Matrox makes a triple head. I have only read about it (I use their dual head.)

Matrox makes a triple head. I have only read about it (I use their dual head.)
I believe that these are dual digital + one analog or TV. As far as I have seen, you can't get above 1600 x 1200 in their quad card. Thanks though.

Care to elaborate on the rumored 27" Dell? That would be ideal for me. I've gotten very used to the pixel pitch on my 19" monitor and wouldn't want to go back to something smaller... which pretty much EVERY other monitor is. LCD TVs obviously are larger but I still want to use it as a monitor so those are too big. Thanks.
-Matt

Pixel pitch is the spacing between pixels, ie the screendoor effect is greater the higher the pixel pitch.

Your issue with everything seeming to be too small to read is an issue with font size and scaling. Two very different things. Your issue would be more with smaller actual pixels, where as a larger pixel pitch can often be used to keep the same size pixels as a smaller, tighter display, just with more spacing between them. Thus you'd not only still have the issue of trying to read very small text, but it wouldn't even be as clear or sharp to read due to the larger spacing b/w the pixels.

Or I could be completely wrong.

Here I can report strange effect. After months of using both at work and home 1920x1200 24" panels they actually shrank for me. They do not look huge anymore, they do not even look big. They look kinda small and there is not enough space on them to display all the windows. Sure, I use bigger fonts for ultimate comfort but still the
real estate area got painfully small.

Definitely a jump to something bigger is needed. There is 30" Dell but I think the ultimate would be 40" QuadHD 3880x2400 pixel glass. Dual DVI link graphics adapters supporting such resolution are available. Only display manufacturers have to be convinced that there is market for such monitors. I believe all the current 24" monitor users will be prepared to make the 40" jump after experiencing the collosal shrinking display effect I experienced :D.

Does anybody has good contact to Samsung and LG marketing to tell them about the effect and fat market waiting?

Here I can report strange effect. After months of using both at work and home 1920x1200 24" panels they actually shrank for me. They do not look huge anymore, they do not even look big. They look kinda small and there is not enough space on them to display all the windows. Sure, I use bigger fonts for ultimate comfort but still the
real estate area got painfully small.

Definitely a jump to something bigger is needed. There is 30" Dell but I think the ultimate would be 40" QuadHD 3880x2400 pixel glass. Dual DVI link graphics adapters supporting such resolution are available. Only display manufacturers have to be convinced that there is market for such monitors. I believe all the current 24" monitor users will be prepared to make the 40" jump after experiencing the collosal shrinking display effect I experienced :D.

Does anybody has good contact to Samsung and LG marketing to tell them about the effect and fat market waiting?

well I can't say I agree that 40" is the right size to sit so close to, but i do agree that I have the same impression about my 24" widescreen. At first it seemed huge, and now it doesn't seem all that big. Which really it isn't since in vertical height it's the same thing as a 19" 4:3. It's just the extra space at the edges that makes it seem so large. Having a really wide spreadsheet and/or a couple of webpages open in different browswers is nice though. I can see going to the 30" display with double the pixels, but part of the problem I start to run into is the massive cost of upgrading my computer so I can play games at that resolution!! That expense is far, far more than the monitor. :(

well I can't say I agree that 40" is the right size to sit so close to, but i do agree that I have the same impression about my 24" widescreen. At first it seemed huge, and now it doesn't seem all that big. Which really it isn't since in vertical height it's the same thing as a 19" 4:3. It's just the extra space at the edges that makes it seem so large. Having a really wide spreadsheet and/or a couple of webpages open in different browswers is nice though. I can see going to the 30" display with double the pixels, but part of the problem I start to run into is the massive cost of upgrading my computer so I can play games at that resolution!! That expense is far, far more than the monitor. :(

30" is just 6" more than 24" diagonal. I think that is not enough to have permanent wow effect. I afraid with 30" the perceptual shrinking will reappear :eek:. The Quad HD display around 40" will cover maximal visual area where the distance to the edges of the display would be still (on the limit of ) OK. That is true for flat displays. Hopefully there will come in some future curved displays and then 120 deg, 180 deg or even full 360 deg displays will be OK :D.

Any one running three or four of these 1920 x 1200 LCD displays off of one graphics card, or a pair of graphics cards ? I haven't seen one spec'd to do this yet, but maybe I am not looking in the right place.


Retails for 300-400.

The best investment i ever made.

Had it 3 years not a problem in sight. lol

I am running four samsung 24t off of a quadra nvs400 single card

Thanks soooo much ! :) That is absolutely smashing news !!!!

I assume yours is a PCI version with 64 MB of RAM from PNY ??

I am eyeballing the PCIe version NVS 440 with 256 MB RAM (which should be the "bigger brother"), but haven't heard anything about someone using it, or running four hi-res displays before.

Any driver sensitivities, or other things to watch out for to make it work ?

Thanks again !!!

Thanks soooo much ! :) That is absolutely smashing news !!!!

I assume yours is a PCI version with 64 MB of RAM from PNY ??

I am eyeballing the PCIe version NVS 440 with 256 MB RAM (which should be the "bigger brother"), but haven't heard anything about someone using it, or running four hi-res displays before.

Any driver sensitivities, or other things to watch out for to make it work ?

Thanks again !!!

Mine is the 64mb.

I am not a big fan of the included nvidia software so i just go to display properties in windows click settings set the resolution ,then click extend my windows desktop onto this monitor for all 8 monitors and i'm done.

The software does all kinds of brilliance settings etc but too crazy for me.

Good to see they are still staying with pci because alot more of those slots than agp.

I have 8 monitors set out of two pci cards and its unreal.

Be well mario

lcdrocks

We have two hp 2335's running dual view 1920x1200 60Hz through a StarTech KVM. If one computer has to reboot, we lose the video signal from one of the computers, and usually, but not always have to reboot BOTH computers to get back the ability to KVM switch between the computers.

We've tried swapping cables and all, and also got a replacement 2335 from HP, but now am starting to suspect that something inside the hp2335 isn't able to redetect the video signal properly....if that makes any sense...

BTW, we also found out that a Belkin switchbox that we were trying before (more expensive than the StartTech boxes we're using now) did not pass 1920x1200 via DVI, so we had to scrap those.

I'm thinking this DVI stuff ain't all that it's cracked up to be, and these new 23" monitors don't work with KVM's so well. Can anyone here testify as to otherwise?

We have two hp 2335's running dual view 1920x1200 60Hz through a StarTech KVM. If one computer has to reboot, we lose the video signal from one of the computers, and usually, but not always have to reboot BOTH computers to get back the ability to KVM switch between the computers.

We've tried swapping cables and all, and also got a replacement 2335 from HP, but now am starting to suspect that something inside the hp2335 isn't able to redetect the video signal properly....if that makes any sense...

BTW, we also found out that a Belkin switchbox that we were trying before (more expensive than the StartTech boxes we're using now) did not pass 1920x1200 via DVI, so we had to scrap those.

I'm thinking this DVI stuff ain't all that it's cracked up to be, and these new 23" monitors don't work with KVM's so well. Can anyone here testify as to otherwise?

We use the HP 2335 with a raratin KVM switch and a split back plane dual PC, but use analog (sub-D) and the switch works fine whether rebooting 1 or both.

One thing I did notice with the HP 2335, that I have NEVER seen on an LCD before, MASSIVE BURN-IN, we use this monitor with a 3-D microscopy system, and do an 8 hour burn-in test, that collects 20,000+ images.

no screen saver is used, and 4 smallish open windows are basically static during the entire test. I start the test before I go home, and check the results the following day.


You see the ghost of the (previously) open windows, and could read the title of the open windows (on the title bar) after the program was shut down, switching to the instrument controller PC showed the same burn-in image (from the workstation PC) so definitely burn-in.

I don't ever recall this happening when we used the Viewsonic VP191b.

I thought LCD burn-in was a myth, until I saw it myself, wow.

EDIT: It seems to faded to nothing over the weekend, so image retention, might describe it better than image burn in, but where these systems get used the a window may be static for weeks, not just 13 hours.

BenQ has a new 24" LCD widescreen monitor FP241W. Specs:

1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) high resolution (full 1080P HD support)
1000:1 contrast ratio
300 cd/m2
response time 16 ms (g-to-g 6ms)

HDMI connector !! (5Gbps data transfer)
Integrated USB ports

Tilt -5°-25° angle
Swivel -45/45 left/right angle,
Pivot
Height Adjustment

PIP (Picture-In-Picture)

http://www.benq.com/press/News.cfm?id=1376&cat=0
http://www.widescreengamer.com/articles/widescreen_monitors_of_computex.html

I was wondering when widescreen LCD monitors with HDMI connectors were coming out.

On the Benq site it says:
"the world's first LCD monitor with ... full 1080p HD support"
What does that mean? Aren´t other displays like the 24 inch from Dell also entirely capable of displaying a 1080p signal?

That brings up another question for me: If you send a 1080i-signal into the Dell 2407 via component, does it de-interlace the picture properly or are there problems?

By the way, I also saw a 24inch monitor with HDMI-input from LG at IFA. As far as I remember it was supposed to come out end of the year for (around) 1.000 Euros.

