So, Which is the Best 24 Inch Monitor Out There? - Updated 2/1/2010

The newest of the choices in this review of the best 24 inch monitors, the Samsung f2380 is a niche product meant for graphic designers, photo editing, AutoCAD work and web design. For professionals who do not have $1000 + to spend on a graphics monitor,

this graphics monitor offers excellent quality at a midlevel price, $320 at newegg.com.

It has 1980 x 1080 resolution, 8ms response time, and 178 degree viewing angles. It can tilt, swivel, pivot and adjust its height, so you can adjust it to the most productive position for your own needs. It looks quite attractive.

It has RGB VGA and DVI inputs, but no HDMI, no Speakers, and no TV tuner, for this monitor is aimed at the serious user.

The exceptional color quality comes from the new cPVA LCD technology, and uses fewer backlights at lower intensity, while giving you color and extremely accurate reproduction. You can read an in depth review of the Samsung f2380 monitor and a quick description of the cPVA technology, with a link to a much more technical paper on the topic.

It has EPEAT certification and 10% recycled material in the construction of the monitor, which with the lower power usage for the quality of the picture, makes it a contender for those concerned with green computing issues.

Users were very consistent in their appreciation of the color quality, although there were people who had some issues with black, and

response time. Since it is not meant for gaming, other users felt the criticism was unjustified. There is some further information on color settings from users in the review.

For those who don't need to split their needs between gaming utility and graphic use, this is likely to be a better choice than the HPw2408h reviewed below.

I did not find user complaints on the quality of the build, and no one mentioned dead pixels.

The 24" LG Flatron monitor is good looking in every sense, and it has a spec to match. It is reviewed thoroughly in this Bright Hub article (LG Flatron L245WP), but we will recap certain points in this comparison of the top five monitors, before we select the best.

The LG Flatron L245WP is a widescreen with 16:10 screen proportions, and has 1920 x 1200 resolution, 1000:1 contrast, 8 ms response time, and can swivel, tilt, pivot to portrait, and adjust its tilt smoothly. It is also Energy Star compliant. It has multiple input formats, and can be used as an HD TV as well as a monitor.

Its price has not dropped much. It has gotten mixed expert reviews, but actual users seem generally satisfied with its performance, except in the area of color brightness. Some users were also very vocal about their disappointment with color quality and brightness. Some complaints were fixed when put in sRGB mode, but other users still continued to have problems. There were some comments about input lag. Two users who were completely happy for six months then started having severe overheating problems. Crucially, nobody has complained about the monitor having dead pixel issues. Not as many online sellers seemed to carry this model, as opposed to other 24" monitors. A couple of users complained that the monitor was DOA, and decided to change brands rather than get a replacement.

Bright Hub has reviewed the HP w2408h in depth. For a quick review: It is a widescreen monitor with 1980 x 1200 screen resolution, 1000:1 contrast, 5 ms response, swivel, pivot, tilt and height adjustments, Multiple video input including HDMI, and 2 USB ports.

The monitor price has dropped, and can be found for as low as $360 USD. Expert reviews and user reviews rate the monitor very highly for a work monitor, with excellent performance in the areas of photo editing, Auto CAD programs and graphics. It also had some nice comments about its use in gaming.

It is not a monitor for shared viewing, as it has viewing angle problems from anywhere but working directly in front of the screen. Its speakers are adequate for warning you when you have email, but should not be expected to provide any degree of sound performance. It has not had a problem with dead pixels- but almost everyone notes that the glossy finish picks up fingerprints constantly. However, they also say it is quick to clean them off. A few users have complained about color calibration, but it is not a common complaint. The single worst problems users have had is with HP support- numerous people complained about the quality of the help they received on any issues. Luckily for HP, the monitor seems to work extremely well for most users right out of the box.