Just spotted a pretty nice deal over at the Dell website, while I was researching for an article.
Its S2409W 24-inch monitor is going for a nice S$489, making it an attractive deal compared to most other makes out in the market (typically going for S$500 or more).
Note though that, unlike most 24-inchers out there which offer 1920 x 1200, with an aspect ratio of 16:10, this Dell screen sports a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (”Full HD” or 1080p), with an aspect ratio of 16:9.
What’s the diff? It’s actually less pixels for computers users, so it appears to be a worse deal. But for guys playing Blu-ray stuff and watching HDTV broadcasts, 16:9 is the more commonly supported format for their content.
This “wider” screen may make the black bars in DVDs appear smaller at the top and bottom. So it does seem better for movies and TV.
But beware, unlike the “seamless” viewing promised by Dell, it won’t quite be the same experience every time because you can’t cater fully to the different formats that Hollywood shoots its movies in, say 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 (yeah, I know, stupid Hollywood “artists”).
The new 16:9 Dell screen is still a nice try at convergence though. I’m just worried that, as a Dell 2407WFP (16:9) user, PC games will start coming only in 16:9 format and force me to stretch my picture on-screen.
Said,
My colleague bought a monitor also and commented that the prices have been brought down a substantial amount from its original price.