MaximumPC 2007 06

reviewsTes Ted. Reviewed. veRdic Tized

 MAXIMUMPC june 2007

D

id we miss something? Was legisla-

tion recently passed to put an LCD

on every desktop? Because here

we are staring at yet another new crop of

flat-panel monitors that meets a common

need. Sporting 22-inch-diaganol screens,

1680x1050 resolutions, and 6-bit rather

than 8-bit technology (see page 64 for

details), this latest breed is bigger than the

norm but surprising affordable—in some

cases, even cheaper than the 20-inch

widescreens we reviewed in March. So

let’s see how they stack up.

—Katherine StevenSon

Dell e228WFP

There are some immediate signs as

to how Dell keeps costs down on its

E228WFP: Its plastic cabinet is uninspired

and lacks typical Dell extras like a media

reader, USB ports, and any ergonomic

adjustments other than back-and-forth

tilt. Still present are full onscreen display

(OSD) adjustments and both a DVI and

VGA port. The E228WFP also supports

HDCP, something we expect from a wide-

screen of this size.

The screen performed acceptably in

our DisplayMate (www.displaymate.com)

tests. Besides some backlight seepage at

the upper and lower edges, screen unifor-

mity was good and grayscales were repro-

duced without flaws other than a hint of

color-tracking issues—subtle red, green,

or blue hues could be seen in certain

shades of gray where the color channels

scale differently.

There were no visible imperfections

in any of our real-world content, which

includes HD mov-

ies, high-res digital

photos, and games,

but we weren’t totally

bowled over by the

E228WFP’s picture. It

lacks a richness and

vibrancy that we’ve

found in our favorite

screens, and off-axis

visibility isn’t great. Still, it’s not a bad buy

for the price.

hP W2207

HP’s oh-so-affordable 22-inch display isn’t the

least bit spartan. It’s attractively styled with

reflective-black and anodized-silver trimmings,

and it has a dual-hinged neck for height adjust-

ment; tilt, swivel, and rotate functionality; and

numerous welcome acronyms: DVI, VGA, two

USB ports, HDCP support, and OSD controls.

A built-in speaker is hardly worth mentioning.

The w2207 also boasts a glossy screen,

which might be prone to glare in environ-

ments with bright overhead or direct lighting

but otherwise makes for a dazzling picture.

In all our real-world tests, the display’s shiny

surface made content look more striking and

contrast seem greater than on the other two

screens reviewed here.

But the w2207 does have its issues.

In DisplayMate, it was the least impres-

sive of the group, thanks to some backlight

blotchiness on a totally dark screen, minor

color-tracking irregularities, and banding in

grayscales of 128 or more steps. While these

factors tempered our enthusiasm for the

monitor, they didn’t mar our experience in

games, movies, and other applications.

vie WSonic vG2230Wm

You might think that being the priciest LCD

here, ViewSonic’s VG2230wm would also

be the most packed with goodness. In fact,

when it comes to features, it falls some-

where between the Dell and HP models. Its

traditional antiglare, antireflective screen is

framed by a stylish but subdued bezel com-

plete with a built-in speaker (pshaw!); DVI and

VGA ports; and a smooth-as-silk telescoping

neck, lazy-Susan stand, and tilt function for

ample adjustability. The OSD provides suf-

ficient user-control of the picture, but trying to

work the buttons along the outer right side of

the bezel is a lesson in frustration.

The VG2230wm does rise to the top of

the heap in DisplayMate, however, show-

ing no difficulties with the utility’s various

test screens. Prominent backlight seep-

age along the top and bottom edges of the

screen, though, isn’t anything to brag about.

And we’re especially perturbed that the

VG2230wm doesn’t feature HDCP—we could

watch copy-protected HD DVDs only through

the analog port. ViewSonic says HDCP will

be “cut in” over the next few months as new

units are produced.

Tale of the 22-Inchers

A new LCD category lets users on a budget go big

the easyclip bezel on hP’s w2207

accommodates photo holders, webcams,

and other hP accessories.

Dell’s e228WFP is pared down in every

respect other than screen size.

a built-in speaker certainly doesn’t make

the viewSonic vG2230wm worth more

than its competitors.

7

dell e228wfp

$330, http://www.dell.com

8

Hp w2207

$380, http://www.hp.com

7

VIewSONIC VG2230wM

$430, http://www.viewsonic.com