom’s post I was convinced that finally things are clear on the support of 1080p and I can go ahead with both. However since my company has a Dell enterpise a/c I thought I’d check with them one last time and here is their reply thru e-mail.
———————————————————————————————
Currently, 2007WFP and 2407WFP supports up to 1080i and not 1080p.
In line with company policy, we are not able to disclose / confirm for customer now when upgrades to support 1080p will be available
———————————————————————————————-
Now i’m confused ???
The problem you have there Nisheel is your question was answered by some Dell customer service rep in India.
The 2407WFP does support up to 1080p at resolution 1920×1200 using the DVI connection. A standard tv’s full HD 1080p resolution is 1900×1080.
For those with newer 2407wfp revisions (A01, A02, etc), I found a “regression to A00″ driver on Dell’s site.
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&releaseid=R119570&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=158983
Try it out and see if it allows the 1:1 mapping!
very informative and easy to understand material about the 2407wfp I’ve read thus far.
Just a note on the regression to A00 driver, I don’t think it is the firmware for the 2407, it is only the windows xp display driver.
YOU CANNOT USE A DVI-I ADAPTER LIKE THE Monster® High-Performance Male DVI to Female HDMI® Adapter STATED ABOVE. THIS DELL MONITOR REQUIRES A DVI-D ADAPTER, THE DVI-I ADAPTER HAS 29 PINS.(THE 29TH PIN IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE WIDE FLAT ONE ISOLATED FROM THE NEEDLE PINS) THIS MONITOR CAN ONLY HANDLE 25 PINS, SO OBVIOUSLY THE ADAPTER WON’T EVEN PLUG IN WITH A DVI-I 29 PIN. WHEN YOU ARE GETTING AN ADAPTER GET A DVI-D DUAL LINK 25PIN, PLEASE REFER TO http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVI-I#Connector FOR MORE ON DVI CONNECTOR TYPES.
IF YOU GET THE HDMI TO DVI-D SINGLE LINK(19 PIN) YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY AT 1080p, YOU’LL BE ONLY ABLE TO ACHIEVE 1080i RESOLUTION.
(THE 19TH PIN IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE WIDE FLAT ONE ISOLATED FROM THE OTHER SINGLE NEEDLE PINS)
NOW, YOU DON’T NEED TO BUY TWO SEPARATE PIECES, ALL YOU NEED TO FIND IS A HDMI TO DVI-D DUAL LINK 25PIN CABLE, SUCH AS THE BELKIN PURE AV.
(THE 25TH PIN IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE WIDE FLAT ONE ISOLATED FROM THE OTHER SINGLE NEEDLE PINS)
Hey everyone, this thread contains loads of information for which I am thankful. I do have some questions though.
First of all, will this monitor support 1080p via Xbox360? This has never been discussed so I would like some info on the subject.
Also, could someone post a screen shot of the stretching? I would like to know how bad it is before purchasing the monitor.
Lastly, is there a new or obscure method to prevent the monitor from doing the infamous stretching? Because I’m pretty sure, knowing myself, that the stretching would irritate me to the highest level. I don’t want to downgrade to A00 since there has been a lot of problems like banding and text blurriness reported related to this specified version.
Thank for your time, your insight and your help. It is all truly appreciated.
Your xbox 360 will be able to process 1080p via VGA Cable ONLY, component does not allow(us standards only) 1080p signal. So if you want 1080p you’ll need to wait a little bit for xbox to push out their new upcoming update regarding HD game play(not the one that already supposedly fixed it, a newer one) and pick up some VGA adapter cables found at gamestop or your local mega electronics store.
As far as stretching goes, you set your game system to the resolution you want and that signal should be processed to the monitor. For instance, setting the ps3 to 720p will show only a 720p signal regardless of if you have a widescreen, on widescreens there will be black areas on the left and right of your 720p viewing area. If you set your ps3 system to 1080i/p and you’re playing a 720p maximum game, then you will experience scaling, essentially you are telling you SYSTEM to stretch the 720p max res game to 1080i/p, but like i said, if you change your system options you’ll see no stretching, however you will have black bars on the left and right of your widescreen monitor @ 720p. Non-widescreens don’t have to worry about this issue.
By the way, forget the dell 2407wfp, get the 2707wfp, its a new release, costing 1400, I’m buying one as soon as my dell dollars come in the mail, if anyone is interested in buying a 2407WFP DELL display basically new, i just bought it a week ago, i’ll be selling it for 700 free shipping. Leave a message on here and i’ll get back to yah. Happy HD gaming!
Too correct my statement about about dvi-d 19pin (single link)
you will be able to achive a 1080p picture, however the DVI-D 25pin(dual link) will provide a higher bandwidth for picture quality, clairty, and overall improvement proving that it has two links to use rather than one.
Its kind of like HT processors and dual core processors, the first generation of processors had one processor or one thread, providing two threads or processors allows for faster and more data throughput which can only mean for displays using a dual link DVI-D cable a better, more vibrant, vivid, crisp picture. Ponder upon it my friends.
Hello guys,
wow what a great input that I found here! I wa s before at different website and a litte bit confused if the 2407 will provide the 1080p signal from the PS3 or not. But you guys found it out. Great!
I have a slightly different question. I’m a owner of a Dell 2405, who doesn’t support HDCP at the DVI. Now I found a little box in Asia will allows to play the PS3 at a monitor in 1080p. The reason is, that the box removes the HDCP signal from the PS3. So, theoretically the Dell 2405 will support the 1080p from the PS3. But I’m not 100% sure because of the de-interlacer from the 2405.
