Big, expensive and life-altering? Well, two out of three ain't bad

Like most PC peripherals, monitors mostly sell on price. That's because consumers are largely a feckless bunch of mouth-breathers who can't see past pricing and a small half handful of headline specs. It's $200? It's 27 inches? It's shiny? It's sold. In that context, Samsung slinging out a premium-priced 27-incher is either bold or bonkers.

Samsung's own Series 8 model is around the $800 mark, and recent months have seen a glut of $323 efforts being bought from Korean eBay merchants. Meanwhile, you can pick up a number of 30-inch alternatives for roughly the same money as this 27-inch screen. One thing is for sure - the Series 9 will have to be life-alteringly good.

So what do get? First up is the PLS panel. It's the same type used in the Samsung Series 8 27-inch screen, which is effectively Samsung's take on IPS technology with one or two twists. So far, so good.

Next up is what you might call premium industrial design. That includes a proper metal frame, a brushed metal rear enclosure panel, soft touch controls and a general lifestyle vibe. The stand is height and tilt adjustable, which puts it somewhere between tilt-only cheapo monitors and more widely adjustable pro displays.

Then there's connectivity, which not only includes HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort, but also MHL or Mobile High-Definition Link, which allows you to hook up Android phones. And that's about it. There's no integrated TV tuner or app support. This is a pure PC monitor.

The Series 9 will therefore live or die on a combination of image quality and physical desirability. Unfortunately, we're not entirely convinced by either. The chassis and stand are superficially sexy, but we'd rather have more adjustability and easier access to the inputs. The latter are buried in the base, which makes plugging things in tedious.

Clear as mud

The Series 9's biggest problem involves image quality. That's not a result of a flawed LCD panel - it's lovely. The problem is that it's behind a so-called Crystal Clear Glass panel, so you can't actually see that lovely pannel very well at all.

It's a shame, because Samsung's PLS technology is lovely. You get all the benefits of IPS technology, including superb viewing angles and color accuracy, along with what certainly seems likes improved contrast and definitely involves a smoother, less sparkly anti-glare coating.

Still, the good news is that you can buy the Series 8, which has the same PLS tech, in a more unassuming but actually more ergonomic enclosure, minus the stupid panel cover. Okay, you miss out on the MHL, but it's $485 cheaper, so it's no-brainer.

Technical analysis

IPS stands for In-Plane Switching. PLS stands for Plane to Line Switching. And for the most part, it is indeed a case of I say tomato you say, er, tomato. This analogy isn't really working, but the general gist is that Samsung's PLS technology is very similar to IPS. The biggest difference is that Samsung uses a much nicer, smooth anti glare coating than the horrid, sparkly things you get with most IPS screens. It's a shame it's hidden behind a silly glass cover in the new Series 9.

This IPS screen from ViewSonic shows what's possible when a technology is pushed hard enough. With a 24-inch screen diagonal and 1,920 x 1,080p box as cheap TN panels, but look closer and you'll spot the differences.

The viewing angles are quoted at 178 degrees for both horizontal and vertical. That may not sound like a dramatic increase over the 170 and 160 degrees typically claimed for TN screens, but it makes a huge difference. The 1,000:1 static contrast ratio also hints at a quality panel.

Slightly less impressive is the 6ms claimed for grey-to-grey pixel response. It's the one metric by which IPS panels can't compete with TN technology. The VP2365-LED's 250c/m2 brightness isn't exactly stellar either, especially considering that it packs an LED backlight rather than old school CCFL tech.

The screen's stand and chassis are bland to the point of anonymity, but it's sturdy and stable. They also offer full adjustability, including rotate, swivel, tilt and VESA wall-mount compatibility.

No frills

What you don't get is much peripheral technology. Unlike many cheaper screens, teh ViewSonic VP2365-LED's on-screen menu isn't stuffed with fancy image-processing options, but offers full color, gamma and temperature configurability. There's a dynamic contrast function too, but switchable pixel response modes and fancy adaptive color processing are absent.

