HP W2408H 24-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor Reviews

• Perfect, now that I figured it out!

  
  By A3BEVRVOSWU11J on 2008-03-08
  I recently did some much needed upgrades for my home office and this by far my favorite. I first saw it in Best Buy, came home to check for online reviews and to see if I could find it cheaper...I did at Amazon!
  
  It's VERY easy to set up and is crystal clear. ( I mean, razor sharp -- no stretched or blurred look anywhere!) However, there was something not quite right with the colors (especially greens) that really bothered me. PLUS the HP "My Display" software that goes with it that contains all of the drivers etc, is not fully functional on non HP machines. (meaning no calibration was available for color or contrast beyond what's built into the monitor itself which was never enough to fix my problem) I was so frustrated and disappointed. (I had been warned of this on another site but thought I'd take a gamble) Well, after trying to hook it up via the HDMI (from VGA) cable that came with it to a new $150 video card -- the colors were still way off and now the screen was all jumpy from that stupid card...(that went right back!) Then, I noticed something when I right clicked on my desktop to adjust my display settings (in XP pro) there was a selection (that had been there all along...duh) that said NVIDIA Control Panel (my internal graphics card) and I was able to calibrate the colors and adjust everything else there and now everything's hunky dory! When it first boots up, the colors look a little neon-ish again but within seconds it goes to the profile I created from my graphics card software. I am sure many would have figured it out sooner than I did, I just wanted to prevent anyone else from beating their head against the wall for a week like I did if I could. (BTW, I have completely removed the video card that I bought and it's hooked up via VGA and it is still crisp and clear)
  
  **BTW, even though the My Display software is largely useless for me, I left it there. For some reason when I uninstalled it, the light that's under the transparent power button on the top of the monitor goes away. That was the only noticeable change after uninstalling it but it annoyed me, so I reinstalled it and it's back on and I just ignore the software**
  
  My husband and I publish a local magazine that is glossy and full color and I am able to do so much more with this monitor than I could before. I can view two (sometimes 3) projects side by side if need be...I love that! And typing an email in outlook looks like it's in about a 60 font! And programs like Illustrator where you need a lot of workspace it's invaluable. I never have to scroll around to grab or view something. My last monitor was a 19" Sony flat panel (that cost more than TWICE what this one did 4 years ago) and I thought it was just fine but once I plugged this lil beauty in I quickly passed it on to my son for his computer. I haven't needed to use the portrait position of the screen so I haven't even tried it. But it came that way when it arrived and was very easy to swivel back around.
  
  One bad thing...don't count on ditching your speakers for the ones that come with this one -- man do they stink! I swear my laptop has better speakers. But it's sort of like people griping that their cell phone camera doesn't take good enough pictures. If you want a good camera buy a camera! If you want a good monitor buy this one and just pretend the speakers aren't even there. The price is way worth it even without the speakers.
  
  

• Great to the amators eye

  
  By A3QJIBCDXJOWZC on 2008-03-16
  I got this monitor last week. It's a mix bag
  Pros:
  You a get a lot of value for your money...Full HD. Quality Stance that is manouvrable. Lots of cables including an HDMI cable. Nice brite screen. Nice angle of view.
  
  Cons
  Poor Black and Grey colors transition. Not for Photographers. I was very disapointed by this. In other words. Grey shadows will look Black red!!! you can not fix this....
  Average sound quality.
  The plus sign does not increase sound! you have to first push on minus bar then the plus one to increase sound.
  
  I decided to keep the monitor anyways
  
  

• Pleasantly Surprised

  
  By ARW1NFQIIN644 on 2008-05-19
  I work as a graphic designer and recently purchased two of these monitors for my Mac Pro at work. I was conflicted on whether to give these a try or buy the 24" Dell UltraSharp displays, since I had previous experience with that model. But after having some technical issues with the Dells, I thought I'd give HP a shot.
  
  When I first got the monitors, I had to use a DVI to VGA adapter while I waited for my DVI to HDMI adapters (about $15/piece) to arrive and during that time I was quite disappointed. The text was blurry and it had some significant ghosting issues where there would be a white "shadow" of every hard line displayed. I decided to wait until I got the HDMI adapter before I decided whether or not to return them.
  
  Once I received the DVI to HDMI adapters (DVI and HDMI are exactly the same technology, just different connectors) I was pleasantly surprised. Not only were all the ghosting and blur issues fixed, the display overall looked better than I ever anticipated. The specs may or may not be up to the UltraSharp line, but to my eye these monitors beat the UltraSharps hands down.
  
