I never thought that I would actually be championing an LG product, but I have discovered that in the lower in LCD market, they carry the best bang for their buck. Their perceptual contrast rate of 10,000:1 (while not absolute) is notable better than direct competitors.
I have picked up a 19″ for the office, and a 22″ for the home office, and both of them seem to be working well beyond my expectations.
So, if your find yourself in the market for a fairly cheap, but very usable LCD monitor, you may want to look into the LG Flatron series.