What do you think about it?
At the moment I can’t check, because I’m waiting for my Asia box and the PS3 launch in March.
Thanks in advance!
Regards from Europe.
Daniel
the latest revision.. rev04 supports 1:1 mapping for 1080p
so the only prob left with this lcd is the component quality..
Hi,
This thread is awesome. But now that 2407 ($700) is being replaced by 2707 ($1400), the price is pretty much in the frontier of the HDTVs. My question anyone know of the most affordable 1080p HDTV out? Is there one around $1000-$2000 regardless of screen size. Since we are already breaking the $1k barrier. And of which model can also double up as a PC monitor. I currently have a sharp HDTV 15″ flatscreen LCD which I took because if its PC input. It functions 90% of the time as my PC monitor. I purchased for like $600 back then. But I dont think it is capable of 1080p display. Now I’m trying to replace it with one that does. The nice thing about HDTV is it comes with speakers. I’m looking for something similar but with the 1080p capability.
Thanks for all the info you guys are great!
Does anyone know if A04 fixes the problems mentioned in this blog post?
Good review…But still is it too bad to play ps2 with 2407? As ps3 is still not available in my country (ASIA) I’ll be playing ps2 with this monitor…any comment?
Bad, i have been playing GT4 on mine via a component video cable and it’s alright if you don’t sit too close. You can also try playing around with the sharpness settings.
Cant wait for PS3 to come to Aus!
Mark,thanks.I’ll definitely get this monitor after read this review.Hope ps3 comes soon to play with this monitor.Or…other suggestion beside 2407?
Answering my own question – this post at HardForum suggests that A04 supports display of 1080i & 1080p:
http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1030545113&postcount=14
Any other confirmations spotted?
I just reveiced my 2407WFP 03 and it’s great in 1920×1200 via DVI-D to my 8800GTX. I also have a 360 connected via VGA running at 720 Aspect however even with this recommended setup there are still a few problems not mentioned here.
Switching to aspect from fill for 720p or any other resoluction via VGA causes a tearing effect across the middle of the screen. The only work around to resync the display is a power cycle and it will look fine. It does however save this setting for later use when you decide to do some 360 gaming.
I am content with 360 at 720p as most games are developed with 720p framerates in mind anyways. However setting the 360 to 1080p via VGA results in a stretched image (fill) with artifacts. I get these odd horizontol overscan lines perhaps that are some what intermitent in places. Not sure what they are but they look horrible. I would be content with the stretched image but not the artifacts. I am assuming from all the other posts in the thread that these artifacts are not found using the DVI-D input when stretching running at 1080p fill mode.
I also seem to have another issue that I can’t seem to find any reference to whatsoever. For games like WoW 1920×1200 looks and runs great on the 8800GTX however for some other games that are a little bit more situational and using less optimized engines I would like to be able to lower the resolution to perhaps a standard resolution or a lower 16:9 resolution. For some reason I can’t do any aspect adjustments or modes other than fill on the DVI-D to 8800GTX.
I figured I would resort to software to correct the issue via the Nvidia control panel however the newer Forceware drivers appear to be broken in that they offer aspect adjustments but they aren’t working. At this point I decided to try out some manual timings and make some new resolutions to see if I could resolve the issue.
Again no luck. I can’t seem to do any aspect adjustments via DVI-D via hardware (monitor) or software (drivers). Is it just me or is this just not supported by DVI-D? It sure seems like it but then again I am reading plenty of posts that would seem to have people adjusting aspect ratios via DVI-D
if u buy a dell 2407fpw new does it always come with firmware A00 or do they come with the latest firmware because i would like to get 1 with my ps3 and hdmi>dvi then run it at 1080p 16:9 just by leaving the firmware at A00.
i have now read that version A04 supports 1:1 pixel mapping at 1080p through dvi-d(with small black bars at top and bottom) can anyone confirm this if not could someone tell me where to find a dell 2407fpw with version A00 on it
I have read the same thing across many forums but good luck getting 04. It’s only in limited quantity and distribution channels. I ordered mine just a few weeks ago and received 03. Either way even if 04 supports 1:1 at 1080 your still going to have to power cycle the monitor everytime you change the aspect ratio from fill to 1:1 to get rid of the tearing desync issue. I have no heard anything about 04 saving aspect settings but 03 does not.
I am in the process of returing this 2407WFP now and will wait to see the 2007 models before finally moving to LCD. IMO CRT is still vastly superior when it comes to gaming. However I have 360 and PC and I still need a viable display that will support both properly in 1080p and up with full backward compatiblity for full screen modes and progressive TV resolutions. I am thinking about going to a 22inch screen to resolve aspect ratio problems with 16:10 on these 24 screens. Altho I will miss WoW at 1920×1200 until I find a better display.
Well I have bought both an X box 360 and a Dell 2407 (rev03) monitor and it looks fantastic through component (1080i) after some tweaking ie brightness and contrast up a little bit and saturation down to 65. It looks awweeesome playing Call of Duty 3!! Dark yes but the monitor has a good contrast ratio. Now all I need is the firmware update to get 1080p through VGA. Don’t mind the stretching at all quite used to it. I have heard that turning down the sharpness to 30 in VGA will get rid of all the artifacts and tearing. I love this monitor!
i was curious about the actual picture quality of a Wii over component (480p) as well as if another lcd monitor (same res etc) has the possibility of better component quality (480p)?
