HP w2207 July 23rd, 2007 | by Jason Tomczak
Full Review
Features and Design Vital Stats The w2207's 1000:1 contrast ratio is impressive. Comparably priced LCD screens often have 800:1 contrast, which is fine for many uses, but why limit yourself when the w2207 offers better contrast for the same price? Blacks look deeper, whites drop the yellowish hue and shine white, and colors take on new life. Pre-programmed Modes DVI & VGA Integrated Speakers USB 2.0 Hub Backlight Hours Adjustability Photo & DVD Display Footprint Dual & External
The HP w2207 22-inch widescreen LCD monitor is quite attractive with its black and silver body and adjustable screen. The most aesthetic aspect of the w2207 is the glossy screen that uses HP's "BrightView" technology, which helps make photos and movies burst with lively color. Having a desktop monitor with a low-glare, glossy screen is great for people who work with Photoshop, iPhoto, CAD, or other programs that require constant, close-range attention to the screen. It's also great for DVD viewing and web browsing.
HP's w2207 LCD screen has 1680 x 1050 native screen res, which is very popular and offers plenty of screen real-estate for imaging, video, and even spreadsheets.
The w2207 has a fast 5ms response time. Some LCDs are as slow as 20ms, some as fast as 2ms. The w2207 is certainly in the better/best range. Display brightness on the HP w2207 is 300 cd/m2.
HP gave the w2207 and its siblings (like the recently reviewed w2007) several pre-programmed video modes to help users select a display mode that works best for their eyes and lighting situation. Available are Movie, Photo, Gaming, Text, and Custom modes. As expected, each mode uses a specific color temperature, brightness, and contrast in order to render different results.
HP gave the w2207 both DVI and VGA input capabilities. Thankfully, HP recently began shipping the w2207 and some other LCD monitors with both VGA and DVI cables. Previously, HP had shipped only a VGA cable, which was pretty cheap and insulting. It's nice to know that HP heard the voice of the people and responded accordingly.
The w2207 has built-in speakers. They're only two watts each, so don't expect Bose quality. But, for general office use or Skype output, and for other forgiving uses, the w2207's speakers are sufficient.
HP dropped a two-port USB 2.0 hub into the w2207. I don't know why it took HP so long to jump onto the USB hub bandwagon, but it's a very good thing they did. The USB hub makes the w2207 an even more attractive purchase option.
The w2207 has a neat menu feature that lets users keep track of how many hours the LCD screen has been used. This is handy for tech support issues and for obsessive geeks who absolutely must know how long they've used their LCD.
The w2207's screen can tilt forward 5 degrees and backward 30 degrees. The w2207 can be raised or lowered on an articulating-style base; however, the screen cannot be rotated from side to side like some other LCD screens can. One very cool feature is the fact that the w2207 can be used in landscape AND portrait modes. This is a huge benefit for photographers and even spreadsheet users who need maximum vertical space from time to time.
The w2207 renders beautiful, bright, crisp colors, which makes it very good for displaying and/or editing high-resolution photos. DVDs look impressive, too, especially because of the glossy "BrightView" screen. The 5ms response time and 1000:1 contrast ratio help minimize or eliminate ghosting and artifacts. Of course, upscaling a DVD from 720 x 480 (NTSC) to full-screen 1680 x 1050 is going to degrade the output slightly, but this will happen with any monitor. To help combat this, change the monitor's screen res while watching a DVD, then switch back to full res when done.
Like many LCD monitors, the footprint of the w2207 is much, much smaller than that of CRT monitors. However, when comparing the w2207 footprint to other LCDs, like some Samsung models, the desk space is a little larger than average. It's roughly one square foot. The tray-like base of the w2207 makes up for lost space by providing a place to rest your iPod, cell phone, paper clips, etc.
The w2007 will perform beautifully in single or dual monitor setups. You may find that colors render differently when using two different brands of monitors in a dual setup, and when using the w2207 as an external monitor for a laptop. If this is the case, run a good quality calibration program to equalize the outputs as much as possible. Ideally, use two w2207 monitors if you want an accurate configuration.
The HP w2207 looks great in any setting
by Aaron Chase on November 8, 2009:
“Analog picture quality is the best I've seen. Finally a high def monitor where you can actually use the analog input. No bleeding images or hard to read text. The text is as sharp as can be and the pictures are crystal clear and the colors are vibrant. Functionality...” More...