Introduction
The S2409W from Dell is a new offering within the upcoming 24†fullHD Computer monitor segment. Among its significant features are the following:
Type of Panel: TN
Size: 24 Inches
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (i.e. fullHd – 1080p)
Connectivity: VGA, DVI, HDMI and Audio-In and Audio-Out
Price Paid: Rs. 18,500/-
Shipping time: 1 Month (While Dell promised me 8-9 days, they apparently had given me the sales pitch and processed the order and payment without verifying availability which led to the resultant delay. But I got some free stuff out of it. Read on.)
Construction Quality
As usual, Dell does not disappoint. The monitor is made of glossy black plastic, and it has rounded corners. There are no creaking parts, and all together it's been assembled well. The stand, while sturdy, doesn't not offer much in terms of pan/tilt/portrait mode and is quite basic.
The screen has a matt finish, which is just what I wanted. I can't stand LCDs with glossy finishes. Overall the screen is well constructed - no dead pixels or any kinks whatsoever.
[BREAK=Image Quality, Menu]
Image Quality
I use the monitor for a couple of things. Firstly general everyday computer usage (internet, msoffice etc.). Secondly, for movie viewing (HD and SD), and thirdly, for playing my ps3. For all three, I keep the resolution at the native resolution (1920 x 1080), and I am very very happy with the picture quality. I have no doubt there are monitors and HDTVs out there with better image quality, but this monitor being less than 19K is supremely VFM (value-for-money).
Keep in mind it's a TN monitor, so there is better stuff out there (though of course at a cost). The angles on this thing are not bad. Frankly, my viewing is limited to about 90 degrees, and within that I have no complaints.
Menu
The menu of the monitor is very easy to access, and extremely easy to use via the four buttons on the lower right side of the monitor. But after the initial tweaking of brightness, contrast and colour settings, you will rarely need to get into the menu. This is because the Dell has provided a shortcut for the one function you need the most – changing the input source. This can be achieved by tapping the last button which cycles you through 4 settings – Auto Detect, Analog Input, Digital Input, HDMI Input. This is a godsend for people like me who would want to switch between the ps3 and the PC again and again.
As for the general menu options, nothing groundbreaking here, just your general stuff:
[BREAK=Pictures]
Pictures
The Packaging - Monitor Box + Power Cable Box
The monitor is packed well in the box - There is very little chance of damage.
In-the-Box: Monitor, Stand, Power Cable, Software CD, DVI Cable, VGA Cable (not shown), Instructions - Nothing out of the ordinary, just the basic stuff.
The back of the monitor: Good construction
Here you can examine the relative sizes
From L-R: HP L1706 17" (5:4) LCD :::: Dell S2409W 24" (16:9) LCD :::: Panasonic 21" (4:3) CRT
Another shot of the back of the monitor (Excuse the clutter! :bleh: )
The stand is removable for a VESA complaint stand or wall mount - I plan on upgrading this in the future to something like the Ergotron flexible mounts so that I can move it around as well as put it in portrait mode, which the current stand cannot.
A close-up of the connections at the rear
From L-R: Audio In :::: Audio-Out :::: DVI :::: HDMI :::: D-SUB
(The power cable connects at the other side of the stand)
Hooray! TE in 24" Widescreen! Great Success, High-Five!
[BREAK=Free Stuff]
Free Stuff
As I mentioned, I got some free stuff from Dell by way of an apology for delaying my order by almost a month. Unfortunately, I really had to fight them on this order, and Dell could have made it a much more pleasant situation by just giving this stuff straight away. But all is well that ends well!
Dell BlueTooth Keyboard and Mouse:
Very cool. I have been using the BT Keyboard for a month now, and love it!! Very nice keys, and teh multimedia functions (volume, play-pause etc.) are very useful indeed! The mouse I am not using as I prefer my MX518
... Maybe I will sell it on TE.
Dell BH200 BlueTooth Headset
Awesome! I love this thing. The battery life is great. The sound quality is also quite satisfactory for most stuff - I usually use to watch movies at night. For music, it's a little iffy, as the bass isn't all that. Still it's better than any of the earphones/headphones you get with iPods, mp3 players etc. The handsfree option is also very good. Talking on my Nokia is very convenient and the sound quality is really good.
P.S.
