HP W2207H

by Greg Adler
This reasonably priced, full-featured LCD monitor has good physical adjustments and offers great image quality.

The 22-inch w2207h has all the features you could want in a good monitor. It comes through with great image quality, particularly with text, and it provides tilt, pivot, swivel, and height adjustments.

HP incorporated its Brightview glare panel in the w2207h, instead of using the chemically treated antiglare coating that appears on some of the company's other monitors, such as the the HP LP3065 and the the HP LP1965. This makes for a cleaner-looking image, but introduces more reflectivity as well.


The display, which has a native resolution of 1680 by 1050 pixels, comes with two side USB ports, plus HDMI and VGA inputs. HP doesn't bundle an adapter to connect the monitor's HDMI or VGA ports to the DVI connection that most PCs now use, though such adapters are inexpensive and readily available online. ? ? ?

The display sits in a thin (about 1-inch) glossy black bezel with rounded edges. Unfortunately, you can easily smudge the glossy finish with fingerprints when adjusting the display. Though the w2207h doesn't have a headphone jack, it does include a set of built-in speakers. Like most speakers built in to monitors, the HP's are weak in bass, resulting in flat, tinny audio. For soft background music or basic sound effects for games, however, the speakers are adequate.

HP includes MyDisplay software to help you perform simple monitor calibrations, and you can automatically rotate the screen when you pivot it. Overall, if this monitor finds its way into your home or office, you'll most likely be happy with it. Just be prepared to buy a DVI adapter!

source : www.pcworld.com

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Samsung 245T

by Greg Adler
This fully adjustable monitor has many inputs and good image quality--along with a hefty price tag.




Samsung's 245T is a great-looking, thin-bezel monitor that can swivel, tilt, pivot, and be adjusted for height.

he monitor's connectivity options include four USB ports, plus HDMI, VGA, DVI, composite, component, and S-Video ports. The only input missing is a Display Port connection, a linking technology that has gained popularity recently.


Despite the 245T's $649 price tag, you don't get a built-in Webcam or speakers; but the display does have a picture-in-picture option--a great feature to have, in view of all the input choices.

In our PC World Test Center evaluations, the monitor performed well, earning a score of Very Good. Nevertheless, it finished slightly below Samsung's own SyncMaster 2493HM (which has built-in speakers) in overall performance. The 245T's extra video inputs and USB ports (four versus the 2493HM's two) are the main differences between the two monitors. But those extras raise the 245T's price to about $150 more than the 2493HM's.

The 245T is best suited for users who need many connectivity options--because, say, they want to use it for PC work and TV/movie viewing. But the 245T costs about $100 more than Gateway's FHD2400, which has just as many inputs and received the same image-quality score.

source : www.pcworld.com

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Samsung Syncmaster 244T

by Roy Santos
Powerful graphics performance, bundled features, and an attractive design leave this well-balanced wide-screen LCD with few rivals.



Samsung impressed our test jury once again with its SyncMaster 244T. This wide-screen display collected enough performance points to push it to the high end of our Very Good range. It's also cool-looking , with a thin silver bezel. It sold for $1000 on 8/17/2006, an Average price at the time.

On our juried performance tests, text was razor sharp. Common office documents and Web pages were enticingly readable. Indeed, the SyncMaster 244T's scores in this section of our tests made it one of the crispest monitors we've seen to date. Furthermore, it showed impressive graphics reproduction. Consistently bright and vivid reds, yellows, and blues seemingly popped out of the monitor, wowing the judges. Flesh tones in photos of a racially mixed group portrait looked natural, avoiding the oversaturated or washed-out skin colors that some monitors reproduce. A nice balance of brightness and color settings gives the unit strength in many areas. Even in our difficult grayscale test, the LCD showed a wide range of distinguishable dark and light shades.


Video performance was excellent, in line with a monitor of this caliber. In our Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl DVD test scenes, the SyncMaster produced good skin tones. This was most pronounced in scenes that exhibited the main character's darker tan and the rest of the cast's lighter skin tones. The swaths of soldiers' red uniforms looked rich, though we found backgrounds and scenes in the dark slightly noisy. Ghosting is very minimal in action sequences--and more pronounced when the camera pans--but nothing out of the ordinary for LCDs.

Samsung includes a pleasing plethora of physical adjustments to accommodate a variety of users. A button behind the base locks down the monitor, preventing accidental height adjustments, although it also makes such adjustments harder. You have to stand up, push down on top of the bezel, and push the lock button to release it. Only then can you move the screen up and down. This is slightly awkward, especially compared with other monitors that merely slide vertically, like the Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP. The SyncMaster's pivoting--allowing portrait orientation of the wide screen--is a much easier affair, however, and certainly a welcome feature for those who view long vertical documents. The monitor includes software for the pivot feature, letting you rotate the bezel clockwise and then adjusting the orientation of your operating system's desktop to a vertical or portrait mode. The panel also swivels and tilts.

