AOC V22+ review

In a world where first impressions make all the difference, AOC’s latest monitor is off to a flying start, grabbing the attention with a slim figure and a smart, modern design.

Looking more like a stylish LCD TV than an average monitor, the glossy, eye-catching frame crams in plenty of features as well.

It’s novel to find a 1.3-megapixel webcam and microphone integrated into the top bezel, and there's a pair of integrated speakers too. AOC has opted for a choice of D-SUB and HDMI inputs, although with no HDMI-to-DVI cable in the box, we'd perhaps have preferred the traditional DVI port.

We'd also have liked a Full HD panel, rather than the 1,680 x 1,050 used here.

It's a choice that would be easy to dismiss if the image quality was up to scratch, but the V22+'s keen sense of style doesn't extend to the pictures it produces.

The LED backlight makes for amazing power efficiency – the AOC consumes just 17 watts under normal usage – but it didn’t impress in our image tests. Backlight leakage was noticeable at the top and bottom of the screen, and whites appeared somewhat dull and murky.

The onscreen menu offers a combination of manual colour controls and ineffective picture-enhancing modes, but, try as we might, we just couldn't coax the best out of our test shots.

Colours always appeared subdued and lacking in punch and, combined with the average black level, the V22+ obscured detail in darker scenes. Compare it to the frumpier likes of BenQ’s G2222HDL and the AOC’s images look positively average by comparison.

The V22+’s minimal design and equally minimal power draw may appeal to many, but bland image quality and a whole host of superior competitors mean the V22+ really isn't the stylish bargain it would have you believe.

Author: Sasha Muller