The Daewoo DS-240WB has everything to make it the dream screen: a low price, PVA panel (considered a little too quickly by some as a ‘’the messiah’’), a vertically adjustable base, pivot mode, and DVI input.  At this price level, it’s true the monitor is quite simply amazing!

Let’s come back to the first characteristic that sets it apart: it’s the first 24 inch LCD equipped with a PVA type panel and in addition sold under the 500 Euro mark.  A PVA panel = manufactured by Samsung and here this means that they are the only ones with viewing angles that are equally open from all directions.  In the vertical plane, it’s therefore much better than TN panels and the image doesn’t fade from above or darken from below.  On the other hand, from the sides angles are a little smaller than those of its TN rivals.  Nevertheless, it’s an advantage of PVAs.

PVAs also can claim much better reactivity than what is announced by their response times.  The DS-240WB is supposed to be a 6 ms; however, in reality not only is it much more reactive than 5 ms TNs, it also surpasses most 2 ms TNs.  In the end, it places amongst the best 2 ms monitors like the Iiyama B2403WS.

As many strong points as defects

In movies, PVAs and TNs are equivalent; the two technologies are subject to noticeable shimmering and imperfect color gradations.  Moreover, this will continue to be the case as long as screens do not integrate video correction circuits similar to what is found in TVs.

After this, PVA monitors have the reputation of having better contrast due to deeper blacks.  The situation is now different, the proof being that this DS-240WB is particularly disappointing in this area.  We have to add that Daewoo didn’t spend too much effort on presettings.  Colors are amazingly inaccurate. On the other hand, you can get a tan with the default 464 cd/m² or double the average! Moreover, you will no longer need a halogen lamp in the room (see box).  Black was measured at 0.38 cd/m² which is the worst result encountered since we’ve put this test into place. 

Manually, we were able to come back to a more classic 200 cd/m² ; however this results in different colors and black levels that still appear washed out.  In addition, any starting color fidelity was utterly destroyed.  The same is true at 100 cd/m² and the poor results are even more accentuated.  The only hope is that the calibration profile we created and provide here (also see Useful links below) correct color fidelity with lower and more acceptable brightness settings.  Unfortunately, the process isn’t 100% sure...

So here we have paradoxical screen, upon which it’s very difficult to take a position.  For every advantage there is a downside.  For example, the DS-240WB has good colors, but brightness is too high.  Or it’s reactive but consumes an enormous amount of energy.   Finally, ergonomics are exceptional for the price and viewing angles are large in all directions, but it can almost serve as a backup heater.