Some time ago, I discussed the great deals you can score on refurbished digital cameras and today, we’re following a similar concept by looking at a debranded HP LCD monitor courtesy of Geeks.com. Even though it doesn’t have the HP branding on it anymore, it’s still a 20 inch Widescreen HP LCD monitor under the hood. As we found out with digital cameras, something that is a little less new, might save you a lot. Debranding also has seemingly similar financial benefits.
Are debranded and refurbished LCD monitors a great way to save some precious cash or are you just flushing your money down the proverbial toilet? Let’s find out if this 20 inch Widescreen LCD Monitor makes it all worth it.
Losing the Brand Name and Saving Money
While it may not be exactly representative of all debranded LCD monitors, the one provided to us by Geeks looks like it would be pretty typical of the kind of product you would receive. For the purposes of this article, we are taking a look at a 20-inch HP debranded LCD monitor currently offered on their website.
More specifically, this one carries the model number TS-20W7R. After some quick online research, I discovered that this debranded monitor is actually a refurbished version of the HP W2007. The convention used for the model number appears to be quite similar, as the “20” clearly represents the size of the LCD, the “7” and “07” seem to indicate the series (or the 2007 model year), and the “W” designates that this is a widescreen.
There are two significant reasons why this particular monitor, currently retailing for $144.99 on Geeks, is so much cheaper than its brand new counterpart (listed at $327, but sold for around $220 at various online stores). First, the TS-20W7-R is factory refurbished. Second, it has been debranded, so there’s not much that says “HP’ on here.
Features and Specifications
This affordable option actually comes with a pretty decent set of features. It won’t be able to compete against the higher-end monitors in the marketplace, but it easily holds its own for the purposes of most consumers. Among the features and specifications are the following.
- 20-inch TFT Active Matrix display
- Black and silver case
- 1000:1 contrast ratio
- 1680 x 1050 @ 60Hz maximum resolution
- -5 to 25-degree vertical tilt
- Built-in speakers
- On-Screen Display (OSD) controls
- 15-pin VGA connector
- DVI-D connector
- 3.5mm audio-in
The contrast ratio is far from leading the pack, but the resolution is par for the course and the inclusion of the stereo speakers helps to reduce desktop clutter. Let’s pop the box open and see what our massively discounted display has in store for us.
Real-Time Price and Stock Check – Find More HP Monitors Here
Looking Inside the Box
Not surprisingly, the box is not the most exciting thing in the world and it gives you the impression that you are buying some offshore brand. Rest assured that this is still a (refurbished) HP product in there.
For some strange reason, though, whoever loaded my particular box deserves a little chastising. For whatever reason, they decided to place the LCD upside down in the box. The bottom was on top. Normally, this wouldn’t that big of a deal, but I did notice some minor cosmetic damage (scuffs) on the top of the monitor. I can’t say for sure, but this damage may have been caused by the packing process (or it may have been there already).
Getting past this minor hiccup, I was pleasantly surprised to see what was included in the box. Whereas new retail versions of monitors can come with a bunch of relatively useless documentation and not much in terms of accessories, the refurbished TS-20W7 supplied me both the VGA and the 3.5mm audio cable. There was no DVI cable, unfortunately.
Aside from the cables, I found a remarkably brief quick start guide, the power cable, and the base. And that’s it. This is (almost) everything you need and nothing you don’t.
The Risk of Refurbished LCD Monitors
As mentioned above, there were some minor scuff marks at the top of the monitor. Thankfully, there was no visible damage on the front face of the LCD, so unless you’re particularly anal about having impeccably perfect gadgetry, those scuffs won’t bother you at all. What would bother you, however, are dead and stuck pixels. The unit that I got seemed to be in good shape and I didn’t notice any dead or stuck pixels, but you do run that risk when you go for debranded and refurbished merchandise.
More specifically, the Geeks.com website says that LCD displays “may have cosmetic imperfections that appear as small bright or dark spots. This is common to all LCD displays used in products by all vendor [sic] and is not specific to any vendor or brand.” The page goes on to state that up to eight of these “dot defects” fall into the acceptable range. You should really take this into consideration when looking at refurbished LCDs.