Wii should look great over component if that is what it supports. Sorry for my ignorance I haven’t been paying attention to Wii. I would not run anything over component on this monitor. The quality sucks although I did not try 480p and yes component quality does vary. I am no expert by any means but so far from what I have seen Samsung is kicking everyone’s ass with their 1080p component.
I just got one of these a few days ago, in Ontario Canada, and it is rev 03. One slight blemish (dead pixel?) up in the upper right, not too annoying. I love it, but I’d like to be able to do 1080p from my Xbox 360. This page is great, lots of good info. I’m not clear, though, will I be able to update the firmware on this monitor from 03 to 04 (how do I do that?) and will that give me what is essentially an 04 monitor (if not, what will I be lacking) and will I then get 1080p at 1:1 ratio? Thanks.
My 2407 RevA03 could display the PS OS interface at 1080P ( automatic in HDMI output mode ), but when playing BD-DVD I have to scale down the Res to 480P or the screen would just go black and read “out of range signal, change computer display to 19200X1200@60HZ”.
Can someone give an advice as to why the output is only 480p on 2407? I read some of the posts and 2407 is supposed to support 720P at least. Is something wrong with the HDMI-DVI cable and its only capable of a 480p transfer?
Marc, the monitor’s firmware can only be upgraded by Dell and they offer no firmware upgrades. The only way to get a newer REV is to return it and hope you get a new one.
Fifan, try going to tbe display options and only check 1080p. The PS3 currently will not downscale BD movies to 720p (fix pending) and the 2407WFP can’t handle 1080i through DVI remember. If its trying to play the BD movie at 1080i(most common) automatically it would be an out of range signal.
just tried that but the res still in 480P. I go to the Display -> Manual -> Custom and uncheck both 1080i and 720P ( 480P check is in gray and cannot be disabled ). But when start playing BD-DVD, PS3 would automatically scale down to 480P and play the movie. 2407’s own Display info read “720×480@60HZ”.
Maybe I should try other cables or switcher that said it’s capable of HDMI-DVI transfer at res hgiher than 1920×1080?
I didnt do any OS update for PS3 since I bought it one week ago. Could this be relatable to the issue
It should work regardless of what firmware you have for your PS3. Are you sure you’re playing a Blu-ray disc and not a regular DVD? PS3 can’t upscale DVD’s to 1080p yet. What movie is it?
Its a Japanese BD-DVD title. I don know how to type the Japanese characters here, but on the package it’s marked with “1920×1080″ ( interlaced or progressive is not specified ).
sorry thats my mistake. I just got 2 US BD-DVD releases :
The Devil wears Prada – FOX
The Lady in the Water – Warner Bro.
Both display authentic 1080p image on 2407 through HDMI-DVI cable.
THE PICTURE LOOKS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS !!!!!
Well look like we can forger D9 now..
PS : Japanese suck in BD-DVD, it reads 1920×1080 on the packgae section but actualy only deliver 480P quality pictures..
Does the 2407 play US Blu-Ray discs at 1080p?
YES.AND it display them in adsolutely great PQ.
AND they look miles better than HDTV recording you can grab from the USENET. No macro-blocking whatsoever, regardless of how fast the motion scene is, this is truely amazing.
Fifan
When you play the blue ray at 1080p is it showing black bars at the top and bottom like it should or is it stretching to fit?
Most everyone has said the A03 version stretches the image in 1080p but not in the other resolutions
Thanks
Could someone please try using an HD cable box with component at 1080i and also HDMI or DVI to DVI 1080p to see what it looks like?
Thanks
The image is slightly stretched in vertical direction, but this doesnt matter to me at all.
In DISPLAY SETTINGS -> Wide Mode, there’s 3 option : 1:1, ASPECT, and FILL.
1) 1:1 will display the video source at its native res.
2) ASPECT stretch the image ( regardles of video’s native res ) in one direction only( vertical or horizontal ) so you get maximumn display size without affecting its original ratio.
3) Fill stretch the image in both directions so the video edge fit into the phisical edge of the screen.
As you can see here, for image in native 1920×1080 ratio, if you choose FILL option to display it in 2407, it will be stretched in vertical direction 1080 -> 1200, so it would fit into the phisical screen edge. And if you pick ASPECT option to display it the image will still keep its original ratio.
But the WIDE MODE funtion will contain the above three size config now APPEAR TO BE DISABLED while you playing BD-DVD through PS3, in the menu you will see WIDE MODE is in gray and the config is fixed to FILL.
This is not the case when you play the recent cracked HD-DVD release on PC. In POWERDVD 7.1, there’s 2 option :
1. keep aspect ratio
2. stretch to fit the screen
both fuction correctly on 2407 when you play the file from Hard drive. Since I dont have a XBOX360 HD-DVD Drive I’m not sure if WIDE MODE will also be disaled when you play HD-DVD directly from optional drive.
Once BD&HD-DVD drive roll out that officially support BD & HD-DVD playback on PC we will find out soon enough. But it looks more like an issue with the new playback machine.
Hope this is helpful.
“In DISPLAY SETTINGS -> Wide Mode, there’s 3 option : 1:1, ASPECT, and FILL.”
This option is greyed out if you are inputing 1080P into the monitor.
It only allows FILL
That is on the A03 rev.
The A04 the modes are allowed
Thought I’d put my $0.02 in…
I have a 2407, mostly for my PC, but I’m using it for my new consoles until I get an actual HDTV. (so much stuff to buy!)
