MaximumPC 2008 10

light matches the color filters of the pixels
themselves. Besides producing a wider
color gamut, LED displays are also able to
achieve a deeper black than standard CCFL
monitors. On the other hand, LEDs are more
expensive than CCFLs, and individual LEDs
can, potentially, age at different rates.

INPUTS
Ideally, you’re not planning to connect your
new LCD monitor with a VGA cable. That
analog standard is old and moldy, and it’s
preferable to maintain a digital signal from
your computer to the display. While LCD

displays should come with at least one DVI

port, that standard is being augmented by

newer, more capable digital interfaces such

as HDMI and DisplayPort. Both offer greater

bandwidth than DVI (which is crucial for

displays with resolutions greater than

1920x1200), HDCP-support for playing

copy-protected content, and the ability to

carry both video and audio signals over

the same thin cable. While HDMI has more

market penetration on videocards than Dis-

playPort, adapters will allow you to connect

your videocard’s DVI port to your display’s

HDMI or DP input.

HDCP

Put simply, if your display doesn’t support

HDCP (High-Definition Copy Protection),

you won’t be able to watch commercial HD

DVD or Blu-ray movies in full resolution on

your display.

CONTRAST RATIO

Don’t pay attention to contrast ratios: They’re

all hype, as each display manufacturer will

engineer its own testing situation, so there’s

no basis for meaningful comparison.

Manufacturers have recently taken

to touting a screen’s dynamic contrast

ratio, which is typically a higher (thus

more impressive) number than standard

contrast ratio, although the techniques

for measuring this are just as suspect.

Some monitors offer a dynamic contrast

feature that performs on-the-fly adjustments

to contrast in order to enhance the gray-

scales of the given content. The downside

is that these adjustments aren’t always ana-

lyzed correctly—your picture can be thrown

too far into either the dark or light extreme.

Worse, if consecutive scenes in a movie or

game differ dramatically, you’ll likely notice

the image fading in and out as the display

adjusts to the content.

PIXEL RESPONSE TIME

Quite simply, pixel response time refers to

how long it takes a single pixel to transition

from one state to another. Just like contrast

ratios, pixel response measurements are

entirely at the mercy of the manufacturer. A

slow pixel response time can result in ghost-

ing in fast-moving content such as games.

Increasingly, LCD monitors sport newer video

interfaces, such as HDMI, alongside the trusty

DVI port.

Planar’s PL2210MW display is a classic repre-

sentation of your average 22-inch display—a

6-bit TN panel that bears the mediocre image

quality of that class. In DisplayMate, the

1680x1050 display’s grayscale range was ac-

ceptable, although it fell apart at the light end

in both the grayscale test and when the screen

was tasked with producing very light colors

against a white background.

More frustrating, the PL2210MW was

unable to produce a solid black or white

that wasn’t tinged with gray. The display’s

grayscale gradients also feature an unwel-

come yellow tint that showed up in the

grays of our real-world tests.

We didn’t experience any issues

with the PL2210MW in our gaming tests,

save for the contrast and saturation lapses

previously mentioned. These problems hurt

the display as a movie-watching platform, as

a number of scenes just couldn’t achieve the

true black they demanded. Color reproduc-

tion on our high-defi nition photos was of

average quality. While we weren’t unhappy

with the results, we’ve tested a number of

other monitors that produce more color and

vibrancy in our test images.

We were troubled by the display’s anemic

speakers and lack of onscreen display options

for audio confi guration. We’d rather do with-

out the subpar attempt and pay less for the

product. With support for only DVI and VGA

inputs, the PL2210MW stands solidly in the

middle of the pack.

SPECIFICATIONS

VIEWABLE AREA 22”

NATIVE RESOLUTION 1680x1050

INPUTS VGA, DVI

PANEL TYPE TN

The bare-bones PL2210MW isn’t much to look

at when it’s off. It isn’t much to look at when

it’s on, either.

VERDICT

$275, http://www.planar.com^6

PLANAR PL2210MW

Planar

PL2210MW

Plain, indeed

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MAXIMUMP C.com

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