Frankly, that's no great loss. Nor is the superficially limited connectivity (DVI and VGA is your lot) much of a downside. Instead, ViewSonic has cooked up a no-nonsense package that majors on the things that matter - panel, backlight and chassis quality. If ViewSonic can excel there, it will have a winner on its hands.

The VP2365-LED puts in a strong showing in the lagom suite of test images. Both black and white scales offer oodles of detail. The color scales aren't shabby either, and the viewing angles do the usual IPS thing, which means the're wide enough to be a non-issue. That often annoying effect of IPS screens, IPS glow, isn't evident either.

It's not entirely flawless though - the 250cd/m2 backlight rating translates into less than retica searing brightness. This isn't an issue for a slightly less flexible monitor.

The only other hitches involve the pixel response and refresh rate. Both, frankly, are relative. In absolute terms, the VP2365-LED is more than quick enough for games, movies, you name it. But it's not as lightning quick as an overdriven TN panel.

Overall, this is an incredibly impressive panel. It's not quite the holy grail of PC paneldom - a screen that marries the best attributes off all available monitors, ditches the bad bits and does it all at price you can afford. That the ViewSonic VP2365-LED doesn't quite pull that off is no surprise. But it comes awfully, awfully close - much closer than any other screen that's in the same price bracket.

Not so long ago, affordable monitors were a case of anything you fancied so long as it was TN. More recently, screens with IPS and VA panels have been coming thick and fast. Hallelujah! The latest member of this new monitor army is Philips Brilliance 241P4QYES.

It supports what Philips calls an AMVA panel. Think of it as the latest iteration of the MVA breed, which in turn is a particular flavor of VA (vertical alignment) LCD panel. That typically means much better colors, contrast and viewing angles. The only slight snag is that the competition among the $318-ish, better-than-TN brigade is hotting up. Dell has been flogging eIPS screens for a while, while BENQ prefers to go with VA tech. Meanwhile, Viewsonic has just launched an IPS-based screen, the VP2365-LED. And it's very, very good indeed.

MVA - brilliant

Specs-wise, the Philips Brilliance 241P4QYES certainly looks promising. The AMVA panel is claimed to be good for 178-degree viewing angles in both planes, 6ms response times and static contrast of 5,000:1.

Factor in the LED backlight and good connectivity, which includes HDMI, DVI and VGA, and you have a very promising package. You even get a fully adjustable stand that lets you rotate the monitor to portrait mode. More predictable is the combination of a 24-inch diagonal and 1,920 x 1,080pixel grid. For PC use we'd prefer the slightly taller 1,920 x 1,200 alternative, but that's asking a lot at this price point.

Philips has also thrown a few image enhancement options into the mix. Not big fan of dynamic contrast, but it's offered here and since it's switchable, everyone wins. The same goes for pixel overdrive, a technology used to improved response times. It's known as Smart response in Philips' parlance, and again it's fully switchable.

As it happens, found it delivered noticeable better response when enabled, without introducing any inverse ghosting or input. As for the other image quality metrics, most are pretty impressive. Colors are rich without being over saturated. Black and white scales both reveal excellent detail, and there's little evidence of color compression. Gradients are rendered impeccably and there's plenty of depth to the contrast.

Less impressive are the viewing angles which can't quite match the best IPS screens. The overall brightness isn't exactly stellar either, leading to slightly dirty looking whites.

While the chassis is very adjustable and well featured, it looks cheap and the USB hub's four ports are inconveniently located on the rear. As good as the image quality is, things are moving fast right now and there are slightly better screens available for similar money.

It's a joy to find yet another great non-TN screen available at this relatively affordable price point though. The main benefits are excellent colors and contrast, and Philips has managed better pixel response than used to seeing from an MVA screen. Impressive.

We want 3D to work. Really. We want to experience another life-changing moment. The problem for current 3D tech, such as 3D Vision, is that every single game since 1981's Monster Maze has been trying to create the illusion of multiple dimensions and depth of field through rendering techniques. From vertex shaders to ambient occlusion, it's all designed to trick your eyes. So when you done the 3D Vision glasses included with this V3D245 and play modern games in true 3D you get a headache, because all the graphical rendering techniques are pulling in one direction, and NVIDIA's stereoscopic vision is pulling in the other. Of course, it doesn't help that the glasses feel like sitting a furious scorpion across your eyes.

