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HP w2408h 'Vivid Color' 24in Monitor

The other day I sat down to give this monitor a thorough once over with some proper intensive technical testing - also known as Bioshock. Having played this fine game through on PC with a 22in monitor I was struck by how much more of an impact it made just by moving from a 22in to a 24in display. The two inch difference may not seem like much, but if you're wavering then you really should think again - it does make a difference.
It's not just about playing games, either. In general use, it's even more pronounced - a 22in display will have a resolution of 1,680 x 1,050, which is not bad, but a 24in display will give you 1,920 x 1,200, which is that bit more usable. Many have realised that a 24in display is really the optimum in terms of native resolution, physical size, and cost, and with recent price erosion due to the use of cheaper TN based panels, as found in this HP, it is set to become increasingly popular. Certainly the price of this HP is going to get a lot of people's attention and it has to be said you're getting a lot for your money.

It's a stylish affair with the glossy bezel and finish that is well and truly aimed at the consumer. It has to be said that the black and silver works very well, even managing to get away with a large green backlit power button sitting at the very top of the display. Nestling inside the left hand side of the bezel is a ambient light sensor that will automatically adjust display brightness based on light conditions, though if you make manual adjustments this turns itself off.
Along with the 24in 1,920 x 1,200 resolution panel, you get both an HDCP compliant HDMI port and a VGA connection too. Hooking up to a DVI equipped monitor can be easily done via an adaptor. Unlike the Dell 2407, there's no component or composite input on this display, which is clearly going to be one area of cost cutting.

However, with the rise of HDMI, this isn't as much of an issue - you will need to get a separate HDMI switcher but once you've done so, your PS3 and Xbox Elite are HDMI equipped, and the Xbox 360 can use a VGA connection too, so it's only the Nintendo Wii that doesn't have the luxury of being connected to this screen. The real answer would be to have a monitor with two HDMI ports or both HDMI and DVI.

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