Review: Dell 2405FPW Widescreen LCD Display

Thoughts

So much for a mini review. I initially planned on a couple of pages showing the basics, some pictures, and some commentary on how it appears to me after using it for a couple of weeks. There's really only one thing I can say to sum the thing up, and that's to say I'm buying my own. I'd be gutted if Dell decided they needed this review sample back any time soon, so I need to get my mits on one of my own incase that happens. Of course running two side-by-side, for a total of 48 inches of desktop space using a 3840x1200 pixel array, won't make me sad. And if I have to go back to Dell + Philips I'll be happy in the knowledge that it's a combo that rocks already.

The monitor rocks, pure and simple. It's not perfect by any means, but then what current LCD display is right now? It's close enough to perfection for me, though, and that's all I can really say subjectively. A really nice piece of kit to complement any modern PC with a DVI port. Gamers should love it, and it's an 8bpc panel with a provided sRGB profile for Windows and Mac, so Photoshop addicts should get along with it just nicely too.

Best of all is the price. Dell did a deal recently where you could pick up a brand new 2405FPW with 1 year warranty for under £550 delivered, including VAT. A similar deal in the States saw it under $900 shipped including sales taxes. The amount of people I know that have picked one up in the last two weeks is staggering (more than I can count on two hands, no word of a lie) and that's largely from my recommendation after using the review sample. And they love it just as much as I do.

It doesn't pay to fall too much in love with computer hardware, since there's always something around the corner to trip you up. And with the 2405FPW that might be support for HDCP over the analogue video inputs, but it's a fairly honest piece of hardware and should see you right in all other ways. Displays are an investment and the 2405FPW is a fine one to make, in this reviewer's eyes. Great for gamers, programmers, photo manipulators, CAD folks, video editors and everyone in between.

Now for the HEXUS.bonus to let me nab one of my own. David, PD, you reading this?

HEXUS.update

David Curle, Broadcast Automation Consultant at Advanced New Zealand Technologies, dropped me an email earlier to let me know that the 2405FPW can indeed accept HD video over the component input connector. I've removed the paragraph where I state it might not be possible in light of the clarification. David goes on to say this in his correspondence:

With the huge upsurge in HDV videography, a 1920 x 1080 Monitor is required to view the HD results in an edit suite. The Dell 2405FPW is the most cost effective way of doing this. It is fed HD YUV from the editing card - eg. the Edius NX or SP by Canopus - and while it's not so hot at SD YUV, it's great at native HD YUV.

Many editors are now using three of them- Two in DVI and one YUV.

HEXUS Awards

Dell 2405FPW Widescreen WUXGA LCD Monitor

Where2buy

Dell.co.uk

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Nice mini-review. I bought one of these when they had the BOGOF misprice about 6 months ago. It's a superb monitor and as far as I know it's best in class. Of all the hardware I've bought ever, the 2405FPW is by far and away my favourite purchase. If you cant quite afford one, my advice is to sell the car or the wife or maybe your least favourite limb. A stunning piece of kit.

Mmmm nice. I'm having a hard time justifying paying multiple times more for Eizo panels for our machines now..

After having 4 2005FPWs I got so fedup with the backlight issues. Purchased a 2405FPW, I just wish I purchased the 24" in the first place. Its a fantastic piece of kit and the desktop real estate is lovely :)

Nice to see more reviews, if about 8 months too late! :D

Cautionary Tale

I bought a Dell monitor (2005FPW) with a 4 year next day swapout warrenty. It's now 7 weeks since contacting Dell to ask for a replacement (Yup - Backlighting) and I'm still waiting.

I got fed up with the brusque attitude on the phone and apparent reluctance to reply to or send emails by the Indian call centre staff and so wrote to Dells UK head office in Berkshire. 2 Weeks later and you guessed it they've not bothered to reply either.

I don't know where they get the next day swapout from, after 75 minutes of hanging on the phone I gave up and tried the internet. If you dont have a Dell service Tag (which the monitors dont) then you're pretty much left to send a webnote to the wrong department in the hope they will pick it up and pass it on (which in all fairness they did in this instance - though not with very good results). So you've got no chance of acheiving the next day goal (even if you didn't have to take into account timezones).

Further if you're considering buying a Dell monitor from someone other than Dell then prepare for a struggle to get them to acknowledge that this happens as they are not geared up for this circumstance either. As I had no Dell paperwork I found the original order number from my supplier on the side of the box and gave this to Dell, they then said that as the order was over 28 days old (my suppliers order - not mine) I was not due for a new replacement but a refurbished one. I managed to argue my case but I only found this out through asking the right questions.

So they may be good monitors but support leaves a lot to be desired.