CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 10/07/2009
Editors' note: The original rating for this review was changed thanks to a previous mistake with our pricing system. The error has now been fixed and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
The AOC V22 can be found online for $231. That's about $60 less than the price of the Samsung XL2370, the best LED-based monitor we've reviewed. The AOC offers a built-in Webcam and microphone, but its advantages over the
Design and features
The 22-inch AOC V22 is nearly as thin as the 23-inch Samsung SyncMaster XL2370, measuring 0.75 inch in depth, compared with the Samsung's just more than 0.5 inch. The bezel measures 1.1 inches on the sides--identical to the XL2370's bezel width. The full width of the V22 is 20.7 inches, shorter than the XL2370's 22.5. The V22's screen has an extremely glossy and reflective finish, and the piano-black panel is just as reflective. On the edge of the bezel is a plastic transparent overlay, and in the top center of the bezel is an integrated 1.3-megapixel Webcam and microphone.
The V22 uses an oval-shaped base that measures a relatively large 9.75 inches wide and 7.5 inches deep, yet doesn't do much to minimize wobbling. Surprisingly, the V22's light 8 pounds of weight (less than a pound heavier than the XL2370) worked as an effective anchor to prevent it from toppling.
The neck of the display measures a short 1.1 inches. The bottom of the bezel sits about 1.6 inches from the desktop, but unfortunately, the screen height isn't adjustable, and there isn't a screen rotation or pivot option for portrait mode. The capability to tilt the screen back 15 degrees is the only included ergonomic feature.
The V22's connection options include one HDMI port and a VGA port. Unfortunately, there's no DVI port and no HDMI to DVI cable. The only cable AOC includes is VGA. There's a USB upstream port, but no downstream ports. All of the ports sit on the back in the lower right section of the panel and face backward, instead of down, like most monitors do. Thankfully, the connections aren't recessed into the panel, making them easy to access.
In the lower right-hand corners sits the power button, which doubles as the OSD array. The button is surrounded by a silver ring, used for navigation. Hold the button in and the monitor powers down. Tap the power button, and the OSD menu pops up and includes an icon-based interface. The Menu includes controls for brightness, contrast, and color temperature, including sRGB, which you use to adjust the custom color by changing the red, green, and blue values individually.
The OSD includes five presets: Movie, Sports Text, Internet, Game, and Standard. In addition, included are several subpresets that boost the amount of color. A useful feature if the image on screen looks dull.
The AOC V22's 16:10 aspect ratio has a 1,680x1,050-pixel native resolution. The 16:9 monitor trend currently sweeping the market has given many smaller monitors higher resolutions than they were capable of at 16:10. A 22-incher (or 21.5), with a 16:9 aspect ratio, now has a potential high-def, native resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels as opposed to 1,680x1,050. It's disappointing that AOC did not include 16:9 here because high-definition content--in particular 1080p movies--can fit onto a 1,920x1,080-pixel screen without distorting the image.
| Manufacturer's specs: |
| Resolution: 1,680x1,050 |
| Pixel-response rate: 2ms |
| Contrast ratio: 100,000:1 (Dynamic) |
| Connectivity: HDMI, VGA |
| HDCP compliant? Yes |
| Included video cables? VGA |
| Backlight: LED |
| Panel Type: TN |
Performance
We tested the AOC V22 with its DVI connection. The display posted a composite score of 92 on CNET Labs' DisplayMate-based performance tests, matching the LG Flatron W2386L's 92, but came in under the Dell G2410's 97 and the SyncMaster XL2370's 96. While the V22 didn't do particularly badly in any one test, its performance in color won't set the world afire. In our Dark Screen test, clouding or backlight bleedthrough was noticeable on the top, bottom, and sides of the screen. We were pleased that the display didn't crush dark grays and confuse them with black.
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Where to buy
AOC V22 Verfino:
$199.98 - $239.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
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$199.98 | Yes |
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$239.99 | Yes |
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$230.99 | Yes |
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$236.85 | Yes |
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