  One caveat is how the amazing picture is achieved. It seems the display may be over-saturating the colors. I've noticed significant saturation just in the OS X interface. For screen-to-print calibration, it's not the best choice, but as long as you keep in mind that what you're seeing on screen is much more colorful than what will print, you'll be fine. Despite the fact that it is a hyper-realistic image, it's worth the "wow" you'll say every time you boot up.
  
  Just make sure you keep it all digital. DVI to VGA looks HORRIBLE.
  
  

• All I Can Say is "WOW"

  
  By A39BXGAG7MVSG0 on 2008-03-10
  All I can say is "wow." This is the best monitor I have ever had. The picture is sharp and clear and the colors just jump out at you. I previously owned a Sony CRT monitor and a Viewsonic 22" LCD (which I still have.) I initially purchased the HP W1907 monitor with my new HP computer but found it to be too small. I returned the 19" and purchased the w2408h...and I could not be happier. It was easy to setup using the HDMI cable, which is included with the monitor. One concern I had was would this monitor fit on my computer desk...no problem at all. It actually fits better than the 22" Viewsonic as the stand allows for better placement. The menu allows enough adjustments to meet anyones needs. I can not comment on the speakers as I do not have them connected. In short, I would recommend this monitor.
  
  

• A great monitor--with calibration.

  
  By A28BX3MM90A6FI on 2008-07-09
  I'm a photojournalist and bought this monitor after my old 21" CRT died. I've been very pleased with the HP W2408H over the last couple of weeks, but it does need calibration. If you are a gamer or general user, you will love the brilliant picture straight out of the box. For photographers and editors, the colors are too bright and saturated, too "juicy" for critical use.
  
  I uninstalled the monitor's software, dragged out my venerable $100 Pantone ColorVision ColorPlus (the consumer colorimeter sensor for monitors) and it gave me a nice, clean image in minutes. A worthwhile investment for anyone.
  
  The monitor's wide-screen real estate makes editing hundreds of photos quite a bit easier than with the old square CRT. It also uses less power and produces less heat than a CRT, a nice plus these days. The image is smooth, even and neutral with calibration. Like any LCD, though, you do need to view the screen "on axis."
  
  Just to verify what others have said, the built-in speakers are total garbage: weak, tinny, and pointed out the rear so you cannot hear what little sound they do produce. You definitely need external speakers.
  
  With the exception of the crummy speakers and the iffy calibration software, the monitor is excellent. Five stars.
  
  
  
• great value for $450
  By A2KDOTUF8SY23S on 2008-07-03
  okay, those who do RAW images and are Photoshop snobs for perfect colors and hues, go spend some serious money (>$1K) on a professional, photo worthy monitor; those who want a great picture on a BIG screen for less than $500, then this one fits the bill.
  Background: I work in a large academic bioresearch lab with co-researchers coming in and out all day. When not stuck in a biocontainment hood or separating DNA or RNA from cells, I pretty much spend my work days in front of computers analyzing and graphing data, building plots, writing papers, checking emails, or loading my iPod. I decided to use only my new Thinkpad for all my work and get the desktop computer off my work area, but the 14inch screen just is too small for having lots of programs and figures and email, and plots up all at once. So I looked around, found this on Amazon (since I'm Amazon-prime... free shipping on a 24in monitor more than paid for the annual fees). Now I'm very happy, and co-workers are quite envious as they stare at their dim, puny 15" or 17" LCDs. THis display is nice and colors have good saturation, but most of all... lots of real estate to keep all my figures and plots on-screen. I'm sure an expert side-by-side comparison of this with a much more expensive monitor would show how the colors bleed in some text, but the black is very black, the colors are strong and bright, and for $450, I'm extremely pleased. The speakers of course are "tin"-ey sounding, but I didn't buy it to listen to music, I keep the volume down low on it, just enough to hear the "new email" bing-bong wave -- who needs Hi-Fi for that? And occasional You-Tube or news videos have crappy sound anyway. Set-up was simple and a no brainer -- plug-in, reset the resolution on video properties, you're done. If I'd wanted great sound, I'd have kept my big speakers (but they take up too much space). Don't buy this monitor if you also want a great sound from integrated speakers, as those two terms (great sound, integrated speakers), really don't go together in any setting (unless you're buying a home entertainment system for >$2K).
  All-in-all, I'm really am happy with the value here. 18 months ago, you couldn't touch a 24in monitor for less than a G, now under $500, that's deflation in a time of $4 gas. Plus at least HP is a US company (of course not made in US, but what consumer electronics are these days), so some $$ stay here in the US of A. Amazon prime, one-click buying, and free 2nd day delivery right to my desk made this as easy as it gets.
  
