ASUS VS278Q-P 27" Full HD 1920x1080 1ms DisplayPort HDMI VGA Monitor

I was looking for a larger monitor to replace my Samsung 23" LED model S23A350H. Aside from surfing the web and checking email, I also use the monitor for PC games/gaming. I purchased my monitor directly from J&R, because they offered free shipping and a $10-off coupon for any purchase (but only from their website). I paid 289 bucks. I ordered it on a Sunday, they shipped it Monday, and it was delivered to me on Wednesday. I've ordered from J&R before (direct and through Amazon), and they do a good job...even with returns. The model is ASUS VS278Q-P (27 inches).I checked into monitors above 27", but they were very expensive (600 bucks and up, plus their response time is much higher--and that's bad). Some monitors above 27-inches with low response times and higher resolution were 1200 bucks or more. I don't pay that kind of money for technology, because the prices always plummet in a few years due to even newer technology! After doing some research at various monitor manufacturer websites, it seems that most companies don't produce monitors over 27" right now; companies that do make them bigger either 1) call them TVs, or 2) make them at higher resolutions that cost a lot more...response times tend to be higher too. A TV may be okay at 1920x1080, because you aren't sitting a couple feet from the screen; but if you have a monitor larger than 27" with 1920x1080, then you will notice text and graphics are a bit grainy when sitting a couple of feet away (check reviews for monitors larger than 27" that use 1920x1080 and you'll notice comments about grainy text/graphics).My main concerns were size, brand/reliability/quality, response time (lower is better), screen resolution (higher is better), dynamic contrast radio (higher is better), and user reviews. Since I purchased the monitor online, I did not see it in real life before I buying it.The monitor is big, clear, no pixel problems, excellent display. The brand is well known, and reviews for their other monitors are good. The response time is 1 ms (excellent). Screen resolution is standard 1920x1080. Dynamic contrast ratio is high compared to other monitors in its class. And most user reviews were 4 or 5 stars (look at the reviews on Newegg for this model; there are 40+ reviews there).The onscreen display (OSD) controls are standard (I find all monitor controls a bit clunky, and this one is no exception).It includes built in speakers. Why?! Don't buy this for the speakers. It's a monitor. Buy the monitor. The speakers are 2 watts and they are on the inside back of the monitor, facing away from you (so the sound is noticeably behind the monitor). If you use an HDMI cable, then the speakers may not appear to work (that's because the sound is being fed through your graphics card, and you need to change the "sound playback" setting in Windows...it's not worth it). Turn-off the volume for the monitor speakers and don't mess with them. Be happy with the lovely display.Some people mentioned that you need to mess with the settings for a while to get it looking good. I've found that true of every monitor I've purchased. Take a good look at your favorite pictures before you switch monitors and try to replicate the image (or run your old and new monitors side-by-side if you can, and adjust the new one to match the old one).After some fiddling around, here are the settings that I liked the best:Splendid* Theater ModeColor* Brightness: 70 (default = 90)* Contrast: 60 (default = 78)* Saturation: 55 (default = 50)* Color Temp: User Mode (default)** R: 100 (default)** G: 100 (default)** B: 100 (default)* Skin Tone: Natural (default = Reddish)* Smart View: Off (default)Image* Sharpness: 50 (default = 45)* Trace Free: 60 (default = 80)* Aspect Control: Full (default)* ASCR: Off (default)Input SelectThis just let's you switch between VGA/HDMI1/HDMI2/DisplayPort.You can do the same thing by pressing the button to the left of the on/off button.System Setup* Splendid Demo Mode: Off (default)* Volume: 0 (default = 50)* ECO Mode: Off (default)* OSD Setup** H-Position: 100 (default = 50)** V-Position: 9 (default = 50)** OSD Timeout: 20 (default = 30)** DDC/CI: On (default)** Transparency: 0 (default)Information* HDMI: 1* 1920 x 1080* 68 KHz, 60 Hz* VS278QLanguage: English (default)All Reset: No (default)The above information is a list of the monitor settings that worked best for me (listed in the order that they appear in the monitor's settings menu); this is NOT a list of the monitor specifications. If you want to know what some of the above settings/terms mean, then you can go the ASUS support site and download the manual for the monitor; I've also included a link to the manual in the comments to this review.My PC is running Windows XP SP3, and the monitor works just fine. No driver or software came with the monitor, and it runs just fine without it. I checked the ASUS support site, and it looks like they have a monitor driver for Windows 8.When ASCR is "on", the monitor is brighter, and ECO Mode is disabled (and the brightness setting is disabled). When ECO Mode is "on", the monitor is brighter, and ASCR is disabled (and both the brightness and contrast settings are disabled). I don't like my monitor glaring bright, so for me ASCR and ECO are off and my brightness and contrast are turned down a bit.GRAPHICS CARD DRIVERYour graphics card driver may impact how your display looks. If the above monitor settings don't work for you, then try updating your graphics card driver. Always keep a copy of your old driver even after you update to the new driver (in case you want to switch back to the old driver). A graphics card driver can change how the display looks (colors can go from bright/vibrant to dull/dark/washed-out).This monitor includes a 3 year warranty. And they also offer a recycling program.The box comes with:* monitor* base* HDMI-to-DVI cable (I use this one)* VGA-to-VGA cable* Audio cable* Power cord* Quick start guideI'm very pleased with my purchase.UPDATE 3/4/13I purchased another one of these monitors for a friend. This time I purchased it "used--like new" from Amazon Warehouse Deals. Currently, Amazon has two "used--like new" listings: one that says "Item may come repackaged" in the description, and one that does not have that phrase in the description. I purchased the one that does not have that phrase in the description. It was shipped in the original box, and contained all of the original contents. Aside from a scratch on the edge of the monitor (not on the screen, just on the black edge around the screen), the item is "like new".By accident, Amazon left the prior return form in the box. It didn't have any personal information on it, but it did have the reason why the prior customer returned the item: "discoloring on the monitor". Well, after testing it, there is no discoloring. So, either that person wasn't telling the truth just to get Amazon to pay for return shipping, or they did not know what monitor settings to use in order to achieve the best results.So, a big "thank you" to that person, since I saved some money by purchasing it "like new".