Two weeks until October and still no news on the 2707. I asked a Dell representative at IFA about it and he wouldn´t say anything. Damn! ;)
I hope it will be reasonably priced. Will be a tough decision when the 2407 is on 25% sale in Europe next month. How much are three inches extra worth? :rolleyes:

On the Benq site it says:
"the world's first LCD monitor with ... full 1080p HD support"
What does that mean? Aren´t other displays like the 24 inch from Dell also entirely capable of displaying a 1080p signal?:

All that means is the monitor's electronics will accept and process a 1080p signal. To display 1080, the screen would have to be 1920 X 1080.

Has anyone had any luck connecting a 24" 1920x1200 LCD to a "geforce fx go5200" graphics card with VGA ouput.

Thanks

Review on the Benq FP241W:

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2006/11/07/Benq_FP241W/1.html

I think the information for 23"/24" widescreen monitors needs to be updated since new models have come out. I'm planning on getting one in January 2007, I have chosen the Samsung 244T. I checked Samsung's US and Canadian websites a week ago, and they are listing about 12 new LCD monitors. I was wondering if Samsung was planning on releasing a successor model to the 244T (245T ?). If so, I could hold off buying the 244T and wait sometime in 2007 to get the next model.

Dell makes an amazing 24" LCD monitor. All inputs you could ever want, and pan/tilt/height/portrait&landscape adjustable.

30" is just 6" more than 24" diagonal. I think that is not enough to have permanent wow effect.The important difference is proportional, not linear, and it is squared. 30" is 25% longer than 24". Squaring that difference shows an increase of 56.25% in screen area real-estate.

Comparing a 30" to a 23" monitor shows an increase of 70.13% in screen area real-estate. Comparing a 30" to a 20" monitor shows an increase of 125% in screen area real-estate (yes, a given 30" monitor is over twice as large as a 20" monitor of the same geometry).

Quad HD 3880x2400Quad HD (QWUXGA or WUXGAQ) is 3840x2400.

I decided to have a quick look at the manufacterers of the list we compiled for 23"/24" widescreen LCD monitors. There was very little new information. The update is:

1) the HP LP2465:

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/ca/en/sm/WF25a/12142134-12142136-12142136-12142136-12142200-12401740.html

2) the Benq FP241W:

http://benq.ca/products/LCD/?product=638

(the first monitor in the 23"/24" Size with 1920x1200 to have a HDMI connector and HDCP).

3) the Sceptre X24WG - Naga 24":

http://www.sceptre.com/Products/LCD/Specifications/spec_x24wg_Naga.htm

(2 HDMI conectors with HDCP!!!)

4) it appears the Sony SDM-P234 is no longer available from Sony Style US, but it is still available from Sony Style Canada.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even though I have chosen to get the Samsung 244T, I'm having a hard look at the Benq FP241W. It looks like the only thing the Benq has over the Samsung is the HDMI connector.

I have a question. My computer is about 3-4 years old and it has a Gainward GeForce Ti4600 Golden Sample video card (with 2 DVI connectors). The specs state that the max resolution for VGA is 2048x1536 and for DVI is 1600x1200. I have heard that you can get higher resolutions from DVI (possibly 1920x1200) by "reduce blanking interval". If so, had do I do this.

I would like to get a 24" widescreen LCD monitor (that has 1920x1200 resolution) and would prefer to hook it up using DVI. I don't know if my graphics card can handle this high-end monitor (even using VGA). The video card is Directx8, however I have Directx9.0C installed and I'm running Nvidia's 8x series graphic driver. I have downloaded Nvidia's latest 93.71 driver but I haven't installed it yet.

While looking up reviews on the Samsung 244T, I found a user review from someone who bought the monitor and hooked it up to his work pc which also had a Ti4600 graphics card. He used a VGA cable to connect the 244T to his video card and said "the Ti4600 seemed to be having fill rate problems at this high resolution and you could see redraw when moving around windows." So, I don't know if my video card can handle the monitor or not and whether the reduce blanking interval would help/solve the problem. Thoughts? :confused:

Here is a new one from Acer:
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductList.jsp?ThirdCategoryCode=111110&SortBy=D
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=239069

It is a 26" 1920x1200 monitor. Contrast Ratio: 800:1.

I don't know if my video card can handle the monitor or not and whether the reduce blanking interval would help/solve the problem. Thoughts?If you want 1920x1200 resolution, it seems to me that the most sensible thing to do would be to buy a 1920x1200 monitor and try your video card on it. Then, if/when you find out it cannot digitally drive 1920x1200, update the video card.

I found another new one:

Eizo FlexScan S2410W:

http://www.eizo.com/products/lcd/S2410W/index.asp

I'm going to order the Samsung 244T Black tomorrow. If I do have to upgrade my video card, I need an AGP card which are hard to get. There was the Asus one - 6800 V9999 Ultra Deluxe which I like, however this is hard to find. It's still listed on the Asus global site but not on the North American site. I found one website in Canada that's selling it, however it's expensive at about $600. This card is, I think 2 years old, and I take it that was the price when it came out, it should be alot cheaper now, so I don't know why they're selling that much. There are some 7600 AGP cards out, however they have one DVI connector and one VGA connector. I want a video card that has 2 DVI connectors.

I was originally going to buy the monitor in January 2007, and in the second half of 2007, I was going to build a new high-end pc. Also with the CES in January, I could check to see if Samsung was going to release a successor model for the 244T in 2007, and if so, buy that one instead. The 244T has everything I'm looking for except a HDMI connector. I guess I was hoping that Samsung would improve the contrast, pixal response time and add a HDMI connector in the next model. So, I don't know if I should go ahead and order the 244T, or wait another 2 months for January and check the reports from CES.

I am considering the BenQ FP241W, but have a question about the lack of 1:1 mapping: does that mean that a movie will be stretched to fit, or will it show with black bars? personally, bars don't bother me at all (my Barco projects onto a 4:3 screen), but stretching drives me crazy. I plan to use the LCD as a PC monitor and as a second tv.

I started to read a new thread "LCD TVs Advancements Thread"
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=681110

One of the posts had a link:
"All Samsung LCD monitors to be LED backlit by 2008, report says"
http://www.digitimes.com/displays/a20061027VL202.html

This is what I found interesting from the article:
"The company also plans to launch a 24-inch LED-based LCD monitor in 2007, added the report."

I wonder if it's going to be a widescreen LCD monitor and if the resolution is going to be 1920x1200?

I"The company also plans to launch a 24-inch LED-based LCD monitor in 2007, added the report."
I wonder if it's going to be a widescreen LCD monitor and if the resolution is going to be 1920x1200?

There are no monitors in this range which are not widescreen and at this resolution. It is just absolutely unlikely the LEDBL will be different.

BTW, 1920x1200 which was once a monster is at present just so-so as 2560x1600 30" monitors are showing up in numbers.

The most interesting question is if in 2007 something bigger than the 30" monitor will appear.
I personally see the space for Quad HD at 3880x2400 resolution and size in the range of 40"
either approaching it or going slightly beyond it.
Reason for this is that I am using exclusively 24"@1920x1080 both at work and at home and with time passing they have undergone considerable "shrinking effect". Once they were monsters, now they are just normal :D

I don;t know if it's been mentioned yet, but I have the Sceptre 42" 1080p NAGA and I am running it off an ATI All-In-WOnder 9600 card. I have it connected with a 15" VGA Cable and I am running it at 1920 x 1200. I LOVE it. I haven't heard anyone else mention they have it set up like this, and the specs mention 1920 x 1080. But I can see with a image program it goes from 0,0 to 1920,1200. I actually couldn't get 1920 x 1080 to fit well so I tried different settings and this worked. It shows on the set as 1600 x 1200, but As I mentioned, I proved it with a screen shot and an image program. I love the set, and it's a decent price too for all it does. Just bought 2 more for christmas presents :)

Has anyone managed to get 1080i/p resolution on the 1200 diplays from the xbox. My screen seems to like the 1080 output over the VGA cable from the xbox not that much.

I got that resolution twice, but only runnig throught a boot up process, where the screen was first connected to a PC, then I swichted cables and got the full resolution, but I only got that twice as I said.

After rebooting I am always stuck with 1280x1024.

Any hints are welcome.

those of you who connect xbox360 to your 1920x1200 monitors, do you get 2 small black bars on your screen or does it fill the entire screen?

I know xbox360 will display 1920x1080 so that leaves 120 lines unaccounted for ...

those of you who connect xbox360 to your 1920x1200 monitors, do you get 2 small black bars on your screen or does it fill the entire screen?

I know xbox360 will display 1920x1080 so that leaves 120 lines unaccounted for ...

I picked up the Gateway FPD2485 and it supports 1:1 pixel mapping.
When using 1080i over component, the image has black bars on the top and bottom.
One thing I noticed though was that I had to have the cable switched to HDTV mode. When I set the cable to normal TV, the monitor would lock up when switching to 1080i.
(For those without an XBox 360, the HD component cable has a switch on it for TV vs. HDTV. Not sure what it exactly affects).

I am considering the BenQ FP241W, but have a question about the lack of 1:1 mapping: does that mean that a movie will be stretched to fit, or will it show with black bars? personally, bars don't bother me at all (my Barco projects onto a 4:3 screen), but stretching drives me crazy. I plan to use the LCD as a PC monitor and as a second tv.

