Get Dell's ultrasharp 24" IPS panel. You can hook so much up to it, it might as well be a TV.
It has 2 DVI, VGA, composite, component, display port, hdmi, sound out/support for a speaker bar and a 4 port USB hub. It is very adjustable, with settings for sRGB and Adobe RGB. it is a matte screen, 1920x1200. It is absolutely beautiful.
Oh, and it rotates 90 degrees for portrait mode, swivels, and it height adjustable. I got mine for a little less than $500. Love it. At $600 I would still be happy.
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=320-8277
If you want to game on it (Xbox, PS3), the response time and lag in game mode are perfect for fast paced games. Absolutely no issues there.