Digital Lifestyle > Reviews > Low-cost monitors reviewed > Viewsonic VX2255wm-2

Viewsonic VX2255wm-2

Viewsonic VX2255wm-2
  • Manufacturer: ViewSonic (www.viewsoniceurope.com/uk)
  • Pros: Unusual white finish, good video performance, headphone socket on the monitor
  • Cons: Unusual white finish, webcam feature not available for Mac users, wobbly stand, questionable colour accuracy
  • Min specs: 22in widescreen monitor; Audio - Line Out, USB - Universal Serial Bus, Video - 15 pin High-Density D-shell (VGA), Video - 24 pin DVI-D; 16:10 aspect ratio; 1680x1050 resolution; 5ms response time; 700:1 contrast ratio; 280 cd/m2; 0.282mm pixel pitch; viewing angle: 170 degrees H, 160 degrees V; 16.7m colours (24-bit); refresh rate: 60Hz; 16:10; Built-In Microphone, Built-In Webcam, Speakers; Adjustable Height, Headphone Jack, Wallmount; 5.9kg; 225x527x530mm; 3-year warranty
  • Price: 185
  • Star rating: 3

Viewsonic has thrown caution to the winds by producing a monitor with a shiny piano finish, which is white rather than the more usual black. Shiny white doesn’t show up finger prints and scratches as easily as black, but it’s an unusual choice which may limit the appeal for some users. If it doesn’t work for you, a more conventional black option is available at a similar price.

The VX2255wm-2 is a standard 22in display with a resolution of 1,680 x 1,050. Physically there’s a height adjustment but no swivel. The stand is fairly lightweight and not very wide, so the monitor wobbles more than you might like. This won’t be a problem in an office with a concrete floor, but it may affect some home users with old and less stable floorboards. Connection is via both D-Sub and DVI-D. The built-in pair of speakers are tinny, even compared to other panels, but if you don’t want to use the speakers, there’s a convenient extra headphone socket on the panel.

An interesting feature is the built-in webcam and microphone, connected via a USB socket. Unfortunately, there are no Mac drivers, so Mac users won’t see any benefit from these extras.

Initial performance was mixed. Contrast was good with no obvious backlight bleed through, but the default settings added an obvious yellow cast to images. It took some wrestling with the OSD to tame this, but without adjustment it’s unlikely this monitor would be an ideal choice for either photography or video. The OSD was very similar to Iiyama’s – not quite completely intuitive, but better than most of the competition. As with the other monitors in our test, video performance was good – a quoted switching time of 5ms meant there was no visible smearing at all.

This monitor has been a popular choice for PC users, who use it for gaming and general web applications. It seems to be less convincing for Mac users – the Mac market for extra features may be small, but leaving out support for the webcam and microphone means it’s not likely to get any bigger.

This product is part of our Low-cost monitors reviewed group product review. Other products in this group are:

 

AG Neovo E-W19

  • Star rating: 3

 

BenQ E900T

  • Star rating: 3

 

Iiyama ProLite E2207WSV

  • Star rating: 4

 

LG W2252TQ

  • Star rating: 4

 

Samsung Syncmaster 2232BW

  • Editors ChoiceStar rating: 5

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