All formats, including HDMI 16:9 and sVideo 4:3 will be stretched to 16:10 (1920x1200). BenQ has updated the firmware and new models are supposed to provide the 1:1 mapping wich will produce black bars. I am trying to send my monitor back to BenQ for an upgrade but they want me to pay for shipping.

I've been meaning to post some updated information for about a week now, so here goes:

Attack of the 30" behemoths:

1) Dell UltraSharp 3007WFP
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=CADHS1&sku=222-0863

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1907749,00.asp

2) HP LP3065
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/ca/en/sm/WF25a/12142134-12142136-12142136-12142136-12142200-12909210.html

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2077914,00.asp

3) Samsung SyncMaster 305T
http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/PressRelease/PressRelease.asp?seq=20061010_0000293416

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2071695,00.asp


New info I found yesterday (The Tweens - because their between the 23"/24" and the 30"/32" monitors):

1) Dell Ultrasharp 2707WFP:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=CADHS1&sku=255-0479

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2080696,00.asp

2) Viewsonic VX2835WM:
http://www.viewsonic.com/companyinfo/pressrelease_detail.cfm?key_press_release=1621

http://ces.engadget.com/2007/01/08/viewsonic-kicks-out-hdmi-equipped-24-and-28-inch-lcd-monitors/

--------------------------------------------------

Originally, I was going to get a 24" widescreen monitor (the Samsung 244T). Then Acer released a 26" monitor (I didn't like the specs, but I did like the extra 2"). My computer desk has a hutch with a large opening in the center for a monitor. With the 244T, that would give me 4.5" of space - 2.25" on either side. The opening is too small for a 30" monitor to fit (beside I didn't want a monitor that big) but it can fit the 27"/28" monitors. (However that doesn't take into account the space needed when you rotate the monitor to Portrait mode). I was hoping that someone was going to make 27"/28" monitors and now there's two! I'm also wondering that Dell is probably using a Samsung panel for their 27" (since they were using Samsung's panel for their 24" monitor), that Samsung might produce their own 27" monitor?

All formats, including HDMI 16:9 and sVideo 4:3 will be stretched to 16:10 (1920x1200). BenQ has updated the firmware and new models are supposed to provide the 1:1 mapping wich will produce black bars. I am trying to send my monitor back to BenQ for an upgrade but they want me to pay for shipping.
I have upgraded my FP241W with the newest firmware. BenQ did it for free, but I had to pay for the shipment or drop the monitor myself to their Irvine, CA facility. The round trip took only 3 days (I live in LA). The updated firmware has 3 settings: 1:1 mapping (black bars unless you output 1920x1200), stretch to fill full screen (as before the update); stretch preserving aspect ratio. This is exacltly what I need. I wish they had it from very beginning, but the monitor is so good, I paid $40 for a round trip shipment with no hesitation.

I came across this a few days ago. It's a review of the BenQ FP241WZ - the LCD monitor uses a technnique called BFI (Black Frame Insertion):

http://www.behardware.com/articles/646-1/benq-fp241wz-1rst-lcd-with-screening.html

Strange. :eek:

Hey all,

I highly recommend the FP241W. It is a beautiful monitor. A colleague of mine bought it on my suggestion and I ensured that she received the updated firmware version, which does map 1:1.

It is easy to identify as it has a December 2006 build date on the outside.

With the plethora of connections, and high resolution, it really stands out. I connected my Xbox 360 to it and it looked and moved phenomenally. I did not notice any blurring or ghosting on it.

Unfortunately, testing time is over as she took it home a few days after I configured it.

The Dell 2407WFP is also a nice monitor, but the component input is rumoured to be very dark, and the screen has fairly well-reported quality issues.

Cheers,

10e

Ok guys the Dell 2707WFP just came out initial thoughts? I like it but its definetly not worth the price. I can't comment though on the resolution, I think its kinda lacking for the size.




Nate

Here's a review of the Acer AL2616WD and the Dell 2707WFP:

http://www.behardware.com/articles/658-1/lcd-tests-the-acer-and-dell-26-and-27.html

According to the article, Acer's 26" panel is manufactured by Samsung. (Interesting)

I also found a new one!

Nec MultiSync LCD2690WUXI - 26" (review):

http://www.behardware.com/articles/648-1/nec-multisync-lcd2690wuxi-the-first-26-inch.html

(panel is manufactured by LG-Philips)

The score card for 26" - 28" LCD monitors - 26" - (Acer AL2616WD & AL2623W and Nec LCD2690WUXi), 27" - (Dell 2707WFP), 28" - (Viewsonic VX2835WM).

Lastly, on the last page of the Nec review, it states that Samsung is coming out with a 27" PVA monitor with a contrast ratio of 3000:1 (January 2007 - LATE!!!!)

I came across a review of the Samsung Syncmaster 275T (widescreen 27") LCD monitor - the very first information on it:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/other/display/xxl-monitors.html

More or less the same features as the Samsung 244T. They moved the DVD component jacks from the bottom with the other connectors (so they could add a group of USB ports), to the side and added more USB jacks!! Personally I read alot of reviews of LCD monitors, where the reviewer complains about the monitor has no USB ports on it. I believe this is a useless feature - USB ports should not be on a monitor. (Even worse is adding a card reader on a monitor.)

Samsung also removed the portrait swivel feature of the stand. The other thing they still didn't add - no HDMI port! They have a DVI-D port and a VGA port. They should have had a DVD-I port and a HDMI port. What they did add - removeable speakers that mount at the bottom of the monitor. The rest of the specs is the same as the 244T.

I still need to get information on Viewsonic's 28" monitor.

Has anyone managed to get 1080i/p resolution on the 1200 diplays from the xbox. My screen seems to like the 1080 output over the VGA cable from the xbox not that much.

I got that resolution twice, but only runnig throught a boot up process, where the screen was first connected to a PC, then I swichted cables and got the full resolution, but I only got that twice as I said.

After rebooting I am always stuck with 1280x1024.

Any hints are welcome.

I hooked up my 360 with the VGA HD cable to my Dell 2407WFP and it worked fine
set to 1920x1080. Can't remember if it had black bars at the top and bottom
though, but it probably did since it's 1080, not 1200. But that's okay, it's better
than stretching everything.

I did however have to change my resolution to 1280x768 when using a Dell
2400MP projector the other day with the VGA cable. At 1920x1080 (which the
projector says it supports (though not native obviously) it just said out of scan range.

The Dell 2407WFP is also a nice monitor, but the component input is rumoured to be very dark, and the screen has fairly well-reported quality issues.

Cheers,

10e

HDTV via Component at either 720p or 1080i as the source was underwhelming.
Better than SDTV, don't get me wrong... but just grainy and not as sharp as I'm
used on on good HD televisions. I didn't notice it was darker than normal though,
just not a great picture, that's all.

That said, since I use it as a computer monitor 99% of the year and a tailgating
HDTV 6-7 Saturdays out of the year, it's a great dual purpose display. Very happy
with it as a computer display.

I came across a review of the Samsung Syncmaster 275T (widescreen 27") LCD monitor - the very first information on it:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/other/display/xxl-monitors.html

More or less the same features as the Samsung 244T. They moved the DVD component jacks from the bottom with the other connectors (so they could add a group of USB ports), to the side and added more USB jacks!! Personally I read alot of reviews of LCD monitors, where the reviewer complains about the monitor has no USB ports on it. I believe this is a useless feature - USB ports should not be on a monitor. (Even worse is adding a card reader on a monitor.)

Samsung also removed the portrait swivel feature of the stand. The other thing they still didn't add - no HDMI port! They have a DVI-D port and a VGA port. They should have had a DVD-I port and a HDMI port. What they did add - removeable speakers that mount at the bottom of the monitor. The rest of the specs is the same as the 244T.

I still need to get information on Viewsonic's 28" monitor.

I use the USB ports on my dell 2707 all the time. My case is under the desk tucked away and the monitor usb ports are much more accessible.

For anyone thinking of using the component inputs, a Wii gets some lag through them. It's very noticeable.

I found a second review of the Samsung 275T:

http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/samsung_syncmaster_275t_lcd_monitor/

I also checked Samsung's websites and the 275T is listed on the Samsung US website but it is not listed on the Samsung Canadian website:

http://www.samsung.com/Products/Monitor/LCD_Digital/LS27HUBCBXAA.asp

With all of the new monitors released in the last few months my comparision chart is out of date. I was thinking that I should check each of the new ones and adding the new information to the comparision chart. I don't know when I'll get around to doing it though.

I just wanted to say that for the past few days I have been updating my 24" widescreen monitor research. I'm about 75% finished. It looks like most of the monitors listed in my previous 23"/24" comparision chart are discontinued. I should be done the new chart in a few days and I'll post that. After that, I'll be doing another chart for the 26"/27"/28" widescreen monitors. There are about three 30" widescreen and some in the 32" - 40" range, but I won't do those.