  Joel in Massachusetts
  
  
• Flawed eye candy
  By AC5E72ZT8VO5V on 2008-09-02
  When I first viewed this large screen monitor, I was totally amazed with the deep contrast and color saturation. The stars in my Hubble Orion nebula wallpaper sparkled almost like real stars. Nothing in real life creates the glowing colors and intense visual experience this monitor puts out. BUT, within about a minute of turning it on, as my amazement with the color saturation subsided, this monitor's serious problem with vertical viewing angle became apparent. While it is true that the monitor does quite well in the horizontal-you can move your head side-to-side and not notice any change in color or saturation-it is a very different story in the vertical. Move your head up and down even one inch and you see changes. Don't move it at all, and you will still seen conspicuous differences in the contrast and color saturation between the top and the bottom of the monitor. I have a solid color neutral gray field for a database layout that covered about half of the monitor. You would never have guessed that it was only one shade of gray. The problem is not near as apparent with whites, so if you look at large white backgrounds you might be happy with this monitor. Otherwise, you better save that box it came in and pay close attention to how it is folded up to get it back into the box. I traded up to the more expensive Samsung SyncMaster 245T, which costs 50% more, but has absolutely no issues in view angle in either horizontal or vertical and has more realistic look than the over-to-top colors and contrast of the HP W2408H. The SyncMaster has the coating that is present on better LCD monitors that helps reduce view angle issues and creates a matte finish. The HP lacks it, which is why it has a glossy finish. I'm very happy with the SyncMaster, but dream of a 24" monitor that has the HP's intense colors combined with the SyncMaster's freedom from view angle problems.
  
  
• Good screen, great base, great price
  By A23R9OGTQRYGHW on 2008-03-13
  I was looking at a similar spec NEC monitor (the ASLCD24WMCX-BK or similar) and then saw this one in person in a store.
  
  This monitor does not have quite the same specs as the NEC, especially where viewing angle comes into play (160degree vs 178degree) which comes into play with a monitor this large.
  
  But the base on this one has the NEC beat hands down. I will take the less than ideal viewing angle any day for a monitor that is this adjustable. The base is excellent.
  
  If you find you don't move your monitor or can handle a base with limited range of motion, maybe you should look elsewhere and get a monitor with better specs on viewing angle, etc, but otherwise this is a great choice.
  
  As with all monitors, the speakers are no good, but why would you think they would be?
  
  
• Problems with HDMI cable connection
  By A3K56E4QMDK7JU on 2008-06-16
  HP W2408H 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor
  
  Watch out if you are connecting this 24" monitor with a new Windows Vista computer. IF YOUR New COMPUTER DOES NOT HAVE A VGA PORT, you are screwed.
  
  My new HP COMPUTER center does not have a VGA port -- required for basic settings on the Monitor.
  The monitor only comes with VGA & HDMI cables. If you happily connect everything with the HDMI cable, you'll find out that the monitor display driver software (on the CD) will not install. Try this 6 times: only get error messages.
  
  You will need an adapter to get a VGA port on your computer, then use the VGA to VGA for setting up the Monitor. The picture quality is great afterwards.
  cosmo
  
  
• Great Screen
  By A366E44HZRTV8U on 2008-05-12
  I love this screen. Going to the 24 inch size was maybe a little bit more than I needed, a 22 inch would have been adequate, but I have no regrets whatsoever. Easy on the eyes plus I watch MLB.com baseball games on it and some TV so the size is just perfect. Color contrast is excellent as well.
  
  What I really like is the new e-mail reader on Vista being able to have my folders listed to the left of the screen and immediately right of that have a colum listing all the e-mails in my inbox and plenty of screen left to the right to display the actaul e-mail message itself. This way you have amuch better look at all the emails you have versus the little pane on top of the e-mail messages showing only a handful of messages.
  
  Plus the screen is so big that working with multiple windows open is a lot easier because you have enough room to see a lot more of all the window. Another plus I found is when reading my hometown newspaper online, it comes up as a PDF file and on other screens it was rather small and required enlargement with a lot of scrolling. With this screen I have no problems viewing the newspaper at all.
  
  I haven't used the rotating screen function, this screen is big enough to use in the landscape mode, plus it seems to be a littel awkward to rotate such a big screen.
  
