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 PC Hardware : HP W2408H 24-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor |
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Rating:  - Everything I need, and more
Setting up and using this monitor was very simple. I am simply using this to extend my laptop screen when I work from home so I could stop cycling through windows to get my work done. The only thing that I haven't liked about this monitor is that it's made my laptop screen hard to work with since it's so small and dull in comparison.
Rating:  - Pretty Good I Guess!
I like the size of the monitor. The high definition is adequate but can use some fine tunning. I do wish the monitor could be adjusted more vertically but fore the most part the price was very reasonable compared to others.
Rating: - Good Monitor - But Horrible Support
I purchased the HP w2408h Monitor more on a whim than out of necessity. While the video quality of the monitor is good (above average even), there are items that make it a less attractive monitor as compared to others of its kind on the market.
1) While some advertised photographs of the monitor clearly show a DVI input - there is none. Nor are other standard ports like S-Video or Coax available. You will need to be prepared to use a standard VGA port or HDMI.
2) HP would have done well to include a DVI to HDMI adapter cable in the box. However, they did not.
3) The speakers installed are a joke. As indicated on other reviews of this monitor, be prepared to either live with subpar sound or install a set of speakers separate from the imbedded speakers on the monitor.
4) If, for any reason, you require support on the monitor, good luck! While the video on my monitor worked out of the box, the integrated USB ports did not. The monitor is "plug-and-play" and as such, my Windows Vista Ultimate loaded up drivers for the monitor after booting up for the first time.
After installing the monitor, I ran the setup software included on the CD included in the box. The installation of this software from the CD failed repeatedly on my Vista PC. There are, however, technotes available on HP's website dealing with this issue. I followed these technotes with no success whatsoever.... so I decided to call HP's tech support number. The automated attendant system HP uses has NO item covering monitors - apparently, you have to use the "Desktop" key word. Who knew?
Once connected to a live person, it took me a full 30 minutes to get the technician to focus on my problem (the USB ports not working). Instead, he insisted on following his "script" which include a request to unplug the monitor from my UPS and plug it into a wall outlet instead. He also insisted that I should update the BIOS on my DELL PC! Not once did he ask what operating system I was running, what drivers (if any) were loaded, etc., etc. After many requests, he finally agreed to transfer me to a more knowledgeable technical queue... at which point (96 minutes later) we were disconnected.
I was able to solve the USB problem on my own. However, still facing the problem of not getting drivers to load properly on Vista, the next day I called HP Tech Support again. This call got me to a different technician that was equally unprepared to assist me. She clearly did not understand the word "driver" and again insisted on following her script. Having had enough, I demanded the call be escalated to the appropriate person with the appropriate technical skills to assist me.
I was placed on hold for another five minutes and, again, my call was disconnected.
Summary - If I were to give a grade on this purchase I'd give the monitor a B+, but technical support gets an F-.
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Follow-up
A few folks have asked how I resolved the USB problem. To do so, I just uninstalled the monitor from Device Manager, unplugged the USB connection, rebooted. When the PC was completely back up, I plugged the USB back in. Vista then saw the new USB hub device and installed drivers for it.
I also figured out the problem with the device drivers not loading. I am connecting the monitor to my PC via a DVI to HDMI converter cable. Because the connection is not truly HDMI, the drivers will not load. I tested this by connecting the monitor via the VGA port. The drivers installed perfectly without errors. Of course, when I switch back to the HDMI connection, it is no longer recognized.
It's sad that HP doesn't already have these issues documented.
Rating: - GORGEOUS monitor; so easy to set up, even I could do it.
We have no tv in our home (DH and I are too addicted to it) so we had been playing videos off our laptops for our 1 year old daughter who wanted to see the occasional Sesame Street video or for ourselves when we got something from Netflix. After awhile, it got tiring so we decided to invest in a monitor.
The HP W2208 W2208H had so many rave reviews as did the W2408 that we figured it was a safe buy. We shopped around the stores (Circuit City, Best Buy) and saw that Amazon by far had the best price (we got it at $450 in March '08) and best return policy...just in case. The monitor arrived in its product packaging and was left out in our apartment lobby by UPS (thank goodness no one stole it even though everyone could see what it was). There was no need to fret. The monitor was every bit as beautiful as we saw in the store. And the speaks work perfectly fine. It's not exactly home theater surround sound, but the sound is every bit as loud as the conventional TVs I grew up with in the 90s. The size is perfect for us, without overpowering the room, but large enough for us to sit on the couch 15 feet away and watch a video in the evenings. We hook it up to our ipod docking speakers for enhanced sound when we want to do movie night with a few friends, but it really isn't necessary to get speakers unless you've got a lot of ambient sound or you really want home theater sound.
Figuring out the dual monitor settings on my Dell Laptop and on my husband's MacBook was a little tricky, but we figured it out eventually. We had to buy an HDMI to DVI cable for $[...] though http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007MWE1E (waaaaay cheaper on Amazon than you'll find at Circuit City or Best Buy).
The monitor moves smoothly up and down so that at its lowest level, it is 16 inches tall, but 19 inches tall at its highest level. It does not swivel from left to right, so you need to twist the entire base of the monitor in order to turn it. But it's no biggie for us.
The picture quality is great and we were so glad that we got it from Amazon. Highly recommend it!
Rating: - HP monitors
The HP w2408h is definitely the best monitor I have ever had, and at a wonderful price.
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