LG Flatron W2284F review

The image quality of LG’s Flatron W2284F is among the best here.

Its dynamic contrast, with a quoted ratio of 30,000:1, is the least intrusive and most effective of all the monitors here. It helps the W2284F produce rich, dark blacks and bright whites without sacrificing image quality or brightness.

The W2284F breezed through our display tests, with only a few minor problems including a little light bleed at the top edge of the screen and a washed-out tone to colours. We didn’t need to make any adjustments other than selecting the 6,500K colour temperature, which is just as well as the buttons on the right edge of the screen are a pain to use.

The resolution of 1,680×1,050 is standard for 22in monitors and provides a large enough Windows desktop, but it feels a little small after using BenQ’s E2200HD, which has a full-HD resolution of 1,920×1,080.

The monitor’s design certainly turned heads in our Labs, but not all responses were positive. The W2284F’s half-transparent base drew baffled looks, while the touch-sensitive power ‘button’, designed to look like a glowing drop of water about to fall from the bottom edge of the screen, had fingers prodding it until the novelty wore off. The overall stylistic opinion fell more on the side of bizarre than desirable.

The W2284F has a clumsy external power brick and very few features. It’s the only monitor here to lack speakers. While monitor speakers are generally pretty poor, they can be handy for general Windows noises, and we’d expect to see them at this price. Like most monitors here it comes with a fixed stand, while the three-year return-to-base warranty isn’t quite up there with BenQ’s onsite cover.

BenQ’s E2200HD outshines the competition this month, and the W2284F, while capable of producing an excellent picture, just can’t compete. It has a lower native resolution, lacks speakers and an integrated power supply, and costs £21 more.