  I did buy a small metal screen pad from Staples to lift it up a few inches and like that better, it just didn't raise up as high as I would like, I've found this to be true on all of the monitors out there so it's nothing specific for this model. Just a general ergonomic thing for me. Plus I like the little stand as it really doesn't take up any more space than the monitor then the speakers easily fit under the monitor and I have room to place the tape dispensor ect. underneath it, so it actually opens up more space on my desk.
  
  The monitor has built in speakers which can do in a bind but it's nothing you want to use for listening to any quality music with.
  
  I have noticed when viewing TV from my HP Pavilion that the screen is a little darker than it needs to be. Not sure if this is in the monitor or the computer and may easily be the computer as I can watch TV from the web with no problem but from the media center it's a lot darker than I want it to be. Also when watching TV you need to adjust the monitor to rotate about the y axis and be fairly close to perpendicular to your viewing angle or you get a variance in darkness as well. No problem with the adjustablity of the screen though.
  
  I use the adjustable brighness when doing computor work and it does a great job but with TV from the media center I have to manually turn the brightness all the way up. Again I have to check, this is probably something in the media center I need to adjust.
  
  One other minor issue I've run into is when using Quicken 2000, some of the smaller text just doesn't show up as well defined as it should be. I changed the size of the text in my registers and that solved the problem there but still text in the general Quiken system still has the problem. I may just need to go ahead and update my Quicken software to a newer version, just havn't found the need to just yet, it still does everything I want it to do.
  
  Bottom line is I haggled with saving the $100 and getting the 22 inch monitor but I'm very pleased with going ahead and getting this one. I have no regrets and would recommend you do the same, you'll be looking at it a lot the rest of you life so why not be easy on the eyes.
  
  Another big plus is amazon.com had the best price with no shipping and no tax you just could not beat the price. Only a little bit more than a remanufactured model from HP but with a full warranty.
  
  One more comment, I was very impressed with the packing. The way they wrapped it up was rather unique and no doubt very helpful in protecting it during shipping.
  
  
• widescreen monitor
  By A2TWECIRWG7JDC on 2008-04-09
  Monitor arrived to me without any troubles. It was easy to set up until speaker setup was started. I have had a difficult time setting the speakers but I think that it is finally correct. This monitor has wonderful color and is easy to read. I am happy with the monitor since the speakers are set up, if you are planning on getting a monitor this size I would recommend this one due to the clear picture that it has.
  
  
• Great for the money, but
  By A2VNCK7RNXI9RO on 2008-07-19
  Great value for the money, but I would look at competing products if you want this for a business/production environment.
  
  1- Off-axis viewing is not very good. Even if you are right in the center, both color cast and brightness throughout the screen are uneven.
  
  2- The mounting and pivot mechanics are marginal at best. You will have to tilt and finagle the monitor as you pivot if you don't want to bump the table/stand with the corner of the monitor. And, it is not exactly a fluid, quality movement. You won't want to do it throughout the day unless you buy a separate, wall-mount pivot.
  
  3- Make sure you buy a third-party cable unless you have an HDMI output on your video card (few computers do). Amazon sells a few. I hear the image is much better with a DVI-HDMI cable (or straight HDMI) ... but, I'm using VGA since my cable was back-ordered. :-)
  
  4- The piano black bezel may look good in the showroom, but it quickly gets fingerprinted-up. Felix Unger would probably wipe off the black by the third day of ownership.
  
  5- The speakers are so bad, I think they should have used the production $ to add a DVI connector and a matte finish.
  
  ALL THIS SAID, for a home user or cash-tight small business, it's a lot of screen for a very reasonable price - and the pivot is a great feature, especially if you do large spreadsheets.
  
  I'm a little concerned with how many 'refurbished' units are flooding E-Bay and Amazon ... we'll have to see about reliability. (I've never seen so many rebuilds of one brand or model.)
  
  
  
  
• Works on a Mac!
  By A1I7XKUQTFEP06 on 2008-05-20
  I'm a MAC user. Ok, so I can't afford the awesome Mac Monitors-Not many people can nowadays. So after days of research and review reading, I took the plunge and bought this HP monitor. As many Mac fanatics know, we have a strict alliance with the mighty Mac. This was a tough buy but I'm REALLY surprised and satisfied so far with the 24" Widescreen HP w2408h.
  I'm a graphic designer so a monitor is MUCHO IMPORTANTE to me!
  So far no glitches or complaints. The speakers do suck so I suggest you invest in a pair. Other than that, I'm a happy guy...
  I highly recommend this puppy!
  
  I'm looking for a great 4-in-1 printer now. Any suggestions from my fellow designers?
  
