HP w2558hc review

The HP w2558hc achieved a brightness score of 387 candelas per square meter (cd/m2)--slightly lower than HP's claimed 400 cd/m2 max. The Planar, with its brightness of 308 cd/m2, came in significantly lower than their 400 cd/m2 claimed max.

Our Kill Bill Vol. 1 DVD ghosting test yielded minimal ghosting on the HP and noticeably more ghosting on the Planar. We played the movie in the HP's Movie preset and appreciated its deep blacks and vibrant colors.

Unreal Tournament 3 looked great running at 1,920x1,200 pixels--as long as we didn't use the Gaming preset. Otherwise, we didn't see any blurring or evidence of input lag.

We also used DisplayMate Motion Bitmaps Edition to test the refresh speed and noticed that the HP had less trailing and blurring than the Planar. We also looked at a number of high-resolution photos with DisplayMate Test Photos Edition in each monitor's photo preset and the Planar delivered more accurate and unsaturated colors.

The optimal viewing angle for a monitor is usually directly in front, about a quarter of the screen's distance down from the top. At this angle, you're viewing the colors and gamma correction as they were intended. Most monitors are made to be viewed only at that angle. Depending on its panel type, picture quality at nonoptimal angles varies. Like most monitors, the HP w2558hc uses a TN panel, which gets overly bright or overly dark when viewed from non-optimal angles.

Juice box
HP w2558hc	Average watts per hour
On (default luminance)	92.8
On (max luminance)	95.65
On (min luminance)	43.82
Sleep	1.81
Calibrated (200 cd/m2)	60.07
Annual energy cost	$28.94
Score	Poor

In the power consumption tests, the HP w2558hc drew a whopping 92.8 watts in its Default/On mode--more than Planar's IPS-based PX2611w, which drew 89.4 watts. Based on our formula, the w2558hc would cost $28.94 per year to run--compared with the PX2611w's $27.96 per year.

Find out more about how we test LCD monitors.

Service and support
HP backs the w2558hc with a one-year limited parts and labor warranty that covers the backlight. That's much less than other vendors, such as Dell that usually offers three years coverage. Shipping labels and in-home service are included, as well as support through HP's 24-7 toll-free number. Just be aware that the free service ends after one year and HP begins charging after that. HP's Web site offers chat and e-mail support with responses within an hour.