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Gateway's FHD2402 trades in pixel count for 16:9

Gateway releases the FHD2402 monitor and we are there!

Eric Franklin Former Editorial Director
Eric Franklin led the CNET Tech team as Editorial Director. A 20-plus-year industry veteran, Eric began his tech journey testing computers in the CNET Labs. When not at work he can usually be found at the gym, chauffeuring his kids around town, or absorbing every motivational book he can get his hands on.
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  • Once wrote 50 articles in one month.
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Eric Franklin

A pleasing design, if nothing else. (There is something else, though...a few things, actually.) Josh P. Miller/CNET

It's been awhile since we've reviewed a Gateway monitor. The last one was the 19-inch Gateway HD1900 and over a year ago I reviewed the Gateway FHD2400. We skipped the FHD2401 model, as it didn't really offer much that was new.

The FHD2402 is a different story. The biggest change is its move from a 16:10 aspect ratio--with an accompanying resolution of 1,920x1,200--to a 16:9 aspect ratio and a lower resolution of 1,920x1,080. The reason for this change is to bring LCD computer monitors closer to HDTVs in terms of capabilities. A 16:9 monitor can display a full screen 16:9 Blu-ray or digital movie shot in 1.85:1, without stretching the image to fit the screen. A 16:10 monitor will need to stretch the same movie's image a bit to get it to full screen and without any black bars.

So, what you lose in pixel count, you make up in the monitor's capability to display undistorted images of movies. If this is important to you, then you're in luck, since the monitor industry seems to be heading downthis 16:9 path. For the rest of you, you're only losing 230,400 pixels, so stop your whining!

Anyway, to see what I really think of the Gateway FHD2402, check my full review and remember to keep checking this page for more new reviews, usually every week--unless I'm off somewhere getting married or something along those lines.