Tue, 29 Dec 2009 LG W2353V review

The 23in W2353V is one of LG’s Smart Series displays, which it claims reduces eyestrain. The screen actually has a finish that eliminates glare (pay attention Apple). The W2353V also includes an AutoBright function and a sensor that can detect ambient light and adjust the screen brightness accordingly.

This function worked fairly well, though in some circumstances – such as a room that was a little dim – it was hard to see any discernible difference in the screen’s brightness. You can turn this function on and off.

The W2353V performed well in our image quality tests, showing bright, realistic colours. It also displayed text well, with sharp lettering, even at small font sizes. The monitor has a wide range of viewable angles. In looking at the screen from the side, the image did not discolour or distort. It also handled our motion tests well, showing no visible blurring or flutter.

The screen’s touch-sensitive controls run along the lip of the bottom bezel. Rub your finger over the lip, and red lights illuminate above each key so you can easily locate it. However, what some of them do may be obscure at first as they have labels like Smart, Fun, Menu, f-engine, Source, Auto/Set, and Power.

For this reason, it took some poking around to determine which sub-controls lay under which main control. But they were easy to use once we got the hang of them. For example, tap Fun and you’ll be able to use the screen to zoom in on photos, or to display them in sepia or black and white. The f-Engine menu lets you change the display based on what you’re viewing – optimising it for the web, for example. A Cinema mode within the Smart menu enhances video and optimises it for the display. We saw no motion blur in the movie we watched, and everything looked clear.

The screen worked with Mac OS X and didn’t require any extra drivers – which is a good thing as we couldn’t read the CD that came in the box.

The W2353V offers full 1,920 x 1,080 resolution and 2-millisecond pixel-response time. It includes both HDMI and DVI connections and a headphone jack on the back. The display can tilt, but doesn’t swivel. The monitor itself has a nice look, with a smooth piano-black finish.