Attractive screen

While NVIDIA is still, it must be said, struggling to produce an attractive 3D experience, screen manufacturers are at least finding more attractive ways to incorporate the tech into their package. This ViewSonic screen's a good example. The IR emitter needed for stereoscopic 3D is built into this monitor's chassis, cutting out the extra cables and desk clutter you get with the standalone IR emitter.

The built-in emitter has another important advantage: because it's in a fixed position and never likely to be obscured or nudged by other peripherals, it creates a more consistent 3D experience. When you set the depth right, images really pop out of the screen and you don't need to adjust it as often as you would the standalone emitter.

The chassis is attractive in its simplicity, though the controls are a bit unresponsive and the monitor's on/off light could be clearer. We approve most highly of the dual-link DVI, VGA and HDMI inputs too.

Screens do make some sacrifices for 3D functionality. For instance, the super-quick 120Hz refresh rate needed to produce 3D images, only twisted nematic (TN) panels can be used. They're the nippiest in terms of response, but suffer from poor color reproduction and limited viewing angle compared to a vertically aligned (VA) or in-plane switching (IPS) panel. There's an ace up ViewSonic's sleeve though: considering the V3D245 is built around a TN screen, the color's remarkably good.

The blacks look inky and deep, the whites appear well-defined and true. For Euro360, this VeiwSonic screen offers a hassle-free 3D setup with glasses included, and a quality screen for good old-fashioned 2D viewing too. If you're hell-bent on going cross-eyed and turning your favorite games into pop-up picture books, this V3D245 is a great way to do it.

Fed up with cheap and not-always-cheerful monitors based on TN panel technology? Then get a load of new Asus PA238Q.

At around $365, it's pricier than your average 23-inch TN screen. But joy of joys, it's got an IPS panel.

IPS, of course, stands for in-plane switching and it just so happens to be the finest panel technology known to man or beast. That's why Apple, for instance, exclusively uses IPS in its iPhones and iPads. It's simply the best when it comes to color accuracy and viewing angles.

As it happens, color accuracy is a big part of the remit for the Asus PA238Q. It's pitched as a low-cost screen for he graphics professional.

However, Asus is also claiming 6ms response times, which is very impressive for a IPS screen and makes for a tantalizing all-round package.

Cloud this affordable, color-accurate screen also be killer in-game and at the movie? There's only one way to find out.

Asus PA238Q Open goal

We've been desperate for something, anything other than a TN screen at an affordable price. Few monitor makers have been willing to deliver. Admittedly, BenQ has given us a few cheap screens with VA panels. But its most recent effort, the BenQ EW2430, was seriously disappointing. There's an open goal waiting for Asus to slide home a winner.

On paper, the Asus PA238Q certainly looks like premier league material. Along with that all important IPS panel, you get an LED backlight and a huge color gamut that captures 100 percent of sRGB. Nice. You also get a full complement of inputs including HDMI, DVI, VGA and even DisplayPort. There's picture-in-picture support, too.

The Asus PA238Q is a fine physical specimen, too. The stand is fully adjustable in all directions and hewn from the right sort of plastics. It's sturdy stuff.

The minimalist styling vibe is also loving. The overall effect is like an IBM laptop from the ThinkPad heyday. No nonsense quality, in other words.

It ain't easy picking holes in this classy screen, but one or two imperfections are visible. The review sample had the slightest whiff of backlight bleed on the right hand edge and, like all IPS screens, there's a little backlight glow at some angles when viewing very dark tones. But that's about it.

Image quality

The real clincher, though, involves image quality. Asus claims every PA238Q is carefully color calibrated at the factory and the result is indeed impressive. Rarely, if ever, have we seen a screen with such deft black, white and color scales out of the box. The viewing angles are impeccable, too.

As for pixel response, it's very good news indeed. This is one of if not the snappiest IPS panels we've ever seen.

The panel. The backlight. The chassis. The colors. The input options. The price. Frankly, what's not to like?