Pros: After reading extensively about all the different korean-manufactured monitors that use high-end panels, I decided to go with this one, since it appeared to meet all the criteria I was aiming for, namely resolution, panel type, inputs and response time. Not to mention that this monitor costs less than half the price of the equivalent Apple cinema display. I was aware that this panel would not be absolutely perfect, but I was absolutely blown away with just how close to perfection it is. The picture quality is fantastic! The colors are incredibly vivid and the blacks are great! I thought I might have to adjust it after getting it, but that wasn't the case. I'm actually afraid of touching anything, in case I might end up making things worse. Not that I can think of any way to make the picture look any better, lol! As for the build quality, it's not fantastic (see below), but the monitor doesn't feel cheap either, as it uses what feels like heavy duty plastic. All things considered, the few flaws here and there are more than justified by the $500+ you save by buying this over an Apple display.

Cons: As I said, these monitors are cheaper because the panels used on them are rejected Apple panels that are not quite perfect, so they are rejected by apple, then sold under a different brand by different companies at a discount. I was expecting this to come with dead pixels all over because of the different return policies I've seen from the different companies stating that returns were for 5 or more dead pixels. I was very surprised and pleased to see that there is only ONE stuck pixel. That's it! The rest of my gripes, which are more like nit-picking really, have to do with the design of the monitor. The screen itself is flat all the way from side to side. But that little bit at the bottom that looks like brushed metal (it's plastic BTW, but feels nice to the touch), where the brand is written, actually sticks out, as if it had been glued on top of the screen itself. It tapers nicely at the corners and bottom edge of the display, but there is still a sort-of lip or edge sticking out along the top edge, about an eight of an inch or so at the center of the screen right above the ShiMian logo. It doesn't bother me much, but you can't really see it on the pictures, so I thought it was worth mentioning.

Overall Review: The seller contacted me directly since they were unable to ship it to my APO address, but we were able to work out a solution. They also set the OSD to English, which was nice, and said they would try to get me a panel with good picture quality. I'm sure they did, because except for the one stuck pixel, the screen is flawless and the picture quality is great!

The seller contacted me directly since they were unable to ship it to my APO address, but we were able to work out a solution. They also set the OSD to English, which was nice, and said they would try to get me a panel with good picture quality. I'm sure they did, because except for the one stuck pixel, the screen is flawless and the picture quality is great!