I have gone through the 23"/24" widescreen LCD monitors listed in my original comparision chart and found which ones are discontinued and which one are still available:

1) Viewsonic VP231WB - Discontinued
2) Viewsonic VP2330WB - Discontinued
3) Samsung SyncMaster 243T - Discontinued
4) HP L2335 - Discontinued
5) LG L2320A (L) - Discontinued
6) Philips 230W5VS (27) - Discontinued
7) BenQ FB231W - Discontinued
8) Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW - Discontinued

9) Sceptre X23SV-Naga - ??
10) Sony SDM-P234/B - Sony US - Not Available
- Sony Can - Available

11) Apple 23" Cinema - Available
12) Acer AL2416WD - Available
13) Samsung SyncMaster 244T - Available

I'll post the new information when I'm finished.

Wow. I finally finished my research for the new group of 24" LCD widescreen monitors. There are 14 new monitors, and out of that group, I only liked 2. Here's the new list:

1) BenQ FP241W
http://www.benq.us/products/LCD/?product=638
http://benq.ca/products/LCD/?product=638

2) BenQ FP241WZ
http://www.benq.us/products/LCD/?product=670
http://benq.ca/products/LCD/?product=670

3) BenQ FP241VW
http://www.benq.us/products/LCD/?product=671
http://benq.ca/products/LCD/?product=671

4) HP L2465
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/ca/en/sm/WF25a/12142134-12142136-12142136-12142136-12142200-12401740.html

5) EIZO FlexScan S2410W
http://www.eizo.com/products/lcd/S2410W/index.asp

6) EIZO FlexScan S2411W
http://www.eizo.com/products/lcd/S2411W/index.asp

7) Gateway FPD2485
http://www.gateway.com/accessories/product/1541000R.php?seg=hm
http://www.gateway.com/accessories/product/2527696R.php?popUp=1&seg=hm

8) Sceptre X24WG-Naga
http://www.sceptre.com/Products/LCD/Specifications/spec_x24wg_Naga.htm

9) Viewsonic VX2435WM
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/desktopdisplays/lcddisplays/xseries/vx2435wm/

10) LG L245WP(M)
http://www.lge.com/products/model/detail/l245wp.jhtml
http://us.lge.com/products/model/detail/commercial_lcd%20monitors_wide%20screen_L245WP-BN.jhtml

11) LG L246WP(M)
http://www.lge.com/products/model/detail/l246wp.jhtml

12) Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-4335
http://accessories.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1&sku=320-4335

13) Nec MultiSync LCD2470WNX(-BK) (-SV)
http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Product/?product=75787ebd-557c-4900-9109-98880244779d
http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Product/?product=b1d27b7f-8729-4292-b5f2-922a1c8f63bc

14) Nec MultiSync LCD2490WUXi(-BK) (-SV)
http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Product/?product=a46240bd-a846-4de7-b644-bd7f0b7e6ece
http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Product/?product=fe2599c6-185f-4177-b12e-5bde0b8eeaae

Well, I just found out that Samsung is replacing the 244T with the 245T. It uses the same tech found in the 275T. Both the 245T and the 275T were to come out in March 2007. The 275T just came out at the end of April and the 245T has yet to come out. Here's the info and some specs on the 245T:

http://www.samsung.com/common/microsite/exhibition/ices2007/presskit/ices2007_it03.html
http://www.samsung.com/ca/presscenter/pressrelease/pressreleases_20070109_0000310148.asp

The two that I like from this group are: BenQ FP241W and the Gateway FPD2485. The only one I liked from the first group was the Samsung 244T. Here's my second comparison chart:

There are 6 monitors in the 26" (x3) / 27" (x2) / 28" (x1) range. I'll be doing those next. I don't know when I'll post this information.

Best Buy has the Acer 26" since Nov/Dec 2006, and Future Shop just got the Samsung 275T. I was originally going to get the Samsung 244T, now I'm leaning heavily to the Samsung 275T (only about $200 more than the 244T). :)

I have the 26"/27"/28" monitors done. I'm not going to do the 30" widescreen monitors (Dell, Samsung, HP, and Apple) for a couple of reasons - too big for my computer desk and missing features that I want. (I think the only advantage of the 30" monitors is the 2560x1600 resolution). Here's the list:

1) Nec MultiSync LCD2690WUXi-BK (Black):
http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Product/?product=1713e080-c8e3-4aab-9447-73dacb301b84

2) Nec MultiSync LCD2690WUXi-SV (Sliver):
http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Product/?product=9bd245b5-7b0f-4f52-9ac3-37506ddc9775

3) Acer AL2616WD:
http://us.acer.com/acereuro/page4.do?sp=page3&dau22.oid=22104&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=25&CountryISOCtxParam=US&LanguageISOCtxParam=en&ctx3=-1&ctx4=United+States&crc=3474713386
http://www.acer.ca/acereuro/page4.do?sp=page3&dau22.oid=22581&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=27&CountryISOCtxParam=CA&LanguageISOCtxParam=en&ctx3=-1&ctx4=Canada&crc=3296595145

(Note: the European model is the AL2623W. There are some minor differences. I didn't add this to the chart.)
http://global.acer.com/products/monitor/2_series.htm#

4) Dell UltraSharp 2707WFP:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=222-7315

5) Samsung Syncmaster 275T:
http://www.samsung.com/Products/Monitor/LCD_Digital/LS27HUBCBXAA.asp
http://www.samsung.com/ca/products/monitor/lcd_widescreen/ls27hubcbxaa.asp

6) Viewsonic VX2835WM:
http://www.viewsonic.com/companyinfo/pressrelease_detail.cfm?key_press_release=1621

The VX2835WM hasn't been released yet, so all I could get was Viewsonic's press release (so some information in the chart is missing).

Here's the comparision chart:

My computer desk has a hutch, with a section in the middle for the monitor and shelves on the left and right sides. I measured the middle section and it's 26.75" wide. The 30" widescreen monitors are 27.25" wide, so I'm half an inch short. So, there's that and the fact that the 30" monitors have features missing from the 24" - 28" monitors. I checked the 275T's width and its 24.75" leaving me with 2" of free space (1 inch per side), so it's the perfect fit for me. So, I have it down to the Samsung 244T, 245T, and the 275T.

I was reading some information at [H]ardOCP forums yesterday and today, and Samsung is releasing a 245BW and 245B models (lower quality than the 245T?). I checked Samsung US and they have the 245BW now listed. Samsung Canada has both the 245BW and 245B listed. I don't think the 245T is being released until June. It might have the RTA feature which the BenQ FP241WZ has. I have read an article on it and I still don't quite understand how it works / the reason for it.

I have been thinking about adding to the second comparison chart, the 245T, 245BW, and the 245B models to keep it up to date.

Thanks for the info and chart Morpheus_Rising. I'm looking at a 26 - 27 inch LCD myself. Did you have any preferences on those?

I'll try to fill in some of the info when the Viewsonic comes out.

I have the 26"/27"/28" monitors done. I'm not going to do the 30" widescreen monitors (Dell, Samsung, HP, and Apple) for a couple of reasons - too big for my computer desk and missing features that I want. (I think the only advantage of the 30" monitors is the 2560x1600 resolution). Here's the list:

1) Nec MultiSync LCD2690WUXi-BK (Black):
http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Product/?product=1713e080-c8e3-4aab-9447-73dacb301b84

2) Nec MultiSync LCD2690WUXi-SV (Sliver):
http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Product/?product=9bd245b5-7b0f-4f52-9ac3-37506ddc9775

3) Acer AL2616WD:
http://us.acer.com/acereuro/page4.do?sp=page3&dau22.oid=22104&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=25&CountryISOCtxParam=US&LanguageISOCtxParam=en&ctx3=-1&ctx4=United+States&crc=3474713386
http://www.acer.ca/acereuro/page4.do?sp=page3&dau22.oid=22581&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=27&CountryISOCtxParam=CA&LanguageISOCtxParam=en&ctx3=-1&ctx4=Canada&crc=3296595145

(Note: the European model is the AL2623W. There are some minor differences. I didn't add this to the chart.)
http://global.acer.com/products/monitor/2_series.htm#

4) Dell UltraSharp 2707WFP:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=222-7315

5) Samsung Syncmaster 275T:
http://www.samsung.com/Products/Monitor/LCD_Digital/LS27HUBCBXAA.asp
http://www.samsung.com/ca/products/monitor/lcd_widescreen/ls27hubcbxaa.asp

6) Viewsonic VX2835WM:
http://www.viewsonic.com/companyinfo/pressrelease_detail.cfm?key_press_release=1621

The VX2835WM hasn't been released yet, so all I could get was Viewsonic's press release (so some information in the chart is missing).

Here's the comparision chart:
It be nice if you started a new thread with this type of information and edit the first message as needed. That way we can find your info more easily. :)

Thanks for the info and chart Morpheus_Rising. I'm looking at a 26 - 27 inch LCD myself. Did you have any preferences on those?

I'm leaning towards the Samsung 275T (because it has pretty much all the features I'm looking for). Unfortunately, there isn't much selection in this size catagory. The biggest worry for me is the pixel pitch. With a resolution of 1920x1200 @60Hz, the pixel pitch for the 24"monitors is 0.270mm, 26" (actually 25.5") is 0.287mm, and 27" is 0.303mm (with the 28" being higher).

