PC Monitors

Imagine the disappointment of our readers when they discovered that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 doesn’t feature chocolate fudge cakes or custard. We have corrected this misinformation in our XL2370 review – it used to read: “We had a similar experience looking into the sun on Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and found that the bloom effects in the game really hammer home the great contrast between the dark and gloomy indoors and the blindingly bright dessert outside. At times the glare in the dessert was quite literally dazzling”. We were actually referring to sandy deserts. Sandy desserts aren’t really very appetising!

ViewSonic has announced it plans to phase out the use of CCFL lamps from their monitors by 2011. ViewSonic says that this is to offer consumers ‘significant energy cost savings and improved performance and contrast from any ViewSonic solution.’ They go on to say that consumers are demanding LED backlighting in their products because of the brilliant performance whilst lowering energy costs. LED backlighting can also make displays thinner, lighter, brighter and more flicker-free. This announcement comes shortly after the launch of the impressively priced VX2250WM-LED. ViewSonic will continue to produce existing models using CCFL backlights until demand for them subsides.

ViewSonic VX2250 - LED backlighting at its greenest

We spend an awful lot of our time researching, reading about and testing various computer monitors from all different manufacturers. There is so much information to take in that we feel our heads spinning at times – so we can only imagine how confused some of our loyal PC Monitors readers must feel when presented with all this information. That’s why we’ve decided to start our new ‘monitor of the month’ campaign. Basically we pick a recently launched monitor (not necessarily launched this month, but in the past few months) that offers something exceptional – that little bit extra.

The August monitor of the month accolade goes to the Dell U2311H. The Dell UltraSharp U2311H has all of the usual features you’d expect from a modern monitor, including a ‘full HD’ (1920×1080) resolution and high brightness. Where it goes above and beyond, however, is the inclusion of IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology inside the panel. This provides superior colour accuracy and consistancy compared to the usual ‘TN (Twisted Nematic)’ panel technology. It also offers better viewing angles and often better contrast – the overall result is a better image on the screen. As well as delivering an exceptional image, the Dell U2311H is also highly adjustable offering height, pivot, swivel and tilt adjustment. When we first heard about the Dell U2311H (and its smaller but every bit as brilliant cousin, the Dell U2211H) and first saw their price range ($250-$300), we knew they would be winners. So far the indications are that the U2211H and U2311H are responsive enough to satisfy the needs of most gamers – this is often something that concerns people considering IPS computer monitors. We intend to review the Dell U2211H in the near future and find out for ourselves.

Dell U2311H - monitor of the month

TechRadar have ‘reviewed‘ (or more likely – skimmed the surface after a possible brief fiddle) the Eizo ColorEdge CG245W. Anybody familiar with Eizo as a manufacturer of computer monitors is probably unmoved by the news that the ColorEdge CG245W, like most if not all of Eizo’s panels, is aimed at colour professionals who demand exceptional accuracy from their monitors. The nifty feature of this PC monitor, though, is that it has a special ‘wiper’ style calibrator at the top edge of the bezel that allows the monitor to ‘self-calibrate’. The panel itself is a 24 incher of the IPS (In-Plane Switching) variety and offers a 1920×1200 resolution and 98% Adobe RGB (102% NTSC) colour gamut. TechRadar is also quick to point out that the luminance is a little lower than some people may like but is well within the recommended range for colour-critical use and general desktop use. At a recommended retail price of £1800 it is only for the really serious colour enthusiasts.

PC Monitors has published its latest review of the Samsung SyncMaster LD220HD. The LD220HD proved to be a decent all-round performer offering a pleasing TV viewing, radio listening and general computer viewing experience. With its built-in DVB-T tuner and actually quite impressive ‘SRS TruSurround HD’ speakers it is capable of more than most computer monitors – given the price this is an impressive package from Samsung. Check out the full review.

Samsung SyncMaster LD220HD review published