BenQ E2200HD in Monitors

While it may be tempting to buy the largest screen size you can afford, you'll often get a better deal in the more mainstream 22in sector, and this BenQ monitor is a fine example of that. Like its rivals from Iiyama and ViewSonic, the E2200HD crams a Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 resolution into that 22in frame, and combines some impressive visuals with an attractive price.

The design is certainly a cut above most BenQ monitors we've seen, taking inspiration from last year's Samsung range with a black body/silver control bar two-tone combination. Samsung has stepped forward from there with its gorgeous red range and the BenQ doesn't compare, but this won't look out of place in a bedroom or study. It comes with a pair of basic 1W speakers, but offers DVI, D-SUB and HDMI ports for connection to PCs and consumer devices alike.

The right-side buttons are clearly labelled on the front of the frame, making adjustments simple. We lowered the contrast slightly and raised the brightness, and the default colour settings gave us a tone just on the warm side of neutral - perfect for producing a vibrant entertainment image.

The black level was deep, with just a hint of backlight bleed at the bottom edge, while our gradient ramps showed up the strong contrast with a very even distribution across the spectrum. Our tinting test images showed the neutral tone of the greys, making this one of the more accurate budget TFTs in the group. Crysis flew by with no motion problems and tremendous vitality, while our video clips and test photos showed just how sharp a picture you get from such a low pixel pitch - the 1,680 x 1,050 rivals fall behind in that respect.

Opinions vary as to whether the move to 1080p in PC monitors actually makes sense - if you don't watch video, you're essentially losing 120 lines of pixels to pander to the consumer crowd - but for better or worse it's a shift that's occurring, and since 22in models haven't really made the leap to 1,920 x 1,200, it's a trade-off we'll take. The BenQ E2200HD is simply the best all-round example we've yet seen: impressive picture quality, decent ergonomics, a range of connections and a very attractive price make it this month's deserving Labs Winner.

Author: David Bayon