Gah, it's a shiny screen... but bugger me it's bright!
So, time to look into those features I mentioned on the previous few pages... The most important one being the panel itself. So, let’s compare it with one of my Hyundais, which, until this iiyama arrived, I was perfectly happy with. Seeing as I run a dual monitor set-up, I’m running the PLX486S-B1S next to one of my Hyundais as I type this.
On first power on, the PLX486S-B1S seems massively bright, so much so that it’s almost hurts the eyes to look at. Then, when I compared it with my old LCD sitting next to it, I realise that my old panels are pretty dim by comparison. It’s a bit like walking into sunshine from a dim room, after your eyes have adjusted, everything else seems dark. In fact, iiyama is a near perfect example of HDR! Anyway, the OSD will probably be your first port of call, so hit that ‘Auto’ button and let the monitor resize and centralize the screen for you. Then you might want to hit the colour temperature as I found it to be too cold, even after an hour’s use it still felt quite pale.
Click for larger imageNow, as I’ve think I’ve explained, I’m not a big fan of shiny LCD panels with their high reflective screens, seeing everything behind me is not my cup of tea. To be fair to iiyama, the reason they have this shiny surface is to incorporate the glare filter, it’s part of the screen itself. This is balance out by the sheer brightness of the panel itself. I’ve taken a shot of the iiyama next to a Hyundai panel and you can see clearly how much brighter the PLX486S-B1S is... And as over-bright as it seems, once you’ve used the PLX486S-B1S for any length of time you’ll start to wonder why other panels are so dim.
Click for larger imageThis brightness, to a large extent overcomes the reflectiveness of the screen but in daylight conditions I can see myself and the lighting behind me. Load up some dark images or a game like F.E.A.R. and I can easily see myself almost to the point of becoming distracting. So I found myself pulling the blinds and closing the door, reminding me of the days of CRTs and cutting out the reflections back then... I know why the PLX486S-B1S has this shiny screen, but I can’t help but wonder if this is ideally suited to gaming, especially if you’re playing a darker game such as F.E.A.R.
I have pretty much zero reflection from my matt screen Hyundais which means that I never see my own ugly mug peering back at me. The PLX486S-B1S has me flinching at all the wrong moments as I catch a glimpse of my fizzog. That said, on games with lighter screens, such as Half Life 2, FarCry, CS:S or my favourite, IL2: Pacific Fighters, the brightness of the PLX486S-B1S nearly overcomes this. In an ideal world I’d want the brightness and colour depth of the PLX486S-B1S without the shiny screen, but seeing as it’s an integral part of the panel, that’s unlikely to happen.
