So I have a friend that works for a company that can get me an employee discount and I am considering either the samsung 2693HM which is the 26" and has a contrast ratio of 1000:1 or the samsung 2493HM which is the 24" and has a contrast ratio of 10,000:1. I do not know alot about monitors but I would like the monitor to run 1080i from a blueray player via hdmi and both of these monitors have hdmi inputs. I have a small bedroom in my apartment and this will double as a TV in my bedroom. Thoughts please.....

Hey frosty,

Actually the contrast ratio of boot monitors is actually 1000:1.
The other listed number is more of a marketing scheme type thing. Its called dynamic contrast, which is an "adaptable contrast" the screen will automatically adjust brightness and contrast depending on if its a lighter or darker image on the screen. It's not as cool as it sounds. When you have a bright screen it makes it brighter and more detailed, but a dark screen gets way to dark. Very backwards in my opinion.

The 2493hm has a dynamic contrast of 10,000:1 where as the 2693hm has a dynamic contrast ratio of 3000:1. I personally own the 2693hm and have played with the dynamic contrast but don't like it very much. The real number to look at is the lower one is the lower one which for most monitors these days is 1000:1.

1000:1 is also only achievable at 100% brightness, so in other words I have my brightness at a bright but very comfortable 81, and achieve 477:1 contrast ratio when calibrated correctly.

This is a great all around monitor (I also have had two different fhd2400 Gateways which I returned because they looked great at the store but quickly developed horrible backlight issues) and I am very happy with my decision. This is better in my eye than the Gateways, and although the extra size of the 2693 on paper dose not seem like much, it makes all the difference. I believe it to be the absolutely perfect size ratio for big lcds. It's a magical size, and if you end up getting one, you'll see what I mean.

That all being said, neither are 1080i both do 1080p, so if thats the most important look else where, if it's not a hug issue you may just love these monitors.
I hope some of this helped. Good luck with your next purchase!
P.S. Its always good to buy from a place with a decent return policy, so if even a single dead pixel, or backlight bleed You can return it quickly and get something that makes you smile

I actually work for Best Buy and am about to purchase the 24" version (I like my pixel density tight, even the 26" was to spaced for my taste and plus it would kill me looking at that 36" monster up close) for gaming and stuff. I'm assuming the models have the exact same features because they list on the Samsung manual together. I read a review between the 2493HM and a BenQ and it mentioned in the review that the 2493 has 1:1 pixel mapping (or A/v can't remember) and that a lower resolution will always appear scaled not stretched. I like that in certain situations but sometimes I want a full screen stretch. Do these monitors allow you to turn off that feature or no? Is it good for a TN panel? I work by it everyday but I don't have time to stop and inspect. Ideally I'd have the 245T as its S-PVA and the viewing angles are awesome but sadly it has no HDMI inputs. Would I be better off tracking down the 245T and just using DVI? I'm sorry for all the questions but I've been dying for answers about this all, I'm so close to snatching this sucker up!

Ideal for a 24" the 245T is an all around better product due to its great panel. If you have the means I would say go for it. As for these TN's there are probably some of the best out. As far as the aspect ratio I'm not sure but I believe you can adjust the scaling in at least forceware(Nvidia) drivers for sure. The HDMI is not an issue ever because there are no benefits to hdmi over dvi for monitors. In fact there is a adapter for hdmi to dvi and vice versa, but they are both the same exact signal and quality. The only thing hdmi does different is carrying audio signals as well. Hope some of this helps

Yea that helps a lot I'm realy close to purchasing it now but I still have the problem of TN vs S-PVA. Cost is not too much of an issue here, I'd be ok with going higher than the the $499 (400 with my discount) for the 2493 if image quality is concerned. This isn't a part I want to skimp on. But the truth is I have never ever seen an S-PVA panel in person. I want to be able to justify the cost of one. If I could definetly see a comparison (even between the 245BW and 245T, the 245BW has the same panel as the 2493HM) between the two in a store I'd order the 245T. The monitor choice for my computer has definetly been the most troublesome because of this.

FYI I've heard that no 24" TN panel as of yet has overdrive, so the response times for PVA are actually better. I'm not 100% sure on this, but it's something to look into.

Hrmmm ok. That's good to know. Lol I just wish OLED's would be mainstream so you don't have to worry about response times etc. I'll see if I can look up a retailer that has a 245T on display although I doubt I'll find it with Samsung's realease of these new monitors. Or who knows maybe there will be a PVA 2493 later on.