BIOS: Technology Means Business

Dell has recently introduced three new performance-enhanced UltraSharp flat panel displays for customers in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Offering the latest flat panel technology, the new Dell UltraSharp 24-inch widescreen 2407WFP (reviewed here), 20-inch 2007FP, and 20-inch widescreen 2007WFP monitors are available now for £699, £369 and £399, respectively.

The UltraSharp flat panel displays are ideal for multitaskers including, professional graphic users, gaming enthusiasts and consumers or professionals wanting sharp text, vivid images, portrait support, and high screen performance contained within a slim and stylish design. And with an integrated height adjustment stand (also swivels), you can easily adjust the display to your exact comfort level and help reduce eye and neck strain.

The UltraSharp 2407WFP (8.3kg) features a high native resolution of 1920x1200 pixels (WUXGA), providing an excellent entertainment and multimedia experience, as well as high contrast ratio of 1000:1 and 450 cd/m2 brightness for superior colour accuracy and uniformity. In addition, the model offers an improved response time of just 6ms grey to grey (16ms (black to white), which results in less smearing and ghosting than traditional flat panel displays.

In addition to its high-end performance features, the UltraSharp 2407WFP sports a raft of connectivity options not seen on competing displays. These include includes a Digital Video Interface (DVI) to ensure high quality image and solid colour uniformity, High-Bandwidth Digital Copy Protection (HDCP) to help enable viewing of protected high-definition content, S-Video, composite and component (UltraSharp 2407WFP only) inputs allowing monitors to be hooked up to a gaming console, video camera, DVD player or satellite box.

Other key features include a redesigned silver height-adjustable stand, allowing the panel to rotate, swivel and tilt, Picture In Picture/Picture By Picture functionality provides multiple source viewing (UltraSharp 2407WFP and UltraSharp 2007WFP only), built-in USB hub and 9-in-2 card reader (CompactFlash type I/II Card, MicroDrive, Smart Media Card, Memory Stick Card, Memory Stick Pro Card, SD, and MMC), 12-volt audio jack for connecting an optional Dell Sound Bar speaker (£35), as well as new graphic enhancement features and technologies (UltraSharp 2407WFP only).

These enhancements include DCDi by Faroudja (Directional Correlational Deinterlacing), which helps to eliminate jagged edges and provide image enhancements, Adaptive Colour and Contrast (ACC) Technology, featuring an intelligent contrast enhancement for viewing video content and Active Colour Management (ACM), designed to support most viewing modes with enhanced colour saturation.

With a native aspect ratio of 16:10 (1.6:1), the monitor has a slightly different widescreen format from the 16:9 (1.78:1) aspect ratio prevalent in HDTVs. Even so, the 2407WFP provides many connections for video devices. One point worth noting is that the DVI port is HDCP-compliant (that’s High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection), so you’ll be able to view protected HD media such as HD DVD and Blu-ray discs; just make sure the rest of your PC supports it.

For managing its settings, the 2407WFP uses a unique on-screen display (OSD) that keeps all the different menu options visible while you make changes. Borrowing concepts from some HDTVs, it’s one of the easiest-to-use OSDs we’ve seen on a desktop display to date. The only thing we don’t like about it is that there’s no dedicated exit button, which makes it difficult to make your way through the submenus. Another disappointment is the 2407WFP’s cable management is a bit sparse: the display’s slender neck has only a simple rectangular cutout through which to thread the cords.

Dell’s UltraSharp 2407WFP 24-inch is a more than capable widescreen LCD Monitor for running as a main desktop screen. It’s also a great choice for watching DVDs in natural format and running multiple applications simultaneously, as well as for hooking up a videogames console. The 2407WFP also provides an excellent option for video editing and 3D imaging as both source and destination video can be viewed in a single window, and with four USB 2.0 ports (located on the side), the monitor provides convenient access to plug in devices such as keyboards, digital cameras, secondary hard disk drives and printers. Image quality is also top notch for the money, so you can’t really go wrong at this price point.

[9] - Editors' Choice

[Best Monitor Pricing UK]
[Best Monitor Pricing US]