The link below says that LG is about to introduce their own very very cheap HDMI compatible ips 27 inch, the IPS277L-BN
for just 30,000 yen. OK in USD that's like $385, but you get HDMI and a real company behind it. Also that price is for Japan so who knows what the US price would be.
That description states a resolution of 1920x1200 instead of the 2560x1440 on these panels. I think 1920x1200 looks pretty awful on a 24" monitor, so I'm sure it will look even worse on one that is 3" larger.
It's a shame these monitors don't have an HDMI input. Then again, I can't complain given the price.
(in Japanese): http://watchmonoblog.blog71.fc2.com/blog-entry-2304.html
[edit: m3koval rightly points out that this monitor is low resolution so only really fit for gaming or video viewing. My mistake. ]