Eizo FlexScan S2242W review

You know an Eizo monitor is going to cost you more than most of its size-equivalent rivals, and the quality of the panel is usually enough to justify that price for graphics professionals. But the FlexScan S2242W has more than just quality as its selling point: it's one of the few 22in TFTs we've seen to boast a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution.

True, Lenovo did try it as far back as 2007, and recently we've seen many 22in models offering a movie-friendly 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, but 1,920 x 1,200 has stubbornly remained the preserve of 24in TFTs and above.

It makes perfect sense for Eizo to choose this resolution for its high-end 22in model, as this certainly isn't an entertainment monitor to go with your 1080p Blu-ray player.

The 8-bit S-PVA panel is simply stunning, with vibrant and accurate colours, tremendously deep blacks and bright whites, all aided by a perfectly even backlight.

Gradients were smooth and evenly distributed, and we saw not a hint of tinting in our neutral grey tests. The OSD is clumsy, but that's less important in a monitor that's likely to be adjusted with a colour calibrator.

There are a few interesting menu inclusions, though. Eizo touts its EcoView technology, which displays an 'eco' scale on screen whenever you change a setting; lower the brightness and you'll see it fall, indicating lower power consumption.

It doesn't give you any hard figures but it's a useful quick indicator nonetheless. Plus, with Auto EcoView enabled the ambient light sensor on the front adjusts the brightness for you to suit your environment.

The rest of the Eizo is as you'd expect. The fully adjustable stand tilts, swivels and lifts through around 8cm, and you'll find DVI and VGA ports on the rear.

There's a two-port USB hub on its side and a set of integrated speakers, although at 0.5W they're nigh-on useless for anything but basic desktop sounds or low-quality audio clips.

But you don't buy an Eizo for its speakers, you buy it for the quality of its panel and this Eizo delivers.

The high resolution and flawless colour reproduction makes it ideal for professionals who don't have the space for a larger monitor and, given its superb performance, that price doesn't look at all unattractive.

Author: David Bayon