Calibrating the Acer KG281K

[Spencer]

I seem to really be having difficulties in calibrating my new Acer KG281K to my liking, which sucks because I otherwise love the image quality it provides. I dont know if its because of backlight bleed or something, but the blacks just look...weird. Its not that they are washed out or anything they just seem to look off in some way. I know its a TN panel but the reason I bought that over something like an IPS is because I have always wanted the most accurate blacks possible.

My previous monitor was a 24 inch 1080p dell 2T2420L and to this day after going through countless monitors I have yet to get anything to look as good as that old monitor. This one is pretty close and I feel like I am on the verge of finding the perfect one but Im not sure if this issue is just a matter of hardware calibration or just simply a limitation on the monitors side.

I still have a good few weeks till the refund on this expires, so should I just keep messing with it? Ive heard that this monitor can look really good after some tweaking.

And for anyone who says "Why not just go back to your other monitor" I need this one because it has two hdmi ports that I can hook my brand new PS4 into as well.

[Komrade]

VA is what you’re looking for, good blacks. Return the TN.

[Komrade]

If you’re on a budget I’ll recommend this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GD7H18F/ref=dp_cr_wdg_tit_nw_ls

[Spencer]

Ive heard that VN panels have their fair share of problems as well. Finding the perfect monitor is really a huge pain it seems, almost need to do it in person instead of ordering online.

[Komrade]

Originally posted by Spencer:

Ive heard that VN panels have their fair share of problems as well. Finding the perfect monitor is really a huge pain it seems, almost need to do it in person instead of ordering online.

Yeah, all peripherals should be tested in-store if possible. VA panels have gotten a lot better recently.

[Spencer]

Originally posted by notkennyS:

If you’re on a budget I’ll recommend this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GD7H18F/ref=dp_cr_wdg_tit_nw_ls

Budget is not a problem, right now the best of the best Is what I am truly after.

[Komrade]

Originally posted by Spencer:

Originally posted by notkennyS:

If you’re on a budget I’ll recommend this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GD7H18F/ref=dp_cr_wdg_tit_nw_ls

Budget is not a problem, right now the best of the best Is what I am truly after.

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-Non-Glare-FreeSync-Optix-MAG241C/dp/B07FB6SY6Z/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=MAG241C&qid=1579149427&sr=8-1

This?

[Spencer]

I would like it to be 4K, and it has to have two hdmi ports. 27 or 28 inch would also be ideal.

[_I_]

turn the backlight down to 25-50%

[Spencer]

Originally posted by _I_:

turn the backlight down to 25-50%

Where would I find that setting?

[Spencer]

As a side question, are the blacks really that bad and washed out on IPS? Ive heard nothing but good things about them but would that be suitable for me? I would like the most accurate colors possible but again, I really do hate washed out blacks.

Are they washed out even when you set the rgb setting to full in the nvidia control panel?

[shoopy]

check this site to reference your monitor http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

The problem with black levels is some times monitors that have deep blacks are actually the inaccurate ones.

[Spencer]

Ardiel, thank you for the link. Im not sure exactly how the site works, but am appreciative of the help nevertheless.

So I have decided I most likely will try to get a new monitor. This one also had some issues with stuck pixels. Although I managed to fix it I have heard there is a good chance that stuck pixels can return, so I really dont feel like taking the chance of having it reappear after my refund window is up.

The big question is of course whether or not I should get a IPS or VA monitor. Both have pretty serious cons. IPS of course doesnt display blacks that great; however I am curious, for those who have IPS monitors and nvidia cards, are the blacks still pretty washed out when you set your rgb from limited to full in the nvidia control panel?

And as for VA, I heard some pretty bad stories of ghosting, how bad it is Im not sure exactly.

Apologies for all the questions, I have been trying to get a good monitor for years now and can just never seem to get it perfect

[_I_]

Originally posted by Spencer:

Originally posted by _I_:

turn the backlight down to 25-50%

Where would I find that setting?

in the menu on the display