ViewSonic VA2231wm-LED

Viewsonic VA2231wm-LED

With the Viewsonic VA2231wm-LED ($140 street) you get bright colors, dark blacks, and a crisp high definition picture for under $150. The 21.5 inch TN+ panel can't display the brightest shades of gray, however, and it's missing one of the most widely used digital inputs. On the plus side, it won't put a strain on your electric bill. The VA2231wm's 1,902-by-1,080 TN+ panel is shrouded in a matte black cabinet with glossy black bezels that are 0.76 inches wide. At 2.5 inches the cabinet is fairly thick for an LED backlit monitor, especially when compared with the Acer S230HL ($189 list, 3 Stars), which is only one-inch deep at its thickest point. The bottom bezel curves downward on the center to accommodate five function buttons; a power switch, menu and input select keys, and two OSD navigation buttons. One of the buttons doubles as a hot key for adjusting contrast and one adjusts the speaker volume. The 2 watt speakers are typical monitor issue; they don't get very loud, and they lack bass, but they are adequate for low volume listening.