Review: BenQ EW2430V

New 24-incher shows off the goodness of VA panel technology.

BenQ EW2430V
MRP: Rs 17,200
Street Price: Rs 16,200
For those who want something better than a TN panel monitor without having to break the bank, BenQ has launched the EW2430Q, which is based on VA (Vertical Aligned) panel technology with LED backlighting. This stylish Full HD monitor measures 24" diagonally, and provides all type of connectivity options with a bonus 4-Port USB hub. Being a VA panel, it comes with a true 8-bit colour range of 16.7 M colours, thus improving upon the colour accuracy over TN panels by quite a bit with better viewing angles. Let us see what more is in store with this monitor.

Bundle
* BenQ EW2430V
* Monitor stand
* Power cable
* VGA-VGA cable
* DVI-DVI cable
* Stereo-stereo cable
* Phono cable
* USB Standard-A to Standard-B cable
* Quick Start Guide
* Utility disc
The monitor comes with everything that is necessary to get it started including the USB cable to start using the 4-Port USB hub. The base is very easy to fit using just a single thumb screw attached to it.
Design And Features
The BenQ EW2430V is a stylish looking monitor with a solid build quality, especially the all-metal stand, which utilises a combination of brushed metal and chrome. The screen is surrounded by glossy black plastic with a brushed metal strip at the base. This strip has a stylish slant towards the front with a large LED-backlit power button, giving the monitor an elegant look. Two concealed speakers are present just below this strip. Even though it features LED backlighting, the monitor is not thin as you would expect, but rather bulges out at up to 4.8 cm. This is not really a con, but you tend to expect monitors to be slimmer these days.
The stand does not feature any height adjustment or horizontal swivel. You can merely adjust the vertical tilt at up to 25 degrees. The hinge mechanism is rugged and smooth.
The control buttons are awkwardly placed at the back of the right side of the monitor. You cannot see the buttons while operating them, making it a bit difficult to use them until you get the hang of it. The buttons seem to be a bit hard to use, though ergonomics may be overlooked in this aspect due to these being used very seldom. There are six presets: Movie, Standard, Eco, sRGB, Photo, and Game, although none of them are configured ideally. Dynamic Contrast is set to off by default in each of these presets , probably because it leads to not-so-desirable jumps in brightness levels as we noticed.
A 4-Port USB hub is present on left side of the monitor to provide you with easily accessible USB ports without having to reach to the PC, which will be usually placed farther.
All the connectors are present at the rear of the monitor. Two HDMI connectors and DVI-D let you connect your HD media player, a gaming console, as well as your computer simultaneously, while the D-Sub connector provides for legacy connectivity. Legacy input connectivity by means of component input is available for older consoles and media players. A USB Standard-B port is present to connect to a free USB port on the PC, so that you can make use of the 4-Port hub.
Besides the power connector, a line-in jack, and line-out jack are present to connect to the PC. RC input connectors let you connect other audio devices such as older media players. A headphone jack is also provided, should you not wish to disturb your neighbour by playing the audio through the inbuilt speakers.