My 360 is hooked up to it over VGA in 1080p and looks about 100x better than it did in 1080i with component cables. If you’re using the 2407 as a PC monitor at full resolution over DVI and you switch to 1080i component to play games it’ll look *painfully* bad. If you only use it with component maybe you’d get used to it, but you won’t be happy with your gear.
I just got a Wii yesterday and get no signal at all over component. Works in composite just fine(looks awful of course). Not sure what’s going on there.
Anybody with a HD cable box?
Ill hopefully be able to answer this when I get mine this weekend but was just curious if anyone has tried it via component 1080i or HDMI to DVI-D for 1080p
Nope, the idea of components 1080i just not sound so tempting … And per Vissione 1080i is not supported over DVI interface
Hello!
I am in TW Los Angeles Area, and have a Scientific Atlanta 3250HD. It is running Passport 4.3 build 005. I have a Dell 2407. Using component video cables it works fine.
When I use the DVI (DVI-D Dual cable) it display the picture for a couple of seconds and then goes away. Here are more details. I was told somewhere that I should connect a computer to the DVI of the monitor and set the computer to 1280 x 720 resolution, and then set the 3250HD to have only 720p activated. I do this while the DVI is disconnected from the STB, while watching my regular TV that is connected using antenna cable. As soon as I connect the DVI cable the picture shows up on the monitor for a couple of seconds, and then goes away. If I look at the Settings menu of the 3250HD it is now set to 1080i and one cannot change it unless I disconnect the DVI cable.
Thoughts and advice?
Thanks in advance,
Regards,
Emil
Well I got home hooked up my motorola 6200 HD cable box to my 2407wfp A03 via component and HD TV looks great. I can adjust the monitor to fill aspect and 1:1
I have yet to try it with the HDMI but will.
I do wonder though, someone said above you have to use a DVI-D dual cable and yet when I got my dell monitor it shipped with a DVI-D but not dual, it doesnt have all the pins. So I guess I need to get one of those to try when I hook the dvi out of the cable box to the monitor?
Or can I use the single DVI-D?
Hello all. I am currently trying to hookup my 2007WFP (the 20″ version to the 2407) to my HD cable box.
I have the Scientific Atlanta 3250 HD box and am in the NYC Time Warner area.
I tried using the DVI-D connection of my monitor to the DVI-D slot of the cable box but got some message saying it was “Out of Range” and that I should adjust it to 1680×1050…which is strange cause some of the posts on this forum said to go to the lower 1280×720 one.
Can anyone clarify this up? I’m confused.
thanks
Good morning everyone,
Thanks for all the back and forth on this issue, a lot of this has been really helpful. I have a similar problem to Emil (above). I have the Dell 2407 and it looks great with my Mac Powerbook, plugged in via DVI. I recently purchased a Denon s301 dvd system hoping to use the monitor for watching movies but no dice:
DVI to HDMI cable-no signal
Component to Component cable-no signal
S-Video to S-Video cable-no signal
The best I’ve managed is a brief image then it goes right to black.
Dell and Denon have been zero help with sorting out the compatibility issue but maybe someone here/out there has tried this set up before and knows the answer.
I’m thinking…ditch the 2407 and get a proper HDTV. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance, Chris
gregnauman:
I have a HDTV tuner that can output 480p, 720p, 1080i. So far, I can only watch (via VGA or DVI) 480p, and 720p but not 1080i. The monitor would says out of range when trying to watch 1080i. Components sucks, so don’t bother. I rather watch 480p via VGA/DVI rather than 1080i via components.
Chris:
I can watch DVD just fine using the svido port or composite port. Maybe your DVD player?
I’m not sure if anybody else has mentioned or tried this before, but do you suppose the 2407wfp will accept a 1080p signal from a PS3 connected via component -> vga box (the x2vga v2 that supports 1080p) -> monitor via VGA? I just have a 2001fp right now and that’s the only way I can play the PS3 in 720p. 1080i/p is stretched to fill the screen and is also cut off on the edges and isn’t very sightly
I was thinking if I were to upgrade my monitor in the future if this would be a good monitor for 1080p blu-ray novie/game watching. Never hurts to plan ahead
.1080i via DVI interface (DELL 2407WFP rev.A03).
.Turn off your screen, while your computer is still on.
.Press simultaneously the ‘Menu’ and ‘+’ button of the screen.
.While holding the 2 buttons, press now the ‘Power’ button.
.Once the screen in ON, let go of the 3 buttons.
.Then press the ‘-’ button.
.Set ‘iTest’ to ‘on’.
.Press ‘menu’ again to exit hidden menu.
Does it really works ? _YES.
Is there any solution to enable 1:1 in 1080p?
Its not that the hole games or PS3 menus look like crap, but at some points it feels stretched.
Just wanted to add to the chorus of thank yous for the incredible amount of information here. I’m purchasing this display for use with my PowerMac and eventually PS3 and I had previously been overwhelmed by the amount of partial and contradictory information everywhere else on the internet.
With a little research I was able to find this display (2407wfp) for sale at apparelandtech.com, which pricegrabber shows a 4.9/5.0 rating for — and they say “All units are Revision A04.” Nice.
[...] Enlaces: http://vissione.wordpress.com/2006/10/23/1080p-for-cheap-dell-2407wfp/ [...]
TeeBaw:
re: 1080i via DVI interface (DELL 2407WFP rev.A03)
+10 for that hidden menu.
