Greetings,

I am considering the purchase of a new monitor. 

Price and size are one motivation ...

23" Hannspree HF237HPB HDMI Widescreen LCD Blu-ray 1080p
Monitor w/Speakers & HDCP Support (Black). available at geeks.com
for $146. 

In the past, I have seen warnings here about how monitor quality could
have a serious impact on image editing. 

How well would this monitor perform? 

Any comments appreciated.  Thanks.

--Martin

p.s. This question also posted in the Hardware Forum.

 It's been a while since i researched monitors so i have forgotten most of the things to look out for.  But contrast ratio would be a good one (not Dynamic tho - mine is 20,000:1 but that is dynamic (meaning the screen dynamically changes the brightness of the screen from frame to frame whilst watching films (which can be really annoying actually)).  The other was the pixel pitch and (only for gaming) the response times... mine is 2ms and anything below a 5ms screen was getting laggy...

Also TFT vs LCD vs (i think by now tho i havent checked availability) OLED plays a part.  

I just found this forum thread which from a quick skim read (i havent checked the links) might provide a good source of information on how to go about choosing a good monitor:

http://forums.tweakguides.com/showthread.php?t=3197

Price and Size are good motivations but if you get a big monitor with a small native resolution you might as well just save your money for a better quality smaller monitor with the same native resolution...

First off, I would not go with a refurbished product. Pay the $40 more and get a new one.
Try looking at newegg.com. Most items on there have reviews that you can look through to give you a rough idea of how good or not somthing is.
For a monitor you want 1080p, hdmi hookup, high contrast ratio, a fast response time(for gaming), and good customer support. 

You can have the best monitor out there but if your color and gamma settings are off then your going to screw up a photo editing it. It will look good to you but not anybody else.

Thanks to onnetz for your response ...

Pay the $40 more and get a new one. Try looking at newegg.com.

I didn't see (find) the same monitor in 23" monitors on newegg.com. 

Could you provide a link to the specific monitor you were thinking of? 

For a monitor you want 1080p, hdmi hookup, high contrast ratio,

The 23" Hannspree HF237HPB offered by geeks.com does have those features. 

BTW, I can get that one with free shipping ... IOW, the $146 is my total cost: 
monitor, shipping, and no sales tax. 

a fast response time(for gaming),

Thanks, but gaming is not a concern for me. 

Thanks to inshaala for his comments ...

if you get a big monitor with a small native resolution you might as well
just save your money for a better quality smaller monitor with the same
native resolution...

My current monitor is a 19" Dell M991 which I run at 1280 X 960.

The 23" Hannspree HF237HPB with a resolution of 1920 X 1080 would be
a welcome improvement ... and would still fit on my computer desk/hutch. 

That would be wide enough to allow all of the photoshop pallets and a good
sized image to coexist without having to go to a dual monitor configuration.

My most important question about this monitor is color ... will the colors be
true ... will the colors be stable across the entire viewing area at an 18"
viewing distance? 

--Martin

@Martin;
Good advice offered by Inshaala....all important points in monitor selection.

But, you have just asked one of the most important questions in your last response;

**"My most important question about this monitor is color ... will the colors be
true..."

**If you are planning to use this monitor for photo imaging work.....I strongly suggest that you consider the monitors color gamut capability.
Most consumer LCD's only produce a 72% NTSC color gamut....several high end models produce well in excess of 100% NTSC color gamut.
The higher the better....unfortunately that also means more expensive.

For info on LCD color gamut;

http://compreviews.about.com/od/monitors/a/LCDColorGamut.htm

If your monitor manufacturer does not mention what color gamut its model produces....it is most likely the 72% version (most common). 
(A quick survey at one of my local big box electronic stores had only ONE model out of about 30 on display that had clearly identified it's color gamut capability.  When asking the young techie sales clerk about color gamut.....his eyes "glazed" over....I think the only thing he knew was that Friday was pay day)

Again, if you are intent on using any monitor seriously for photo imaging work, I also recommend adding a hardware calibration device in your purchase decision.

Thanks to gradient for his input. 

I checked with Hannspree pre-sales and got this answer ...

After doing some research, our techs have advised that the Panel for
the HF237HPB and the HF229HPB have the same panel. Both panels
display color gamut of 72%.

OK ... given that it is a refurbished 23 inch widescreen LCD HD (1080p)
monitor with 72% of NTSC color gamut ... for $146 (no tax; no shipping)
... is it a bargain ... or a dog?

BTW, I already own a Spyder2express color callibration device. 

Comments, please.

--Martin