Verdict
The $269 Samsung SyncMaster B2330HD offers the best picture and the most robust VGP-BPS9/S feature set of any monitor in its price range. While other HD monitors can be had for less than $200, this product's dual function as an HDTV sweetens the deal. VGP-BPS13 Whether you're looking for a great monitor, an HDTV for a smaller space, or both, the SyncMaster B2330HD is an excellent choice.

In the realm of monitors, consumers often find themselves having to give up something on their wishlist in order to get the price they VGP-BPS13A/B want. The Dell ST2420L offers a big and bright 24-inch picture, a full range of inputs, and a slim profile. Even better, at $239, this 24-inch model vgp-bps13b/q is less expensive than some smaller-sized competitors.

Watching television on the SyncMaster B2330HD was just as vgp-bps13a/q enjoyable as watching video from a notebook. The quality depended on the source, but we found that digital signals produced good results, especially when we switched to the Movie mode. With our cable connected via the Antenna in and a notebook vgp-bps13/b connected via HDMI, we tried the Picture-in-Picture feature and found that the quality didn't diminish much though there were more visible artifacts in the vgp-bps13/q smaller image.

Model Family and Warranty
Aside from the 23-inch model (B2330HD), Samsung also offers a 22 and 24-inch in this VGP-BPS9 line. The 22-inch SyncMaster B2230HD is only $238 and the 24-inch SyncMaster B2430HD can be found for as low as $289 (MSRP $315). Samsung covers the VGP-BPS9/B SyncMaster B2330HD with a one-year limited parts and labor warranty.

Design
The Dell ST2420L offers a fairly slim profile, measuring just 2.4 inches thick. The round stand is just over 8 inches deep, so the VGP-BPS9A/B monitor takes up little space on a desk. The glossy black exterior looks good, save for the few fingerprints it'll pick up if moved. Though the base detaches, the dell studio 17 battery Dell ST isn't readily wall-mountable. Nor is the height adjustable, though users can tilt the monitor in a 25-degree range for the dell studio 1737 battery optimal angle.

As the SyncMaster B2330HD has both monitor and TV modes, there are a wide range of inputs in the back. Samsung makes them easy dell studio 1535 battery to access by placing them directly on the back of the unit, facing outward. Aside from the standard VGA port, there are also two HDMI ports. dell latitude e5500 battery However, there is no DVI port. Beyond this, there are multiple audio and video inputs for connecting cable/satellite tuners, DVD/Blu-ray players, dell latitude e6400 battery game consoles, and more. Aside from RCA audio in, there's also component AV in, optical audio out, and even an antenna port for connecting coaxial dell latitude e6500 battery cable.

Given the multitude of connections available, we were disappointed that Samsung bundles so few cords. Beyond the standard dell latitude e4300 battery VGA cable there's only a stereo jack cable in the box. We'd also like to see an HDMI cable. At least Samsung includes a cable organizer, which is dell vostro 1510 battery a nice touch.

Sometimes when tech companies combine two or three devices into dell vostro 1310 battery one, the end result is a product that doesn't do anything particularly well. That's not the case with the Samsung SyncMaster B2330HD ($269), which is an HDTV and HD monitor in one. This slick display includes a TV tuner as well Dell inspiron 1545 battery as picture-in-picture support, so you can surf the web in one window while watching your favorite shows in the other. Add in multiple inputs for Dell inspiron 1525 battery connecting a cable/satellite box, Blu-ray player, or gaming console--and the ability to stream media from USB drives--and you have a Dell latitude d630 battery multitasking dynamo.

Design
There's nothing flashy or attention-grabbing about the SyncMaster B2330HD's design; it's just a quietly attractive package Dell studio 15 battery for the 23-inch display. The matte plastic casing on the back tapers from the edges inward and features a striated, textured surface, making the monitor Dell latitude d620 battery relatively easy to carry during setup. The front casing and stand are a glossy piano black. This isn't the slimmest monitor on the block, but its Dell xps m1330 battery 2.6-inch thickness is by no means egregious.

The included base is removable, in case users wish to mount it to the wall. You'll find a fairly wide range of angle adjustment, Dell inspiron 6400 battery but no height adjustment.

Plug and Play with USB
Connecting a USB key or hard drive to the SyncMaster B2330HD's USB 2.0 port will activate the Dell inspiron 1501 battery monitor's built-in media player, which can access and play media directly from the source. This feature supports a wide range of video formats, Dell inspiron e1505 battery including the common ASF, AVI 3GP, MKV, MP4, MPEG, and more. Users can also play music from a drive or a slideshow of stored images.

Display and Performance
The 23-inch, 1920 x 1080 full HD matte display exhibited the best color depth and range of any monitor we've tested. When Dell vostro 1000 battery evaluating contrast in PassMark, we saw some color blending on the darker end of the spectrum, but after 4 percent, brightness each step from light Dell gd761 battery to dark was clearly defined across the range of blue, green, red, and white. When viewing solid colors fading from dark to light vertically across the Dell latitude d830 battery screen, there were only very slight steps visible between the colors. From 3 feet away, the color blend appeared smooth. Small fonts are eminently readable on the screen, though the Acer S231HL produced crisper text at Dell inspiron 1520 battery 6 points.

Thanks to its matte display, reflections were never a problem on the SyncMaster B2330HD. Viewing Dell vostro 1500 battery angles are very wide, so even if users are watching a move from across the room and can't sit directly in front of the screen, they're not likely to Dell inspiron 1720 battery encounter color distortion.

