I'd go with the S2309W, it's cheap and has a high res. Plus it's stand isn't made of spit, prayers and plastic. Samsung stands are notoriously(or at least from my POV) cheap and garbage, well on their LCDs anyhow.
He doesn't have the money for an IPS panel, and based on what AllNight said, ANYTHING (with DVI) would be better than what he has. Maybe his next display he will go with IPS?! At leats he has well the knowledge on that technology and every new generation it gets better and better. You know what is funny... watching the video you presented at my work (TN panel), I see NO DIFFERENCE between all pictures ( the ones at the end of the video)... But at home on my U2410, I actually do. Seeing the above picture comparison at work, ignoring for a moment that.
On paper, the best compromise here appears to be the HPZR24W. With all these concerns about viewing angle a lower spec IPS would just render the argument pointless. It has negligible input lag (10ms average), and decent black levels. One other thing to consider is the issue of an un-calibrated wide gamut panel with non colour managed applications showing incorrect colours. The ZR24W isn't a wide gamut panel... it covers 97% of sRGB, so none of these problems will arise. As the OP isn't interested graphics, this would seem the ideal solution. It's also within his budget. Also... As I'm off to buy a new monitor today, I'll be going to scan.. while they don't sell the ZR24W, I'll be 15 minutes away from a colleague of mine who has one. I'll give it a good going over subjectively, and take a LaCie Blue Eye pro colorimeter to do a calibration report on it's default settings. So I'll report back here with some facts. Personally, my choices would be Dell SP2309 if he wants to spend as little as possible, or the HP ZR24W if he wants the best of everything. Both are within his budget. It's pretty much down to whether he is bothered about the viewing angle of a TN... or how hard core a gamer he is.
First of all thanks for the replies. I would like to point out that I'm a quite enthusiastic gamer. I'll be using the monitor quite alot. Then there's the possibility that I'll be playing a game online competitively. I would get freaked out by problems with the monitor (like imput lag, ghosting). You see I'm a quite careful buyer, so this decision is hard for me. I'm currently leaning towards a TN panel. Man, every monitor I'll buy will be a big big big improvement over my 15" laptop screen. And I think the uber colors on an IPS screen could be a waste on me. I've noticed in the store that the XL2370 (250-260 euro) was nice. The reviews also praise it. It's sucessor the PX2370 seems also quite nice. But it retails for 300 euro. I could get the HP ZR24w for 390 euro. The Samsung stands are quite wobbly (as Elton suggests). I noticed that too in the store and the reviews also point that out. For comparison, the Dell SP2309W is 230 euro. I wish I could measure the imput lag and/or ghosting on my current screen to compare it with reviews on my new potential screen. But that won't happen. I don't think I'll be bothered by the worse viewing angles of a TN panel. It's a monitor purely for gaming. Another point is, I don't have acces to a colorimeter and nor I'm a graphicophile. I'm not planning to buy or find/borrow a colorimeter. So currently I'm leaning towards a TN panel. And specificly: Dell SP2309W Samsung P2450h Samsung XL2370 or PX2370 Samsung 2343BW I'm going to find some reviews on the Dell. Other forum praises the Asus MS246H and an Acer G245HBMID. Edit: Here's a review on that forum about the PX2370. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1525694&highlight=px2370+review In that thread there's also his review on the Acer. Other threads in that forum seem to suggest that the PX2370 almost equals the XL2370. Other websites (like DigitalVersus, CNET and Prad somewhat less) praise the XL2370 too. CNET says the PX2370 tops the XL2370. CNET likes the Dell. But haven't found any professional measurements on the imput lag. http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitors/dell-sp2309w/4505-3174_7-33456038.html?tag=mncolBtm;rnav
Can you get hold of a Dell U2311H in your country? Seems like a good option to me - IPS, reasonably priced, good all rounder. I shall be splashing out on one soon.
There's also the NEC EA23WMI and the ZR22W for your IPS needs, but still the Dell is by far the best one, I'm just not a fan of Acer or Asus monitors due to the lack of stand ergonomics and Samsung since they're mostly run of the mill monitors with sticks for stands. Of course their Syncmaster Series is good, but I haven't seen any of those lately.
Well I was talking about the S-PVA Syncmaster ones. Apparently they've also used TN panels on some of them.
I was playing with the HP ZR24W today, and it's very nice! No noticeable ghosting or blur. Good black levels for a ISP panel. I checked the default settings and the delta E was an average of 5.4, which is pretty good for out of the box settings. Excellent value for money, and well worth considering.
Thanks for posting your experiences with the screen. I'm still very much in doubt. I'm leaning towards a TN screen though, more specific, the Samsung XL2370. Only downsides are the wobbly stand, the somewhat higher cost and the viewing angles. All of them are no deal breakers for me! Almost all reviews, both professional and owners' are positive.
I wouldn't get the XL2370. I just have a feeling that the S2309W is a bit better. Or just compromise and get the EA23WMi, I've seen it in person, it's not the best screen, but it isn't the worst, better than the XL2370 by a mile though.
Can't seem to find the NEC here in a webshop. Any reasons for recommending not to get the XL. Can't find any professional reviews on the SP2309W's imput lag..
I have just upgraded to two 2 Samsung P2350 23" and I'm well impressed full 1920 x 1080 res and looks brilliant
Perhaps the Samsung F2380 for a S-PVA and a compromise? It's not that expensive. The Dell 2209WA is still for sale, and it's a bit on the pricey side, but it's a damn good monitor for what you pay. 22" though.
Yes.. it's only down side. It all depends where you sit. If you have a window behind you, a shiny screen is a nightmare. If not, it's barely noticeable except on very dark game or DVD sequences.