Asus VG236H review

Asus’s VG236H is a 3D monitor, which is compatible with, and comes bundled alongside Nvidia’s well-established 3D Vision technology. The 3D Vision component consists of a pair of shutter-based glasses, plus a USB control unit that synchronises the screen’s image with them. You’ll need an Nvidia graphics card to use 3D Vision, thankfully the company has raised its game recently, with good mid-range cards such as the GTX 460.

The monitor is capable of running at 120Hz, with the shutter glasses directing alternate frames to each eye, so that the 3D image appears to run at 60Hz. Although this should be adequate for a stable image, you’re still aware of flickering while using the glasses. There’s an eye test when you first install the software for the glasses, and if you don’t pass it you’re advised not to use the system at all. If you’re not certain about your ability to see 3D images, then buy from a retailer with a good returns policy.

In terms of 2D image quality, the VG236H was impressive, with bold colours and reasonably good contrast. The menu system is clear and easy to use, although many of the options for Asus’s Splendid technology produced an overblown, over-saturated image. Colour accuracy seemed good, although it erred on the side of warmth.

Nvidia’s site has demonstrations of 3D photos and videos, but it’s worth mentioning that 3D capture is still in its infancy. Although you can buy 3D cameras and camcorders, such as the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 they are still very expensive. 3D Vision has support for 3D Blu-ray, so if you have a Blu-ray drive you could enjoy feature films in 3D too.