Dell E228WFP

Dell's E228WFP is a no-frills 22-inch widescreen display with an attractive price tag and a generous three-year warranty.
 
Priced at just $279, the E228WFP is $150 cheaper than, say, the ViewSonic VX2235wm. Granted, it doesn't come with speakers, and there are no USB or additional A/V ports like those found on the Gateway FPD2275W, but performance-wise, it's on a par with more expensive models.
 
The 1680 x 1050-pixel panel is framed by a business-black, ultra-thin bezel and is mounted on a black and silver Y-shaped tilt-only stand. DVI and analog inputs--the only connection ports you get--are located at the rear of the display. However, the digital input supports HDCP, a necessity for viewing protected high-definition content. Although the E228WFP lacks an integrated speaker solution, a powerful ten-watt clip-on sound bar is available as a $30 option. Four function buttons situated on the lower-right bezel let you tweak brightness and contrast levels and adjust other settings such as screen positioning, phase and clock timing, and color levels.
 
The E228WFP's five-millisecond pixel response time delivered flicker-free video and an overall smooth gaming experience. Watching movies on the widescreen was a pleasure, and Dell's claim of a 160-degree viewing angle was spot on. Colors were bright and accurate, and small text was fairly legible, although some characters were difficult to identify when the font was set to 5.3 points. The panel was able to display all levels of the dark-gray color scale, but it was unable to accurately display the lightest shades of gray. Most home and business users will hardly notice this weakness, but imaging professionals will require a monitor with stronger grayscale attributes. Along with ViewSonic, Dell is one of the few vendors that still provides a standard three-year warranty on its LCD monitors, a nice perk for such an affordable display.
 
If you're in the market for an affordable 22-inch widescreen and don't require all the bells and whistles found on some of the more expensive models, the Dell E228WFP should at the top of your short list.

 

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