  
• Great monitor for general use
  By A3EE991K0418WV on 2008-07-12
  Pros:
  Size
  Ambient light sensor
  Glare (lack of it)
  Adjustable stand
  Stability
  Cord management
  
  Cons:
  hp driver update
  Color w/photoshop
  heat
  
  I bought this monitor to complement a new hp computer (m9252p) after hanging on to my previous one for 8 years. My old computer had a 17" CRT monitor, so to say this was a step up is quite the understatement. I was pleased that right out of the box the monitor worked with both hdmi and vga connections with no configuration required. Let me say that while I'm fairly capable with computers, I'm certainly no monitor expert. My purchase of this particular monitor was based mainly on the ratings from other customers and a few of the features this model offers. First of all, I liked the fact that the monitor had built in speakers. I have since purchased a decent 2.1 system, but I could see how the monitor speakers could be useful in a work environment where only low volume levels are required. For the home though, I think they're fairly useless for most applications. Another reason I chose this model was for the stability of the monitor stand. Having two cats in the house that jump around a lot, I was concerned that a flat panel monitor would be likely to easily tip over. That's not a concern with this monitor. It's also possible to mount the monitor on a wall. The stand has a pretty good range of height adjustability, which I find nice when working long hours. My old CRT monitor was prone to glare issues which I haven't seen with this monitor, even though they were in the same location. A concern that I had was with the size of this monitor. My initial thought was to buy a 22" model, but I talked myself into this one even though I am seated only about 2.5 feet from it in my workspace. I have had no problems with eye fatigue at this proximity. Part of the reason that I haven't had problems is from hp's Ambient light sensor, which adjusts the brightness of the screen in relation to the lighting conditions of the room. This is my favorite feature of the monitor, although I wasn't aware of it prior to purchase. I also like the fact that the stand has cord management built into it. With vga, hdmi, power, usb, and audio cords attached, this comes in very handy. Oh yeah, the built in usb ports are very nice as well.
  
  While I am very pleased with my selection of this monitor, I have found a few negative/unresolved issues. Some of these may be worked out either by myself or hp in the future. One issue is with the color. While the screen looks amazing, when using Photoshop to create prints (from Wal-Mart's photo shop) my on-screen images look much brighter than the photos that were produced. This could be an issue with the monitor, my minimal experience with monitor adjustment, or Wal-Mart's photo processing. However, it is an issue. Another issue is that MS Vista keeps finding a new driver for this monitor which it then can't install. After a little online research, I found that this is a common issue. Hopefully, this one will be resolved by hp in the future. The biggest surprise that I had, perhaps from my inexperience with LCD screens, was that this monitor puts off a lot of heat. It's not "hot" to touch by any means, but seems to radiate quite a bit of heat. Finally, the included hp software "My Display" seems somewhat useless to configure the monitor, but perhaps I'll find it more useful in the future with a little more time spent on it.
  
  
  There are some other features of this monitor. Mainly, the one that allows the monitor to be rotated 90 degrees. I can't think of a use for this, but it's an interesting aspect. Someday, I'll hook up a ps3 to the monitor and see how that works out. I can't really say how this would work out as a gaming monitor as I am completely unfamiliar with those aspects of computing. For general office suite use, online use, and even photo hobbyists, I wholeheartedly recommend this monitor.
  
  
• Outstanding Colors, Great Modern Sleek Looks
  By A3QQGPI3CTV9SX on 2008-07-21
  I have had this monitor since Christmas and to me it just so vibrant in the colors and clarity.
  
  I matched my 24" inch monitor with an HP Elite 9000's desktop and they were married flawlessly. Each complemented the other as would be expected being they are often sold together. The monitor can be moved up and down to position as you like and can be turned sideways to provide protrait view if desired. It has full resolution providing more real estate and pixels to give you awesome detail and colors.
  
  I have no blur, no burns no issues with viewing angles. My computer is positioned near a window that gets bright afternoon sun. Definitely some glare as the monitor itself is a very glossy shiney black border around the screen that also attracts fingerprints as well, but easy to clean too. Simply putting the window shade down made it much better but even with it up as long as you are in front of it you'll see the screen very well.
  
  It has a 1000:1 contrast ratio which is superb for a monitor, however, I now see 3000:1 monitors in some stores but at double the price in many cases and they are geared to being a primary or secondary HDTV for many.
  
  This for me is only for my desktop and for me to do graphics work and just do tons of photo edits, viewing and the ability to do side by side work on photos and documentation.
  