That solved the issue for me! Thanks so much.
This does indeed give me 1080i from my Samsung DVD-HD860.
I recently ordered one of these monitors and intend on getting a PS3 to go with it. What type of HDMI to DVI-D cable will i need? single link or dual link
Thanks in advance
Re: PS3 and 2407 Poor quality
I have bought a PS3 and a 2407 however after reading a few of the comments from your site I am still having problems. I have bought a composite lead which allows me to view my PS3 with very poor graphics. However the real concern is hooking up a hdmi to dvi cable which I have also purchased. The screen goes green and will not allow for me to change any settings. Are you familiar with this screen and what do I need to do to change the settings whilst in hdmi to dvi mode.
Regards,
Tom
The updated firmware (A04 I believe) does support running the game in the 1:1 aspect ratio unstretched. I’ve been using it and it looks great!
[...] permalink ^I think it has a few issues doing HDCP encoded video at 1080p 1080p for cheap: Dell 2407WFP v i s s i O n e [...]
About non-pc inputs:
I’ve tried running an xbox (original) on both the composite and component inputs, and the screen is showing terrible ghosting, bad color quality, and other general unpleasantness. This could be (rather, most likely is) a result of the cable quality. The only component hookup I could find for the xbox 1 was one from MadCatz, and I have no faith in that $15 cable.
I have A04, and the DVI and VGA inputs from my PC are pristine, but I’m currently disappointed by the other hookups. I’ve got a 360 on the way, and I’m hoping that will look much better with the 1st party component cables.
-Rausch
Rausch,
The problem you will be having is due to the screen upscaling – your xbox original will be putting out either 480i (composite) or 480p (component- if supported by the game), the screen will need to upscale that image to fill it, which is never going to look amazing – the 360 with the vga cable should look much better. Infact even with the component inputs should look great.
I tried to use this monitor with a samsung upscaling dvd player and it looked quite nice through the component inputs (looked better through the hdmi, but the hdmi output on the dvd player was faulty and generated lines). I’ve also tested this screen with the toshiba hd-e1 (i think) dvd player through hdmi to dvi and that looked lovely (even at 720p).
hope this helps.
You’re right, the VGA on the 360 looks fantastic. The horizontal lines at sharpness above 30 are still there, but not noticeable beyond about 6ft. Also, the colors were washed out originally, but the spring update fixed it amazingly. I ended up watching HD movie trailers late into the night last night because it was so gorgeous.
The component is okay, the colors and blacks are wonderful, but it doesn’t do 1080p. And on a monitor this size at desktop distances, it is perceivable.
But seriously, VGA after the spring update can’t be beat. Fantastic.
One last question about the xbox 1 – is the ghosting I see with fast movement a result of upscaling as well? I understand why the other things would happen, but that seems to me to be a problem of noise in the cable, though I honestly don’t know how that would work. I’ve taken electricity and magnetism, but sending images through wires and all the reflection, static and noise problems therein are waaay beyond me.
Hello I call Gabriel are an Italian boy I do not speak the English excuse very well : -)
…I have read the guide but I wanted one confirmation, the monitor supports the resolution 1080p ???
I between little days would want to buy it, I hope to make the choice just
Thanks, gabriele!
Aloha, I was wondering if my dell monitor 2407 wpf will work with a MacPro computer!! Just got this monitor through eBay and havn’t even set it up to my xp system yet.
Would like to get a Mac Pro but will depend a bit on wheather these two are comptable.
Thank You
Aloha Don
Donald,
With the majority of macs they release adapters to use vga or standard dvi – i believe with the mac pro you choose which graphics card to include, in which case any which uses dvi would be great, or vga would be fine. And then you wouldn’t need an adapter either. If you wanted you could even set your XP pc to the vga connection, and your mac pro to the DVI.
Gabriele,
The monitor supports a 1080p resolution, but not a 1080i resolution – it would also probably have lines at the top and the bottom as the screen actually runs at 1200 lines (120 lines more than 1080p).
Jon
hi, i have a dell 2407 a03 revision. hooked up an xbox 360 via vga and using my pc on dvi. sound is coming through logitech z5500 speakers using optical for the xbox and pc sound is hooked up to the sound card.
anyway. i want a ps3 also so i am going to get another 2407. one for just pc and the other for the two consoles.
if i still have the xbox hooked up via vga and sound though optical. then i get a hdmi > dvi cable for the ps3, how would i get the sound from the ps3?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
Ps3 has optical out too doesnt it? Can you not use that (maybe add a switch box?)
thanks for the info. it does have optical out. i just wasnt paying enough attention to the specs. do you have any idea where i could get a switch box (where two optical cables go to one connection on the control panel of the speakers)?
If you are in the uk, something like this @ maplin:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=35241&C=Froogle&U=35241&T=Alias&MA=OPTICAL%20AUDIO%20SWITCH
should do the trick. I have no idea of places outside the uk im afraid, but if you google optical audio switches you should find some (varying in price between £15 and £150…but the £15 ones should do everything you need)
hope this helps
Jon
appreciate it it thanks very much. that will do the trick nicely
G’day vissione, I’m wondering if you’ve acquired your PS3 now and have any updated news regarding 1080p+HDCP on DVI.
My 2407WFP displays 1080p beautifully from my PS3 over HDMI-DVI but only for menus/games. It fails (with resolution-out-of-range) when attempting 1080p+HDCP, e.g. for PS2 or DVD upscaling.
