LG W2353V review

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Verdict:

Despite its gaudy looks, the W2353V's decent image quality makes it a good monitor, but cheaper displays with better image quality are available.

Review Date: 18 Sep 2009

Price when reviewed: £159

Supplier: http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop

Reviewed By: Barry de la Rosa

Our Rating 3 stars out of 5

User Rating

Although the W2353 is a budget 23in monitor by price, LG has kitted it out to a higher specification.

As well as standard VGA and DVI PC inputs, it provides an HDMI input, so you can connect a games console or Blu-ray player and take advantage of the screen's full HD 1,920x1,080 resolution. All that's missing is a VESA mount for hanging it on a wall, although that's unlikely to put many people off.

Picture quality is good, with bright colours and decent contrast. There are three presets and a user mode for storing custom settings, but we found the Normal mode to be the most natural. As with other LG monitors, we had to use LG's ForteManager software to access functions on the monitor that aren't controlled by the onscreen menu. We don't think a monitor should have any settings that can be accessed only by Windows software, as it makes the monitor difficult to use with Linux and other operating systems.

ForteManager has a strange Cinema Mode that lets you draw an area on the screen around video content, such as a YouTube video, and blank out the rest of the screen. While this may be slightly easier on the eye, it's far easier to view videos in full-screen mode and sit further back.

Unfortunately, trying to change settings in the onscreen display is frustrating, as the W2353V's touch-sensitive menu controls are unresponsive. Without a physical button that you can feel, it's hard to make changes as you have to take your eyes off the screen to check which button to press.

The W2353V's design is gaudy, with a wide, glossy-black bezel and a clear plastic strip along the bottom of the screen. The large glossy black areas around the screen tend to suffer from distracting reflections. The stand is a bit loose, too, and although the screen tilts forward and back by a few degrees, it doesn't stay firmly in place.

The W235V is a decent display, but it's outclassed by Philips' slightly pricier 230C1.

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