Just over a month after Dell added in a new 27-incher to its (admittedly unwieldy) LCD monitor family, along comes a sibling with a few less pixels and a much smaller price tag. The 24-inch widescreen S2409W checks in with a 1,920 x 1,080 panel, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 5-millisecond response time, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, VGA / DVI / HDMI sockets, and 160- / 170-degree viewing angles. The best part(s)? It's available for just $379, and it's shipping within one to two days. Hooray!

[Via Electronista]

Vizio made some waves recently with the introduction of two bargain-priced plasmas, but it could garner attention from a whole new sect of individuals next month. Reportedly, the outfit is gearing up to launch "its first monitor tailored for dedicated PC users" in late August, the 26-inch widescreen VMM monitor. We are told that it'll boast HDMI inputs, reduced brightness and higher resolution "than typical IT displays," but aside from that (and the $449 price tag), the rest remains a mystery. Also of note, the company is expected to debut an "eco-friendly" line of TVs this October, which are said to "operate with 35- to 45-percent less power than traditional LCD TVs of comparable size." Way to keep us on the edge of our seats, Vizio.

[Via Electronista]

Even if you're not exactly in the market for a new flat-panel, Samsung's still hoping to snag a bit (or all) of your latest paycheck with its Touch of Color LCD monitors. Hinted at during CES and officially unveiled back in April, these displays boast a 5-millisecond response time, transparent plastic bezel, 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, twin 3-watt speakers, a built-in ATSC / ClearQAM TV tuner (!) and an optical digital audio port for channeling 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. As for resolutions, the 24-inch T240HD and 26-inch T260HD both offer full 1080p, while the 22-inch T220HD gets a 1,680 x 1,050 panel. Snag whichever one suits your fancy right now for $429, $549 or $599 from smallest to largest.

The boys and girls at Microsoft Research are getting set to publish a report detailing a competing (and in their perspective, superior) technology to replace the LCD monitors we've grown to know and love heart with reservations. By using pixels that boast "a pair of mirrors to block or transmit light," displays could theoretically be created which are "faster, brighter, and more power efficient than liquid crystal displays." Dubbed telescopic pixels, the devices would be able to turn off and on in under 1.5-milliseconds, which is quick enough to put "red, green, and blue light-emitting diodes behind each pixel." Furthermore, these pixels are way brighter than those used in LCDs, which means users would see less power draw and be able to view the screen more easily in direct sunlight. Sounds solid from here, but could you not humor us with a release time frame or something?

[Via TG Daily]

Tired of looking at that tired old CRT monitor? Anxious to get a screen with a bit more screen real estate? So is Paul -- have a look:

"I was wondering if you all could help me out in deciding on a monitor. I'd like it to be at least 19-inches, bigger is better, but the main thing is to have a nice resolution. I currently have a 1,280 x 1,080 17-inch LCD monitor, and really like it, but would like to go past the 1,080 to possibly 1,200. Thing is I'd like to spend around $300, going up to maybe $400. What's the best choice out in this price range?"

We'd wager Paul's quandary is one shared by many, and if you just recently solved this yourself, be sure to toss in your recommendation below. Once you've completed said task, feel free to shoot us a question you'd like help with at ask at engadget dawt com.

AOC threw down a new trio of displays here yesterday, and we had the pleasure of stopping by to check 'em out in NYC. You've already had a chance to wade through all the specs and official verbiage surrounding the 42-inch L42H861 LCD HDTV, 22-inch 2218Ph LCD monitor and 22-inch 2230Fm do-it-all display, so how's about some good old fashioned pictures? We must say we were quite pleased with the image quality and overall design, though the anti-gloss crowd should probably look out. Also of note, the built-in media player on the 2230Fm was incapable of playing back HD clips, so yeah, kind of a bummer there. Anywho, dip on into the gallery below and have a look around.

Hey, at least it's not being secretive about it. AOC has just introduced its new $429.99 2218Ph LCD monitor, which -- among other things -- claims to bring PC users "the element of style Mac users have enjoyed for the last few years." Judging by the image above, we're not too sure what exactly it's getting at, but we are told that it relies on "state-of-the-art metallic workmanship," a polished aluminum cabinet, a zinc multi-flex stand and a piano black finish to wow onlookers. Other specs include a 1,680 x 1,050 native resolution, HDCP-compliant HDMI input, two-millisecond response time, 12,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and that all-important Windows Vista Certified sticker. Whatcha got on that, Cupertino? Full release after the jump.

The term "widescreen" is one of the most notoriously confusing monikers (this side of Full HD) used to describe a display's specifications. Widescreen generally translates to a 16:10 aspect ratio when discussing computer LCDs (monitors or laptop displays) or 16:9 if you're talking about the living room TV. Of course, it can also refer to the 2.35:1 ratio often used for films or something entirely different if you're Apple touting the wonders of your new widescreen iPhone. Fortunately, we're trending towards at least some convergence around the 16:9 aspect. DisplaySearch predicts that by 2010, 16:9 panels will make up 90% of new laptop displays and 67% of new monitors. Acer has been at the forefront of this transition with products like its Gemstone Blue laptops and the Acer P224W monitor pictured above. The move is being driven by panel manufacturers' desire to maximize production efficiency -- something they should have realized before the glass sizes diverged in the first place. Regardless, the end result should be more pennies saved by you, Joe Consumer, and that's a good thing.

