Dell UltraSharp 2007WFP

The Dell UltraSharp 2007WFP can be a good buy, but it requires a little adjustment to reach its potential. Tested at defaults, this 20-inch wide-screen monitor scored poorly for image quality; with the proper image modes selected, however, its image quality looked good. Well priced at $488 as of 5/18/06, the 2007WFP offers a number of useful work and entertainment features.

When I first looked at the 2007WFP in isolation, its screen quality seemed fine. Under the strict controls of the PC World Test Center's testing--and compared to other currently available 20-inch wide-screens--the 2007WFP fared less favorably. On our text tests, jurors found letters soft-edged. They also had trouble discerning the pale gray text in a black bar on our real-world Microsoft Word test screen. These problems with contrast in dark areas persisted on our graphics tests; we saw a loss in detail in the dark blueberries of our fruit tart photo. Our jury also noted unnatural, orangey skin tones in our group photo. Though no 20-inch wide-screen proved to be a complete washout with image quality, this Dell got outperformed even by less expensive units from Acer (AL2051W and Ferrari F-20), Philips, and ViewSonic

A poor choice of default settings may be the culprit here. When I conducted a subjective evaluation under the same lighting conditions, the 2007WFP showed some versatility. By tinkering with the five color modes and three image modes, I was able to obtain better contrast and colors on the same screen shots. The 2007WFP's transparent, easy-to-read menus show as a bar at the bottom of the screen, instead of the usual view-blocking rectangle in the middle of it; this makes tweaks easier than usual. Some PC World readers have complained about color banding problems in the 2005WFP, but we observed no banding in our review unit of the 2007WFP.

When it comes to features, the UltraSharp 2007WFP shines. It's one of the few 20-inch wide-screens we tested that provides a full range of physical adjustments: tilt, height, pivot, and swivel. It connects to DVD players and other entertainment devices with composite and S-Video inputs, as well as to computer externals with its four USB 2.0 ports. Add in a generous 24/7 support policy, and the 2007WFP becomes a monitor equally suited to both work and play.

The Dell UltraSharp 2007WFP can deliver good image quality with some tweaking, and it includes some multimedia functions and a good service plan.

Laura Blackwell