Asus VW246H

We've already reviewed Asus's affordable 26in VW266H, and it's now the turn of its smaller sibling. The VW246H shares the same glossy black styling, which we'd put in the upper realms of the catwalk charts, but builds it around a 1080p panel that's focused very much on entertainment.

To this end you get the choice of HDMI or DVI inputs on the rear along with a 3.5mm audio input should you take the latter route. With a pair of 2W speakers the Asus isn't bad at all as a media device: it sounded a little hollow and lifeless during bustling action scenes, but there was a fair amount of bass and more than enough volume for a bedroom or study.

Hook up a Blu-ray player or games console and you won't be disappointed by the images either. With a 1080p video source the picture was sharp and crisp, with plenty of detail at both ends of the spectrum. Colours were mostly accurate, and our grey tests showed good neutrality once we'd switched from the dim sRGB to User colour.

Throughout Wall-E and Crysis we were impressed with the panel's clarity, but if the VW246H has a weakness it's at the bottom end, with its black level a little weak and grey; our black-to-white gradient ramps had barely any black in them at all, which makes for slightly disappointing contrast. Small bands of backlight also bled through at the top and bottom edges, and this resulted in a picture that was a little more washed out than punchy and vibrant.

It's certainly no deal-breaker, but when you factor in the price - at £195 it's a little cheaper than the superb Samsung SyncMaster T240, with its glorious style and excellent image quality - it's touch and go whether we'd opt for the Asus.

The stand is basic and only tilts, while there are no USB ports or extras of note. The decent integrated speakers do add a little to the appeal but with similar specs and more class we'd probably pay a little more for the Samsung.

Author: David Bayon