Philips 221T1

Product Survey: 22'' LCD Monitors

Following on from the 220TW9, Philips is back with a new hybrid monitor that's compatible with Full HD. Philips is keen to point out that, unlike old- generation monitors, the 221T1 has a built-in digital TV tuner, as well as an upscaling chip similar to those found in TVs. In other words, you should be able to view standard definition content (i.e. DVDs) in the same quality as on the best TVs on the market. This 22-inch hybrid monitor boasts good design and handling, although it's not quite as good as the Samsung P2270HD. At the rear, you'll find a pair of 2 x 3-watt speakers, a headphones socket and a coaxial socket for connection to an audio amplifier. A whole panel of different video connections is included too, with VGA and HDMI ports, plus a scart socket, a component connection and a digital TV tuner. That means that pretty much any video source can be connected to this monitor. The default colours have a blue tinge to them, and unfortunately, this problem can't be solved via the screen's internal menu. The Delta E of 2.9 is therefore acceptable but not perfect. The 221T1 doesn't have fantastic contrast either, with white at 216 cd/m² and black at 0.26 cd/m².