So this big, 11mm thin obelisk shows up on my desk the other day. It’s the HP x2401 LED Backlit Monitor. It’s super-thin, has easy-to-access HDMI and DisplayPort jacks…and it looks good. That’s even before I turned it on. So what’s the deal with this 24-inch MVA display? I plugged it into my ENVY Phoenix desktop to give it a run for its money (which, by the way, is $249). To me, this looks like a good choice if you’re using your PC to soak in multimedia. I’ll get into that in a second.
First, for those who don’t know what MVA even it stands for Multiple-Domain Vertical Alignment. Translation: I can walk all around this 24-inch panel and still get an eyeful. The picture is still color-correct and visible within the 178-degree viewcone. Not that you’re likely to sit on the far edge of the screen and try watching a movie….but you could. Or, let’s say that you decided to stack two of these guys side-by-side. The viewing angle makes for a potential wall of video. A mid-sized, nerdy wall….but still….
OK, so let’s get to the facts
That static contrast ratio you see above? It’s pretty good – and especially noticeable when you’re checking out / editing photos.
Using the panel for a couple days, I noticed something beyond the wide viewing angles. It maintained some cooler colors (which I actually prefer…keeping blues rich) and I actually didn’t have a glare problem. At. All. I even tried throwing all sorts of crazy lighting problems – opened windows, lifted blinds, still no effect – and things still looked fine. Don’t believe me? Fine, here’s exhibit A:
Note the varying light sources busting into the room…(that monitor is facing almost directly into sunlight).
I was told after the fact that there’s an anti-glare treatment to combat high-ambient lighting conditions. That pretty much sums up my home office, so I was more than happy to see that in action. The resulting picture made this display a solid option for whenever I wanted to watch movies or stream TV shows…or, y’know, work. (There is a commercial version of the X2401 coming, for what it’s worth).
Now, a bit about the unit’s design: The control buttons stand out – in a good way. They actually look like a part of an artful placement rather than a couple perfunctory buttons to push. Aside from that, the logo…and the screen, it’s a clean black base. Hiding behind the left side of the base are all the HDMI and DisplayPort inputs…and there are L-shaped connectors so that the cables don’t stick out like sore thumbs. The screen is supported with an easel strut so you can get a 10-to-35 degree vertical tilt. But there is something I need to clue you into. If you have a monitor stand on your desk it could raise that display to above-eyeball height. If you just setup the monitor flat on a desk….or use the included VESA mounting bracket to set it at a comfy height (or attach that on some kind of VESA mount swing arm you buy), then you’re going to be all set.
One thing that I should point out, though: If you’re on the market for a display with hardcore gaming in mind, I’m going to steer you toward the x2301 for now. It’s a little smaller (23 inches), but it has a faster refresh rate (3ms, which makes that a sweet choice for gamers). That said, I still proceeded to fire up new games like Borderlands 2 and XCOM using the x2401. I mean, heck, I do have this hooked up to HP’s gaming rig, after all. Y’know what? I still found it to be a good experience. So, just keep that in mind as you’re considering which monitor is right for you.
Have any additional questions? Thoughts? Hit the comment box – I’m here for you.
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