Dell Announces 24-inch LCD, Fixes 20-inch Models
Dell today launched an updated version of its popular 24-inch widescreen LCD display. The new $949 model, called the 2407WFP, is officially shipping now (although Dell's Web site still shows the old 2405WFP).
The new LCD improves upon the specs of its predecessor, which broke new ground as the first 24-inch unit to hit the $1199 price point (now you can often find Dell discounting the unit as low as $760). The 2407WFP offers a 6-millisecond grey-to-grey response time (down from 16ms), and an integrated 9-in-2 card reader (improved from a 9-in-1).
The unit also includes a contrast ratio of 1000:1, Dell's latest full adjustable stand, four USB ports, and a long list of connectors including S-Video, composite, component, and DVI with HDCP.
Notably, the monitor uses the same image-processing chip as the previously released 20-inch 2007WFP, which has drawn criticism in Dell's own forums from owners complaining of banding issues.
A Dell spokesperson told PC World last week that the company was moving to correct the problem, but comments on my earlier blog posting pointed out that the executive's comments in regard to the fix itself weren't particularly accurate. Here's a portion of the latest posting about the issue on Dell's forums here:
Dell has a firmware update that adjusts the ACC (Adaptive Color and Contrast) & ACM (Active Color Management) features, eliminating the banding issue when using the Desktop mode. All of these monitors have three display modes: Desktop, Multimedia and Gaming. The firmware turns off Faroudja video processing in Desktop mode. It remains enabled in the other two modes. Essentially, the updated firmware allows users to choose whether they want the Faroudja video processing feature on or off.
The posting goes on to state that Dell's factories in China are working overtime to update the firmware of impacted monitors, and anyone who's experiencing the problem should contact the forum moderator for assistance.
The forum posting seems to indicate that the updated units are not yet in Dell's shipping hubs. However, a company spokesperson said today that all of the new 2007FPW and 2407FPW monitors currently shipping have the updated firmware.
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Sounds Dellicious.
Re: 20" Dell LCD Monitors + Dual Monitors
I have a couple of 20" Dell LCD Monitors. I am quite happy with them, but a few issues bother me, such as sometimes seeing large letters I cannot reduce. In any event, I do not know what is meant by "color banding", so I am unsure if this is a problem I experience. Is there now or will there be new Dell software that needs to be downloaded to deal with the problem?
In addition, I would like to connect dual monitors on my two (2) newer Dell computers. One has the dual device in it as it was ordered when the computer was purchased, but the other does not have the device. At the risk of appearing dumb, I will have to state that I read the Dell directions for installing dual monitors several times and I could not undertand them and gave up the effort to have dual monitors. Any help or suggestions. My extra monitors are all CRTs while my newer 20" monitors are LCDs. Thanks, WRT.
is the dell 2407 a worthwhile purchse for the novice?