Dell introduced two new desktop “S” displays for the mainstream market this week during the Consumer Electronics Show: The 27-inch S2719DM and the 23.8-inch S2419HM. They’re nearly identical in nature outside their obvious size differences, packing extremely high brightness levels, deep color support, and wide viewing angles. They’re extremely thin from front to back, and rather elegant, sporting a black and silver design.
That said, Dell is claiming the “world’s brightest ultra-thin monitor” torch with the release of these two displays. At their thinnest, they measure 0.21 inches thick, and are complemented by Dell’s InfinityEdge design (read: narrow bezels). Both are based on in-plane switching technology and Dell’s own ComfortView design for flicker-free viewing, and low blue light levels.
“Dell’s Ultrathin Monitors are the brightest in the world,” the company says. “Corning Iris Glass is a glass substrate used as a light-guide plate (LGP) in Dell monitors. This best-in-class material enables an ultra-thin form factor, boosts brightness, and delivers brilliant pictures.”
According to Corning, Iris Glass essentially distributes light evenly across ultra-thin displays so you’re not viewing dull colors or see low brightness in some spots. The typical light-guide plate can warp due to heat and humidity, thus manufacturers are forced to create displays with a thicker backlight and wider bezels to handle the physical changes. Corning’s Iris Glass solves the problem with “superior” stability and optical performance, enabling thinner displays.
Dell 27 Ultrathin Monitor
Key Specs
- Model: S2719DM
- Size: 27 inches
- Panel tech: In-plane switching
- Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 @ 60Hz
- Pixel pitch (mm): 0.233 x 0.233
- Max brightness: 600 nits
- Response time: 5ms Fast Mode / 8ms Normal Mode
- Release date: January 30
- Price: $500
This is the largest model of the two, sporting a 27-inch screen packing a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution. It’s based on in-plane switching technology that pushes deep, rich colors and wide viewing angles. The result is a desktop monitor supporting 99 percent of the sRGB color space, and 85 percent of the DCI-P3 color space. It also serves up 178-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles, and a color depth of 16.7 million colors.
According to the specs, this panel has a typical contrast ratio of 1,000:1, but a dynamic contrast ratio of 8 million:1. It’s HDR-ready, and the only model of the two that’s actually certified by VESA with a DisplayHDR 400 classification. That is a new standards system measuring the level of a panel’s HDR capabilities, placing capable displays in three brackets: 400 (low), 600 (medium), and 1,000 (high).
As for other features stuffed into Dell’s new monitor, it has a typical brightness of 400 nits, but a peak brightness of 600 nits, both of which are still rather high. There are two response times as well: 8ms when the panel is set to Normal Mode, and 5ms when moved to Fast Mode. Port-wise, you will find two HDMI 2.0 ports, one audio jack, and surprisingly no DisplayPort connections. Given you’re paying $499 for a display, you’d expect at least one DisplayPort option.
Dell 24 Ultrathin Monitor
Key Specs
- Model: S2419HM
- Size: 23.8 inches
- Panel tech: In-plane switching
- Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 @ 60Hz
- Pixel pitch (mm): 0.2745 x 0.2745
- Max brightness: 600 nits
- Response time: 5ms Fast Mode / 8ms Normal Mode
- Release date: January 30
- Price: $300
Overall, this model is identical to its 27-inch sibling, save for the obvious size difference. Everything you see here is packed into the larger version: The same brightness levels, response times, color depth, color space support, and so on. But it has a lower resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 at 60Hz, and it’s not certified by VESA as an HDR-class product even though its HDR-ready. The price is lower too at $300versus the 27-inch model’s $500 price tag.
According to Dell, both panels have a maximum thickness point of 1.14 inches while their thinnest point measures just 0.21 inches. All four ports are aligned in a vertical strip just below where the metal stand connects to the back of the display. In turn, the stand includes a vertical opening, so your connected cables are strung through the opening, and down along the stand for clean cable management.
Given the panel includes two HDMI ports, there is no sign that the displays support simultaneous, side-by-side inputs on a single screen. Instead, Dell’s notes show that customers instead toggle input sources. Other notable features in both products include thin “InfinityEdge” bezels for more screen and less frame, a clean curvature across the entire back, and a tilt ranging from five degrees to 21 degrees.
