Dell Ultrasharp 2407WFP

Dell's UltraSharp 2407WFP, as retested under our new protocols (see "How We Test"), still does not disappoint). This 24-inch model fared well in the PC World Test Center, where our jury viewed and rated a series of screen shots of text, graphics, and photo-based documents at the monitor's default factory settings. Jurors praised the Dell's crisp text and overall image quality, but also noted a faintly green cast to white screens.

Nicely priced at $719 (as of 8/17/06), this Dell is one of the least expensive 23- or 24-inch wide-screen monitors we've seen lately. It doesn't hold down its price by skimping on features, though. Its sleek industrial design includes a thin black bezel and a silver stand that lets you tilt, pivot, and raise or lower the monitor.

The 2407WFP has a plethora of video connections (DVI, VGA, composite, component, and S-Video), plus support for HDCP (high-bandwidth digital copy protection). The latter is a bit of future-proofing, as coming high-definition media such as Blu-ray and HD DVD discs may require an HDCP-compliant monitor for optimal viewing of content. Also included are picture-in-picture functions, a 9-in-2 media card reader, and four USB 2.0 ports.

Among the adjustable settings on Dell's on-screen menu are three display modes: desktop, multimedia, and gaming. Earlier this year, Dell customers complained of image-quality issues when using the desktop mode on early production runs of the 20-inch 2007WFP. Dell claims to have fixed the problem, and we didn't encounter such image-quality issues with our test unit.

Tom Mainelli and Laura Blackwell