Many of my posts are on the long side. The one I’m working on right now is not only long; it’s a certified, venomous rant of an entry. Why the sudden eruption? Four letters. HDCP. High Definition Content Protection… I’ll explain it soon enough, but I believe the acronym is disingenuous, so I’ve come up with suggestions that ring truer to HDCP’s actual intentions.

High Dollar Corporate Piracy
High Dollar Consumer Payout
How Dare Corporations Profit
Hefty Dollar Consumer Price
High Definition Costs Plenty
Heavy Duty Corporate Pressure
Heavy Duty Corporate Piracy

Feel free to add your own. If you’re mystified as to the furor over HDCP, stay tuned. As I said, I’ll explain it all in detail in an upcoming entry. Until then I shall shake my fist and cuss at Intel, those evil architects of doom!

As regular readers of TechAnovitas (all 3 of them) know, I’ve spent quite a bit of time discussing the Dell 2407, a 24’’ LCD monitor that’s not yet available in the US. Well, I have news. No, the 2407 hasn’t been released, but there’s another 24’’ LCD monitor, the HP LP2465 (link), that also isn’t shipping yet. Now I can talk about that! This blog’s horizons have practically doubled! Besides, it seems I’m developing a track record for following products that might never be released; low and behold, we may have stumbled on another!

Hey, I said I had news. I never said it was good news. Maybe I’ll rename the blog, PyrrhicTech sound catchy enough?

According to the specs shown, the new HP 24" (1920 x 1200 native res) will be a P-MVA (LCD buying guide thread on Anandtech) panel from AU Optronics, and not an S- PVA from Samsung (like the aforementioned Dell 2407). Although I’m always a bit skeptical about advertised pixel response times, in general this would mean that the P-MVA panel should be “faster” than the S-PVA. In case anyone wasn’t aware, there’s no standard in measuring pixel response time, so each company may have its own criteria (cough*MARKETING*cough) in arriving at their respective conclusions. The only real tests are to actually try the monitors in a given category en masse and compare. Obviously that’s not realistic for the average consumer, so it really comes down to identifying your needs and budget, then being happy with your chosen purchase after you’ve spent time using it. Keep this in mind when reading the specs for an LCD. Anyway, that's not to say advertised guidelines aren't valuable, it's just that they may not exactly translate into real world experiences, especially under differing user conditions.



HP LP2465 - 24” LCD

* 24-inch panel with wide viewing angle technology
* Extreme narrow screen bezels (17mm)
* Native 1920 x 1200 resolution
* 8ms refresh rates (grey to grey)
* Up to 500 nits brightness
* Minimum 1000:1 contrast ratio
* 178 x 178 degree viewing angle
* Dual DVI-I (dual analog/dual digital possible)
* USB (4/1)
* Integrated power source
* Adjustable tilt, swivel, and pivot features
* HP Display LiteSaver technology
* Two tone plastics with light colored bezel (silver)
* Rubberized cable management
* HP Display Assistant (PC based application to adjust display image properties)
* Optional HP Flat Panel Speaker Bar adds speakers without bulk
* HP Quick release
* Three-year warranty

The LP2465 should prove to be an upgrade over the already released and positively reviewed 23’’ S-IPS HP LP2335 (DesignTechnica review). The LP2335 can be had at newegg.com for $949 USD after rebates (link), which is a considerable drop from the $1500 USD price tag I remember it being. I had my eye on the LP2335, but the price was always on the high side. Personally, with the impending (?) releases of the Dell 2407 (and the inevitable sales and coupons Dell is famous for) along with the HP LP2465, I’d wait to compare the prices of all three. I’ve mentioned the Samsung 244t (utilizing this panel) in other posts, which by all accounts is an excellent high-end display, but it’s still priced at a premium of $1354 USD (link).

The above-mentioned prices, of course, aren’t the lowest that these products can be purchased for. As always, check out sites like [H]ard|Forum, newegg, ebay, and Dell for information on the latest and hottest deals.