Dell UltraSharp 2707WFP 27-Inch Wide-Screen LCD Monitor

The marvelously designed Dell UltraSharp 2707WFP 27-inch wide-screen LCD managed to gain high scores from our picky panel of judges for its consistently good image quality and array of ports and adjustments.

Tested for our February 2008 feature "The Wide World of Monitors," the UltraSharp 2707WFP racked up an impressive amount of points in both text and graphics performance tests. A screen of black-and-white bars looked clearly defined, indicating virtually nonexistent screen shimmer or flicker. Fonts were razor sharp, and general documents and menu icons looked very readable. The monitor impeccably displayed graphics as well, revealing discernible deep dark and light shades, and vibrant natural colors.

Most noticeable about the monitor's appearance is its beautiful brushed aluminum bezel. The polished silver accent that runs along the border of the monitor is subtly eye-catching but somewhat smudge-prone. The unique base is composed of glass on top of metal, a stunning look that's sure to attract colleagues (and their fingerprints). In addition to tilting and swiveling, it also has a small double-hinged height adjustment. The mechanism on some double-hinged stands makes the monitors have a large footprint, but the Dell's sleek height adjustment keeps the monitor less than 10 inches deep. 

The monitor includes a bevy of connections. In addition to VGA and DVI ports, it sports S-Video, component, composite, and USB connectors. I was slightly disappointed by its lack of HDMI; for the price, I think it should have such a modern connector. Still, with all the other connectors, you can use the monitor's picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture features to, for example, work on documents while watching a video on the inset screen. Next to other ports, you can also connect a set of optional $35 speakers that Dell calls Sound Bar. A flash media card reader is also integrated on the left side. It supports nine types of media cards, including SD, Memory Stick, and CompactFlash.

The UltraSharp 2707WFP's well-hidden cable management feature is fragile and a little difficult to use. A glossy plastic removable cover is attached to the back of the stand. It pulls off to reveal two plastic loops to cinch cables together. You feed the cables through the narrow hole at the base of the stand and extend them through the stand's body. The loops were narrow and rather flimsy. With minimal force, one of them broke when I was trying to loop a cable through it.

I found the colors in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King slightly reddish. It did however handle swaths of light and subtle details such as persistent mist capably, keeping graininess to a minimum. A scene set in fall produced magnificent yellows and oranges, and a golden tone that was a pleasure to watch.

Dell's sharply designed UltraSharp 2707WFP has the wow factor and price ($1199 as of December 10, 2007), that's certain to impress friends and colleagues. More important, its image quality will please a variety of users.

--Roy Santos