Some further investigation. The doco for the monitor states that 1920×1200 (i.e. 1080) can only be used at 60Hz. All other resolutions can be used between 50-something and 70-something vertical refresh.
I upscaled a DVD to 720p and checked the monitor’s debug menu which said the signal was 49.9Hz! So I’m thinking that upscaling to 1080p is also using ~50Hz, which the monitor can not display.
I’ve also now tested a Blu-ray movie (Mission Impossible 3) and it plays at 1080p perfectly, so yes, the monitor is 1080p+HDCP compatible. Phew.
Only hope for upscaled-to-1080p is if Sony add refresh selection support in upcoming firmware perhaps?
Hi,
I’ve used this monitor for a year like a PC monitor connected via VGA cable. Wonderful!
Now, I would like to use it only to play DVD (standard DVD) & DivX with a DVD-Player . Does anybody can suggest me wich kind of dvdplayer I’ve to buy and the best connection (DVI, Composite,…) for DVD (standard) playback?
Thanks in advance.
Rup
Hi Rup,
I’m using the philips DVP5980 as a dvd player, which is running with a hdmi-dvi cable and is running at 1080p. I know the different in resolution isn’t important on a screen of this size, but the picture quality is really good on this display. There’s also a tv tuner out now with hdmi, so you can pretty much use this screen for everything (it works pretty well too – if your sitting at a normal distance (ie. not at your desk) the quality is great.
Hope this is of some help
I’ve encountered a problem when using 2407WFP-HC with my wii connected via component cable. When turned to 16:9 mode(480p), it seems that the moniter can only display with compressed 4:3 or stretch to 16:10.
Is there any one knows how to change it to original ratio?
(When changing to aspect mode, it became compressed 4:3).
Hi guys,
I just wanted to confirm few things here:
1. Video: The only cable needed to connect a PS3 and 2407WFP is a HDMI – DVI cable?
2. Audio: What exactly do we need to connect a PS3 to a speaker? I have a 2 Speakers and a sub woofer of Altec Lansing. Each speaker has a cable, where the right cable is plugged into the sub woofer. So, practically, I only have 1 cable left. Where about or how about do I connect my PS3 to my speaker via that 1 cable?
Thanks Guys; It’s more to an audio question.
Henry, yes any HDMI-DVI cable should work.
To get audio from the PS3 you have two methods: optical or RCA stereo. Your speakers use a 3.5mm plug so to plug your PS3 into them you need a simple stereo RCA to mini-stereo adapter that will let you plug in the two RCA audio Left and Right plugs (the red and white ones). The other end should be female so that you can plug in any regular set of computer speakers with a 3.5mm male plug. This is the easiest way to get sound with your existing gear, although you have to find the adapter locally or online. It’s not really elegant and you don’t get volume control unless your speakers have a knob for it, but it should work.
If you wanted you could use a higher-end set of speakers that have optical input and buy an optical cable to plug into your PS3 and use it for 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound. This is the best and highest quality sound you’ll get from speakers, but it is also much more expensive and you’d have to buy new speakers.
Logitech sells a set of speakers (X-530 or the updated X-540) for about ~$50 and they come with the adapter I described. Just another option.
Hi Guys,
Just a general and simple question: Dell 2407WFP-HC, what is the latest revision ? Is it true that A00 is the latest one and has superseded A04?
I’ve called this Dell guy and he advised me so.
Just wanted to get clarification, just in case you guys know any information.
Hey guys, you CAN get 1080i on the 2407wfp! I found this info on another site and tried it myself and it actually worked! I’m watching AVP on my Philips DVD player hooked up via DVI-HDMI cable in 1080i right now!
“how to get 1080i via DVI interface (DELL 2407WFP rev.A03-A04), using service menu:
.Turn off your screen, while your computer is still on.
.Press simultaneously the ‘Menu’ and ‘+’ button of the screen.
.While holding the 2 buttons, press now the ‘Power’ button.
.Once the screen in ON, let go of the 3 buttons.
.Then press the ‘-’ button.
.Set ‘iTest’ to ‘on’.
.Press ‘menu’ again to exit hidden menu.”
Simple question, how do connect a PS3 and a PC to Dell 2407WFP-HD monitor?
Will a DVI Y splitter works? If it does work, how do we switch from a PS3 to a PC then?
I’m confused now.
Henry…no, as i understand it, A04 is 3 revisions newer than A00.
David…it’s cool but you can see why its a test feature…it’s rather shacky…i think the 720p looks better. the component and composite video inputs allow interlaced video too.
Henry again…I did it quite cheaply…I picked up 2 dvi to hdmi cables from tesco (they were 97p each, but they were reduced…), and a £30 logik hdmi splitter box from currys, which lets me feed 4 inputs (currently pc, dvd player, tv tuner) into the monitor. A dvi spliter would work too, but as i understand it they’re more expensive than a cheap hdmi changer.
whoops, forgot to leave a name…last message was me.
also, when i say splitter box i mean switch box…you press a button on the front to change the source video. My dad uses one which has a remote too, which was about the same price off ebay. Only downside is that one’s powered while the one with no remote is passive and doesnt need a power source/doesnt generate heat.
