Product Reviews

Several months ago, our group test of widescreen monitors saw one model stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of image quality, features and value. But despite sitting pretty on the A List, its maker, Dell, decided it could get even better. Not long after bidding the 2405FPW farewell, we welcome its replacement, the UltraSharp 2407WFP, and it's quite simply a thing of near-perfection.

First, there's the mammoth 24in Desktop, with its 1,920 x 1,200 resolution. It's more than enough space to line up documents side by side, and a Desktop sidebar becomes a must, particularly given the 16:10 aspect ratio. It can also display picture-in-picture if you have two video sources, so hook it up to a media centre PC and make the most of the huge number of channels.

And they'll

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look fantastic, thanks to the accurate colour reproduction and wonderful contrast. It took seconds to get the picture how we wanted it using the graphical OSD. A few tweaks to the colour settings and a boost to the brightness, and our test videos looked exactly as they should. The 450cd/m2 brightness is more than enough to bring scenes to life, but it's the 1,000:1 contrast ratio that has the biggest effect. Cave scenes from Lord of the Rings are a particularly good test, and the Dell showed a tremendous level of detail.

The 2407WFP has a response time of 16ms - not a patch on the increasingly common 6ms and even 4ms models - but smearing in fast-moving scenes was only noticeable close up. Dell has incorporated HDCP into the DVI connection, so this monitor will be fully compliant with Blu-ray and HD DVD players when they hit the mainstream. Add to this a pair of slots for pretty much all media card formats, as well as a four-port USB 2 hub, and you have a wonderful array of features. The stand is adjustable in every way imaginable, with a huge vertical range and the useful pivot ability.

But the most noticeable change over the 2405FPW is in the looks: with its silver back panel and attractive stand design, the 2407WFP has genuine style to match its features. Incredibly, it costs under £600. It will take something special to oust it from the A List.