When I was at Dell's website, I was reading the user reviews for the 2707 and some reported that the screen looked 'grainy'. Some suggested that the 27" monitor's resolution should have been the same as the 30" - 2560x1600 instead of 1920x1200 because of the pixel pitch (the 30" 2560x1600 monitors has one of the lowest pixel pitches at 0.250mm). It's best to walk in to a store and see the 24", 26", and 27" monitors in person to see how the screen looks. (I have seen the Acer AL2416WS, the LG L246WP, the BenQ FP241VW, and the Acer AL2616WD in person). I took an up close look at the LG L246WP (about 6"-8") and the pixels looked small, the screen picture looked good. I have to go back and do a close up view of the Acer AL2616WD to see what the pixels look on a 26" monitor.

When buying a new monitor (or anything electronic), make a list of features that you want and try to find at least one model that has as much of these features as possible. Download the manuals to read, read reviews on it, and walk in to store to see it in person.

It be nice if you started a new thread with this type of information and edit the first message as needed. That way we can find your info more easily. :)

I thought about doing that as well. The first 1 to 3 messages are the information ones (the second and maybe the third messages could be reserved for reviews and other information), and I'm not that good of a writer so I don't know how well the information would be written. I don't know if there would be one thread for the 23"/24" 1920x1200 LCD Monitors roundup (which includes alot of information - about 3 pages worth).

There would be a thread for the 26"/27"/28" 1920x1200 LCD Monitors roundup which is new so that would be the easiest to do. I don't know if someone else would do a 30"/32" and higher (up to 46") LCD monitors thread (since I'm not interested in those sizes). :D

I've found other people's opinions on whether or not the pixel pitch mattered, very subjective. Most don't take into account a lot of important factors (like viewing it at the proper distance). I agree seeing it in person would help tremendously.

One of the things that worries me is the font sizes, particularly on the really big monitors like the 30". They are really small compared to the 24 - 27" monitors.

I've found other people's opinions on whether or not the pixel pitch mattered, very subjective. Most don't take into account a lot of important factors (like viewing it at the proper distance). I agree seeing it in person would help tremendously.

One of the things that worries me is the font sizes, particularly on the really big monitors like the 30". They are really small compared to the 24 - 27" monitors.

Yeah, I forgot about the other 2 factors besides pixel pitch, the font size and viewing distance. With my current monitor (17" widescreen LCD, native resolution at 1280x768 @60Hz), I have the display at 120 DPI and font size set at normal. Usually my viewing distance is about 18"-24" (sometimes I'll lean against the desk so I'm about 12"-14" away from the screen) and I can read the font size no problem. There was a small debate on the Dell 2707 forums where people were stating that they prefered larger font size (some said due to their bad eye sight).

That's kind of the boat I'm in. I'm at that age (44) where your eyesight starts to go down quickly, especially for reading, so I'm finding font size is important like never before.

I've also heard with these bigger monitors it's better to sit farther away if possible for better viewing. I haven't heard what optimum viewing distance is or tried it yet however. I probably sit about 30 inches from my 21" Sony CRT.

I am considering purchasing a 24 inch monitor to use primarily with my HD-DVR satellite receiver.

Will a computer monitor with an HDMI input work with a Dish Network HD-DVR to display a good high definition picture?

That's kind of the boat I'm in. I'm at that age (44) where your eyesight starts to go down quickly, especially for reading, so I'm finding font size is important like never before.

I've also heard with these bigger monitors it's better to sit farther away if possible for better viewing. I haven't heard what optimum viewing distance is or tried it yet however. I probably sit about 30 inches from my 21" Sony CRT.

If font size is really important to you then don't bother with the 24" and 30" monitors since they have smaller pixel pitch. Stick with the 26", 27" and 28" size. My Best Buy has the Acer 26" (this was awhile ago, I have to check if they still have it), if they do I'll have a real up close look at it. Unfortunately, they have some really weird setup with their monitors and the windows on the screen have bad text characters.

I just checked and found out that Future Shop now has the Samsung 245BW. I'm hoping to have the time soon to add the 245BW, 245B, and the 245T to the chart.

Whoster69, according to Samsung, viewing distance should be between 45-50cm (17.7" - 19.7") - from one of their LCD monitor's manual.

I added Samsung's new monitors the 245T, 245BW and the 245B to comparison chart (haven't posted it yet). Since the 245T hasn't been released yet (I think June), all I had was 2 press releases which gave the specs (so some information is missing).

The 245BW and 245B have been released. I couldn't understand what the differences were between the 245BW and the 245B, since both had the same specs and manual. I had to go back to the beginning and after a couple of minutes, the only difference I could find is this: the 245BW - high gloss black and the 245B - black.

The conclusion I found is: stay away from the 245BW and 245B. They're a stripped down version of the 245T. Missing features: no Composite Video, S-Video, Component Video, no USB ports, and no PIP and PBP. Finally, the 245BW and 245B have a TN panel (view angles 160d/160d) where as the 245T uses a S-PVA panel.

I'm considering starting one or two new threads (23"-24" and 26"-28") and copy and paste (with some editing) the information over. The 3 monitors from my first comparison chart that are still available (Apple 23", Sceptre Naga 23", and the Acer 24") - I don't know about copying that information into a separate chart or adding it the current chart.

Morpheus thanks for doing so much research on this issue.

I currently am looking for a 24 or 26" 1920x1200 monitor.
I am probably going to get an Acer since they are "good enough" and much cheaper than any of the other options.

Do you know the differences between the "new" X241WSD and the older 2416 are? I could not find any substantial differences.

I will probably just splurge and get the 2616.

Does anyone know if these monitors will correctly sync wtih a device that only outputs the HDTV resolutions? i.e. 1280x720 and 1920x1080? According to the Acer manuals that I could find, those resolutions are not "default video modes"

Any news of LED backlight monitors coming anytime soon?

Do you know the differences between the "new" X241WSD and the older 2416 are? I could not find any substantial differences.

Zappcatt, this is the first time I have heard of the Acer X241WSD. I checked the Acer Global/US/Canada sites and it wasn't listed in their product lines. I did find 2 press releases and a news page:

http://us.acer.com/acereuro/page92.do?sp=page29&dau42.oid=9172&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=25&CountryISOCtxParam=US&LanguageISOCtxParam=en&ctx3=-1&ctx4=United+States&crc=2281867801

http://www.acer.ca/acereuro/page92.do;jsessionid=EAF212FAF6F1C563D2DB0E7AAD72A391?sp=pag e29&dau42.oid=9036&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=27&CountryISOCtxParam=CA&LanguageISOCtxParam=en&crc=1654191896

http://www.fastsilicon.com/press-releases/acer-broadens-consumer-lcd-offering-with-new-xseries-dis.html?Itemid=60

Not much information, but the 160d/160d viewing angles is what stood out for me. Looks like a TN panel.

I was at Future Shop yesterday and they had the Samsung 245BW on display. I took a look at it and I liked the picture quality although the viewing angle was very bad (TN panel). I later went to Best Buy and they had the 275T on display. I went very close (about 3-4") from the LCD monitor and the pixel size didn't look any different then the 24" monitor. They had the monitor hooked up via VGA and I watched while the monitor changed screen images. I was comparing it to the smaller sized monitors on either size (about 20") and there were times that I thought the picture might look a little grainy. However, once it got to a picture of a web broswer and the text looked wrong like the picture was being zoomed. I'm taking this with a grain of salt since Best Buy was using VGA and hooked to multiple sources and might not have the monitor properly configured. I flipped the monitor around and looked at the connectors on the back bottom and on the side. (I still don't like how Samsung moved the component connectors from the bottom to the side of the monitor.)

On the 26" question -
I've gathered the NEC is probably the best option - but possibly only because it is the most current technology.

I'll probably end up with a 24" BenQ unless the 26" models get down closer to the 24" price in the next several months.

Well, it's going to be awhile before I post any new information. My hard drive started to go about 2 weeks ago. I backed up my data and bought a new hard drive. It's going to be awhile before I get the new install up and running.

This is bad timing but ..... on Friday Best buy and Future Shop (owned by Best Buy) started a one week sale for the Samsung 275T ($200 off). I wasn't planning on buying the monitor until about August. I wanted to wait and see the 245T was released and compare the two and decided which one to get. From what I have seen, they both have the same features, specs, and cabinent style, the only difference is the panel size (and pixel pitch). So I was leaning towards the 275T.

The other thing is both monitors have the optional speaker module and I wanted to get that. It's not listed on Samsung's US or Can sites. I have only 3 reviews on the 275T and in one of those (written before the 275T was released), the author states that Samsung could come out with 2 versions, one that comes with the speaker module and one without (he states this is what Samsung did with another one of their monitors - 225?).

Another thing is, I don't think that the 275T does 1:1 pixel mapping. Someone stated that they had to ship their BenQ monitor to get the firmware updated to do 1:1. So I'm wondering, this is the first batch of monitors - the 275T was released in April - maybe that's why they're on sale, to get rid of this batch to bring in the next revision? I really don't know if I'll buy it now while it's on sale or just wait until August. :confused:

I am not going to wade through this long thread, this may already have been pointed out if so sorry.