Unfortunately, owing to a fall in the sand at the beach, I lost my camera. I could thus only include pictures I had already taken in this review. Maybe one day I might have a new camera, and I will then take pictures as per request.
[BREAK=Audio-Fading Problem, Verdict]
Audio-Fading Problem
Now we come to the only drawback of the monitor – the audio fading problem. Basically it happens when the monitor is in HDMI mode, and the audio is routed through the monitor (i.e. speakers/headphones connected to the Audio-Out port). If the audio channel is silent for a few seconds, the monitor seems to go into some sort of Audio-saver mode and cuts the sound altogether. Then when the sound starts, it takes the monitor a few seconds (about 10 seconds) to start outputting the audio again. This can be particularly annoying if you pause a game on the ps3, and then there’s no sound when you unpause it. While there is an Audio-Saver option in the menu, switching it off makes no difference. A quick perusal of Google shows that this problem is worldwide with this monitor, and as there isn’t an option of flashing the firmware of a monitor, the problem is here to stay. Whether this problem is a deal –breaker or not then depends upon you. If you don’t use the HDMI port, or use Optical-Out from your game console then this problem will not affect you.
For my own self I have two solutions:
Expensive solution: Buy a sound system with Optical-in and use that on the ps3.
Cheap Solution: Get a RCA to 3.5mm convertor and use the composite AV cables that came with the ps3 to output the sound directly to my speakers.
Verdict
At 18.5K, this monitor is a very good VFM way to get into 1080p gaming / movie viewing. At 24†the size is immense, and for the most part will give you a very good viewing experience even up to 15 feet. While I may not be a connoisseur of monitors, or someone who has bombed the monitor with different software tests, I can safely say that there are no significant problems when it comes to image quality. The monitor gives a good solid performance and is beautiful to look at. My next investment is going to be in a VESA stand (either desktop or wall mount) so that I can adjust the height of the monitor, as well as switch it between landscape and portrait mode. And a significant plus, a wall mount would help clear some much needed desk space, and reduce the clutter on my desk (which clearly I need serious help with! :bleh: )
If the audio-fading problem is not an issue for you, I wholeheartedly recommend this monitor.
The S2409W from Dell is a new offering within the upcoming 24†fullHD Computer monitor segment. Among its significant features are the following:
Type of Panel: TN
Size: 24 Inches
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (i.e. fullHd – 1080p)
Connectivity: VGA, DVI, HDMI and Audio-In and Audio-Out
Price Paid: Rs. 18,500/-
Shipping time: 1 Month (While Dell promised me 8-9 days, they apparently had given me the sales pitch and processed the order and payment without verifying availability which led to the resultant delay. But I got some free stuff out of it. Read on.)
Construction Quality
As usual, Dell does not disappoint. The monitor is made of glossy black plastic, and it has rounded corners. There are no creaking parts, and all together it's been assembled well. The stand, while sturdy, doesn't not offer much in terms of pan/tilt/portrait mode and is quite basic.
The screen has a matt finish, which is just what I wanted. I can't stand LCDs with glossy finishes. Overall the screen is well constructed - no dead pixels or any kinks whatsoever.
[BREAK=Image Quality, Menu]
Image Quality
I use the monitor for a couple of things. Firstly general everyday computer usage (internet, msoffice etc.). Secondly, for movie viewing (HD and SD), and thirdly, for playing my ps3. For all three, I keep the resolution at the native resolution (1920 x 1080), and I am very very happy with the picture quality. I have no doubt there are monitors and HDTVs out there with better image quality, but this monitor being less than 19K is supremely VFM (value-for-money).
Keep in mind it's a TN monitor, so there is better stuff out there (though of course at a cost). The angles on this thing are not bad. Frankly, my viewing is limited to about 90 degrees, and within that I have no complaints.
Menu
The menu of the monitor is very easy to access, and extremely easy to use via the four buttons on the lower right side of the monitor. But after the initial tweaking of brightness, contrast and colour settings, you will rarely need to get into the menu. This is because the Dell has provided a shortcut for the one function you need the most – changing the input source. This can be achieved by tapping the last button which cycles you through 4 settings – Auto Detect, Analog Input, Digital Input, HDMI Input. This is a godsend for people like me who would want to switch between the ps3 and the PC again and again.
