MaximumPC 2007 09

C

learly, the LCD sweet spot these

days is at 24 inches, where you can

get in on the big, wide 1920x1200-

resolution action for well under a grand.

Your biggest problem will be choosing

from the multitude of models. Our current

24-inch fave is Dell’s 2407WFP (reviewed

September 2006). But let’s see how three

of its competitors fare.

—Katherine StevenSon

DoubleSight DS-240Wb

DoubleSight is best known for its two-in-

one monitor solutions, such as the dual

19-inch display we reviewed in March

2007, but we’ll take a single seamless 24-

inch screen over that option any day. The

DS-240WB looks all business with a sim-

ple but sturdy black frame. Its telescoping

neck lets you adjust the screen’s height,

plus you can tilt, pivot, and rotate the

screen’s orientation. Input options consist

of one VGA, one DVI, and one audio input.

To access the whole gamut of onscreen

display (OSD) options, you’ll need to use

VGA. For instance, you can adjust the

screen’s individual color channels and

even its overall color tone only with the

analog interface; DVI limits you to contrast

and brightness changes.

This LCD also favors VGA when it

comes to displaying HDCP-encumbered

content. But that’s only because content

producers haven’t clamped down on the

analog stream—yet. Simply put, this LCD

lacks HDCP sup-

port, so if movies are

important, beware.

Otherwise, the

DS-240WB per-

forms well. It aced

our Display Mate

(www.displaymate.

com) scripts, it captured the nuances of

our high-res digital photos, and it held up

to the rigors of action gaming. Still, in our

minds it’s lacking.

gateWay FPD2485W

Gateway’s 24-inch LCD stands out in this

crowd by offering far and away the most

input options: VGA and DVI ins are joined

by S-video, composite, and two compo-

nent connectors, as well as four USB 2.0

ports. This LCD, however, also sports the

most annoying OSD. Menu selections

are accompanied by sound effects that

are reminiscent of a Casio keyboard’s.

And while there’s a healthy array of menu

options to choose from, none appears

to disable the menu’s audio. Twitchy

touch-sensitive OSD buttons certainly

don’t help matters.

The FPD2485W performed adequately

in Display Mate, but the screen did show

signs of banding in grayscales of 85 steps

or more, particularly at the dark end of the

spectrum. We looked for evidence of this

shortcoming in our high-res digital pho-

tos, concentrating on subtle transitions

in shades, but found no apparent flaws.

We were also satisfied with the screen’s

abilities with movies, including those with

HDCP, but its game performance was unac-

ceptable. An obvious and persistent flicker

and other signs of digital noise seemed

indicative of a screen that can’t keep up

with rapidly changing content. Not good.

neC MultiSynC lCD2470WnX

NEC’s LCD2470WNX doesn’t offer quite as

many input options as Gateway’s LCD, but

it splits the difference between that monitor

and the DoubleSight, with VGA, DVI, and

four USB 2.0 ports. Like the other LCDs

reviewed here, it provides the full range

of ergo options—height, tilt, swivel, and

rotate. The OSD, for its part, is fairly simple

to navigate and includes the same variety

of options whether you’re using the digital

or analog interface. What’s more, it doesn’t

squawk at you.

Like Gateway’s screen, the NEC showed

some banding in the more extensive gray-

scales, although to a lesser degree. And

since that issue didn’t hurt Gateway’s real-

world performance, it’s not surprising that

NEC’s screen fared well with our sample

photos. The LCD2470WNX’s built-in HDCP

support let us watch high-definition mov-

ies on its big screen and its pixel-response

performance kept pace with our games,

although there was a hint of ghosting in

high-contrast areas.

Overall, the LCD2470WNX is nice, but

not as nice as Dell’s more feature-rich, less

expensive 2407WFP.

reviewsTes Ted. Reviewed. veRdic Tized

7 MAXIMUMPC September 2007

24-inch Triumvirate

Authoritative screens for the everyman

8

nec multisync lcd2470wnx

$800, http://www.necdisplay.com

gateway’s FPD2485W reminds us that not all modern lCDs are

up to gaming.

neC’s lCD2470WnX: in this case, you do

get more for your money—just not enough.

7

doublesight ds-240wb

$550, http://www.doublesight.com

5

gateway fpd2485w

$580, http://www.gateway.com

to get the most out of DoubleSight’s lCD,

you’ll need to use the analog interface—

that sucks.