I’ve been researching threads about the 2407wfp for a few days now after just having bought a 2407wfp (revision A04) and i cannot find ANYWHERE a simple answer to a simple question i have…..
if i get a full 1080p HD DVD player and put it through the monitor via HDMI-DVI will it play properly??
cheers!!!
yes…looks good too. (although arguably at 24″ you wont tell the difference between 720 and 1080, but still best to get the max you can)
the only problem will be like the artical says, if your player relies of EDID then there may be a problem with the player disabling 1080p. Only some players have this problem though, and it’s not a problem with the screen. Probably best to try it first if you’re going to be paying alot, or email the manufacture and ask them if the player you’re after relies on EDID or not.
If you find out then it would be cool to post the model and whether or not it does here as that would help other people
hopefully this of some help to you,
Jon
cheers mate! at last a straight answer from someone haha
the model i am getting is the toshiba ep35 that comes out on monday, i will email toshiba now and ask them! i will put the results up here when i find anything out.
thanks again!!
It’s me again with another question. hehe
What if I connect my PC via VGA, will that work?
DVI slot will be used for the PS3, hence I be able to switch from PS3 to PC at anytime by just switching the input.
Will that plan work? Let me know your thought. Thanks!
That will work, although from what i’ve noticed using my laptop on vga and desktop on dvi is that the vga input is not as good as the dvi…not as smooth, and i found it annoying to read text…that could be because my laptops graphics card isnt as good though…
It’s worth a go for a while, if it’s not as good you can always buy a switch later on, but yes that set up should work.
Awesome!
I just got 1 more question to ask, how about PC speaker to be shared for PC and PS3? Is that a possibility?
I got an Altec Lansing 2 speakers and 1 sub woofer. At the moment, the only cable that connect my PC and this speaker is a male RCA. What do you reckon the best way to connect it to both PC and PS3?
I was thinking the PS3 will be using the white and red audio cable only (3 coloured cables) connected to a converter – 2 female and at the other end another female. This way, i will be able to connect the PS3. But, how about my PC? Should I get a female to 2 male converter? Will this work?
So, as a summary, 2 converters are used here.
Converter A: 2 female to female.
And the other one is, say Converter B 1 female to 2 male.
2 audio coloured cable for PS3 will be connected to converter A (2 female).
The speaker will be connected to converter B (female).
Then, the other end of Converter B (2 male), 1 will be connected to Converter A (female) and 1 to PC.
Will this work? hehehe sorry kinda long explanation.
Let me know your thought. Thanks!
That sounds like it will work… althoug I’ve never tried running essentially a splitter the wrong way around though – I’m not sure if that would affect the computer or the ps3 at all, or what would happen if both were putting out sound.
“”–Just a general and simple question: Dell 2407WFP-HC, what is the latest revision ? Is it true that A00 is the latest one and has superseded A04?–”"
TRUE
The 2407wfp-HC is essentially the rev. A05 2407wfp (but also supports 92% color gamut as opposed to ~72%). HC = High Color.
Great info here… thanks.
I am very close to buying a A04 (even though i can get an HC for the same price).
The issue is that i do a lot of web design, and i want my colors looking closer to what my clients monitor will show them. I cant afford to have that extra 20% gamut showing me colors they wont be able to see.
HOWEVER, my question is, can the HC be color managed to only show the 72% gamut ??
Thanks,
R
So, we know the monitor will not accept an over the air HDTV signal through an HDTV tuner card, but will I at least be able to buy an internal DVD BLU-Ray that will play in 1080p over the DVI to the Dell 2407wfp?
Anyone?
VMARK, HDTV works if its 720p (very few channels due to higher bandwidth). No luck with 1080i broadcasts (the majority). Yes, blu-ray works just fine at 1080p.
Vmark, if you’re using an internal one and you want to use dvi then you’re going to need a graphics card with hdcp built in and enabled – I guess there’s more around now, but at one point the chips were added but couldn’t be used as nvidia/ati weren’t paying licenses for them…the better new graphics cards should all support this as standard of course.
Hi,
Very useful information here
I am using the 2407wfp with my PS3 over an HDMI->DVI cable.
Maybe it’s just my imagination, but compared to “review-videos” from 720p games (like Uncharted), it seems to me that the graphics are much more “pixeled” and not that smooth. Does anybody experience the same issues or knows how I can make it “smoother”?
Thanks for great article and follow-up on questions.
What was the program you used to get the screen display shots showing the resolution and setup information? It looked like a Dell program. Is it available for download to owners of the 2407wfp? (I bought my Dell from Costco so I may not have received this with my hardware.)
Thanks,
Ben
hit the menu button, then goto display settings, then display monitor information. Hope this helps
I have my Ps3 hooked up to my 2407wfp via an HDMI-DVI cable. However because the aspect ratio of the monitor is 16:10, the image gets stretched up a bit vertically. From the menu, if I go to Display Settings, I can’t access the option that would change the display to its original aspect ratio (in this case 16:9, with black bars). It works for component input, but not for DVI. Is anyone else having this issue?
Update: It seems that my monitor is A02 revision and does not support 1:1 pixel mapping. Apparently Dell doesn’t offer firmware upgrades over the internet, and I’ve had my monitor too long for a replacement. No longer a Dell customer.
Great thread. I’m one of those TV-allergic people you hear about, but I love watching films. The past few years I’ve been using a 15″ Apple flatscreen as a PC monitor and also as a dvd video screen via the s-video port, sound plugged into my hi-fi.
That’s been OK, but since most films are widescreen, they end up being a very small letterbox indeed on a 15″ screen, so I recently got a 22″ (248wfp) Dell monitor on approval. That’s good on the PC, but it stretches images 10% vertically from my dvd player (sony dvp78H I think). I watched Koyanisquatsi the other day. Stunning film, but when the huge full moon passes across the sky, it appears egg-shaped due to the stretching. The stretching also makes people – figures, faces – look very odd to my eye.
