Indybird
01-28-2008, 12:34 AM
I got the Gateway FHD2400 4 days ago, heres another TBCS-Exclusive Indybird Review:
Gateway FHD2400 24" LCD Monitor Review
Purchase:
I purchased it from Circuit City (Store) for $499.99 on sale.
Here (http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/Search.do?c=1&searchType=user&keyword=fhd2400&searchSection=All&go.x=0&go.y=0) it is on their site.
Specs:
-24" Screen Size
-160° (Horizontal/Vertical) Viewing Angle
-16.7 Million Colors
-400 cd/m2 Brightness
-1000:1 Contrast Ratio
-92% Color Gamut
-3ms Response Time w/ "Ultra Response" and 5ms w/o*
-Glossy Screen Coating
-60KHz Refresh Rate
-Connections: DVI, HDMI, VGA, Component, S-Video, Composite
-4 Port USB Hub
-150W Power Usage
-Stand Adjusts Height, Tilt and Rotation (Portrait/Landscape)
-Supports HDCP
-Supports Picture-in-Picture
-Touch Panel OSD
Unpacking:
The FHD2400 comes in the classic cow-pattern Gateway box.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/6c269917.jpg
The box doesn't say too much other than the basic specs, but it doesn't really need to since, by the time you've gotten the box, you've already researched the monitor (at least you should've). Since I'm buying it retail I expected the box to be physically in good condition and it was.
The first thing you seen when you open up the box is the quick install guide. For the sake of this review I read this to see how easy to read it was (I would've thrown this aside otherwise).
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/309a96fa.jpg
It has everything someone (with or without computer knowledge) would need to setup this monitor. I always thought it was a good idea to have a quick start guide on top of everything, and I'm glad Gateway chose to include one.
Next, you'll find the monitor and stand encased in plastic-bags and foam. Everything here is very well protected and I am willing to bet would not be damaged even in a very rough shipping.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/19b35046.jpg
Contents:
The FHD-2400 comes with the monitor (of course), stand, DVI Cable, VGA Cable, Power Cable, USB "B" Cable, Manual, EzTune Software and stand screws.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/86bc6ce4.jpg
In addition, this monitor comes with a theft-protection plan (in addition to the standard Kensington universal lock). This packet includes a sticker to put on your monitor that says "This display is protected by Gateway Shield Anti-Theft Software". I'm not so sure if a thief will even see that while stealing this, but more on all of that later.
The Monitor:
The FHD2400 is definitely one of the most visually appealing monitors I've ever seen. Though it doesn't look like a fancy, designer style monitor, it is still very attractive and matched my Black, Silver and Blue (Lights) setup.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/9f2303c4.jpg
The bezel of the monitor is glossy black with a brushed silver lower-portion. The screen itself is glossy and when combined with the glossy bezel, creates a very sharp look to the monitor.
The stand is also silver and is made out of very sturdy metal. In the arm has a much-welcomed cable-routing hole to keep the back nice and clean. The stand can adjust height, swivel and tilt. The height can be adjusted from 2" off the table to 7.25" off the table, and the movement is very fluid. The only problem with the height adjustment I had was that when you pick up the monitor, the strong spring causes the stand to extend itself, which can become very annoying. The swivel allows you to view the monitor in portrait mode. This also works very well, except when swiveled to portait it is not perfectly vertical, it is off by a little bit.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/82e14b24.jpg
Lastly the tilt is very simple and fluid. It tilts from approximately 92° (90° is when monitor perfectly vertical) to 80°, which is more than enough. It can also be mentioned that Gateway has also implemented a means of rotation. They put small wheels in place of feet near the front of the stand, so that the monitor can be rotated with ease. However, I found this feature to be extremely annoying because the monitor would slip every time I adjusted it. Luckily, these wheels are removable, and I definitely chose this option.
Next up are the inputs. The FHD2400s lineup of inputs is definitely the most impressive I've ever seen in a monitor. You get an HDMI port, DVI, VGA, Component, Composite and S-Video.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/babf6003.jpg
The HDMI and DVI are both HDCP compliant. You can hook just about everything up to this. I currently have my computer hooked up through DVI. In the future, however, I will be getting a cable box and Xbox 360. It will be nice to know that I will have plenty of inputs for these. In addition to having a multitude of inputs, you can even do Picture-in-Picture across two of them at a time! I've seen picture-in-picture in only a few monitors, and it is definitely welcome here. Though I wasn't able to test it out yet I can tell you its features. You can change the location of the PIP, change it's transparency, change its source, position, size and PIP picture settings. There are also some more PIP features added with the installation of the software but more on that later. There is also a 4-port USB hub built-in. The USB upstream and 2 of the 4 downstream port(s) are in the back, with the other two downstream on the side. I actually didn't ever think I'd use a USB hub on the monitor, but I've found it to be a lot more convenient than the front USB on my computer case.