  This monitor can be seen at most retailers, so go to the store and watch it along with the other 2 dozen 24" monitiors to compare to what you like best. I think everyone has a little bit different colors likes and dislikes. Remember this monitor has allot of calibration that can be done to change the colors, resolution to your specific liking.
  
  
• An excellent monitor for its price
  By AVD8GW01BUAEE on 2008-10-02
  I bought this monitor about two months ago and could not be more pleased with its quality and screen size. Actually, I bought it after reading the user reviews on Amazon. I was nervous at first as I was migrating from a 19" Sony crt which weighed about seventy pounds, and it was time to buy an LCD.
  
  I initially looked at Dell and their new monitors, but due to the cost factor and user reviews, I ended up buying this HP. I couldn't believe how well this thing was wrapped and boxed. There were no "dead pixels" and I'm using the standard resolution from the factory.
  
  Also, since I built a new computer from scratch, my graphics card GeForce 9800 GTX, came with the adapter for DVI to HDMI, so it was not an issue. Also, this monitor comes with a standard VGA cord, but to get the correct clarity you'll need the DVI to HDMI adapter.
  
  I use AutoCAD and Chief Architect software as I design custom homes, so I was looking for a monitor that had extremely tight text and graphics quality. This monitor has not let me down.
  
  Take a look at other monitors like Samsung, Dell, and others and read user reviews before making the decision to buy. It's one of the most important decisions you'll make besides having a fast PC or Mac. Also see one of these monitors on display at Best Buy or other stores and judge for yourself. I couldn't be more happy with buying this excellent monitor. I works fabulous with pictures and Photoshop. I'm not a graphics designer so I can't speak for color correctness.
  
  There are other monitors that are three to five times more costly, but for the money, this HP 2408H will be very hard to beat.
  
  
• Great monitor
  By A31U765C92562D on 2008-05-29
  I bought an Acer 24" first, but it looked fuzzy on anything but "native" resolution, which made type too small. With trepidation, I turned it back in for this one, and have been extremely happy. Very flexible in terms of setup for different resolutions, very sharp in most of them. Color tuning not tough. Don't discount the flexibility of the stand, also. Height can be adjusted all over the place, as well as tilt, and the screen can even be rotated to portrait. The width of the screen makes portrait orientation look about a yard high, but hey..
  Anyway, overall, a good looking display.
  
  
• artitst's point of view
  By AUGMSDS4UZZY5 on 2008-06-18
  Ok, I was kind of hesitant on getting a 24 inch screen but my husband bought if for me for mothers day/birthday. When I got it, I was really suprised with the clarity and display options available. The best thing that I noticed before I told my husband about was the fact that it swiveled 90 degrees! That is the most versitile thing that this does! I love it!! It did come with a program that changes the picture when you swivel it, so overall it was a great buy...though I thought it was kinda expensive but I'm spoiled anyway :P
  
  
• Monitor not compatible with MS DOS
  By A1ZA6NROGYEISM on 2008-06-23
  This monitor goes to sleep and won't wake up about half the time when I go into DOS to use a frequently accessed program. I have to close everything I'm working on in order to not lose anything each time I go into DOS.
  
  Sometimes I can get the screen to wake up by typing everything necessary to exit DOS, but this is hard to do with a completely black screen. Other times I have to shut the computer down and restart.
  
  I have not bothered to call HP about this because when I first got the monitor I called them with a question about how you switch from VGA to DVI and I got a girl in the Phillipines who could barely understand English, and she did not even know what VGA and DVI were. She kept me on the phone for an hour and would not let me talk to her supervisor. She had me doing all kinds of stuff and would not say what she was up to, finally after an hour I realized she wanted me to read the manual that came on a disc. I could have done that in 2 minutes without any help from her. The manual of course does not tell you how to switch between VGA and DVI, if it did, I would not have called HP in the first place.
  
  I gave up on HP support with a headache from trying to understand her English. It turned out that HP's cable was not compatible with the video port on my Dell computer. I had to get an adapter to put between the two.
  
  
• Mine died one year and 18 days after I bought it and HP service is horrible
  By A2TBFPT7EQC787 on 2008-11-20
  Mine died one year and 18 days after I bought it. Since HP only warranties their monitors for one year I'm out of luck unless I want to pay HP $374.99 to fix it. No thank you!
  
  I bought the 25 inch Samsung to replace it and so far so good. I've had a 19 inch Samsung lcd for about 4 years with no problems so I'm going to stick with Samsung monitors from now on. Samsung's warranty is three years by the way.
  
  The articulating arm on the HP is a nice feature but useless when the monitor won't power on.
  
