HP w2408h (HDMI)

Hewlett-Packard's high definition ready w2408h 24 inch display has a glossy screen to enhance color perception and an amazing articulated arm that does things no ordinary pedestal could accomplish. At $499.99, it's also a good deal for a monitor with these specs in its size class. HP's articulating arm allows you to put the panel through some serious paces tilting, swiveling, rotating between landscape and portrait mode, and raising and lowering.

The multi hinged arrangement has enough built in tension to keep the panel in place whenever you move it, as well as keep the base from flopping around if you pick it up.

As for height, you can adjust it from a bezel scraping 0.75 inch above your desktop to a maximum 4 inch rise that brings the top of the display, in landscape mode, to 19.75 inches tall. Just grab the opposing corners of the panel to pivot it into portrait mode or back to landscape.

The display's tilting ability comes in handy when you're trying to reach the connectors; HP hasn't found a better place for cable inputs than up behind the back panel.

You'll find D-Sub (VGA) and HDCP compliant HDMI inputs (but not DVI). The monitor also acts as a USB hub, with two ports behind and two more on the left side. Moreover, there's a mini-plug connector for audio from your computer to the monitor's two rear firing speakers. If you connect via HDMI, that cable will carry both the audio and video, though of course most PCs aren't yet so equipped.

Rounding out the controls, the power button is a 2 inch lighted bar sitting on top of the upper bezel. The four OSD buttons on the lower bezel cover the usual menu and navigation functions. Three of them allow you to directly access the speakers' volume level (don't expect much), use a Quickview function to adjust the monitor for a variety of �stock� display types (text, photos, gaming, movies), and switch video inputs.