As for the general menu options, nothing groundbreaking here, just your general stuff:
- Brightness/Contrast
- Input Select
- Color Settings
- Display Settings
- Audio Settings
- Other Settings
[BREAK=Pictures]
Pictures
The Packaging - Monitor Box + Power Cable Box
The monitor is packed well in the box - There is very little chance of damage.
In-the-Box: Monitor, Stand, Power Cable, Software CD, DVI Cable, VGA Cable (not shown), Instructions - Nothing out of the ordinary, just the basic stuff.
The back of the monitor: Good construction
Here you can examine the relative sizes
From L-R: HP L1706 17" (5:4) LCD :::: Dell S2409W 24" (16:9) LCD :::: Panasonic 21" (4:3) CRT
Another shot of the back of the monitor (Excuse the clutter! :bleh: )
The stand is removable for a VESA complaint stand or wall mount - I plan on upgrading this in the future to something like the Ergotron flexible mounts so that I can move it around as well as put it in portrait mode, which the current stand cannot.
A close-up of the connections at the rear
From L-R: Audio In :::: Audio-Out :::: DVI :::: HDMI :::: D-SUB
(The power cable connects at the other side of the stand)
Hooray! TE in 24" Widescreen! Great Success, High-Five!
[BREAK=Free Stuff]
Free Stuff
As I mentioned, I got some free stuff from Dell by way of an apology for delaying my order by almost a month. Unfortunately, I really had to fight them on this order, and Dell could have made it a much more pleasant situation by just giving this stuff straight away. But all is well that ends well!
Dell BlueTooth Keyboard and Mouse:
Very cool. I have been using the BT Keyboard for a month now, and love it!! Very nice keys, and teh multimedia functions (volume, play-pause etc.) are very useful indeed! The mouse I am not using as I prefer my MX518
... Maybe I will sell it on TE.
Dell BH200 BlueTooth Headset
Awesome! I love this thing. The battery life is great. The sound quality is also quite satisfactory for most stuff - I usually use to watch movies at night. For music, it's a little iffy, as the bass isn't all that. Still it's better than any of the earphones/headphones you get with iPods, mp3 players etc. The handsfree option is also very good. Talking on my Nokia is very convenient and the sound quality is really good.
P.S.
Unfortunately, owing to a fall in the sand at the beach, I lost my camera. I could thus only include pictures I had already taken in this review. Maybe one day I might have a new camera, and I will then take pictures as per request.
[BREAK=Audio-Fading Problem, Verdict]
Audio-Fading Problem
Now we come to the only drawback of the monitor – the audio fading problem. Basically it happens when the monitor is in HDMI mode, and the audio is routed through the monitor (i.e. speakers/headphones connected to the Audio-Out port). If the audio channel is silent for a few seconds, the monitor seems to go into some sort of Audio-saver mode and cuts the sound altogether. Then when the sound starts, it takes the monitor a few seconds (about 10 seconds) to start outputting the audio again. This can be particularly annoying if you pause a game on the ps3, and then there’s no sound when you unpause it. While there is an Audio-Saver option in the menu, switching it off makes no difference. A quick perusal of Google shows that this problem is worldwide with this monitor, and as there isn’t an option of flashing the firmware of a monitor, the problem is here to stay. Whether this problem is a deal –breaker or not then depends upon you. If you don’t use the HDMI port, or use Optical-Out from your game console then this problem will not affect you.
For my own self I have two solutions:
Expensive solution: Buy a sound system with Optical-in and use that on the ps3.
Cheap Solution: Get a RCA to 3.5mm convertor and use the composite AV cables that came with the ps3 to output the sound directly to my speakers.
Verdict
At 18.5K, this monitor is a very good VFM way to get into 1080p gaming / movie viewing. At 24†the size is immense, and for the most part will give you a very good viewing experience even up to 15 feet. While I may not be a connoisseur of monitors, or someone who has bombed the monitor with different software tests, I can safely say that there are no significant problems when it comes to image quality. The monitor gives a good solid performance and is beautiful to look at. My next investment is going to be in a VESA stand (either desktop or wall mount) so that I can adjust the height of the monitor, as well as switch it between landscape and portrait mode. And a significant plus, a wall mount would help clear some much needed desk space, and reduce the clutter on my desk (which clearly I need serious help with! :bleh: )
If the audio-fading problem is not an issue for you, I wholeheartedly recommend this monitor.