The Sharp LC-32GP1U is a superb TV and Computer monitor. No VGA port but if you are running at 1920x1080 you are probably running DVI so who cares. It supposedly will support VGA to DVI judging from the manual. Dot by Dod mode is a simple menu selection 1920x1080P is also available on component. It is expensive but I am very happy I went this way. Hopefully I did not waste everyones time by repeating what a bunch of people have already said. The LC-32D62U uses the same panel and works just great as a PC monitor as well, the 62U does not have 3 HDMI and 1 DVI like the GP1U but from all reports works just as well and is available online for a couple hundred less than the GP1U..

This is bad timing but ..... on Friday Best buy and Future Shop (owned by Best Buy) started a one week sale for the Samsung 275T ($200 off).Its on sale because Viewsonic is about to release there 27" monitor for $800 retail. VX2835wm

Hmmm.

http://www.viewsonic.com/products/desktopdisplays/lcddisplays/xseries/vx2835wm/

True 1080P with HDMI for HD quality video

Size: 27.5"
contrast ratio: 800:1
brightness: 500 cd/m2
pixel response time: 5ms (black-white-black)
viewing angle: 160d/160d
connectors: HDMI (HDCP), VGA, Composite Video, S-Video, Component
audio: built-in speakers 2x 3W
other: PIP/PBP

No pixel pitch listed. For 27" it would be 0.303 and since this is a 27.5", it should be a bit larger. With the viewing angles of 160d - is this a TN panel ????

I'm going to Best Buy tomorrow and having another look at the 275T. I want to buy this with the sale but my gut is telling me to wait until August when it would be a better time for me. I had called Samsung Support (in Mississauga) yesterday. The woman I talked to searched their products and could not find the optional Speaker bar for the monitor. It's listed in the monitor's manual and it's talked about in the review(s). When is Samsung going to release this? Will it be available separately to buy or will Samsung have a new version of the monitor that it is included with it? I need the answers to these questions which will help me decide to buy the monitor now or not. :mad:

Just found out the viewsonic is on sale at compusa
http://www.compusa.com/shop/basket.asp?ref=performics
Because of the lower price I do think it is a TN panel.

Just bought the ViewSonic at CompUsa.

I am going to use this for gaming, videos and other basic computer stuff where I can control the angle of view.

I will update when I receive it.

EDIT: Ok, so I got 2 emails at the exact same timestamp, one says congrats on the order, and one says-order cancelled due to credit card being declined.

It says the order can not be reinstated and to order another one..not sure if I trust Cusa not to charge me for both.

My credit card called me regarding "potential fraudulent use", but I confirmed that I had ordered it....

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Last Edit: Decided to pass on this monitor..sorry all.

Anyone know what retail stores (brick and mortar) carry 24" BenQ monitors, if any? I'm specifically looking for an FP241WZ.

Anyone know what retail stores (brick and mortar) carry 24" BenQ monitors, if any? I'm specifically looking for an FP241WZ.Why do you prefer this monitor?

Why do you prefer this monitor?

I've been looking for a while and thought I had settled on the Dell 2407. There were too many problems reported with the Gateway 24" and Samsung has already fooled me twice with other products.

One of the things I plan to use the 24" to do is to look at 1080i output and unfortunately it turned out that the Dell 2407 (even the A04 version) has problem with 1080i sources over component. So, that ruled that one out. The LG 24" doesn't have all the inputs I would like.

So, I went back to the drawing board and found that I hadn't looked at the BenQ. When I went through reviews, I found that the BenQ scored very high on PQ, had every input I wanted and was confirmed to handle 1080i and 1080p sources.

The main reason I'm holding off is I want to read some more about the Viewsonic 27.5" LCD monitor. It may be a case of good enough vs. better.

Dell has released a new version of their 24" monitor (1920x1200). Based on the owner's manual it seems to correct the 1080i problems that the current model has. The new one is a 2407WFP-HC. The HC stands for high color since it supposedly reproduces over 90% of the NTSC standard.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/monitors/2407WFPH/en/index.htm


So, I guess I'll add one more monitor to my list of potential new monitors.

I wanted to post some new reviews/info.
New review on the Samsung 275T:

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2169573,00.asp

What's interesting is the DVD component connectors - it can do 720P fine, 1080i shakey, and it can't do 1080P.

A review of the Samsung 245BW:
http://www.neoseeker.com/resourcelink.html?rid=139859

The reviewer states that he liked the picture quality better than the 275T because of the smaller screen size (pixel pitch).

Lastly awhile back, I started a google search to find more (new) info on the 245T. I found one of the Samsung websites has it listed but the specs are alittle different then what was reported before:

http://www.samsung.com/he/products/monitor/intelligent/245t.asp?page=Features

Not sure what country is "he". Interesting about the different specs. Still no mention of when the 245T is to be released. The January 2007 press release states March 2007. The 275T was released in June 2007 (2 months late).

Morpheus Rising, I'm curious why you ignored gtgray's comment concerning the new, 32" Sharp displays. Many people are now using 37-42" displays as computer monitors, I still feel that's a bit large with a dot pitch of .42-.47mm, but for the 32" 1080p sets, they have a dot pitch of .35mm....not that far off what we've been discussing. Combine that with excellent PQ and very competative pricing.

I looked at all the monitors you've been discussing, but after seeing the price of the larger set, couldn't get away from the idea. I just ordered the LC32D62U.

I also did some quick calculation based on the viewing distance that Samsung quoted you.
according to Samsung, viewing distance should be between 45-50cm (17.7" - 19.7") - from one of their LCD monitor's manual
I'm assuming that was for a 24" monitor with a .27mm dot pitch. Based on that, the proportional viewing distance for a 32" screen with a .35mm dot pitch would be 22.9-25.5", and for the 37" with a .42mm dot pitch would be 27.5-30.6".

I really don't see much of an argument for the 27-28" monitors (unless you cannot fit anything larger). What's yours?

Morpheus Rising, I'm curious why you ignored gtgray's comment concerning the new, 32" Sharp displays. Many people are now using 37-42" displays as computer monitors, I still feel that's a bit large with a dot pitch of .42-.47mm, but for the 32" 1080p sets, they have a dot pitch of .35mm....not that far off what we've been discussing. Combine that with excellent PQ and very competative pricing.

I looked at all the monitors you've been discussing, but after seeing the price of the larger set, couldn't get away from the idea. I just ordered the LC32D62U.

I also did some quick calculation based on the viewing distance that Samsung quoted you.

I'm assuming that was for a 24" monitor with a .27mm dot pitch. Based on that, the proportional viewing distance for a 32" screen with a .35mm dot pitch would be 22.9-25.5", and for the 37" with a .42mm dot pitch would be 27.5-30.6".

I really don't see much of an argument for the 27-28" monitors (unless you cannot fit anything larger). What's yours?

Ok. I had to go back and re-read gtgray's post. Yes, people are buying large screen LCD tvs 32"-52" + and connecting them to their pcs and using them as pc monitors. This is something I would like to do in the future when I buy a 46" or 52" LCD tv (I can't afford it now and Sharp needs to fix the banding problem). For right now, I'm looking to buy a 24" or 27" LCD computer monitor (not a tv).

I believe I stated somewhere that I was running a dual-monitor setup - I had a Viewsonic 22" (20" viewable) CRT monitor as my primary monitor and a Sony 17" widescreen LCD monitor (1280x768) as my secondary monitor. My CRT monitor died almost 2 years ago, and I started doing research to buy a 24" widescreen LCD monitor with a resolution of 1920x1200.

I had picked the Samsung 244T to buy, but I left it to get later. Then the 30" monitors were released and I didn't like those (except for the 2560x1600 resolution). I measured my computer desk and I couldn't fit a 30" monitor anyway. Then a slew of new monitors were released, so it was back to the drawing board. The size went from 24", then jumped to 30". I was hoping someone were to release something inbetween, say 27". I could fit a 27" and 28" LCD monitor on my desk, but no bigger. Finally, 26", 27" and 28" LCD monitors were released. Of those, I like the Samsung 275T and I'm still waiting for the Samsung 245T to be released.

As for tv viewing, I have the MDP-130 HDTV tuner card in my pc. It's connected to my Sony LCD monitor for 720P viewing. It's small and that's why when I get my new monitor (24" or 27"), I can have the MDP-130 set at 1920x1080i output as well as a bigger screen! (I also have a Sony 27" (4x3) CRT tv upstairs that I watch occasionally.)

My point is, 1) I'm limited by size to 24" - 27" and 2) I want a LCD monitor for my pc, I do not want a LCD tv.
When gtgray posted his comment about buying a larger LCD tv to use for a pc monitor, I thought that's perfectly fine if you want to do that but that's not what I want to do now. That's why I didn't respond to gtgray's comment, you have a choice to buy either a LCD monitor or buy a LCD tv to be used as a LCD monitor and I already made my choice. To everybody else they would have to make their own choice.

Oh, alright. So you are limited by desk size. Well, good luck with your searching then.

This is a great thread you started on 1920X1200 Monitors, not tvs.

While I don't mind finding out more about tvs.. I don't think you need to explain anything and if someone had read this thread it was pretty clear you were sharing your research on the 24-28 inch Computer Monitors you were considering.

Also.. from what I have read.. those 32 inch TV/Monitors are not that good.

