Samsung has announced the SyncMaster FX2490HD – a premium LED-backlit computer monitor with built-in HDTV tuner and speakers. It seems that Samsung has married the recently launched XL2370HD and the recently announced BX2450 an have created a mutant 4-legged offspring. Specifications are nothing exceptional (but little do they tell us anyway), but the styling of the monitor has been inspired by Samsung’s latest C7000 series 3D LED TVs – and they are certainly nice to look at.

Update: The Samsung FX2490HD should launch in Semptember at an RRP of around £300 ($420 for you lucky Americans).

Samsung SyncMaster FX2490HD

ViewSonic has announced it plans to phase out the use of CCFL lamps from their monitors by 2011. ViewSonic says that this is to offer consumers ‘significant energy cost savings and improved performance and contrast from any ViewSonic solution.’ They go on to say that consumers are demanding LED backlighting in their products because of the brilliant performance whilst lowering energy costs. LED backlighting can also make displays thinner, lighter, brighter and more flicker-free. This announcement comes shortly after the launch of the impressively priced VX2250WM-LED. ViewSonic will continue to produce existing models using CCFL backlights until demand for them subsides.

ViewSonic VX2250 - LED backlighting at its greenest

And by this, we don’t mean it needs to correct its vision with a giant pair of spectacles. Dell are continuing to expand their already expansive range of UltraSharp IPS panels, this time with the more expensive (and potentially superior) H-IPS panel variety. The U3011 boasts a 30 inch LG-manufactured 10-bit H-IPS screen with a 2560×1600 resolution (yes – that’s 16:10, or 8:5 for the more mathematically sound), 370 cd/m2 brightness and 12-bit internal colour processing and each monitor comes individually factory calibrated. The response time is 7ms grey to grey, which may not sound like much – but the monitor probably includes Dell’s usual sound compensation algorithms so things should look pretty smooth. We don’t yet have a price (or picture) of this beast, but don’t expect it to come cheap. We will update you as soon as a picture and price becomes available. The Dell U3011 is currently slated for October release (subject to change).

NEC have made a name for themselves recently with their professional IPS monitors and they have become a monitor brand associated with premium class and quality. NEC’s latest offering sports the less premium TN panel type and is a fairly no-nonsense 23 inch LED-backlit panel. The nice thing about this monitor is that, unlike many ‘cheaper’ computer monitors launched recently, the stand is fully adjustable with pivot, tilt and height adjustment. The MultiSync E231W sports the usual 1920×1080 resolution, 5ms response time and a fairly modest (thank you NEC) 25,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. No HDMI port to speak of, but VGA, DisplayPort and DVI feature as standard – as does a stellar 3-year NEC warranty. All of this should be available in August for $299 (probably around £210 UK RRP).

NEC MultiSync E231W

Earlier we talked about a new type of OLED (organic light emitting diode) called WOLED that is supposed to act as a kind of bridge between existing LCD and future OLED technologies. LG have recently announced a professional 5:4 20.7″ WOLED monitor intended for use as a ‘medical display’. An astonishing QSXGA resolution of 2560×2048 is coupled with a staggering static contrast ratio of >100,000:1 (remember – the pixels are all individually illuminated) and literally brilliant peak luminance of 900cd/m2 to give one extremely capable display. Although limited to such professional uses (and probably prohibitively expensive), LG hopes to further develop this technology for use on TV screens and PC monitors in our homes. You can read more about the so-called ‘White OLED Tandem’ technology and medical display here. The future looks bright for LG.

LG WOLED monitor (source: OLED-Display.net)