Settings and Remote
At the bottom center of the bezel users can access the capacitive-touch power and on screen display (OCD) controls. However, Dell xps m1530 battery as the Samsung SyncMaster is also a television, it comes with a remote control; accessing the OCD is far easier and intuitive with the remote. The Dell xps m1730 battery available options for tweaking the monitor's settings for brightness, color, contrast, and even optimal viewing angle are the most robust of any Dell inspiron 1420 battery of the monitors we've recently tested. The user gets a fine level of control over almost every aspect of the view, no matter what the video source. Samsung has also included a few pre-sets for common uses, from watching movies to Dell vostro 1400 battery surfing the web.

Though the integrated speakers face backward, they produce relatively powerful sound for a monitor. Dell CF623 battery You won't get the same depth as you would from a pair of good standalone speakers, but they're better than the average notebook Dell xps m1210 battery speakers.

Display and Performance
The Dell ST's matte, LED-backlit, 24-inch, 1920 x 1080 full HD display offered deep colors but isn't the sharpest. When we Dell latitude d610 battery tested contrast with PassMark, each of the brightness steps were clearly delineated from each other in all colors (blue, green, red, white) both Dell KD476 battery on the light and dark ends of the spectrum. When viewing solid colors fading from darkest to lightest, we detected little or no banding. In the font test, we Dell 1525 Battery noted that starting at 10 points on downward, letters were somewhat fuzzy and not as distinct as we'd like, but still readable.

Viewing angles on the ST2420L were appropriately wide, even from several feet away. We watched a Sony Laptop Battery Blu-ray of Iron Man and played Batman: Arkham Asylum across several other monitors in this roundup, and found that the Dell's picture Lenovo/IBM Laptop Battery wasn't as rich or detailed as the Acer S243HL or the Samsung SyncMaster B2330HD, though it offered deeper colors than the ViewSonic VX. During scenes with fast-paced action and complex visuals we noted smooth, error-HP/Compaq Laptop Battery free movement.

Unfortunately, the connectors and inputs on the ST2420L are inconveniently located under a lip, pointing Dell Laptop Battery downward. We prefer outward-facing connectors, as on the Samsung SyncMaster and Acer S Series. At least the Dell monitor includes the full good battery range of computer connections: DVI, HDMI, and VGA. There are also 3.5mm audio in and audio out jacks. Dell bundles a VGA cable with the unit, leaving users to saus battery bring their own audio, HDMI or DVI cables.

With the on-screen display (OSD) controls located on the lower right side of the bezel, the Dell ST2420L offers a wide range sony battery of settings and display adjustments. We particularly appreciated the preset modes for users who are less adept at choosing the optimal settings for ibm battery watching video, gaming, or normal usage. A separate menu selection is available for users who need fine control over their monitor color apple battery calibration.

The ST2420L doesn't have built-in speakers, but an optional soundbar--designed to attach to the lower lip--is acer battery available via Dell.com for $24.

Model Family and Warranty
Aside from the 24-inch ST2420L, Dell also has a 23-inch model in this line, the ST2320L, fushitsu laptop akkus for $229. The company offers a one-year advance exchange warranty for free, with the option to purchase two to five years of protection for hp laptop akkus $29 to $89.

Budget monitors rarely come with a wide range of inputs, but the ViewSonic VX cuts more corners than the competition. The connectors dell laptop akkus and inputs on the back are inconveniently located under a lip, pointing downward instead of outward-facing as on the Samsung SyncMaster and toshiba laptop akkus Acer S Series; this makes them less easy to access. Aside from the power port and an audio input, there are only two video inputs: VGA and DVI. saus laptop akkus The lack of HDMI is surprising, especially as the monitor has a full HD resolution and is more expensive than most of the monitors in this roundup that include this sony laptop akkus connector.

Users can access the on-screen display controls (OSD) via four capacitive touch buttons on the lower right side of the bezel. The ibm laptop akkus options on offer aren't as robust as those found on the Samsung and Acer models, but the monitor does have the basics: color adjust, contrast/brightness, apple laptop akkus image adjust, and manual adjustment options. We found these menus easy to navigate. From here users can also access the display's Eco Modes: acer laptop akkus Conserve and Optimize. ViewSonic claims that the Conserve option can save up to 35 percent energy consumption by lowering the fujitsu akkus brightness.

Verdict
Consumers who long for a large, 24-inch canvas for work and play should definitely give the Dell ST2420L a look. hp akkus At $239, it offers fairly good image quality for the price. The $239, 24-inch Acer S243HL offers a crisper image, but doesn't match the Dell's color accuracy. Ultimately, dell akkus we prefer the $269, 23-inch Samsung SyncMaster B2330HD (and its 24-inch counterpart, the $289 B2430HD) due to its superior picture and integrated TV toshiba akkus tuner. Nevertheless, the Dell ST2420L is a solid choice for the price.

ViewSonic's VX2250wm-LED 22-inch monitor offers a full HD resolution (1920x1080) at a low price. Although it doesn't perform saus akkus as well as competing displays, the $169 street price ($279 MSRP), combined with both digital and analog inputs, makes this product an attractive option for sony akkus budget-minded buyers.

Design
The ViewSonic VX isn't as slim as the 0.55-inch Acer S243HL, ibm akkus but it won't hog space on your desk, either. The monitor itself is only 1.9 inches thick and the included base is just 7.5 inches deep. As the base is removable, users can also mount the ViewSonic VX on a wall or a third-party base. The monitor isn't height-apple akkus adjustable, but users can tilt it in a 25-degree range vertically. The glossy, piano-black case and bezel are unfortunately prone to showing fingerprints, but the acer akkus VX manages to not look cheap.