GOTY 2010 - Mid Range Monitors

I’ve already covered a lot of products that make your life a little more comfortable such as Blu-ray players , entry level HDTVs and budget home theatre systems. But I haven’t forgotten about monitors. Here’s a look at the top three mid-range monitors.

Dell ST2220L – First Place
This 21.5-inch monitor is, without a doubt on of the best mid-range monitors I’ve tested. I didn’t even have to tweak it all that much for it to pass all the rigorous tests I laid before it. It performed really well straight out of the box. The only thing that may dissuade people form buying this monitor is the slightly complex menu and a little dimming around the edges. But if you look past that, it has excellent picture quality with amazing black levels and is priced really well at Rs. 8,500.

And the blue ribbon goes to..

ViewSonic VX2250wm – First Runner Up
This LED backlit monitor may not be the best, but it’s definitely one of the most fun monitors I’ve ever tested. I spent so much time playing games on it, I almost missed my deadline. It’s great for watching action movies and playing games on, as the response time is really good, which means minimal ghosting and streaking issues. Even the colours it displays felt really rich and vibrant. To top all of that, it is also a thin, nice looking monitor. But unfortunately, it comes with its share of misgivings as well, such as average white levels and the non-inclusion of an HDMI port. The VX2250wm is priced at Rs. 8,999, and that according to me is a great deal.

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Great for gaming

Samsung Syncmaster B2030 – Second Runner Up
This monitor has a nice, simple design with very bright backlight and good contrast. The colours are quite accurate, and it has good motion performance as well. The B2030’s user interface has been designed pretty well, and can be operated by just about anyone. Samsung has also thrown in a lot of extra software such as Magic bright, which controls and optimizes the screens’ brightness and customizable keys. The Samsung Syncmaster B2030 costs approximately Rs. 8,000.

Nice colours on this one

Here’s the specs sheet:

Click to enlarge

Next up, we give away the GOTY 2010 award for the best high-end monitor.