BenQ V2220 LED backlit LCD Monitor

Product: BenQ V2220
Website: www.benq.co.uk
Specifications: 21.5-inch LED backlight display, 1920x1080 resolution, 1000:1 contrast ratio (10,000,000:1 dynamic), 5ms response time, D-sub and DVI-D inputs, 394x523x171mm, 3.3kg
Price: £160

DISPLAY MANUFACTURER BenQ has recently released a slew of LCD displays in the form of the V-series, which attempts to get a leg up on the competition by combining a slimline design with advanced display technology.

Offering LED backlighting to improve energy efficiency and performance, the series ranges in size from a relatively meagre 18.5-inch up to 24-inch, and is most immediately distinguishable from rivals because of its “world class slimness”.

The slightly misleadingly labelled V2220 here is actually a 21.5-inch LED-backlit screen, but this is one occasion where the all too frequently abused “world’s first” moniker actually seems to hold some water. This really is a beautifully thin design and at 15mm - the 18.5” model is 14mm thick, and another “world best” - it’s difficult not to be impressed by the slim lines and lightweight build.

A relatively small, circular stand screws firmly into a rather thin support that protrudes from the base of the screen and unfortunately this doesn’t do a great job of keeping things stable. You’ll need one hand on the stand when tilting the display to adjust the angle, and it does wobble about a bit when accessing the built-in image adjustment controls. This will be a relatively minor grievance for most and should be weighed up against the small footprint on offer for those with little desktop space, but it does little to contribute to the overall quality of the build and design.

Dynamic contrast ratio, a faux number that seems to get an extra zero or two tacked onto it every few months, is an “astounding” 10,000,000:1, a figure that seems more than slightly ridiculous when the actual contrast ratio is a more realistic 1000:1. Elsewhere a reasonable enough 5ms response time should be able to handle fast-moving video for games and movies and more importantly it offers a native resolution of 1920x1080 (or 1080p) and a 16:9 aspect ratio.

The size, resolution and aspect ratio of the screen should mean it could double up nicely as a TV in the right environment, but despite this the V2220 only offers D-sub and DVI inputs. Both this and the larger 24-inch model will be available with HDMI inputs from June, dictated by the addition of an ‘H’ to the model number and an increase in price of around 18 per cent, but we’re a little surprised not to see this included as standard.

How all of this pulls together for both casual day-to-day use and more specific purposes is obviously of paramount importance and we took BenQ’s Senseye technology and the range of optimised presets available for a spin to see if the performance can complement the aesthetics.

BenQ doesn’t supply any additional software past a user manual on disc so all adjustments are made through the on-screen menus, which for the most part are well laid out. Standard tweaks include manual image positioning, brightness, contrast, sharpness, gamma and colour controls along with aspect ratio adjustment and power saving settings. Of real interest are the image presets however, which include standard, eco, sRGB, photo, game, and movie, with the proprietary Senseye technology kicking in with the last three.

You can preview the effect here with a split screen display that shows the difference Senseye makes, but this doesn’t appear to be anything more effective than tweaking contrast, brightness and colour levels.

Thankfully it does this very well for the most part and the gaming, movie and photo settings do have a genuine impact in optimising the display in these environments.

Colour vibrancy is improved when viewing digital photos and though there is a slight blue hue over images, clarity and sharpness is generally very good. The game and movie modes are quite similar but improved contrast and definition along with brighter colours and softer shades for video playback does reflect nicely against subtle tweaks in game-mode, where added brightness and sharper images make a difference to the latest titles if your computer is capable of reaching the maximum 1080p resolution. In both these environments the monitor reacted well and we saw very little sign of ghosting or blur during fast moving scenes.

The eco-mode, which combined with the 28.6 per cent reduction in consumption compared to CCFL screens, can increase this to 52 per cent, though unlike some other displays that claim similar figures this does reduce screen brightness quite significantly and would only really be suitable for use in darker environments.

Finally, a high quoted viewing angle of 170 degrees is also quite accurate but it’s worth noting that the compact nature of the screen is marred slightly by the required power-block, a necessity on these slimline designs. An MSRP of £160 is reasonable enough considering the inevitable online discounts that will become available, leaving the lack of HDMI on these early models and a slightly unstable stand as the only real drawbacks.

In Short
BenQ’s V2220 is certainly an attractive display and while it doesn’t really offer any bells and whistles, the performance is good enough to back up the impressive design. The size, aspect ratio and economy savings make it a versatile display for the modern home and those looking to take advantage of these modern designs won’t go far wrong here. µ

The Good
Slim, attractive design, decent performance through a range of presets and Senseye, economy savings.

The Bad
No HDMI as standard, few additional features.

The Ugly
Unstable stand can make adjustments awkward.

Bartender’s Score
8/10