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While it may be tempting to buy the largest screen you can afford, you’ll get a far better deal with a 22in screen, as BenQ’s E2200HD proves. However, it’s not just the size of the screen that’s important, but the resolution, too. Fortunately, the E2200HD doesn’t disappoint on this front. It is the only 22in monitor here to cram in a full-HD 1,920×1,080 resolution. It looks great, too, and won’t be out of place in your living room or study. The control buttons on the right-hand side of the monitor are clearly labelled on the front of the frame, making adjustments simple. We lowered the contrast slightly and raised the brightness, and the default colour settings gave us a warm tone that’s perfect for producing a vibrant entertainment image. The black level was deep, with just a hint of backlight bleed at the bottom edge, while our gradient tests showed off the monitor’s excellent high contrast ratio (an impressive dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1 is also active), with a very even distribution across the spectrum. The side-by-side comparison revealed stronger and more natural colours than on the other 22in models. Our gaming test flew by with tremendous vitality, while our video clips and test photos showed just how sharp a picture you get from the high resolution. The E2200HD’s 1,680×1,050 rivals fall behind in this respect. You’re not limited to standard PC use; the HDMI port means you can watch Blu-ray movies at full HD resolutions. You’ll need external speakers, as the 1W speakers aren’t capable of producing good sound, but the high-quality screen makes movies look great. This makes the E2200HD a good choice for entertainment, provided you don’t want to watch TV.
With the highest resolution, best image quality and lowest price of all the 22in monitors here, the E2200HD is incredible value. It’s our favourite monitor here, and wins a Best Buy award.