Getting Connected
Setting everything up was a breeze. After sliding the monitor into its included base, I proceeded to make the necessary connections with my computer. There are no drivers involved, so the whole experience was plug-and-play. Choose between VGA and DVI (or both), connect the audio cable, and you’re good to go.
Real-Time Price and Stock Check – Find More HP Monitors Here
Buttons and Settings
Naturally, you’ll want to make some minor adjustments through the on-screen display to suit your particular preferences. The buttons are located on the lower-right edge of the monitor and while they are aesthetically-pleasing, using them wasn’t nearly as fun. They’re too thin and right on the edge of the two-tier bezel, so they were a little hard to hit comfortably. You can blame HP for that and not the refurbishing process.
Not surprisingly, the on-screen menu interface runs you through the usual gamut of options, like adjusting the brightness, contrast, and so on. It is also here that you can run through the power saving options and that kind of thing. The TS-20W7 is also equipped with a few preset “modes”: movie, photo, gaming, text, and custom. Those are pretty self-explanatory. I stuck to custom and adjusted it to my own liking.
Viewing Angles
So, how does this debranded LCD display stand up against the competition? While regular web surfing and text editing yielded minimal problems, I did find a few notable issues upon further inspection. The viewing angles are not as good as I’ve seen on other monitors, like the Samsung SyncMaster T220; a monitor that I’ve previously reviewed.
Taking an extreme horizontal viewing angle from either side produced a slight haze effect. This isn’t a huge deal, but a bigger problem arose when I considered the vertical viewing angles.
Looking down from the top was fine, but looking up from the bottom produced the image that you see here. That reddish glow is not a result of PhotoShop or my digital camera; that’s actually how it looked.
Now, it’s unlikely that you’d be staring at your monitor from such an extreme angle, but even minor deviations from a straight-on view did yield lesser versions of what is shown above. If you’re just checking email and watching videos on YouTube, this little bit of red won’t bother you too much. However, if you are doing any photo or video editing, or if you are doing any gaming, this could be frustrating.
Yes, you didn’t exactly pay for the best, so you shouldn’t expect the best when you take a look at a refurbished and debranded monitor, but I’d expect a minimal level of performance.
Real-Time Price and Stock Check – Find More HP Monitors Here
Test Pattern Performance
Using test patterns generated by software provided by DisplayMate, I was able to point out a couple other things…
Color purity appeared to be fine, but the contrast (1000:1 ratio) could use a little work. The black wasn’t the darkest thing in the world. Also, I noticed some uneven contrast that I did not notice under normal use. This may have been solved with a little tweaking, maybe, but some test screens appeared darker near the top than near the bottom. It’d hardly be worth investing in a monitor calibration apparatus like the X-Rite Colormunki due to the relatively low price of this display.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
Debranding doesn’t get rid of everything HP though. At least one of the screens still had an HP logo on it, giving you at least a little peace of mind that this is still a Hewlett-Packard product under the hood. Even if you are not backed by their customer service or warranty, you are backed by the HP pedigree and the relative quality associated with it. By (mostly) getting rid of the branding on this 20-inch monitor, you effectively gain similar savings as you would get with a no-name or knockoff brand. The refurbished part of the equation saves you even more money.
Considering that the price of the debranded TS-20W7-R is about half of what you’d pay (at list price) for its brand new equivalent, it’s understandable that you’ll put up with some shortcomings. If you need an LCD monitor that is absolutely top-notch with top-tier specs and features, this is probably not the one for you.
However, if you’re looking to get tremendous value, a good number of features, and adequate performance for the average user, it is a very bright idea to include debranded and refurbished products as part of your search for an LCD monitor.
Pros
- Great value for a more than adequate monitor
- Lack of branding is great for anti-consumerism types
- Integrated stereo speakers with included cables
- Crisp, bright, and vivid display
- Unique stand design provides extra storage space
Cons
- Significant visible discoloration from extreme viewing angles
- Possible risk of dead/stuck pixels
- Menu buttons are too small and awkward to use
- Minor cosmetic damage to frame
- Strange issues with uneven contrast
Overall Rating: 7.0 / 10.0
Discuss This Review in the Futurelooks Community Forums
Real-Time Price and Stock Check – Find More HP Monitors Here
Debranded HP LCD Monitors: Identity Crisis or Real Deal? (Photo Gallery)
Real-Time Price and Stock Check – Find More HP Monitors Here