I just got this setup and so far I am very impressed.I was a little hesitant about the purchase due to some reviews about poor display settings and not being able to adjust.For anyone on the fence for this reason, don't be.I assure you the picture is beautiful and the menu is easy enough to navigate.I had zero problem getting right to the brightness and contrast, which if you follow the steps I lay out below, is all you need to change using the OSD and buttons on the monitor.More on that in a minute.The monitor arrived quickly, and was very well packed.Opening the box, you can see Asus has included all the necessary cables, including a DVI-HDMI, VGA, audio, and power cable.I would have liked to see and HDMI-HDMI cable as well, so I could have ran audio and video with one cable, but this is still better than the last 27" LED monitor I bought which came with only a VGA and power cable.Attaching the stand to the base was tool-free and took a whole 15 seconds.The base is sturdy and the monitor adjusts to tilt forward and backward pretty easily.My PC is located under my desk, and I found the length of the included cables just barely long enough to reach.I would have liked to seen another 2-3' added to these.Once I got everything hooked up I turned on the monitor and saw....nothing.I had to press the source button, which is not very clearly labeled, and is the second button from the left with an S/A kind of logo.After I got the right input selected everything came on screen with no problems.The display settings from the factory are a bit too bright and the contrast was way too high.Details and light colors were completely washed out and it kind of hurt my eyes.No worries, I was able go get the display adjusted exactly how I wanted in about 45 seconds.I had no problems navigating the on screen display using the controls on the montior.I found it simpler to use than the OSD on my 27" Acer monitor.The resulting picture is beautiful.The color representation is much more natural than on the 27" Acer I have right next to it which I have calibrated twice now.Watching full HD videos (x264 MKV, 1080p) I see no blurring or artifacts.Browsing the web and reading small text is much easier on my eyes than it is on the Acer.I've only just set this monitor up and started using it, but my initial reactions are very good.I'm quite satisfied, and I dont think you could ask for a better monitor at this price point.I have a 28" HAANS.G and a 27" LG E2742 at the office, and an Acer 273HL at home (referenced above).I think this monitor performs equally as good or better than all of the more expensive monitors.Only time will tell for how long, but I've been impressed with all my dealings with Asus in the past.Here is a tip for quickly setting up your display.This is applicable to anyone running Windows 7.Open the Start menu, in the search/run box type "calibrate"You should see the option "calibrate display color"Click this.Drag the window onto the monitor you want to calibrate and follow the guide.Getting the gamma setting right is the biggest part of this in my opinion.I did 5 monitors with this tool, and getting the gamma properly adjusted seemed to make the most noticeable improvements.This is a very simple calibration tool, its not for a professional printing operation, but neither is this monitor.For a large percentage of users, most of those shopping at this pricepoint, I think the Win 7 calibration will work very well.Its native to windows and requires no third-party software, discs, or payment.It is also easy to use and allows you to get pretty well dialed in in seconds.I didn't discover this tool until about 2 months ago when I got the LG at work.I found it by accident and it is a HUGE time saver for me.I fiddled with the brightness/contrast settings on my Acer a lot, and I never was happy.I blamed the display and dealt with it for almost 2 years until I found this tool.The "clear type" calibration seems to work well also.If you spend a lot of time browsing web pages or reading pdf files I would recommend doing this.Its just like an eye doctors exam, pick the text that looks best a few times, and your done.Spend some time and read each sample all the way through, and you should end up very happy at the end.

