I always start off with 5 stars and take off stars for certain "cons". In this case, I can not rightly give the HN274H 5 stars because I specifically bought this monitor for the 3D. The 27" was just a bonus. In order to reduce the ghosting, you have to set the Nvidia Control Program's 3D depth (or the depth setting) to the absolute minimum (0%) or with minimal ghosting, around 4%. This is unacceptable IMHO. If you have the depth setting at default or higher (say 20% or more) then the 3D really pops and is in your face, but there is significant image doubling - or ghosting. I used the 3D test application you launch from the control panel as the benchmark. This is probably the best 3D indicator or benchmark that I've seen. Not only does it show depth, but the Nvidia Eye really comes out of the monitor, almost hovering in front of you like a hologram. When seen on my 150" screen via 3D projector, this Eye stands out about 5 feet from the screen and is 8 to 9 feet wide. Very impressive. But regarding the HN274H's 3D, I'm a little disappointed that I have to set the depth setting to the bare minimum to get rid of the ghosting. With the depth setting so low, it sort of defeats the purpose of true 3D. Most animated 2D movies or 2D games at 1080p look pretty good without the need for 3D glasses, so at bare minimum 3D depth, it's only slightly better than this, IMHO. Not to say this is really bad, but this monitor has more 3D potential if it wasn't for the significant ghosting when you increase the depth field. :(
I also tested the 3D with my favorite game, Fallout 3, and the movie Rio 3D. Fallout 3 was really good. Much better than my 150" screen and 3D projector because that one could only do 1280 x 720, whereas the HN274H played the game in 1920 x 1080. It was really nice to play this game in 3D utilizing full 1920 x 1080 HD. As for Rio, I only watch a few minutes of it. The depth was good. I didn't notice any pop out (same for Fallout - but that game was more for depth, not pop). Ghosting on Rio 3D was horrible so I turned it off. Only later when I tweaked the 3D depth setting did I know that I could reduce the ghosting effect, but afterwards, I didn't go back to viewing 3D. I was done for the night and wanted to test other features of the monitor.
Overall, 1/2 a star off this very nice monitor should be more than acceptable. Included with the negative is the location of the power button. On more than one occasion when I was trying to get the monitor situated in place, I would grab hold of the monitor by the edges (since it's so big) and the palm of my hand would power off the monitor. I think the power button should have been located further away from the corner of the monitor frame - like in the middle/bottom. Same for the location of the other touch buttons. If these were in the middle or center of the bottom frame, it would be more appropriate. Most LCD monitors I've used are on located front center, or on the very underside of the bottom frame, not on the corner edge! Well, maybe not. I remember an old Compaq CRT monitor I had the power button on the right edge, too, but it wasn't touch sensitive like the HN274H. Next time I'll just grab the monitor by the sides, not by the corners.
I do want to pay compliment to Acer by saying that the HN274H comes with every thing you need to get this monitor connected and going without having to buy any extra accessories. HDMI, DVI, 3.5mm male to male stereo, 3D glasses, are all included. Myself, I was trying to utilize my current cables (as I have this set near my home theater and using the HTPC), so I bought a couple dual link DVI to HDMI adapters for my existing HDMI cable. The dual link DVI adapters + HDMI cable worked fine for 2D, but not 3D. When I ran the 3D Vision setup, I the HN274H gives this great message on the screen, "Please use the supplied DVI cable that came with the monitor!" or something like that, LOL. I really had to laugh, I thought that was funny and cool at the same time. I ended up having to move the monitor and table closer to my HTPC as the supplied dual link DVI cable was only 6 ft long. This is only a temporary setup, but the only computer in the house capable of 3D.
I haven't adjusted the color or brightness settings yet. Out the box, this display is EXTREMELY bright - because I guess they figure you're going to be using it for 3D with the dark Nvidia glasses. Your eyes will adapt to the brightness over time, but just be aware that it's really bright when you first turn it on. The 2D display is really crisp and so far it's the best LCD monitor I've ever used or owned. For comparison, the 27" display @ a sitting distance of 2 to 3 feet, is akin to maybe a 130" screen from 10 feet away? In other words, pretty impressive.
Pros -
Lightweight
Very nice looking overall design
Clearly labelled on the backside for the plugs
Small AC adapter
Touch sensitive buttons
Crisp and clear 2D image
Nvidia 3D Vision integration, including the iR emitter
Includes Glasses
Cons -
3D ghosting - must use minimal setting to reduce this effect
At minimal depth setting for 3D, the pop factor is reduced significantly
Power button location
There is a spark every time I plug the connector to the back of the monitor (I guess next time I can plug in monitor side first, then the other plug to the outlet, instead of the other way around?)
| Standing screen display size | 27 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1920x1080 |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Graphics Coprocessor | No Information |