  
• Next Generation Monitor
  By A1S462NNSFR5F9 on 2008-04-27
  Great monitor,but how do you hook it up to the HDMI, oh well you can't have everything. Great picture, and by far the best monitor that I have ever had.
  
  
• Beautiful display with bright vivid colors.
  By A3AWSD2KF5XGZ0 on 2008-08-17
  I bought my new HP desktop with Blu ray player and needed a large size monitor to display the high definition DVDs. This screen really is a good high definition display, and also a great monitor, you can have several display pages showing at once. When I first set it up I found it was too bright but quickly learned I could adjust the brightness, contrast, colors and other display factors either with the computer or with the monitor itself. Has a good viewing angle for an LCD, it looks clear and bright even when you are viewing fom an angle.
  
  It has a fairly small desk footprint and is adjustable up/down, left/right, and angle. It is hard to imagine na better monitor.
  
  
• Beautiful color and Quality
  By A25CX0YBGXJGWN on 2008-08-22
  I just purchased this monitor from Best Buy and it looks fantastic! This HP monitor has a resolution of 1920-1200. It looks really big once it is placed in the computer table and it has a HDMI connection. It also comes with two USB port connection. I know the HP monitor is a little expensive, but you will love it. Anyone interested in buying a computer monitor, should definitely buy this.
  
  
• Very Pleased
  By A1TRUB28VZAUSN on 2008-09-10
  Very pleased with the monitor, the time it took to arrive, and the c
  ondition. Excellent purchase.
  
  
• HP monitors
  By A3LLQ3UD39LSMV on 2008-10-15
  The HP w2408h is definitely the best monitor I have ever had, and at a wonderful price.
  
  
• GORGEOUS monitor; so easy to set up, even I could do it.
  By A3NDUBKYPI47N2 on 2008-10-27
  We have no tv in our home (DH and I are too addicted to it) so we had been playing videos off our laptops for our 1 year old daughter who wanted to see the occasional Sesame Street video or for ourselves when we got something from Netflix. After awhile, it got tiring so we decided to invest in a monitor.
  
  The HP W2208 W2208H had so many rave reviews as did the W2408 that we figured it was a safe buy. We shopped around the stores (Circuit City, Best Buy) and saw that Amazon by far had the best price (we got it at $450 in March '08) and best return policy...just in case. The monitor arrived in its product packaging and was left out in our apartment lobby by UPS (thank goodness no one stole it even though everyone could see what it was). There was no need to fret. The monitor was every bit as beautiful as we saw in the store. And the speaks work perfectly fine. It's not exactly home theater surround sound, but the sound is every bit as loud as the conventional TVs I grew up with in the 90s. The size is perfect for us, without overpowering the room, but large enough for us to sit on the couch 15 feet away and watch a video in the evenings. We hook it up to our ipod docking speakers for enhanced sound when we want to do movie night with a few friends, but it really isn't necessary to get speakers unless you've got a lot of ambient sound or you really want home theater sound.
  
  Figuring out the dual monitor settings on my Dell Laptop and on my husband's MacBook was a little tricky, but we figured it out eventually. We had to buy an HDMI to DVI cable for $[...] though http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007MWE1E (waaaaay cheaper on Amazon than you'll find at Circuit City or Best Buy).
  
  The monitor moves smoothly up and down so that at its lowest level, it is 16 inches tall, but 19 inches tall at its highest level. It does not swivel from left to right, so you need to twist the entire base of the monitor in order to turn it. But it's no biggie for us.
  
  The picture quality is great and we were so glad that we got it from Amazon. Highly recommend it!
  
  
  
  
• Good Monitor - But Horrible Support
  By AURO3K8VHLIVX on 2008-10-30
  I purchased the HP w2408h Monitor more on a whim than out of necessity. While the video quality of the monitor is good (above average even), there are items that make it a less attractive monitor as compared to others of its kind on the market.
  
  1) While some advertised photographs of the monitor clearly show a DVI input - there is none. Nor are other standard ports like S-Video or Coax available. You will need to be prepared to use a standard VGA port or HDMI.
  
  2) HP would have done well to include a DVI to HDMI adapter cable in the box. However, they did not.
  
  3) The speakers installed are a joke. As indicated on other reviews of this monitor, be prepared to either live with subpar sound or install a set of speakers separate from the imbedded speakers on the monitor.
  
  4) If, for any reason, you require support on the monitor, good luck! While the video on my monitor worked out of the box, the integrated USB ports did not. The monitor is "plug-and-play" and as such, my Windows Vista Ultimate loaded up drivers for the monitor after booting up for the first time.
  