The bottom of the bezel is about 5.5 inches from the desk, one of the highest clearances of 23-to-24-inch monitors we've seen to date and a potential concern for shorter users. Desktop ergonomics prescribe a sitting position where one's eyes are level near the top of the monitor's bezel. The high clearance may push some users to a height where their feet are off the ground while sitting.

On-screen display adjustments are very extensive. In addition to having presets for brightness (what Samsung calls MagicBright), the monitor also gives color presets in the MagicColor Pro section of the on-screen controls. There, you can change hue, saturation, and gamma value, which is normally found in separately installed color correction applications. Among its many inputs, which includes both DVI-D and analog connections, Samsung also offers component, composite, and S-Video inputs to support the 244T's picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture features.

source : www.pcworld.com

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Samsung Syncmaster 2493HM

by Greg Adler

This display brings together good image quality, a multitude of connection options, and top-notch design.

The Samsung SyncMaster 2493HM looks great--and I'm not talking exclusively about the antiglare treatment or the crisp 1920-by-1200-pixel native resolution, which provides very good visual quality. The SyncMaster also sports sleek lines and a thin, glossy black bezel that stays relatively smudge free.

Getting the best picture out of the 2493HM is a breeze thanks to DVI, HDMI, and VGA connectivity. Will you use the two USB ports built into the neck of the base? Maybe not, but their positioning certainly makes for easy access.


On the audio front, the built-in down-firing speakers provide a wide range of sound that doesn't flatten out. You can crank the volume--but the louder it gets, the more distortion you hear. Want to rock in silence? Use the built-in headphone jack. But if you're looking for maximum sound quality, buying a separate set of speakers that has a subwoofer is your best bet.

The on-screen display menu does a superb job of marshaling options and streamlining navigation. You can adjust advanced features such as individual colors or use one of the many preset configurations. The buttons for the OSD menu are touch sensitive; though each button is clearly labeled, it's hard to see what it does, resulting in some usability frustrations.

The only other gripe I have with this display is that the contrast ratio (which clearly isn't 10,000:1, though it claims to be) and response time (5 ms) are engraved in the top right corner of the bezel. So much for subtlety. Samsung obviously put lots of TLC into designing this SyncMaster, but the constant visual reminder of the unit's response time seems tacky.

Still, this is a great monitor at an average price--and that's a winning combination.

source : www.pcworld.com

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Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP

by Greg Adler

Dell assembles a winning combination of good performance and great specifications including a memory card reader and display port connection.

The Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP is a well-designed, fully adjustable 24-inch monitor whose ports and features may justify its premium price.

Framing the display is a thin black bezel highlighted with silver accents on the top and the bottom. Dell includes video inputs for every possible connection: component, composite, Display Port, DVI (two ports), HDMI, S-Video, and VGA.

The monitor's on-screen display menu is clearly labeled and easy to navigate. Features include picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture, which displays two input sources side-by-side. This model comes with four USB ports--two on the back and two on the left side. Also on the left side, just above the USB ports, is a built-in reader for Compact Flash, MMC, MS, SD, and xD memory cards.


Dell bundles the UltraSharp 2408WFP with a CD containing drivers, a set-up guide, and a users' guide. Hardware extras include four connection cables for Display Port, DVI, USB, and VGA connectivity.

The images produced by this display resulted in a score of Very Good from our PC World lab. The UltraSharp 2408WFP's combination of good performance, input options, adjustability (it tilts, swivels, pivots, and can be adjusted for height), and excellent OSD make it the most full-featured and versatile monitor we've tested.

Regrettably (but understandably) this monitor's high-end performance, myriad features, and input selection come at high price. At about $700, it's one of the most expensive 24-inch displays we've seen.

source : www.pcworld.com

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Gateway FHD2400

by Greg Adler
This full-featured monitor offers loads of input and adjustment options--and for $50 extra, you can get great speakers, too.

Gateway pushes the versatility envelope with its 24-inch FHD2400 monitor. It combines good image quality, a slick design, a great on-screen display menu, and optional speakers that provide fantastic sound.

The FHD2400 has nearly every video input you could want in a 24-inch display: component, composite, DVI, HDMI, S-Video and VGA. The only port lacking is the new, up-and-coming Display Port connection. The on-screen display menu is incredibly well designed and intuitive, and it has the full range of adjustment options. You can control primary colors or use one of the many presets. The ease of navigation through the submenus is refreshing as well.


It's not all about video with this monitor, either; for an extra $50, you can obtain a detachable sound bar that produces amazingly clear sound. The speakers even have great bass, and I couldn't detect any distortion when I cranked up the volume--a rare virtue in built-in monitor speakers.

