Product Review: Dell W2600 26" LCD-TV

The W2600 is everything you would expect from Dell in terms of price and performance. Add to it a well-designed remote control, swiveling table stand, and 30w audio system with non-detachable speakers, you have a good-to-great television that is perfect for anyone who wants the appearance of a large screen TV without taking up too much space. It also doubles as a PC monitor if desired. Priced at least $1000 less than most major electronics manufacturers, the W2600 is a smart buy for anyone.

Along with the 26" LCD display, you will receive the following when ordering a W2600:

Remote Control
AAA Batteries (2)
Power Cable
S-Video Cable
Audio Cable (2)
Composite Cable
DVI Cable
VGA Cable
PC Audio Cable
Owners Manual and Product Information Guide

The only negative associated with the included cables is the lack of a component cable. Otherwise, every cable type necessary is included in the purchase.

The W2600 arrived in one package with all cables and documentation secured within the top of the Styrofoam that protects the television. They are the first items you see when opening the box, and the built-in organization will help store any unused cables. The television is well-protected between two pieces of Styrofoam, which is comforting considering almost all purchases of this display will be shipped.

The unit wasn't difficult to take out of the box, but when I moved it to the TV stand it weighed more than I expected - 43 lbs with stand, 37 lbs without stand. Still, the weight isn't any more/less than larger 30" models.

All connections are on the bottom facing down with the exception of one composite, S-Video, and headphone input located on the side. The stand is well-designed as it swivels left-right, and has a wide base for balance. The only downside with the stand is that is doesn't have any vertical adjustment, but it comes off for wall mounting.

It was difficult to read the input types on the back panel without the aide of a flashlight. A better design would've been to write the design type in white instead of black. However, the swiveling base made it easier to connect devices because you could get behind the unit.

The W2600 is HD-capable, and has the ability of showing images up to 1080i with the aid of an external receiver. It features a widescreen aspect ratio, a resolution up to 1280x768, and a TFT Active Matrix LCD screen. It has a contrast ratio of 500:1, response time of 25ms, and utilizes video processing technology by Pixelworks called DNX, Digital Natural Expression.

My first impression with the W2600 when watching with DirecTV's standard satellite service was good. I was pleased to see a bright, vivid picture. The detail was good from channel to channel, though I noticed pixelation on channels with inferior quality, and ghosting on words moving across the screen, like on the ESPN ticker. Overall, the picture was better than worse. When watching from more than 5 feet away I hardly noticed any pixelation.

I watched several DVDs, and loved its performance with 480p technology. It was remarkable to see the difference between 480p and 480i. I watched Cast Away from about 12' from the screen, and it looked great. But, I noticed pixelation in brighter colors when looking at it up close.

I didn't watch this model in HD, but judging from its DVD performance, the W2600 will pass the HD test. Overall, I liked the picture for TV and DVD.

My only real complaint with the W2600 picture deals with PC and game system display. They're minor issues, but worth noting.

I played several XBOX games through component cables, and was disappointed in the W2600's ability in drawing diagonal lines, especially in the ESPN NHL 2K5 game. The blue line was jagged when angled, and player's edges were squarish. This probably has something to do with the LCD technology, but I would've liked to see more rounded edges.

When connecting the W2600 to a Sony VAIO laptop through the supplied VGA cable, words appeared unbalanced from left-to-right in terms of boldness. This could've had something to do with Sony's video card being unable to support the resolution for the W2600. However, the Sony used was a newer model, and not everyone can afford to install new video cards just for this purpose. Dell offers support online, including download of new video drivers.

Overall, both issues were very minimal and did not infringe on my ability to enjoy either activity. On a positive note, there was no ghosting on the XBOX, and each game had excellent playability. As a PC monitor, the screen is a nice size. The large desktop would be ideal for video editing or working with multiple open windows.