Unfortunately the few moderate priced LCD displayss that are good quality for serious graphics and photograpy are disappearing. The only one left that is still available is a Samsung 245T. Don't be afraid of the name, as Samsung is the #1 LCD manufacturer in the world.

In professional quality LCD displays the best are Eizo ColorEdge, and after that the NEC #90 series Spectraview 2 line of displays. If I had to buy a new one today I would go for the LaCie 724 because it has the best color, All are pricey, but NEC and Eizo have 22 inch models that are moderate and higher resolution than the 22 inch home/office models.

David,
I am leaning toward the NEC 90 series. Specifically the 2490w2 also known as the 2490wuxi2. I still have a few unanswered questions.
I noted that the 2490s list a color gamut size of "AdobeRGB 75.2%/sRGB96.7%", the 2690 lists a much larger (greater than 100%) color gamut size. It seems that none of 90 series smaller than 26" have that expanded gamut size. The 26 inch models really breaks the budget and I do not need the size. Is the difference in gamut size that critical? I will be working in Photoshop on a Mac Pro with an output to the epson 3800 printer.

Second question: If I go with the 2490 I am tempted to purchase with the Spectraview software and dedicated colorimeter. I believe you mentioned that you were evaluating this system. Any impressions yet. Is there signicant downside or upside to using the NEC system for color mangement?
Thanks for all you help
Chuck

Chuck,

I recently tested and evaluated an NEC display and NEC's new Spectraview 2 software and colorimeter. The display I tested was the new P221W which is a wide color gamut 22 inch HD format display. A 24 inch model wide color gamut display was announced, but at this time it has not appeared on the market. So it is really not a good time to be buying the current 90 Series 24 inch with an sRGB color gamut and then shortly finding it has been replaced by a better model.

The Spectraview 2 colorimeter and software is very good, easy to use and effective.

My report on this NEC display and Spectraview 2 will be out in Shutterbug in the near future I am sure.

David,
Waiting for the wide gamut NEC 90 series 24 inch is not really an option. I have just read the specs and brochure on the p221w which looks very good. While I know your initial recommendation was for the 90 series I wonder how you think the p221w compares with the 90 series. I am now leaning toward the p221 with the spectravision system.
I have no problem with the size as I am coming from a mediocre 20 inch monitor.
Thanks again
Chuck

From all that I can tell testing and using the NEC P221W display with the Spectraview 2 software and colorimeter, it is essentially a smaller 90 series in every respect of performance. It is maybe not called that because ithas more modest price point, but who knows why anything gets the name that it does. It just does the job in the same way in a smaller size.

Thanks for all your help
The P221w-sv is on its way.
Paid 700 at PC connection
Cannot wait to try it out.
Chuck

I hope you don

Scott,
LCD display specs are not so much intended to inform as to confuse. The display companies don't get real on the size of the color gamut unless it is close to or as large as AdobeRGB or greater, when its less they ..........

The Samsung 245T is a high quality older design pro graphics display with a little better color gamut than a typical home/office display, which is closer to sRGB than Adobe RGB.

The NEC Spectraview 2 P221W reproduces over 95% of the Adobe RGB color space, and additionally is a well made, solid pro graphics display in the 22 inch HD format, the size that can be produced most economically,

If your Spyder2 is a Pro model then the software supports using the colorimeter to measure the white luminance so you can adjust the display contrast to get a 90.0 CD/m2 setting that will match paper white - to get color managed prints that are the corrected density. But Spyder2 although OK is not as sensitive and critical as the Spyder3 Elite.

With NEC Spectraview 2, the colorimter is a two moded design for both home/office displays and the much wider color gamut of the P221W and other NEC wide gamut diaplays; plus the software connects directly through DVI-DDC to adjust the display directly via the computer software by altering the display control and internal LUT's to obtain both a pre-set white luminance CD/m2 like 90.0, as well as calibration and profiling. This is ideal when calibration and profiling setting are internalized in the display rather than ordinarily by putting the adjustment load on the computer video card.