Alright, I’m kind of slow at getting into new tech sometimes because if I buy something that works, I’ll stick with it until it gives up the electric ghost and will run no more. I still have a couple of “old” standard-def tube TV’s running here and my PC is still rocking Windows XP because most of the games I play are from the days discs came in boxes of assorted sizes with manuals. Anyway, I’m not THAT set in my ways when I see something that works for what I need it for and is built to last.

That said, I’ve been eyeballing a friend’s BenQ gaming monitors for a little while now, as I’ve slowly but surely been looking to upgrade my old (and I mean ancient) Dell CRT to something a bit more modern and flexible. He loves his because it’s clearly the product of a company that knows what it’s doing (and has so for years) when it comes to delivering a reliable product at an excellent value to consumers whether they’re gamers or not. That said, it looks as if we’ll both be upgrading to the RL2455HM, the company’s latest gaming monitor that offers stellar performance and features at a ridiculously affordable price.

Set to launch in March at $229, the RL2455HM offers up many of the features of the company’s impressive model RL2450HT but adds in 1-ms GTG response time, 2-watt stereo speakers, dual HDMI ports and advanced custom settings, such as BenQ’s Black eQualizer (no more contrast issues!), Display Mode, and Smart Scaling, all of which add up to quite a solid package. The company has been listening to its legion of loyal users and thanks to its partnership with MLG (Major League Gaming), you can see the results with each new monitor they release. I got a peek at both monitors at a pre-CES event and was blown away at how the design team came up with everything from adjustable height and tilt functionality and even a optional matching keyboard that looks amazing and offers up a ton of customization options FPS and RTS gamers will truly appreciate.

BenQ is also well respected amongst projector users, so those in the know know where to go when they’re looking for a quality product that’s made to last and does what it does well enough to recommend to a friend. The company is offering up two new full 1080p HD models, the W1070 (left) and the W1080ST (right) which do double duty as everyday workhorses or fantastic way to catch your favorite films with or without 3D. The 1070 will retail for $1099 and the W1080 will be $1299. Both are great, but the W1080 stands out because it allows users with small spaces to project an up to 100 inch screen image (in high definition!) with only six feet from the projector to a wall, screen or other surface.

When I saw the W1080ST in action a few months back at BenQ’s preview event here in NYC, I did a double double take because it was such a shock to see such a huge and sharp image from a Blu-Ray (Disney’s Brave) coming from a projector so close to a wall and running in 3D with no distortion at all. The W1080 is also highly energy efficient and features a lamp that briefly shuts off if the image is blocked (as in someone getting up and walking past the projector). While I currently don’t have need for a projector here, the image and overall product quality plus the potential gaming-related possibilities of the W1080 might convince me otherwise. There is a nice long white wall in the living room here, but that’s where the dining table is and I don’t think the “dinner & a movie” concept I had is doable, as you can’t heat up a can of soup using the projector.

BenQ is also getting into the lamp business with some fun, arty lighting concepts (well, fancy lamps, for the less erudite reader), but I’ll do a separate post about those in a few days, as I need to get to some pressing matters here (a pile of games and some reviews to write)…