What a minefield it has turned out to be, but finally, from the information here and elsewhere I have come to the conclusion that the wpf2407 rev. 004 will do the job for me. The 24wfp-hc model apparently has great colour on video mode, but also seems to have ghosting problems which Dell are unlikely to ever fix. But fortunately there are a few non-hc models rev. 004, still available. I shall purchase one of those and see how I get on.
Paul
Fantastic article, you’ve really done the research! I bought the 2407WFP soon after it was released after hearing it was HDCP compatible and realised that this was the solution to getting a cheap HDTV (well, not TV) for my future PS3 (which was about 4 months away from release where I live). I got the PS3 almost a year later and shortly before getting it, I stumbled upon this article, when I was checking for people’s experiences with the monitor + PS3.
Unfortunately, it’s been more than a year since I bought the monitor and it’s A02, so I have the 1:1 mapping problem and can’t get it fixed. Thank you, Dell. It’s not bothered me too much though but I did find the problem with upscaled DVDs and PS2 games at 1080p not working to be a bother. Through some fiddling, I found out upscaling worked at 720p but for some reason, not at 1080p.
Cheers then, to the people posting in this article, who have even discovered the root of the problem, I greatly appreciate it. It’s a shame that for such a minor frequency discrepancy that we can’t view 1080p upscaled content, but alas, that’s what we get for going the cheap route. I personally am not happy with the constantly changing state of HDTV standards to go out and invest in one, but I might just consider selling off my monitor if the new 24 incher from Dell performs as well as it’s expected to. I’m not very fond of 1920×1200 over VGA due to the terrible picture noise and inaccuracies, but thankfully I hear the newer Dells like the 3008 comes with both HDMI and DVI. It’ll be a waste of the insane money I spent on the Belkin HDMI-DVI cable (which I found with great difficulty, after reading a comment here too!) but I guess I can’t really do much about it.
Despite all this, I feel the 2407 is a brilliant monitor. Thanks to all of you for your constant comments! Major thanks to the VissiOne, and to Google for actually putting your post somewhere in the top!
excellent article…very detialed and easy to understand..i would recommend this to other ppl who are having problem with ps3 and 2407
thank you sir; for this incredibly insightful article, answered everyone of my questions regarding the connectivity of the Dell-2407WFP with the PS3 in 1080p.
much <3
(for saving me much $)
:p
Wow, only just came across this site – very informative and specific – just what I live and breathe.
I have only read half of the many questions/responses, so, I hope that I’m not repeating anyone. My apologies if I do…
The scaler within the 2407WFP sucks for all inputs…
The scaler would appear the simplest – ‘nearest-neighbour’ (renowned for “jaggies”).
S-Video carrying 16:9 480p (PS2 and/or DVD) after 2407WFP full-screen scaling, is also aspect ratio stretched to 1200 pixels (16:10) (!?).
Worse yet, Component Video carrying 16:9 1080i is scaled (!?) (and therefore aspect ratio stretched) to 1200 pixels also. Why Dell didn’t implement 1080i 1:1 (native) is beyond me – could’ve been as simple as 60 vertical pixels unused on the top and similarly at the bottom i.e. black bars top and bottom.
I’ve experienced HD15 “VGA” carrying 16:9 720p (from Set Top Box) avoids the stretching of the aspect ratio (otherwise filling the 1200 pixels). In other words, I have noticed the aforementioned 60 pixels top and bottom (black bars) technique in this mode. Better!
Still, the scaling sucks. At least something is consistent.
I’ve yet to implement an HDMI connection from a PS3 I’m yet to own, and via the pin-compatible DVI-D base standard. But by the sounds of all of you nice people, I can expect stretching of 1080p to 1200 pixels also – need I mention plus sucky scaling…
My 2c.
P.S. I am an electronic-engineer and can appreciate cost (vs quality) constraints of a “cheap” design. However, at AUD1000, I don’t consider this display cheap for 24″.
[...] … the monitor’s firmware can only be upgraded by dell and they offer no firmware upgrades. …http://vissione.wordpress.com/2006/10/23/1080p-for-cheap-dell-2407wfp/Monitor Problems: no signal from computerStephen, This may be a long process, but the first thing to [...]
Under display settings on the PS3 there are options for RGB Full Range (set at either Full or Limited) and Y Pb/Cb Pr/Cr Super-White (HDMI) (set either on or off). Does anyone know the optimum settings for the dell 2407?
How does the 2408 compare to the 2407?
I have a 2707wfp which is similar to 2407wfp in function..
BUt I can’t seem to get any signal output when using either DVI switch or HDMI switch… (XCM brand)
Is there somethin I have done wrong ?
Check the PS3’s display settings.
On another note, to combat the stretching of 1080p, I have unchecked the box, forcing the PS3 to output 720p. From a metre or two away playing games, you can barely tell. Most games are only 720 anyway, so I’m not too bothered.
At first: great information here! many thanks.
i use a component cable with my ps3 80 europe and the 2407wfp a03.
All resolutions up to 1080i looks green, no red signal. i read on a different forum, its a RGB YUV problem.
i wonder no one else here describe this problem. how can i synchronize the dell with the ps3? or is it a display/cable malfunction?
thanks for your help.
i got a new ps3 -> yuv cable and it works.
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