The jump to HD video editing via the Black Magic Design's Intensity Pro capture card has necessitated upgrading to a computer monitor that not only supports DVI-D for when I'm working, but also HDMI so I can pass along along the signal from an Xbox 360 or PS3. I've been running two 20" LCD monitors side-by-side and will still need a second monitor for taking notes and writing while playing games. Because of this I was hesitant about getting too big of a monitor for fear of running out of space on my desk.
It's amazing how you can make things fit when you come across a superb 26" widescreen monitor for nearly half the price I paid just 4 years ago for a dramatically inferior 20" one.
I ended up picking up the Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM at Fry's yesterday afternoon (nobody local had the 24" model in stock, else I would have gotten that one... and Fry's had a $50 mail-in rebate on the 26" model) and I have been giggling like a schoolgirl ever since.
The monitor is sleek, bright, has zero dead pixels (not always a gimme), and with a native resolution of 1920x1200 and full support for 1080p, is not only making my photos pop off the screen, but my games look better than ever too. I typically sit hunched over my desk, leaning heavily on my elbows, staring into the monitor at a range far too close to be healthy on my eyes, but not anymore. I'm kicked back in the chair, arms outstretched, and finally after so many years of deskjockeying, am finally comfortable.
I had no idea a monitor of this caliber could be had for so (relatively) little money. It even boasts built-in (albeit tinny) speakers, has a height-adustable stand, and can swivel and rotate into vertical mode. The only complaint I have is the same one that many people registered on Best Buy's website and that is that there is no remote control and the source, volume, and menu buttons are essentially touch-screens on the bevel and are impossible to see without shining a spotlight on the lower right-hand corner of the monitor and squinting. But, in all honesty, this is a fairly minor complaint, as the only time I'm really using those buttons is to switch input sources.
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