LG IPS235V

When I reviewed the LG IPS236V last year I gave it high marks for its overall performance and for being one of the first truly affordable IPS monitors to hit the shelves. LG's newest model, the LG IPS235V ($239.99 list), is also a good performer, and it's reasonably priced. Like its predecessor, the IPS235V offers three video inputs, and unlike the earlier model, it delivers a relatively blur-free gaming experience. That said there are similarly priced IPS monitors out there that deliver similar image quality but give you much more in terms of features.

Design and Features
The IPS235V has a somewhat different look than its older sibling. The clear trim and glossy black bezels and cabinet have been replaced by thin (0.65 inch) black bezels sporting a textured finish, while the cabinet is done up in a matte black finish with a small strip of glossy black plastic around its outer edge. There's a silver LG logo in the center of the bottom bezel and an IPS LED logo to its left. A Flatron IPS235 badge is affixed to the left side of the upper bezel and there are six function buttons and a power switch mounted beneath the lower right edge of the cabinet.

The eight-pound cabinet is attached to a thin mounting arm and supported by a shiny black rectangular base. You can tilt the panel forward and backward but there's no mechanism for swivel or height adjustments. At the rear of the cabinet are HDMI, DVI, and VGA video inputs as well as a headphone jack for HDMI-supplied audio. The IPS235V doesn't come with integrated speakers, nor does it have any additional options such as a webcam or USB ports.

Pressing any of the function buttons activates an on screen labeling system that shows what each button does, making the picture settings menus fairly easy to navigate. Here you can adjust brightness, contrast, sharpness, and black level settings as well as gamma and color temperature settings. Picture modes include User, Movie, Text, Photo, and sRGB presets, and you can tweak red, green, and blue saturation levels. Clock, phase, and position adjustments are available when using an analog (VGA) signal.

The IPS235V comes with a one year warranty, which is rather stingy compared to the three year deal you get with models such as the ViewSonic VA2231wm-LED and Acer S230HL Abii .

Performance
The IPS235V performed admirably on the DisplayMate Color Scales test; color gradation was smooth across the entire scale and primary color screens appeared uniform with no apparent hot spots. The panel had no trouble displaying swatches from the dark end of the 64-Step Grayscale pattern and delivered nice inky blacks, but there was some clipping at the light end of the scale that caused the two lightest shades of gray to appear white. The clipping is minor and does not affect color quality, but if you require a higher degree of light grayscale accuracy, consider the NEC MultiSync EA232WMi instead.

Small text from the Scaled Fonts test appeared clean and was legible at 5.3 points (the smallest size on the test). Whereas last year's IPS236V model produced some motion blur, the IPS235V's 5-millisecond (black-to-white) pixel response provided blur-free gaming and movie viewing. Burnout Paradise on the Sony PS3 played smoothly with no trace of motion artifacts, as did The Dark Knight on Blu-ray disc. Image detail was outstanding on both. As with any IPS monitor worth its salt, the IPS235V provided excellent viewing angles with no color shifting or loss of luminance from any angle.

IPS panels are nowhere near as energy efficient as their TN counterparts, and the IPS235V is no exception. It required 34 watts of power while operating with the Super Energy Saving feature disabled but that number drops to 29 watts with power saving enabled. That's identical to what I saw with the IPS236V and right in line with the NEC EA232WMi's power requirements. By way of comparison, the Lenovo LS2421P Wide , which uses a TN panel, required only 16 watts.

The LG IPS235V does a lot of things well. Its IPS panel delivers robust colors and deep blacks, and it displays dark grayscale patterns with aplomb. Viewing angles are wide with no color shifting or image deterioration, and fast action games and movies play smoothly. If you're looking for an IPS monitor with a few more features, the 3D-ready Asus VG23AH has four video inputs and comes with 3D glasses and its only $40 more than the IPS235V. That said, the NEC EA232WMi offers the best all-around performance and feature set for an IPS monitor in this price range.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the LG IPS235V with several other monitors side by side.

More monitor reviews:
??? LG IPS235V
??? Asus VG23AH
??? NEC MultiSync E201W
??? HP 2011xi
??? Lenovo D186 Wide
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/MsWUYjzwVBc/0,2817,2408716,00.asp

milwaukee bucks bear grylls us news law school rankings gael glen rice jr bars lindzi cox