HD monitor

right now im running a MBP, the version just before the new ones. I want to add a monitor to give me more viewing pleasure! The MBP does not have an HD video card (at least i think) So im wondering if buying/using an HD monitor will look better than a standard def. monitor.

also ive read about the new Samsung LED monitor coming out soon. 1/2 the price of the apple LED ones. anyone know the difference between LED and an HD LCD? thanks so much!

yer mbp will support resolutions up to 1920x1200 through yer hdmi port. i'm on a 2.2ghz mbp typing this on a dell monitor that's 1920x1080 which is the same resolution as (obviously) 1080i HD

edit: and i doubt you'd notice a difference between a ccfl and an led display, as most people don't. led is instant-on and uses less power, but visually both are amazing.

i assume by hdmi port you mean the dvi port? Im running the 2.5 MBP and all i have is a dvi and i think all the new ones have are the mini dvi.
I did some more looking around and it seems the 'HD' monitors really only say they are hd because they can be used a regular tv in addition to a monitor. So as long as a monitor supports full 1080p i should be good right? I just want to make sure before i go out and buy something.
I hooked my friends 720p tv up to my MBP and it looked ok. but at school we have g5's hooked up to the older mac cinema displays and they look awesome. I just want to get close to the same results without having to spend $1000 on a monitor.

hahah sorry, yeah i meant DVI. the 30" cinema displays run resolution slightly higher than 1080i iirc, but not much higher. 720 to 1080 is a pretty large difference, so yes, it wouldn't look nearly as nice on a 720p monitor.

All MacBook Pros support the 30" Cinema Display as the DVI port is dual-link capable.

The difference between a 24" and 30" in terms of resolution is actually quite big:

23"/24" = 1920x1200 (which can display 1080 at 100%)
30" = 2560x1600

The 30" is ideal if you are into photo or video editing (since you can display 1080 at full res and still have room for toolbars, timelines etc...)

IMO: Apple monitors are very high quality, however they are expensive. I'd recommend you read reviews and try before you buy if you can though, the monitor is the most important part of any setup.