There’s a lot to like about the HP w2408, and very few nits to pick. It’s a little lacking in video input options, but this won’t matter to everyone. It has limited viewing angles, but unless you review documents onscreen with colleagues, you probably won’t even notice this flaw.
On the plus side, the HP w2408 produces vivid colors, rich blacks, and text that is readable even at small font sizes. It’s also eminently adjustable, with tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustment options. And its budget-friendly price makes it a good choice for home and home office users.
- Good value.
- Vivid color and rich blacks.
- Sharp text, even at small font sizes.
- Fully adjustable stand.
- Limited viewing angle.
- Limited video inputs.
- Glossy panel is prone to background reflections.
- 1920x1200 native resolution may be difficult for some individuals to view.
- 1920x1200 native resolution
- Tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustment options
- VGA and HDCP-compliant DVI inputs
- Three-year warranty
You can never be too rich or too thin, or have too much screen real estate. The HP w2408 is a 24” widescreen display that provides a generous amount of workspace, which is made even more generous by a native resolution of 1920x1200 pixels. If you’re getting older or have vision problems, you may find it difficult to read small text or discern fine details at the HP w2408’s native resolution; otherwise, you’ll enjoy the view. Test-drive it in a store, if you can, before making a final decision.
The HP w2408 has a glossy LCD panel that produces rich, vivid colors and deep blacks, as well as crisp text. Glossy LCD panels are getting to be more popular than matte panels, but they each have their good and bad points. Glossy panels produce more vivid color than matte panels, but matte panels produce more accurate color, which is important when color matching is critical, such as in graphic design or photography. Because glossy panels are highly reflective, they’re subject to background reflections, which can be a problem if you work in a busy environment, or you can’t turn off the overhead lights that are creating bright spots in dark images.
The stand supports the full range of monitor adjustment possibilities: tilt, swivel, pivot, and height. The HP w2408 has limited viewing angles, particularly in portrait mode, but this shouldn’t pose a problem unless you review documents onscreen with colleagues.
The HP w2408 is a little on the stingy side when it comes to video inputs. It has VGA and HDCP-compliant DVI inputs, but no S-video, composite, or component inputs. It also doesn’t have any USB ports, so it can’t serve double-duty as a USB hub.
The 5 ms pixel response time displays little ghosting or blurring in fast-moving images, making the HP w2408 a good choice for viewing video or playing your favorite games.
