New Tests: 23'' and 24'' LCD Monitors from Dell and Samsung

Our choice of LCD monitors today might seem surprising: one brand new screen, the ultra-thin XL2370, and two 'old-timers'.  Well, that's because both Samsung and Dell had the same idea: replace two monitors in their range with newer versions, but without changing the name.

Not counting its stand, the Samsung XL2370 is just 19 mm thick and boasts of a contrast ratio of five million to one.  So is LED backlighting going to change our life?

Next up is another Samsung screen with something of a reputation, the T240HD.  Launched just a year ago, Samsung made the 'mistake' of only including a standard definition tuner, despite attaching those two magic letters 'HD' to the model number.  It's back, though, with the same name, updated components and this time, a HD tuner.  It underwent two sets of tests, going first through our monitor lab and then through our TV tests.  And the final result was a very pleasant surprise.

Finally, the new version of the Dell 2408WFP has the same name, but can now boast of better components all round.  The first version suffered from a significant amount of input lag, inaccurate colours, ghosting and all sorts of other problems.  Two years down the line and the 2009 vintage is much, much better!

> Product Survey: 23'' to 28'' LCD Monitors

> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products