HP w2408: A "New" Twist on 24" LCDs
by Jarred Walton on December 21, 2007 5:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Displays
Introduction
Try as we might, it's often difficult to get all of the products that we would like to review sent our way. Case in point: LCDs. There are dozens of good quality LCDs available that we have not reviewed -- and plenty more low quality LCDs. It's not too surprising that some companies don't want to send us review samples. If you have a low quality product that can't compete anywhere but price, in-depth reviews might do more harm than good in terms of sales. This is not to say that the HP w2408 is a low quality product, but it does stand out from previously reviewed 24" LCDs in several areas.
Looking at the display market from the buyers perspective, there are several different types of users. On the one hand, you have people that simply want a display that will show them the usual computer stuff. It won't really matter whether a display is slightly brighter, offers better contrast, has extra inputs, or anything else; if it works with their computer and doesn't break, they will be content. For such people, looking at the least expensive LCDs in a particular size range makes a lot of sense. Somewhat similar to this group are those who don't care about the technical aspects of a display so much as the outward appearance. If a product fits in better with their office environment and decor, that may be reason enough to purchase it. Then there are the gaming enthusiasts that want better response times and higher refresh rates, home theater enthusiasts who want a better movie viewing experience, and imaging professionals that require the most accurate colors possible.
There's often overlap between the target markets, but it's rare to find a display that can meet the requirements for all areas. Displays with the best color accuracy are often much more expensive, as are those that target home theater enthusiasts. A display targeting gamers on the other hand may sacrifice color accuracy in order to improve response time -- many users will actually prefer displays that have less accurate colors.
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So where does the HP w2408 fit in the above list? With a price of $570, it's less expensive than many competing models, but at the same time it's hardly inexpensive. One of the reasons we like many of the 24" LCDs on the market is that they offer a great selection of features, and many have higher quality LCD panel technology than what's available in 22" LCDs. The w2408 appears to be a step backward in this respect, as feature wise it's simply an inflated HP w2207. Where Dell, Gateway, Samsung, and others use (or at least used) S-PVA panels, the w2408 is one of a growing number of 24" LCDs that uses a TN (S-TN) panel - it might be the best-looking TN panel to enter our test lab to date, but it's still a TN panel.
24" LCDs with TN panels definitely have a place in the market, but many of these models cost $400 or less where higher-quality S-PVA panels start around $600. That puts the HP w2408 in a difficult position, and the primary selling point appears to be an industrial design that sets it apart from other offerings. Is that enough, or are there other selling points for the w2408? Let's take a closer look and see exactly what it things to the table.
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JarredWalton - Sunday, December 23, 2007 - link
It's partly an issue of getting enough reviews done so that more manufacturers are willing to work with us on monitor reviews. Things take time, and sometimes we go through periods where nothing new comes out for a while. I've got at least a few more LCDs coming shortly, and I hope many more post-CES will get sent our way for review.GlassHouse69 - Saturday, December 22, 2007 - link
IPS panels are the best for all things. some s-pva or mva's are close competitors to ips but still have colour errors and colour washout on angles over 20 degrees from center.tn panels shouldnt be priced higher than 350 dollars. one could get an almost 0 lag (15-19ms) 24" s-pva panel from LG and be more pleased for gaming and general use for 500 dollars.
i paid a grand for my 26" 1920x1200 H-IPS panel from planar. it is incredibly clear and accurate and has less than 1 frame lag. spending 550 dollars on a tn panel vs 900 dollars on a IPS pro fessional panel... sux cant see the point/value.
nevbie - Saturday, December 22, 2007 - link
Have you lurked in the xtknight's LCD thread at the forums?Perhaps you might get ideas about what people seek from reviews and what kind of LCDs they seek.
For me it seems that there are more interesting LCD models out there than reviews of LCDs. Pretty much the opposite situation when compared to GPUs or other less subjective review targets.
Anandtech LCD reviews seem a bit bare for me, as there are less measurements than in some other LCD review sites. It is difficult to say if reviewers at the other sites measure things that I would notice though, or if the extra measurements just generate artificial desires. Input lag measurements at behardware or RTC error measurements at xbitlabs are interesting, for example, but I don't know if I would be bothered by less than ideal results in actual use.
PS. The old comment system was better - no need to load/reload the article page when browsing comments.
9nails - Saturday, December 22, 2007 - link
What is "TN"?How about "S-PVA"?
Bonus question: How do the two differ / which is better?
JarredWalton - Saturday, December 22, 2007 - link
Well, I could try to explain it, but wikipedia already has a good deal of data on the matter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_film_transistor_...">This Film TransistorsThe simple answer is that in my opinion:
S-IPS > S-PVA > S-TN/TN+Film
TN panels often have lower stated response times, but frankly I can't see the difference. I can however see the difference between the two in viewing angles and color quality.
trajan - Saturday, December 22, 2007 - link
I know it should go without saying (and usually does) but thanks for another great review that is so clearly unbiased. Just seems to me that if Anandtech is having a hard time getting manufacturers to send LCDs for review, handing out a negative article on the first offering is probably not going to encourage other manufacturers to follow suite. But the truth is the truth, and particularly after recent high profile events on other sites its nice to get a little reminder of the quality we can enjoy here.(This probably is coming across all doe-eyed fanboyish.. meh. It's just really nice to have trust worthy info sources)
KorruptioN - Friday, December 21, 2007 - link
The LG L246WP-BN is a P-MVA panel... it's beautiful and doesn't seem to exhibit some of the colour shifting that some PVA panels do. It'll be either that or Dell's next 24" for my next LCD.gochichi - Monday, December 24, 2007 - link
I recommend it at the $450.00 price tag. I own this display and I am very pleased with it overall. I vastly prefer the HDMI/DVI input as opposed to VGA on this particular display (some displays you literally can't tell the difference, not so on this panel).It is WORLDS better than the cheapish 24" Samsung. Samsung is building an overinflated name for itself... that or they are seriously risking their brand name over some "too good to be true" products (they really aren't good when you get them home).
I more than ever depend on review sites and user comments to help me navigate the sea of available products. I personally believe that the Dell is superior to the LG 24", however, the LG is more readily available at retail stores and a fantastic deal at $449.00.
agull22 - Friday, December 21, 2007 - link
I would like to see how HP plans to really markey this screen costing what it does and doing so litle for its return really. Right now though I am using my HP 42" Plasma as a monitor. I can honestly say it looks much nicer than the LCD equivalent. It would be nice to see something between the 42 and 26 size range though.LoneWolf15 - Friday, December 21, 2007 - link
$570? I paid around that price a year ago for a Dell 2407. I got an S-PVA panel, additional inputs (component, s-video), 9-in-1 card reader, 4 USB ports, and I got the five-year warranty.If HP thinks they can sell that panel for $570, they need to think again. 6-bit color, poorer viewing angle, limited inputs --you can do better for your money.