Lastly, the Power Light/Button and Menu Light/Button can be seen on the right side of the monitor. I say "Light/Button" because they are both back-lit touch-sensitive buttons. The lights are unobtrusive, and can even be set to more dim levels through the OSD. Both lights are blue when the monitor is on w/ a signal, Power is blue and menu is orange when it is on w/ no signal and only the power light is on and is purple when the monitor is off/in standby.
Picture Quality
But of course you don't buy a monitor for its physical looks and technical specs, you buy it for how good it's picture actually looks. This monitor definitely delivers in this area and will not leave you disappointed. Lets get started with the colors.
I am going to have to say that the 92% color gamut (advertised) looks just about amazing. The colors are vibrant and life-like, and never over-saturated. If there is one point on this monitor that I could 110% guarantee, it is the color. Your photos, videos, and games will look so much better with color like this. Seeing a grove of trees in Oblivion or Crysis actually looks more realistic thanks the the incredible color reproduction of this monitor.
Next up is the brightness and contrast. When I first took this monitor out of the box and hooked it up, I was a little disappointed here. The brightness seemed decent but the contrast was lacking. However, with a little bit of tweaking in the OSD I got this monitor's brightness and contrast on-par with the color. Blacks are blacks and whites are whites. At my settings, the contrast does not wash anything out, and keeps the blacks very dark. I actually have the brightness set to 100%, which I've never been able to do on a LCD without making the picture look bad. Its almost a strain on your eyes, but I kinda enjoy it. This is where I really run in to the picture's only physical flaw: the backlighting. Though it is very even in the middle, there is some backlight bleed on the right and left.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/4afad3f0.jpg
Thanks to my last monitor, I am used to this and it doesn't bother me too much, but it is still an annoyance none-the-less. Luckily that was the only physical flaw with picture; this monitor came with no dead/stuck pixels or visual "dents".
EDIT: See Update #2 below for revisions on the backlight bleeding problem.
Next is the sharpness of the screen. Once again, this monitor delivers, and strongly at that. Be it HD Movies, pictures or games, everything is razor sharp and extremely clear. My high-res car pictures can really show off their details thanks to the clarity of this screen.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/da2a3440.jpg
There is only one quirk; text doesn't look as good as everything else. I immediately noticed this when I went onto a website. By any means, its not bad, its just not as nice as previous monitors that I've used. Also, this monitor upconverts lower resolutions absolutely beautifully (apparently thanks to the "DCDi Chip by Faroudja"). I lowered the screen to both 720 and 480 HD. At 720 I almost confused it with 1080, and even at 480 I was still impressed.
During this testing I've used my Computer and my friend's Xbox 360 (through VGA). Both looked exactly the same, so all of the comments above seem to apply to all of the HD inputs.
Gateway FHD2400 24" LCD Monitor Review
Purchase:
I purchased it from Circuit City (Store) for $499.99 on sale.
Here (http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/Search.do?c=1&searchType=user&keyword=fhd2400&searchSection=All&go.x=0&go.y=0) it is on their site.
Specs:
-24" Screen Size
-160° (Horizontal/Vertical) Viewing Angle
-16.7 Million Colors
-400 cd/m2 Brightness
-1000:1 Contrast Ratio
-92% Color Gamut
-3ms Response Time w/ "Ultra Response" and 5ms w/o*
-Glossy Screen Coating
-60KHz Refresh Rate
-Connections: DVI, HDMI, VGA, Component, S-Video, Composite
-4 Port USB Hub
-150W Power Usage
-Stand Adjusts Height, Tilt and Rotation (Portrait/Landscape)
-Supports HDCP
-Supports Picture-in-Picture
-Touch Panel OSD
Unpacking:
The FHD2400 comes in the classic cow-pattern Gateway box.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/6c269917.jpg
The box doesn't say too much other than the basic specs, but it doesn't really need to since, by the time you've gotten the box, you've already researched the monitor (at least you should've). Since I'm buying it retail I expected the box to be physically in good condition and it was.
The first thing you seen when you open up the box is the quick install guide. For the sake of this review I read this to see how easy to read it was (I would've thrown this aside otherwise).
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/309a96fa.jpg
It has everything someone (with or without computer knowledge) would need to setup this monitor. I always thought it was a good idea to have a quick start guide on top of everything, and I'm glad Gateway chose to include one.
Next, you'll find the monitor and stand encased in plastic-bags and foam. Everything here is very well protected and I am willing to bet would not be damaged even in a very rough shipping.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/19b35046.jpg
Contents:
The FHD-2400 comes with the monitor (of course), stand, DVI Cable, VGA Cable, Power Cable, USB "B" Cable, Manual, EzTune Software and stand screws.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/86bc6ce4.jpg
In addition, this monitor comes with a theft-protection plan (in addition to the standard Kensington universal lock). This packet includes a sticker to put on your monitor that says "This display is protected by Gateway Shield Anti-Theft Software". I'm not so sure if a thief will even see that while stealing this, but more on all of that later.