I am an enthusiast and really enjoy all you have shared. I am also trying to decide on another monitor purchase or two. One is for my brother that would need to pull TV duty as well in the 20-24 inch size range for him to mostly watch movies and dvd's of tv series, and for me.. i am using a 37 inch Westy W3.. and I really like it, but.. believe it or not.. I am looking for something bigger to use as a desktop and then I will move this to location that can't fit anything larger than the 37W3.

right now.. its looking like the 47 inch Westy's, but I do like the 56 inch that would have 4 28 inch areas to view 1080P.. that sounds interesting.

Back to your target market.. thinking of waiting for prices to drop.. from the Planar 26 inch to the Samsung 245T or 275T.. keep wishing and hoping for a bigger, better 27-28 from BenQ or whatever its name will be next.

Thanks for sharing your hard work!

Morpheus_Rising

Any updates on new 24-28" LCD monitors? Looking for a non TN panel with best possible text display for WEB and Word processing type apps. Secondary usage would be HD TV.

Thanks for sharing your hard work!

Your welcome. :)

Any updates on new 24-28" LCD monitors? Looking for a non TN panel with best possible text display for WEB and Word processing type apps. Secondary usage would be HD TV.

Things for me have been abit crazy for the last 2-3 months, so I haven't been able to do any updates for the 24-28" LCD monitors. I came across 3 reviews recently but that's it (sorry):

liyama ProLite B2403WS 24"LCD:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/displays/review/2007/08/29/Iiyama-ProLite-B2403WS-24in-LCD/p1

Nec MultiSync LCD2470WNX:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/displays/review/2007/08/28/NEC-MultiSync-LCD2470WNX/p1

Viewsonic VX2835WM:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2175274,00.asp

Also, for one of the reviews I have for Samsung's 245BW, someone posted a comment that by removing a screw on the back panel near the vesa mount area will allow the monitor to pivot to portrait mode.

http://www.neoseeker.com/resourcelink.html?rid=139859

I went to Future Shop which had the Samsung 245BW and the 275T on display and checked the backpanel. I couldn't find the screw he was talking about. (The only screws I could find where the 4 screws in the corners of the rectangle mount that connects the stand to the monitor.) The monitor does shift slightly so there might be something to this. The Pivot feature was the only thing that was dropped (that I know of) going from the 244T to the 275T and the 245 series. I'm hoping that this is true, just by removing 1 screw, you can get the Pivot mode back.

About 3 weeks ago, I had some time and I did a google search for "Samsung 245T" to get any new information. I found a few things:

1) The Samsung website that lists the 245T - "HE" looks like it's Hong Kong.

2) The 245T is also listed on the Russian Samsung website:

http://www.samsung.ru/products/computers/displays/lcd-20/245t/

3) I found a website in the UK that's selling the 245T:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-061-SA

Later, I found on Shopping MSN UK - 3 other UK websites selling the 245T:

http://shopping.msn.co.uk/prices/shp/?itemId=12114820

So, the Samsung 245T is available in the UK but not has been released in North America yet.

4) and lastly, I found a review for a LCD monitor shootout, one of them is the 245T - this is the first review of the 245T (it looks like it was originally in French and then translated into English:

http://www.behardware.com/articles/680-1/lcd-24-iiyama-b2403ws-samsung-245t.html

The review talks about the MPA (Motion Picture Accelerator) feature, the 245T is the third monitor that has it, BenQ has 2 montiors (FP241WZ and FP241VW) that has it as well. The review states that the MPA feature is not great and they recommend turning it off. Also that Samsung did not pre-calibrate the 245T.

So, the Samsung 245T has 3 features that the 275T doesn't, one HDMI connector, pivots to Portrait mode, and the MPA. I don't know if the 245T has the optional speaker bar - it should since the 245B and 245BW do have it.
----------------------------------------------------------------

HP has a new 24" widescreen monitor - (review):

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2189324,00.asp

Hi there,

I've got a quick question:

Is there no affordable 24" monitor with proper 1:1 (aspect) support for 1920x1080i/p? (I'd like to hook up my PC with 1920x1200 and also my XBOX 360 with a 1920x1080 resolution to it and I don't want to XBOX picture to be stretched to 1200 vertically.

If there is such a monitor: Does it support the 1:1 on both, the analog and the digital input when fed with 1920x1080?
And does it support 1080i, 1080p or both on both inputs?

Your hints are very welcome. Many, many thanks in advance, I'm desperately seeking the right 24" to buy...

HDAce

(edit:) What about the following models? Might one of them support what I'm looking for?
- Iiyama B2403WS
- Samsung Syncmaster 245B
- LG Flatron L246WH
- Dell 2407WFP-HC

I have found a monitor with a good panel and the needed 1:1 display of FullHD material:
It's the LG Flatron L245WP

HDAce

Hi there,

I've got a quick question:

Is there no affordable 24" monitor with proper 1:1 (aspect) support for 1920x1080i/p? (I'd like to hook up my PC with 1920x1200 and also my XBOX 360 with a 1920x1080 resolution to it and I don't want to XBOX picture to be stretched to 1200 vertically.

If there is such a monitor: Does it support the 1:1 on both, the analog and the digital input when fed with 1920x1080?
And does it support 1080i, 1080p or both on both inputs?

Your hints are very welcome. Many, many thanks in advance, I'm desperately seeking the right 24" to buy...

HDAce

(edit:) What about the following models? Might one of them support what I'm looking for?
- Iiyama B2403WS
- Samsung Syncmaster 245B
- LG Flatron L246WH
- Dell 2407WFP-HC

Hi,

I own the BenQ FP241WZ and although it does have some issues, I love it. I love it because it currently properly displays all of my applications. I use it exclusively for PC apps, and for Xbox 360 gaming.

The problems I've encountered include improper display of 1080p via VGA for the Xbox 360, and improper display of 1080p via HDMI for the PS3. At this time I'm not using either the VGA for the 360 and I don't have a PS3, so again, these issues don't really bother me.

I currently have a 360 with an HDMI port. When connected to the monitor via HDMI, the monitor displays a pixel perfect 1080p image. My PC is connected via DVI-D and the monitor displays a perfect 1920x1200 image.

Here are a few images of my 360, and my 360 HD DVD drive running at 1080p on my FP241WZ:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/mishimakazama/IMG_1464.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/mishimakazama/IMG_1467.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/mishimakazama/IMG_1466.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/mishimakazama/IMG_1452.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/mishimakazama/IMG_1469.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/mishimakazama/IMG_1476.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/mishimakazama/IMG_1440.jpg

A friendly bump.:)

Does the benq 241z do 1080p properly over component?

I don't think these 24 inchers have come up yet:

Gateway FPD2485W: http://www.gateway.com/accessories/product/2527696R.php?popUp=1&seg=hm

Gateway FHD2400: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2213483,00.asp

Samsung XL24: http://www.samsung.com/uk/products/monitors/ledbluwidecolourgamut/ls24edblbedc.asp

Just for the record, there is also an ultraprecise LCD monitor from Sony to be had for 25 grands:

It is the result of over 5 years of engineering development and the design of the monitor has generated over 40 patents! The monitor features the industry's first 10-bit LCD Panel driver with full 1920x1080 HD Resolution. The BVM-L230 also features a Sony developed LED backlight system which offers wide color spaces and color accuracy not available in conventional LCD monitors.

http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/DisplayModel?m=10007&p=8&sp=20073&id=89766

Unless someone tells me a reason not to, I'm looking at the Planar PX2411W. This looks like the cheapest non-TN 1200p 24" out there. :)

I've seen people mention 25ms response times for high end monitors. Why are they so damn high compared to TV's? My low end Aquos is 6ms. Are monitors and TV's measured differently or something?

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't notice this thread was started like 3 1/2 years ago.

Here's a review of the Samsung 245T: http://www.trustedreviews.com/displays/review/2007/11/09/Samsung-SyncMaster-245T/p1

I'm pretty sure the Sammy 245t is a TN panel.

Edit; Nevermind, I'm thinking of the 245b. Hmm, I might have to give this 245t a look....:)

Well 2 days ago, I spent about 1 hour typing up an update post and something went wrong and my post was lost. Might re-type the info and post over the weekend. Some quick info:

- skimmed the manual for the Samsung 245T. Apparently the HDMI connector is not used to connect to the pc (DVI-D or VGA only). The HDMI is used to connect a DVD player to the monitor.

-Tuesday night (2 days ago), I bought the Samsung 275T. I hooked it up today and re-configured my system for dual monitor mode. I was running the Nvidia 163.75 drivers and upgraded to 169.21 (I have the XFX 7600GT AGP videocard). I now have the 275T as my primary monitor and my Sony 17" widescreen LCD monitor (VGA only) as my secondary monitor. I needed a 3M (10 feet) Dual-link DVD-D cable and bought one (Belkin) from Staples.

I have the MDP-130 with the DVI daughter card (never been used) and it's connected to the Sony LCD using the VGA loopback cable. I'm planning on switching to the DVI daughter card.

-----------------------------------------

I'm using the extend desktop mode. With the 275T at 1920x1200 my wallpaper is fine, but on my Sony LCD (1280x768) the wallpaper is a zoomed (same size as the 275T). Is there a way to display the whole picture on the Sony LCD monitor?