This display features four USB ports, a headphone jack, and a standard native resolution of 1920 by 1200. It's fully adjustable by tilt, pivot, and height, and a unique swivel permits 360-degree rotation.

Gateway's FHD2400 didn't outperform the competition in image quality, but it found a comfortable spot in the middle of the pack, resulting in a score of Very Good. The display cost about $550 at the time of this review, making it a great choice for anyone in the market for a well-designed, strong-performing 24-inch monitor. You won't be disappointed with this display's range of inputs or its adjustment options.

source : www.pcworld.com

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Samsung Electronics Widens Its Lead in the Monitor Market

Despite the global economic slowdown, Samsung Electronics, a global leader in the world’s LCD monitor market, widened its lead over its rivals. LCD monitors now account for about 95% of the world’s monitor market. 



According to market research institute IDC, Samsung achieved a share of 16.0% in unit sales in the world’s LCD monitor market in the third quarter of this year, keeping the top spot for five straight quarters starting from the third quarter of 2007. 


Samsung sold off 6.298 million LCD monitors in the third quarter, setting a new quarterly sales record. The previous record was set in the third quarter of 2007 when Samsung sold 6.283 million units.



Samsung widened its lead over the No. 2 player by 2.0% points from 0.3% points thanks to the rising popularity of the T Series along with aggressive marketing activities to promote the sales of a series of brand-new models, including the dual webcam monitor. 



For the third quarter of this year, Samsung commanded a share of 16% in sales volume terms, with its competitors maintaining shares of 14.0%, 11.9%, 10.2%, and 8.9%. 



In unit sales, Samsung maintained the top spot with a share of 17.2%, with its competitors maintaining shares of 14.0%, 12.9%, 10.0% and 7.5%.



Backed by strong growth in the LCD monitor business, Samsung has maintained the top spot in the world’s monitor market for nine straight quarters starting from the third quarter of 2006 in unit sales and seven straight quarters from the first quarter of 2007 in revenue terms. 



Samsung achieved a share of 16.1% in unit sales in the world’s monitor market in the third quarter of 2008, with competitors at 13.5%, 11.6%, 10.8% and 8.7%. In revenue, Samsung gained a share of 17.2%, with competitors at 13.7%, 12.8%, 10.4% and 7.4%.

source : www.tbreak.com

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Honeywell Altura MLX 42-inch 1080p 10-bit HDTV

Honeywell Altura MLX HDTV

Not all televisions are created equally, and yet most consumers are in the dark when it comes to knowing the difference. However, for those smart shoppers who keep in touch with technology, Honeywell offers a treat for home theater enthusiasts. The Altura MLX series delivers a 1080p resolution at the double-rate 120Hz display speed. The Honeywell MT-HWJCT42B2AB offers 42" of full high-definition LCD viewing with a 10-bit color gamut far superior to most all other LCD panels. Benchmark Reviews tests the performance and quality of this HDTV in this article.

Don't let anyone lead you believe that High Definition Televisions are the future... a more correct statement is that HDTV's have already been around for a few years and are the here and now. Unfortunately, not everyone is up to speed, and some are going to be very surprised by the changes in store only a few months away. You see, by the time this article is published there will be exactly 90-days remaining until D-Day hits and the transition to an all-digital terrestrial broadcast begins. In past articles Benchmark Reviews gave you specific instructions on how to survive this digital transition, which offered a guide on how to smartly buy your first HDTV. However, in this article we test one of the better alternatives for step-up consumers who want to enjoy full high-definition content without falling into the money pit.

Now that analog televisions are finally a page in the history books (with or without a transition looming), consumers almost have no real choice in the matter except to get onboard the digital revolution. It would make good sense to know what you should be shopping for. Just as it is with computers, the difference between buying obsolete from cutting edge has nothing to do with looks. There are a few very basic items that should be considered a "given" in HDTV technology, and these are the basic rules I mentioned in our how-to guide.

source : benchmarkreviews.com

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LG Laptop Screen Promises Good Image in and Outside

Martyn Williams, IDG News Service

LG Display has developed an LCD (liquid crystal display) module that it says looks as good outdoors in sunlight ads it does indoors and plans to unveil it CES in January in Las Vegas.

The 14.1-inch display is intended for laptop computers and allows users to switch display modes to suit the location.

All LCD panels require a light source to make the type and images on the screen visible to users and the source varies depending on the type of panel and its intended use. Panels like those in most laptops and televisions use illumination from a backlight panel behind the screen that results in an image that looks good indoors but is not bright enough to be seen outside. Reflective panels use a mirror behind the screen to reflect ambient light for a brighter outdoor image but one that looks dark indoors.

Halfway between these two technologies are transreflective panels that have both a mirror and backlight behind the panel and offer a compromise between the two types of display but don't excel outdoors or inside.

