HP w2207 LCD monitor

Summary: Here it is, the 22" title match (in my opinion...). After reading countless reviews, I narrowed my search to the best (IHMO) two monitors on the market today. Those would be:
In one corner - the HP w2207, weighing in at 9kg... sporting a juicy rotating screen and fully adjustable base - the HP clearly stands out as soon as you look at it.

In the other corner - weighing in at 7kg, the Samsung 226CW (yes, CW, not BW). Many reviews on the 226BW complain about the LCD being of the A series, C series, S series... anyway this is not what I am talking about. The 226CW offers a "new" technology they brag about called Samsung's Wide Color Gamut (97%) which supposedly makes colors more true to life, more amazing, more WOW factor.

Here's what I did - I (being a proud Canadian) went to my local Best Buy store, which offers a 14-day no-questions asked refund policy and I bought both monitors, with full intent on returning the loser of my showdown.

I am writing this review in day 3 of the contest, and will update it periodically as I go. I have benefitted from and enjoyed CNET reviews over the years, and decided it was time to give back to the community with this review. Here goes:

As of Day 3, it is a close race with no clear winner yet.

The HP w2207: I REALLY enjoy looking at this screen. It's just... I can't find a better adjective than juicy. On occasion, I enjoy Pirate-style games, and with this monitor I find I am often blinking my eyes for fear of getting splashed by the Carribean seas... the color richness and unreal clarity make games incredibly immersive. I've never seen anything like it. Call the HP a 10 out of 10 for image beauty. It's just bloody well gorgeous. I tested with other games, like NHL'06, Medal of Honor, Call of Duty 2, Civ4, and others. I was concerned that maybe the 5ms refresh might be a problem - but it wasn't. Liquid smooth at all times, this monitor was absolutely GORGEOUS in all tests, and performed amazingly. The best way I can describe it, is that it was so clear and juicy that it made you feel completely immersed in the game environment. I've not seen anything quite like it before.

How about everyday use - the internet, email, work stuff... The HP is amazing when compared to my previous monitor (a nice 19" CRT). I find the clarity better than what I'm used to. Easy on the eyes, and colors just brighter, more vibrant... I'm pleased with everyday use, but not as overjoyed as I was with the in-game graphics.

Final Note: 1 year warranty. Whaddup with that? Samsung has a 3 year warranty, as do many others. LAME on HP's part. Also, the monitor's base is large and cumbersome when compared to the Samsung 226CW, which has simple clean lines and a small elegant base.

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The Samsung 226CW: This is also a great monitor. You absolutely CANNOT go wrong here either. I had hoped that one or the other would be clearly and obviously better than the other, but sadly, it is a close race. I can best sum up the Samsung as follows: it is the best computer monitor on the market. But, there is no mistaking that it is a computer monitor. It also is very beautiful to look at, the colors are AMAZING. However, it lacks that certain "I-don't-know-what" that I described about the HP that really immerses you into games, that sucks you into it's juicy world and won't let go.... the Samsung looks great, but doesn't do that.

For games, the Samsung is flawless, but without character. Like an A+ student who lacks personality, I cannot find any fault with this monitor, I cannot cite a weak area with it. But my "gut" tells me I'm not "WOWed" by it. I don't squint when water splashes, expecting full well to get wet. I look at the screen, my brain knows it's perfect. But unlike the HP w2207, my mouth doesn't salivate... it's a very subtle difference, but it's there. HP has a prettier screen, that's that.

Everyday use - well here's the thing. The Samsung, under ANY preset was super easy and wonderful to read even the smallest font. It's great and super easy to work on when you are seated in front of a screen for countless hours. I found myself preferring the Samsung for everyday use, and come "game" time wishing I had the HP plugged in. The HP wasn't BAD at displaying text, like I said it was better than my previous CRT monitor. The Samsung tho, was that perfect A+ student. Flawless. Drew no attention to itself, just displayed your screen without any flaw. No flash, no "juicyness" no glitz or glam, just a damn fine computer monitor.

This was apparant when I tested them watching movies. The HP was "holy f*#k is that GORGEOUS!" and the Samsung was.... well it was flawless and I have no complaints, but I didn't drop my jaw on the floor either. The Samsung was a little dark, even at the brightest setting, movies didn't quite look as immersively perfect as they did on the HP. I played with the Samsung settings, and have still not been able to make them as good as the HP.

CONCLUSION:

HP wins for games and movies. I was worried about maybe the 5ms refresh being slow, it has not been, it's been perfect. Love it. Flaws include text displays well on only 2 out of 5 presets, the other 3 presets make text quite blurry. The 2 that display well - note that it displays "well" but not "great".

Samsung 226CW is great for being clean, simple, uncluttered and light. 'Net browsing is great in ANY preset mode, they all look great and read perfectly. Text NEVER goes blurry in any setting I have tried. Super easy on the eyes, it is so far my preference if I am working (3D modelling) for extended periods. Games play great. It is a great monitor, but you never lose yourself and forget you are looking at a computer monitor.

RECOMMENDATION:

Too early to be conclusive. I will update this review over the 2 weeks I have until one monitor goes back to the store. So far, I prefer the Samsung for work and 'Net stuff. The HP is most certainly better for pictures, movies and games. Wow, the screen is just juicy.... you GOTTA see it yourself to believe it... but be sure to spend some time looking at text on the web in various settings. You may not like it. I'm finding it pretty decent so far, but I'll update this review in a few days. I guess the bottom line is you can't go wrong with EITHER of these amazing monitors.

Hope this helps someone somewhere.

Cheers and good sailing,
Capt. HM Murdock