HP’s 2009m is an affordable 20-inch widescreen display that produced impressive image quality in our subjective tests. We saw nuanced, accurate skin tones in photographs, and found small fonts easy to read. The screen has a glossy, anti-reflective coating that gives the display a nice sheen—and thankfully, the coating also seems to enhance the screen’s readability rather than detract from it.

The 2009m’s 16:9 aspect ratio and 1,600-by-900 native resolution makes it appropriate for showing HD content. However, the 2009m does not have an HDMI connection—-it offers only VGA and DVI ports. The ports are set in at the back of the display; to plug in cables, it’s actually easier to lay the display down on its face, which isn’t the best (or most convenient) thing to do.

If the lack of an HDMI port and the placement of the existing ports aren’t deal-breakers for you, the 2009m won’t disappoint. Our motion tests showed little visible blurring, a good sign that the display should be a fine choice for watching movies or playing games.

To access the easy-to-navigate on-screen controls, you must use buttons that are set into the lip of the bottom bezel. The display can swivel only on its stand, and tilts with a slightly aggressive push. It cannot pivot.

Macworld’s buying advice

Despite a few drawbacks—no HDMI connection and little physical adjustabililty—the 2009m is a very reasonably priced monitor that offers great image quality.

[Kalpana Ettenson is a senior editor for PC World.]