Hace ya algunos meses que compré un par de estas bellezas y estoy muy complacido con la compra. La velocidad no fue lo principal, pues solo quería expandir mi escritorio de tal forma que fuera más cómodo trabajar, así si estoy programando X dispositivo (por ejemplo) y tengo dudas con respecto a éste, es bastante cómodo abrir la hoja de datos en una sección del "otro" monitor para tener la información a la mano.Mi máquina ya tiene sus años y cuenta con salida DVI y VGA, para usar ambas en estos monitores necesité un adaptador DVI a HDMI y la VGA va directo a un monitor y sin problemas da los 1920x1080 y con el adaptador antes mencionado también, así que ¡WOW! super escritorio de trabajo.A recalcar que el monitor cuenta con dos entradas HDMI, un Display Port y la VGA, Así que sin dramas podemos conectar algún dispositivo (u otra computadora) y hacer el cambio solo apretando un botón.El ángulo de visión es bastante amplio. Si estás pensando en comprar un monitor te invito a que consideres este modelo.Consumo (típico): <45WModo ahorro energía: <0.5WModo apagado: 0W (en 0 el botón que está a un lado del cable de alimentación)Voltaje: 100-240V, 50/60Hz (por si te vas a Europa o Sudamérica y te lo quieres llevar xD)Frecuencia de señal analógica: 30~83 KHz(H)/ 50~76 Hz(V)Para la imagen, el monitor de la derecha usa el puerto D-sub (VGA) y el de la izquierda HDMI, nada ostentoso, simplemente extensión del escritorio.

It's a really good thing this monitor is for a home recording studio, because I already have really nice studio reference monitors and do not need the terrible speakers on this screen. Clarity and functionality are otherwise perfectly fine. I just can't hear anything loud enough from the speakers to get anything from it. Tinny quality to the sound, which I basically expect from screen speakers, but there's no volume at all. If you're a gamer, and want to enjoy the full audio experience of your games, make sure you have separate speakers.

i was looking for dual monitors for a home office. i was searching for 22-24" monitors at first, and was hoping to find one with variety of inputs and at least 2ms refresh so i could use them for gaming one day as well. at the time a decent 24" with some of what i was looking for was $180, while these were $25 more but had everything i wanted plus speakers and were 27", easily worth the $$. i really like that these take all the inputs, even display port.if i had to complain, i would say that the bezel on these is kind of wide for a modern monitor at about 1", but i have mine mounted on adjustable stand arms, so the larger bezel makes it easier to position the monitors without getting my prints all over the screen.

Sent my Curved Samsung back and bought this for gaming.. the black light take some tweeking but great monitor.. colours are great and not so bright and cartoonie. Bright and colourful when it and sharp, No issues with games. The Stand and the frame seem dated , not framless and the stand is nothing special. It is what it says it is. Very easy on the eyes.

This works well as part of a dual monitor setup with its multiple inputs. The original power cable I got with it stopped working properly but I replaced that with a spare one from an old monitor and it's worked perfectly since.