The Monitor:
The FHD2400 is definitely one of the most visually appealing monitors I've ever seen. Though it doesn't look like a fancy, designer style monitor, it is still very attractive and matched my Black, Silver and Blue (Lights) setup.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/9f2303c4.jpg
The bezel of the monitor is glossy black with a brushed silver lower-portion. The screen itself is glossy and when combined with the glossy bezel, creates a very sharp look to the monitor.
The stand is also silver and is made out of very sturdy metal. In the arm has a much-welcomed cable-routing hole to keep the back nice and clean. The stand can adjust height, swivel and tilt. The height can be adjusted from 2" off the table to 7.25" off the table, and the movement is very fluid. The only problem with the height adjustment I had was that when you pick up the monitor, the strong spring causes the stand to extend itself, which can become very annoying. The swivel allows you to view the monitor in portrait mode. This also works very well, except when swiveled to portait it is not perfectly vertical, it is off by a little bit.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/82e14b24.jpg
Lastly the tilt is very simple and fluid. It tilts from approximately 92° (90° is when monitor perfectly vertical) to 80°, which is more than enough. It can also be mentioned that Gateway has also implemented a means of rotation. They put small wheels in place of feet near the front of the stand, so that the monitor can be rotated with ease. However, I found this feature to be extremely annoying because the monitor would slip every time I adjusted it. Luckily, these wheels are removable, and I definitely chose this option.
Next up are the inputs. The FHD2400s lineup of inputs is definitely the most impressive I've ever seen in a monitor. You get an HDMI port, DVI, VGA, Component, Composite and S-Video.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/babf6003.jpg
The HDMI and DVI are both HDCP compliant. You can hook just about everything up to this. I currently have my computer hooked up through DVI. In the future, however, I will be getting a cable box and Xbox 360. It will be nice to know that I will have plenty of inputs for these. In addition to having a multitude of inputs, you can even do Picture-in-Picture across two of them at a time! I've seen picture-in-picture in only a few monitors, and it is definitely welcome here. Though I wasn't able to test it out yet I can tell you its features. You can change the location of the PIP, change it's transparency, change its source, position, size and PIP picture settings. There are also some more PIP features added with the installation of the software but more on that later. There is also a 4-port USB hub built-in. The USB upstream and 2 of the 4 downstream port(s) are in the back, with the other two downstream on the side. I actually didn't ever think I'd use a USB hub on the monitor, but I've found it to be a lot more convenient than the front USB on my computer case.
Lastly, the Power Light/Button and Menu Light/Button can be seen on the right side of the monitor. I say "Light/Button" because they are both back-lit touch-sensitive buttons. The lights are unobtrusive, and can even be set to more dim levels through the OSD. Both lights are blue when the monitor is on w/ a signal, Power is blue and menu is orange when it is on w/ no signal and only the power light is on and is purple when the monitor is off/in standby.
Picture Quality
But of course you don't buy a monitor for its physical looks and technical specs, you buy it for how good it's picture actually looks. This monitor definitely delivers in this area and will not leave you disappointed. Lets get started with the colors.
I am going to have to say that the 92% color gamut (advertised) looks just about amazing. The colors are vibrant and life-like, and never over-saturated. If there is one point on this monitor that I could 110% guarantee, it is the color. Your photos, videos, and games will look so much better with color like this. Seeing a grove of trees in Oblivion or Crysis actually looks more realistic thanks the the incredible color reproduction of this monitor.
Next up is the brightness and contrast. When I first took this monitor out of the box and hooked it up, I was a little disappointed here. The brightness seemed decent but the contrast was lacking. However, with a little bit of tweaking in the OSD I got this monitor's brightness and contrast on-par with the color. Blacks are blacks and whites are whites. At my settings, the contrast does not wash anything out, and keeps the blacks very dark. I actually have the brightness set to 100%, which I've never been able to do on a LCD without making the picture look bad. Its almost a strain on your eyes, but I kinda enjoy it. This is where I really run in to the picture's only physical flaw: the backlighting. Though it is very even in the middle, there is some backlight bleed on the right and left.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/4afad3f0.jpg
Thanks to my last monitor, I am used to this and it doesn't bother me too much, but it is still an annoyance none-the-less. Luckily that was the only physical flaw with picture; this monitor came with no dead/stuck pixels or visual "dents".
EDIT: See Update #2 below for revisions on the backlight bleeding problem.
Next is the sharpness of the screen. Once again, this monitor delivers, and strongly at that. Be it HD Movies, pictures or games, everything is razor sharp and extremely clear. My high-res car pictures can really show off their details thanks to the clarity of this screen.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a29/Indybird/da2a3440.jpg
There is only one quirk; text doesn't look as good as everything else. I immediately noticed this when I went onto a website. By any means, its not bad, its just not as nice as previous monitors that I've used. Also, this monitor upconverts lower resolutions absolutely beautifully (apparently thanks to the "DCDi Chip by Faroudja"). I lowered the screen to both 720 and 480 HD. At 720 I almost confused it with 1080, and even at 480 I was still impressed.
During this testing I've used my Computer and my friend's Xbox 360 (through VGA). Both looked exactly the same, so all of the comments above seem to apply to all of the HD inputs.