DGM L-2248WD review

The cost of Hanns.G's huge 28in TFT might have shocked us, but the most astonishing price tag this month is surely for this Digimate model. Also sold as an own-brand TFT by retailers such as Dabs, the L-2248WD is a DVI-equipped 22in display that can be bought for just £80.

It isn't bad looking, either, with a slightly plasticky bezel that nonetheless appears glossy from afar, adorned with silver buttons sensibly placed front-right for easy tweaking. The labels are clear and the buttons do exactly what you'd expect, so we easily changed to 6,500K colour and raised the contrast a little.

As you'd expect, there are flaws: the backlight bleeds through a bit too much at the bottom edge on dark screens, our gradient tests showed the screen is darker at the top than the bottom, and the whole tone is a little bluish compared to dearer rivals. But as everyday displays go there's certainly nothing major here to put us off our purchase, with no banding evident and reasonably neutral greys.

Movies showed good detail from the 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, and the 5ms response time took care of fast motion without a hitch. The integrated 2W speakers are nothing to shout about, but the 3yr on-site warranty is reassuring given the low price.

When you consider that just a few months back we hailed as groundbreaking a high-resolution 19in TFT for £85, the step up to a perfectly usable 22in at an even lower price brings into question the fate of 17in and even 19in monitors. The TFT landscape has moved upwards again, and the L-2248WD is its new baseline.

Author: David Bayon