The new LG Display panel can be switched between backlight mode, when indoors, to reflective mode, when outdoors, at the touch of a button allowing the best of both technologies without any compromise, the company said in a statement. An added benefit of this is that when the screen is switched to reflective mode the backlight turns off and battery life can be extended.

The contrast ratio when used outdoors is 9:1 on the new display versus around 3:1 on a typical laptop display, LG Display said.

LG Display will offer its first demonstration of the screen at CES. The display is still a prototype and there are no immediate plans to commercialize it.

Source :www.pcworld.com

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Apple Unveils New 24-inch LED Cinema Display

By : Philip Michaels, Macworld.com

Apple didn't just unveil remodeled laptops at Tuesday's press event on its Cupertino, Calif., campus. The company also added a 24-inch LED monitor to its Cinema Display offerings, though the new display is geared specifically for Apple's revamped MacBook and MacBook Pro lines.

The 24-inch LED Cinema Display offers 1,920-by-1,200-pixel resolution, along with a built-in iSight camera and microphone, stereo speakers, and three-port USB 2.0 hub. It features an aluminum and glass enclosure, giving the LCD monitor a striking resemblance to Apple's current iMac design.

"It's gorgeous," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said as he unveiled the new LED Cinema Display. "Really, really nice. Thin."

But Apple is touting this monitor for laptop users--specifically for its redesigned MacBook offerings. The LED Cinema Display features an integrated MagSafe charger that allows laptop users to plug in and power their notebooks. MacBook users can also connect to the monitor via its Mini DisplayPort, which Apple says is 10 percent the size of a full DVI connector.

In keeping with Apple's push to release more environmentally friendly products, the 24-inch Cinema Display is an LED-backlit monitor. LED backlights improve upon the cold-cathode florescent lamp technology common in older displays by consuming less power, lasting longer, and containing no mercury. Apple says the glass on the display is arsenic free and that the monitor contains no brominated flame retardents. Apple also said that all internal cables and components are PVC-free.

Source : www.pcworld.com

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LED Cinema Display Now Shipping

By : Scott McNulty , Macworld.com

Apple early adopters rejoice! Apple has just sent out the first wave of shipping confirmation emails for the new 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display . You'll recall that the LED Cinema Display is designed to compliment the new MacBook/MacBook Pro line with a Mini DisplayPort connector, integrated MagSafe, 3 powered USB 2.0 ports, iSight, and built-in speakers.
Apple unveiled the display in October at the same event where it overhauled its entire laptop line .

Some have called this US$899 monitor a MacBook dock, and it certainly seems to fit that bill quite nicely especially when you consider that MacBooks are the only computers on the planet at the moment that can even make use of one. Still, even though it supports a small subset of Macs (at the moment) this monitor is a great deal for a LED backlight monitor which makes it even more attractive to this MacBook Pro toting blogger.

source : www.pcworld.com

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Eddy Winner: NEC MultiSync 3090WQXi Display

By : James Galbraith, Macworld.com

Although 30-inch wide-screen LCD monitors are meant for a niche market-professionals whose work demands color accuracy, the NEC MultiSync 3090WQXi is among the nicest displays we saw this year.

The 3090WQXi may be more expensive than Apple's 30-inch Cinema HD display, but it features a wider viewing angle, a higher contrast ratio, and an adjustable height, and it has a longer warranty than Apple's largest display. Its wide viewing angle makes it a great collaboration tool, since folks gathered around the screen will see the same colors from almost any angle. The monitor can display 16.7 million colors (8 bits), and it boasts a 12-bit Look Up Table that gives it an enormous palette of 68.5 billion colors.
NEC built a ton of technology into the 3090WQXi-such as X-Light Pro, which uses an internal backlight sensor to monitor and correct light output over the display's life-to keep it looking great over the years. For color pros who want a large canvas but don't want to sacrifice color accuracy and performance, the NEC MultiSync 3090WQXi sets a new standard for big displays.

source : www.pcworld.com

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LG Display Cuts Q4 Outlook on Sharp Decline in LCD Demand

By : Martyn Williams, IDG News Service

LG Display has cut its outlook for the current quarter after seeing a sharp decline in demand for LCD (liquid crystal display) panels and a bigger than expected drop in their price.
The company still expects demand to increase from the third quarter but growth is now expected to be in the single low-digit percentage range. It had been forecasting a percentage jump in the low to mid-teens. Prices are down by the low twenties percentage from the third quarter, it said in a statement.
Production has already been scaled back in light of the lower-than-anticipated demand, it said.

LG Display is a major manufacturer of LCD panels, which it supplies to manufacturers of products such as laptop PCs, televisions and cell phones. Lower global demand for electronics products and computers as a result of the poor economy is causing device makers to scale back their production and that in turn is hitting LG Display.

source : www.pcworld.com

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