Dell 2407WFP UltraSharp 24-inch LCD display review




Normal 1024 x 768 or 1280 x 1024 are way too tiny for this display's WUXGA resolution. To find some nice 1920 x 1200 backgrounds I recommend InterfaceLIFT. They really have lots beautiful wallpapers for big resolutions, including 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1200 and even 2560 x 1600.


This is the OSD (on screen display) where you can alter the brightness, contrast, select image modes, adjust color settings, etc.

Performance and quality
The most important thing about LCD displays is how they look. The 2407WFP definitely looks alright, it's very clean and vivid. Earlier revisions of this LCD display had lots of banding issues, Dell has fixed this in the "desktop mode" but unfortunately the A04 revision still has slight banding issues in the multimedia and gaming mode. It's not as bad as some of the pictures I've seen on the Internet but it's still there.

During the two weeks that I've owned this display I've been using it every day and the biggest problem I noticed is a streaking issue when I move windows horizontally across my screen. It mainly seems to occur on sites with grey surfaces and a white background, depending on the brightness settings of my display the white edges close to the grey surfaces start giving a faint green (on low brightness settings) or pinkish (high brightness settings) glow while dragging the window over my screen. It's not really a big problem, but it can get kinda annoying if you focus on it.

Besides this minor issue, I'm very satisfied. I've watched a lot of movies and some HD trailers on the display and the quality is amazing. It's also fine for gaming but to run your games in 1920 x 1200 you'll need some high-end hardware to play at the best quality.




These two Call of Duty 2 screenshots were taken at 1680 x 1050 instead of 1920 x 1200 because of performance issues.

Here are two videos I made to show you what it's like to game on a 24" display:






The resolution of this LCD display is big enough to run two browser windows next to each other.


Ice Age 2 - an example of a 1080p HD trailer.

Conclusion:
Overall I like the 2407WFP. Like most LCD displays it has some flaws but this big 24" widescreen beast is a big improvement over my old 17" LCD. You have to get used to the size of the 2407WFP if you come from a regular-shaped smaller LCD display but after a few days, you don't want to go back anymore. Working on big widescreen displays is really a joy.

Besides some minor issues, the biggest drawback of this display is the huge price tag. I paid 820EUR (currently $674 in the U.S.) for it and that price is a bit too steep for most people. For almost half the price you can buy the 20" Dell 2007WFP but that display won't play full HD video. There are even cheaper 20-inchers from Dell but those displays feature lower-quality LCD panels and have fewer features. If you're willing to shelve out a lot of money for a LCD display the 2407WFP is definitely worth it.

The Good Stuff
- Overall the image quality is really good
- Nice design
- Supports full HD
- Lots of connectors
- Very adjustable
- Availability

The Bad Stuff
- Ghosting and streaking issues
- There's still color banding in the multimedia/game mode.

Rating:
How I rated the 2407WFP:
Ease of use: 9/10
Design: 9/10
Picture quality: 8.5/10
Price: 8.5/10
Features: 9/10
Overall: 8.8/10


Update - March 11th, 2007: I've received a few e-mails from people wondering if the Rev 04 can do 1:1 pixel mapping. I tested this on my PC by running games in various widescreen and 4:3 resolutions and it works fine. There are three options: 1:1 mapping, stretch (keeps the same aspect ratio), and fill. I can't confirm whether it will do 1x1 pixel mapping for 1920 x 1080 resolutions from the Xbox 360 but I heard on forums that this works fine on the VGA input.


1:1 pixel mapping in a game running in the 1024 x 768 resolution.

Added: March 1st 2007
Product reviewed: Dell 2407WFP UltraSharp 24-inch LCD display
Reviewer: Thomas De Maesschalck
Score: 8.8/10
Page: 2/2



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About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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