Heads-up, we've got another world's first coming from the labs at BenQ. The E2200HDA claims to be this planet's very first 21.5-inch 1080p Full HD LCD monitor, and given that odd panel size, we don't doubt it one bit. Just to reiterate, this one boasts a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution along with a 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 5-millisecond response time, HDMI / DVI / VGA inputs, integrated speakers and a headphone jack. BenQ's keeping quiet on pricing, but we are told to expect two additional E Series displays (including a 24-incher) later this year. As for this one, look for it to land in China and "select countries in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America" in Q3. Yes, North America just got snubbed -- intensely.

[Via Electronista]

While Lenovo saw fit to stuff 1,920 x 1,200 pixels into a 22-inch panel, NEC is giving users a little more real estate to work with in its 26-inch EA261WM. The WUXGA LCD monitor is the first member of the newly launched MultiSync Enterprise Advanced (EA) Series and includes a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 400 cd/m2 brightness, 5-millisecond response time, 92% color gamut, 4-port USB hub, 4-way adjustable stand and on-screen display controls in the bezel. Furthermore, you'll find down-firing speakers with a headphone jack, a DVI-D input, cable management cover and an ECO mode for giving Mother Earth (and your power bill) a break. It'll be available this August with a three-year warranty for $679.99.

Just a day after we were graced with Mother Earth's "most energy-efficient monitor" comes the "world's slimmest" 22-incher. ASUS claims that its LS221H is just 248-millimeters (that's 9.76-inches) at its thinnest point, but unless this thing morphs into a CRT at a moment's notice, we're assuming (read: hoping) it meant 24.8-millimeters, or 0.97-inches. Beyond that, we're trusting that the 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, 2-millisecond response time, 300 nits of brightness, VGA / HDMI inputs and 4,000:1 contrast ratio are all there, but you can never be too careful when talking about the planet's thickest / thinnest LCD. No price is listed, but if we were betting souls, we'd wager that it'll be right around $3,500. Wait, we mean $350. Yeah.

[Via NewLaunches]

Color-critical displays have been around for ages -- you've just had to look really hard and break out some serious change in order to claim one. Now, however, HP's aiming to make a professional display that's actually somewhat affordable for the layman, and that monitor is the DreamColor LP2480xz. Checking in at 24-inches diagonal, this 30-bit, LED-backlit monster provides "a range of more than 1 billion colors" and "achieves more than 64 times the colors available on mainstream LCDs." It was designed in collaboration with DreamWorks Animation and comes bundled with the HP DreamColor engine software and calibration kit. Oh, and if you've been wondering just what the definition of "affordable" was, you can procure this one right now for a modest $3,499. Action shot after the cut.

Update: Looks like we conflated that 30-bit spec with inches, post has been updated. We're also hearing this thing runs at a standard-for-its-size 1920 x 1200 pixels. Thanks to everyone who pointed this out.

Acer's really, really proud of its P224W. So proud, in fact, that it's touting the unit as the "world's first 24-inch Full HD / 16:9 ratio LCD monitor." Never mind the fact that Gateway slung out a 24-incher with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution way back in 2006 -- we'll let it think it's special for awhile, anyway. Onto more specs, you'll find a 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, touch-sensitive on-screen display and a 2-millisecond gray-to-gray response time. Regrettably, the outfit didn't bother handing down a release date or price, but it's not like those tidbits are really critical in the grand scheme of things, right?

[Via Computer Monger]

We originally spotted ASUS' DisplayLink-equipped VW223B back at CeBIT, but now it -- alongside the 20.1-inch VW202B -- is finally available. Both LCDs boast a WSXGA+ (1,680 x 1,050) resolution, 300 cd/m2 brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 5-millisecond response time and VGA / USB 2.0 connectors. The USB functionality is being coined EzLink by ASUS, but it's no different than the DisplayLink you've grown to know and love. As per ASUS' apparent internal guidelines, it has completely failed in dishing out pricing information for the freshly available duo, but hey, at least we know they're out there!

Though not the first stretched display we've seen per se, LG is taking widescreen to an entirely new plateau with its latest duo of monitors. Launched today in the UK, the 38-inch M3800S-BN and 29-inch M2900S-BN feature oddball resolutions like 1,366 x 398 and 1,366 x 480 (respectively) along with a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 9-millisecond response time and a VGA input. Obviously geared for digital signage applications, both units can display imagery horizontally or vertically, and while price points weren't disclosed, we'll go ahead and assume that they'll be pegged for purchase on those business-centric credit cards (if you catch our drift).

[Via Pocket-lint]