I haven't installed Samsung's Magic Tune and Magic Bright software yet. Also when I was using the Nvidia software, it asked about nTune. I don't know what nTune does exactly, so I don't know about using it.

When I bought my videocard, I didn't get the VIVO cable which plugs into the videocard's connector. The cable has a S-video, RCA video, and I think DVD Component connectors (I don't know if it's one set or two). Does anyone know where I can get this cable?

hello
the dell 2707 and samsung 275tPlus use the same S-PVA panel but different electronics.

they do the 1920*1200 resolution but I run my 2707 at 1600 * 1200 and it's gorgeous. no dead pixel, color very nice out of the box, the image is nicer then my old DELL 2005WP that had a 20" IPS panel.

you can have either of those monitors at 800$ on sale regular price is over $1000

:)

Five weeks after I bought the 275T, I finally went to Samsung Canada to register the monitor and found out that it was no longer listed. It has been replaced by the 275T Plus (Samsung US has both listed). I skimmed the specs and there are only 2 differences that I could find - the 275T Plus has the HDMI connector and it includes the "optional" speaker bar. I'm very, very angry. First, I have been trying to find the speaker bar for months and I couldn't find it either on the Samsung Canada or US sites. Second, the HDMI connector was another feature that I wanted. Third, I was originally planning on buying the monitor later (April-August range) and I was forced to buy this monitor earlier due to Future Shop and Best Buy placing their stock on clearance sale because they were no longer going to carry it. If I had waited, I would have found out that the 275T was being replaced with the 275T Plus and I would have bought that monitor instead. I sent Samsung Canada an email asking questions about this, and after over 2 weeks, I still haven't gotten a reply yet.

I did find on their website, they have an "upgrade" program and I have been thinking about upgrading my 275T to the 275T Plus. Bare minimum - if I can get the speaker bar, that's one out of two features, so I might keep the 275T, I'll just be losing the HDMI connector. The other questions I had asked them was on the menu/firmware - does the 275T Plus do 1:1 pixel mapping and did they correct the 1080i problem on component? Can the monitor accept 1080P on component? It looks like I have to call them to find out. (I'm really angry that they did this. :mad: :mad: )

I just bought an LG L246WP-BN at Circuit City on clearance so got a killer deal. If anyone is looking for a good 24" monitor, you might want to check your local Circuit City to see if they have any left. It does have HDMI but comes with a DVI/HDMI adapter. It also has component hook up but it will only do 1080i through that connection. Just wondering if anyone else has this monitor and what settings they're using. I'm strictly using this as a PC monitor. I have Avia and DVE but haven't tried calibrating yet.

I got the Gateway FPD2485W (aka LP2407) at an auction and I am very impressed. It has solid rotate capabilities, and I mostly use it in the portrait mode.

It runs native 1920X1200, but my eyes have trouble with the small fonts, so I run it at 1600X1024, and it is close to perfect. It runs both DVI and VGA. I noticed a slight (very slight) horizontal line across the very top in portrait mode via VGA, which I suspect is due to my 6' cheap VGA cable - the same PC shows no such artifact via DVI. It has PIP, though I have no idea how to make use of that. It also has a speaker, though you can't access it (it bongs during power on and doing menus and things).

There is a $40 optional "speaker bar" that can be ordered from Gateway which connects t the base and is advertised as being advanced sound.

My only surprise is how awkward it is to use it in landscape mode (wide screen). I actually prefer the standard 4X3 format for landscape mode, and, there are only a few times where the extra width is useful. When I watch recordings of SD movies, the wider width is actually a distraction. Also, when reading text of any kind, the wider format is burdensome - we naturally prefer narrow columns and that is why I usually keep it in portrait mode.

I probably shouldn't say it, but I was flabbergasted when I won the bidding at $200. I'm still in disbelief over that.

I would definitely recommend this unit for a programmer who seeks a deeper format monitor for reading text - much better than the old Radius portrait monitor for the Mac.

HP Introduces World’s First Affordable Color-critical Display

BERLIN, June 10, 2008

HP today introduced its new color-critical computer professional display, available for less than a quarter of the cost of competing offerings.

The HP DreamColor Display features a new liquid crystal display (LCD) that provides a range of more than 1 billion colors in a 30-bit, LED-backlit display. The display is now shipping worldwide for a U.S. list price of $3,499.

The display is the result of an unprecedented technology collaboration with DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. (NYSE: DWA) and addresses an increasingly critical need for affordable and consistent color accuracy in the animation, game development, film/video post, broadcast, product design and graphic arts categories.

The HP DreamColor display is expected to disrupt the economics of color management, making it possible, for the first time, to have a color-critical LCD display on every desk to make color checks, redesigns and multiple proofs a thing of the past.

“With the new DreamColor display, HP has broken through barriers that have existed in display technology for the past decade,” said Ed Leonard, chief technology officer, DreamWorks Animation. “The new DreamColor display packs a list of significant advances into one amazingly powerful display, enabling an unprecedented level of color management and fidelity in our production process. It’s a digital filmmaker’s dream.”

Designed for professionals for whom accurate color management is essential and consumers who seek to use only the best in technology innovations, the HP DreamColor display achieves more than 64 times the colors available on mainstream LCDs. Reds, blues and greens are visibly deeper, blacks are four times darker and whites are adjustable.

The DreamColor display is designed to match the requirements of professional industry standards and includes one-button access to seven pre-sets covering all the important color space standards. The display also includes a night vision interface for darkroom working conditions.

“Until now, accurate and standout color has been out of reach for the majority of digital content creators,” said Jun Kim, vice president and general manager, Displays, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Our DreamColor display advances color accuracy for the world’s storytellers – our most demanding of customers of performance technologies.”

The new HP DreamColor display includes the HP DreamColor engine software, which manages the display to deliver reliable, accurate, easy color, every time, and the DreamColor calibration kit for precision calibration.

The HP DreamColor LP2480xz is the first display to be introduced under the HP DreamColor Technology initiative, a two-year technology collaboration between HP and DreamWorks Animation that aims to deliver accurate color that remains consistent from application to application, device to device, and medium to medium.

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2008/080610xd.html

No way I'm gonna get a $3k monitor. Something realistic please.

I'd been thinking in a DoubleSight DS-263N. Anyone have another suggestion?

I want to run 1920x1200 without small text issues. It most be clear and sharp text that can be read from 1 meter away from the screen. A screen with the LG-PHILIPS LM260WU1 panel seems to be the right choice. I'd playing also at times action games mainly and watch some movies maybe at 1080p.

No way I'm gonna get a $3k monitor. Something realistic please.

I'd been thinking in a DoubleSight DS-263N. Anyone have another suggestion?

I want to run 1920x1200 without small text issues. It most be clear and sharp text that can be read from 1 meter away from the screen. A screen with the LG-PHILIPS LM260WU1 panel seems to be the right choice. I'd playing also at times action games mainly and watch some movies maybe at 1080p.

Most 1920x1200 pixel monitors are under $1K now:

Dell 2707 - 27" = $799 through Dell
Hanns·G HG-281DPB - 28" = approx $500-$550
ViewSonic VX2835WM - 28" = approx $600
Samsung 275T - 27" = approx $900 - $1000

All of these 27"-28" 1920x1200 pixel monitors should suit your needs of easily viewable small text at a good price.

There are many more choices in the 26" range which are all at or under $500.

I just got this model and have been comparing it to my Gateway 24", and, I am hard pressed to choose. This Samsung model is larger (25.5 "), and it is better if viewed at an angle within a narrow range, but, I find it irritating to have such color distortions when I move around a bit.

Most Samsungs I have viewed are top tier, even excellent, and this model (2693HM) is also top tier with ONE flaw, a narrow vertical viewing range. It supports pivot, and, when viewed in portrait mode, if I move the the left a couple of feet, the image actually looks like a negative. The Gateway has a much wider range for consistent viewing.

This model also has built in speakers which are suprisingly good sounding (without base, of course, which I do not care for). It has VGA, DVI, and HDMI (suprise), but, the manual indicates that you still have to connect the sound via the stereo jack even when using HDMI. I don't have an HDMI device, so, I can't check that out.

I would recommend this model, but ONLY if you plan to stay put within the narrow viewing range. The specs say 160 degrees, but, that is just not true. Vertically, any downward angle from the monitor gets color distorted right away. Therefore, you shouldn't consider this model if you would be mounting it above your eye level. If you are above the unit, then it displays very well, and, is superior to the Gateway 24" (I posted about that model on this thread a few posts back). It is just large enough that I can keep it in its natural rez (1920X1200) and I can read the text ok (I sit about 3 feet away). I can't do that with the Gateway 24" (a bit too small).

Viewing SD movies (via powerdvd) look good, but not as good as a CRT. If I can find a widescreen mpg on the net somewhere I can download, I'll play it and see how it stacks up in full rez, and post a comparison between this and the Gateway. If anyone knows a website that has good 1920X1200 mpegs that will play under win2000 in full rez mode, please advise.

If you want a truely great 32-inch, 1080P monitor which happens to also be great for watching TV and/or movies, get one of these for ~$900 delivered ...

http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Aquos-LC32D64U-32-Inch-1080p/dp/B001338KTQ******cm_cr_pr_sims_t

You won't be dissapointed.