need new monitor

July 16, 2011

Hey all, I need a new monitor and have no idea what to look for. my only requirement is that 1080 resolution. I have $260 that i need to spend at bestbuy so I need the monitor to be from there. I would like 1 or 2 monitors.

can you all think of any way i can turn this gift card into cash? it's a real bummer to get store credit for returning something that doesn't work.

so hereis the website, i just sorted by lowest price and checked off 1080 resolution.

how does thislook to you? i can't see anything wrong with it and am ready to buy two of them.

July 17, 2011

can you use that store credit to buy an Amazon gift card? My friend used a Best Buy gift card to buy an Amazon gift card lol

July 17, 2011

i am pretty sure they aren't supposed to allow you to do that but i guess it depends on the cashier.

July 17, 2011

Its been almost a year since my old CRT monitor exploded (literally, while I was watching a video).

My advice: Get a Samsung !

July 17, 2011

I just bought a monitor last week that is honestly the best monitor I've ever owned (or used, even). Considering my previous monitor was a Samsung 226BW, which was considered a very good TN monitor when it came out, I find it pretty impressive that the HP 2509b trumps it in every single way I can think of (except in response time; the old Samsung had a 2ms whereas the HP has 3ms; frankly, I can't tell the difference). And Best Buy happens to have it; in fact, it has been on sale for the past week.

HP 2509b: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+25%22+Widescreen+Flat-Panel+LCD+Monitor/1861285.p?id=1218297519940&skuId=1861285

It is 25 inches @ 1920x1080 with a 3ms response time and 60Hz refresh rate. The contrast ratio is the highest I can recall seeing on a TN-panel LCD (about 1000:1, if not actually a bit higher; this is the real normal CR, not Dynamic, btw). The picture comes virtually perfect out of the box, particularly if you set the mode to Text and the color mode to 6500K. Some slight color re-balancing (and for me, lowering the brightness) made it look even better. It comes with a VGA, DVI, and HDMI connection (and the latter two support HDCP). It does not have integrated speakers or (as far as I know) an Audio-Out port, so keep that in mind (with the right cables and such, this really isn't a problem). It is a glossy screen, so while the picture looks clearer and more vibrant than a panel with anti-glare coating, you'll likely see some reflections off of the screen (personally, I only notice them on dark scenes in movies and games and such, and even that is only during the day; now I'm so used to it I only notice when I actually start looking for them). Honestly, I'd rather have the sharper and more vibrant picture rather than the AG coating, but that's my preference; everyone is different and has different wants and needs.

There's not much in the way of reviews for this monitor, but here is the one I read written by a user over at [H]ard Forums that convinced me to buy this monitor (I recommend watching both; they're by the same guy and complement each other nicely):

Text review: http://wecravegamestoo.com/forums/gadgetry-electronics-discussion/7797-hp-2509b-review.html

YouTube video review:

I tweaked the color settings to match what NCX used in his review (Text Mode, Custom Color> Red: 240, Green: 207, Blue: 230; Brightness: 29, Contrast: Default). A review by MacLeod on Best Buy's product page for the 2509b also gave his own settings that looked good as well (his just have a different brightness and slightly different RGB values; I didn't see much difference personally between the two other than the brightness, but I ended up sticking with NCX's settings).

Anyways, right now this monitor is $200 before taxes, and frankly, I think that is a steal. I don't know how much longer it'll be on sale, but honestly, I feel it is still well worth it's regular $250 price. Excellent picture quality and size for movies and games (and I'm a pretty big gamer), and to me the text readability is great in my opinion; I have no problems surfing the Internet reading articles for hours on end (you might want to remember to re=configure ClearType if you use it since every monitor is different). I say give it a try; if you don't like it, you can always take it back and exchange it for a different monitor. :)

Edit: In case you decide to look at other vendors, I went ahead and got some links for you:

Staples: http://www.staples.com/HP-Pavilion-2509b-LH591AA-25-Widescreen-LCD-Monitor/product_322731#revs_content

Tiger Direct: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=146104

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/25-Full-HD-LCD-Monitor/dp/B004LB5AVI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310873071&sr=8-1