Computer Act!ve - UK (2022-05-11)

25

CHOOSE THE RIGHT SPECS

Issue 631 • 11 – 24 May 2022

VERDICT An above-average 27in

monitor with handy extras that’s good

for everyday Windows use

★★★★★

ALTERNATIVE Dell S2722DZ £389 A

more expensive 27in

monitor, but it has

a higher resolution

(2560x1440 pixels)

for a sharper picture

PC MONITOR | £225 from Amazon http://www.snipca.com/41721

BenQ GW2785TC

Look who’s talking

SPECIFICATIONS

27in IPS screen •• 1920x1080-pixel resolution •• 75Hz

refresh rate •• 5ms response time •• 1x HDMI port ••

2x DisplayPort •• 1x USB-C port •• 535x612x235mm

(HxWxD) •• 7.8kg •• Two-year warranty

http://www.snipca.com/41721

The noise-cancellation function

worked well in our tests, cutting out the

racket from a loud nearby fan when set to

medium settings. Bear in mind that to

remove background noise you will reduce

volume levels of your conversation, so

don’t expect the level of clarity you’d get

from a good headset. The speakers are

fine for Windows sounds and voice calls,

but again you’ll want better models for

music and films.

The display wasn’t particularly bright

in our tests, but it’s adequate as long as

you set it to maximum. If you prefer a

darker screen when the lights are low,

there’s an automatic light-sensing mode

that can brighten or dim the screen

depending on the ambient lighting

conditions. The colour accuracy was very

impressive, reproducing 99 per cent of

the sRGB standard.

Many of today’s monitors are aimed at
gamers, and come with very high
resolutions and lightning-fast refresh
rates. If all you want to do on your PC is
browse the web, reply to emails and type
a few documents, you don’t need all that
p owe r.
The BenQ GW2785TC offers a decent-
sized screen, at 27 inches across the
diagonal. It doesn’t go overboard on
resolution, sticking to the classic 1080p
resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. This is
just enough on a screen of this size to
avoid documents and images looking
pixelated when you view them.

It isn’t the cheapest model you can
buy with these specifications, but it
comes with some handy features that
ultimately justify its price. For starters, its
USB-C connectivity lets you daisy-chain
multiple monitors and charge devices
with up to 60W of power. This is
particularly useful when connecting a
laptop, because it will recharge its battery
while letting you display on a
larger screen.
Another refreshing feature
is the noise-cancelling
microphone. It includes
a physical on/off
switch, background
noise cancelling and a
status light so you know
when it’s switched on.
With a pair of integrated
2W speakers, you can
make audio calls through
the monitor without any
other equipment, though
you’ll still need a
webcam to make
video calls.

Webcam

field of view

What is it?

A webcam’s field of view (FoV) is the

width of the angle that it can ‘see’. This

is important because it dictates how

much of the area in front of it can be

captured when it’s recording, which

will determine how many people can

squeeze in front of it when making a

video call. A limited field of view is fine

if you only want your own face in shot,

while a larger one will be required if you

want to make group calls.

How does it work?

It’s dependent on a number of

factors relating to the lens and

its distance from the sensor

that’s capturing the light that

hits it. Typically, humans have a field

of view of around 160 degrees, which

is why you can see things coming at

you from the sides. Standard cameras

usually have a range of around 72

degrees. This angle is measured from

the front of the camera and spreads

out in a cone shape. For example, our

favourite webcam, Logitech’s C925e

(pictured, and see page 32), has a field

of view of 78 degrees.

What are the specs?

Most webcams have a similar field of

view to standard cameras – around

70-80 degrees. Anything less and

the frame would look cramped, even

when just one person is in shot. Other

webcams offer a wider field of view

• useful for those who want to gather
  in larger groups for a video call from
  a single webcam, or if you want to
  show off your surroundings. Very wide
  angles, however, can look distorted
  around the edges, similar to the effect
  you get from fish-eye lenses.

Can I change it later?

The software on some cameras lets

you reduce the field of view, perhaps

so you can have it follow you around

and zoom in as you move. However,

you can’t increase the maximum field of

view because this is determined by the

physical properties of your webcam.

A solid monitor with

great colour accuracy

and built-in mics for

video calls