NEC MultiSync EA261WM review

We've only seen one 26in TFT before, the Iiyama PLE2607WS, but in reality the second - NEC's latest large-format display - can just as easily be compared to any number of monitors from 24in right up to 28in, as they all use the same 1,920 x 1,200 resolution.

As with the expansion of 20in TFTs to 22in before, the additional inches come with the trade-off of greater pixel pitch and thus a decline in sharpness, but it's a progression that history tells us will most likely continue.

The EA261WM comes with a much higher price tag than Iiyama's budget offering, and the panel is of an accordingly higher quality. Out of the box it came with the brightness maxed out, which resulted in horrible bleached colours, but lowering that by a significant amount rectified the problem. That wasn't easy though - the NEC has a small directional 'nipple' for navigating menus and ours jammed within five minutes; only with a good deal of heavy-handed persuasion could we change any settings at all.

With the brightness lowered and Native colour finally selected, the EA261WM performed well in our technical tests. The black level was deep with just a hint of a blue tinge in the bottom segment - not what we'd class as significant backlight bleed. That backlight was even and very bright at 400cd/m2. Our only major technical issue with it was the poor viewing angle, as anything off centre vertically turned the screen progressively darker, while horizontally the black disappeared almost entirely.

The NEC produces reasonably accurate colours, too, with a warmth that makes it ideal for displaying vibrant photos and videos. Its TN panel isn't a patch on the high-end LCD3090WQXi, but compared to more appropriately priced competition we like it.

Our high definition video tests did throw up the main issue that going larger brings: side by side with the new 1080p 22in models, or even a 24in TFT with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, the NEC does lack sharpness. The increased pixel pitch makes HD look a bit less impressive than we know it can, especially if you sit close.

With DVI and VGA ports, along with some pretty average 1W speakers, the EA261WM only really offers its 11cm-extending stand as a sop to feature hunters. But as part of the EA range of supposedly environmentally friendly monitors it does have something else of note.

The power consumption isn't particularly low at 84W (at our desired settings), but there's a 50%-brightness Eco mode to lower that to 58W and it's still perfectly usable for work, if not entertainment. More interestingly, this NEC tells you the impact your brightness has on its carbon footprint: that 50% level reduces the footprint to 85% of maximum and it'll go as low as 75% should you be willing to sacrifice further brightness.

Additions like this are admirable, even if the monitor itself isn't really any greener than any others of its kind, but it's not enough to make us want to recommend the EA261WM. At £399exc VAT it's dearer than other 26in models around, much more so than the budget Iiyama, and we don't think the panel offers enough of a quality jump to justify that premium. It?€s a good monitor with some innovative touches, but the value isn't quite there.

Author: David Bayon