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I've just received this SONY HX93 today. I've been looking at the models at local retailers but could not really see much difference between different LCDs, say, between this one and a lower priced samsung...Until I've seen it on my desk!

pros:
1. nice panel. don't really know who manufactuered the lcd panel, but sony definitely picked up a good one as the basis for the product. I have it delivered to my office and I can compare it to my office 19" LCD, which is a lower priced SAMSUNG 192T. That was a nice one, but not as bright as this SDM-HX93. I am sure a similiarly priced SAMSUNG will probably look as nice, but hey, it's a SONY and it's on sale. $700 is not that much more expensive than $660.
2. nice overall package. elegent looking. cable nicely organized.

cons:
1. the speakers in this LCD are of a much lower quality comparing to how nice the LCD panel is. I can not believe it when I first heard the cracking sound out of them when I turned the volume high. It sounds OK when the volume is low though. And there is absolutely no bass, and since the speaker units themselves are so bad, the SRS WOW system can't do too much to improve it.
2. since it is still quite an expensive model, I will like to see the pivot feature and composite/s-video inputs. Lacking both.

Overall a good product.

I've been in the broadcast industry for 17 years and am accustomed to working with high quality CRT monitors, most of them Sony. When it came time for a new computer monitor, I decided to check out Sony's LCDs. After months of research, from reading specs and customer opinions, to viewing them at electronics stores, this one came out on top. The picture quality is impeccable...not quite the quality of a top-of-the-line CRT, but it's close. LCDs still have a ways to go to match the clarity of CRTs. But for an LCD, I am very impressed. Yes, this is not an inexpensive monitor, but it is well worth the extra money.

Some things to remember when researching a monitor:

Read the specs. Look for things like -
Is it and Active TFT? Yes is better.
The lower the dot pitch, the higher the picture quality.
Contrast ratio: the higher the better.
Lower response times are better.
Higher brightness is also considered better.

These are admittedly, generalizations. One brand's .25 dot pitch might not be as good as another's .29 dot pitch.

The best thing to do is find some good monitors by doing the technical research, reading reviews, and obtaining information from as many resources as possible. Ultimately, the decision comes down to you and your eyes. View some monitors at local retail shops. Look for text quality, black on white and white on black, (is there ghosting?); check for pixelization in photos and video; if possible, look at a black screen for dead pixels, and at a white screen for hot spots. Some of these may be hard to see at a store, but compare the best you can.

Admittedly, I have not tried gaming on this monitor, and the video is slightly pixelized, though much less than I expected an LCD to be. Text is crystal clear. The only down side to this monitor, as with many Sony products, is their menus. They are somewhat difficult to navigate and the buttons are awkwardly on the side of the monitor, so you have to feel your way around. Aside from that, this is an excellent monitor and I feel you will be highly pleased with your purchase. By the way, after viewing the HX93 at a store, come back here to buy. You'll save lots of money.

UPDATE - After reading the above review, I put the speakers to the test and regretably, found that the speakers do indeed lack quality sound. For visual accurancy this is still hard to beat, but invest in some decent speakers.

This monitor is by far one of the nicest and most crisp monitors I've seen. The display is very well illuminated, the text sharp and very readable at 1280x1024, and the colors are very, very vivid.

Unfortunately, the monitor was not built for the First Person Shooter (FPS) in mind. I found that the display had a hard time keeping up with the refresh rate of games like Far Cry and Unreal Tournament 2004.

I was using the DVI cable which locks in the refresh at 60hz. I also tried the monitor without the DVI input, but unfortunately it didn't make any difference. Games still appeared to suffer from video lag. :(

This monitor is perfect for everything except for fast paced games.