  After installing the monitor, I ran the setup software included on the CD included in the box. The installation of this software from the CD failed repeatedly on my Vista PC. There are, however, technotes available on HP's website dealing with this issue. I followed these technotes with no success whatsoever.... so I decided to call HP's tech support number. The automated attendant system HP uses has NO item covering monitors - apparently, you have to use the "Desktop" key word. Who knew?
  
  Once connected to a live person, it took me a full 30 minutes to get the technician to focus on my problem (the USB ports not working). Instead, he insisted on following his "script" which include a request to unplug the monitor from my UPS and plug it into a wall outlet instead. He also insisted that I should update the BIOS on my DELL PC! Not once did he ask what operating system I was running, what drivers (if any) were loaded, etc., etc. After many requests, he finally agreed to transfer me to a more knowledgeable technical queue... at which point (96 minutes later) we were disconnected.
  
  I was able to solve the USB problem on my own. However, still facing the problem of not getting drivers to load properly on Vista, the next day I called HP Tech Support again. This call got me to a different technician that was equally unprepared to assist me. She clearly did not understand the word "driver" and again insisted on following her script. Having had enough, I demanded the call be escalated to the appropriate person with the appropriate technical skills to assist me.
  
  I was placed on hold for another five minutes and, again, my call was disconnected.
  
  Summary - If I were to give a grade on this purchase I'd give the monitor a B+, but technical support gets an F-.
  
  *********************************
  
  Follow-up
  
  A few folks have asked how I resolved the USB problem. To do so, I just uninstalled the monitor from Device Manager, unplugged the USB connection, rebooted. When the PC was completely back up, I plugged the USB back in. Vista then saw the new USB hub device and installed drivers for it.
  
  I also figured out the problem with the device drivers not loading. I am connecting the monitor to my PC via a DVI to HDMI converter cable. Because the connection is not truly HDMI, the drivers will not load. I tested this by connecting the monitor via the VGA port. The drivers installed perfectly without errors. Of course, when I switch back to the HDMI connection, it is no longer recognized.
  
  It's sad that HP doesn't already have these issues documented.
  
  
• Awesome Resolution!
  By A34DNXK8IN9YXD on 2008-11-17
  I have minor vision problems, so I usually have to reduce the resolution on the displays I use so that objects and text appear larger. When I installed this monitor, it defaulted to its highest possible resolution (meaning objects and text appeared small). Initially I assumed that I would have to adjust down the resolution, but quickly found that images and text were so incredibly clear that I could actually see them just fine at the highest resolution setting!
  
  I had no idea how poor the quality was on my old Gateway 24" flat panel until it died without warning (just after the warranty expired, of course) and I replaced it with this awesome unit.
  
  
  
• HP Monitor
  By A2XF1UI5MAVK3O on 2008-07-29
  I like the monitor it works well. The one thing I do not like about it is the color of icons are real bright. I love the widescreen which size was the same as my old 19 inch standard monitor and the depth which is a lot less. I am running this on a Dual Screen system on XP professional. I use for my Playstation 3 and my computer system. Adjustment controls are very easy to use and allow a VGA input as well as a HDMI input in which you can switch between the two if you like.
  
  
• I bought two. I like them very much.
  By A3UIXLKXRV86YO on 2008-09-19
  I bought two. I like them very much. Had to go out and buy HDMI cables. The colors are very vivid but I'm mostly doing programming and database development so it is mostly the available real-estate that I love. The glossy screen means I'm often seeing reflections of things behind me, a minor negative. I think they are a great value. Decided to go this way rather than add a 30" display to the 21" I already had on my Mac Quad. I would recommend them.
  
  

• 3-Year Extended Service Plan - Covers Electronic Items $201-$500 - Repair
• Western Digital 500 GB My Book Essential 2.0 - USB 2.0 External Hard Drive WDH1U5000N
• ColorVision S3P100 Spyder3 pro
• Western Digital My Passport Essential 320 GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive WDME3200TN (Midnight Black)
• Spyder 3 Elite

• Cables Unlimited PCM-2296-06 HDMI to DVI D Single Link Cable (6 Feet, Black)
• HP Pavilion Elite M9260F Desktop PC (2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 1 TB Hard Drive, Blu Ray Drive, Vista Premium)
• HP W2207H 22-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor
• Cables To Go - 40315 - 2M (6.5ft) Velocity HDMI Digital Video Cable (Blue)
• Transcend 16GB SDHC CARD (SD 2.0 SPD CLASS 6) with Compact Card Reader