Asus VG23AH

By John R. Delaney

The first 3D-enabled IPS monitor to hit PC Labs, the Asus VG23AH ($279.99 list) delivers rich color quality from any angle and is equipped with four video ports, two of which are HDMI inputs. The 23-inch panel uses passive 3D technology to deliver generally good 3D imagery (as long as you're positioned directly in front of the screen) and it'll convert 2D pictures and movies to 3D with the press of a button. The faux-3D quality is sketchy at best, and the monitor's built-in speakers are loud but could use a bass boost.

Design and Features
Sporting beveled, glossy black bezel and a thick 2.5-inch cabinet, the VG23AH can't touch the sleek HP x2301 when it comes to style but it does offer an impressive feature set. The 23-inch LED backlit IPS panel has a resolution of 1,920-by-1,080 and a semi-gloss coating that helps deliver a sharp picture without being overly reflective. The 14-pound cabinet is attached to a telescoping mounting arm and supports height, tilt, and swivel adjustability.

Beneath the lower bezel are six buttons including a power switch, a 3D button that toggles between 2D and 3D modes, a menu button, an input select button, a brightness control, and a button that lets you select one of six Asus Splendid Technology picture modes (Standard, Theater, Game, Night View, sRGB, Scenery). Standard mode offers the best all-around viewing experience in terms of color fidelity and brightness and is the setting I used for testing the VG23AH. Picture settings include brightness, contrast, color temperature, saturation, and skin tone, and you can adjust sharpness, 3D depth, screen position, and focus.

The rear of the monitor holds a nice assortment of ports. DVI and VGA video inputs share space with two HDMI ports, a PC audio input, and a headphone jack that would be easier to access if it were mounted on the front or side of the cabinet. You won't find any USB ports on this model, however, and you'll have to supply your own HDMI cable, as one isn't included in the box. On the plus side you do get a pair of passive 3D glasses that are extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear, as well as a clip-on attachment for users who already wear glasses. Asus covers the VG23AH with a three-year parts, labor, and backlight warranty.

Performance
The VG23AH uses FPR (Film-type Patterned Retarder), or passive, 3D technology, which is generally cheaper to manufacture than active 3D technology as the latter requires a 120Hz panel to deliver a stereoscopic image. The 3D effects in the IMAX Under Sea 3D blu-ray disc were sharp and the image had good depth when viewed head on at the center of the screen, but once I moved slightly to either side the picture was plagued by crosstalk (image doubling) artifacts. Both the Acer HR274H and AOC e2352Phz passive 3D monitors exhibited crosstalk from the sides but it was more prevalent with the VG23AH. As with the Samsung T27A950 , the VG23AH converts 2D images and movies to 3D, but the effect is watered down and not very realistic.

Standard 2D viewing angle performance was very good, with no noticeable color shifting or screen darkening from any angle. Colors appeared well saturated and uniform across the scale and grayscale performance was impressive but not as accurate as what you'll get from a pro-grade IPS monitor such as the NEC MultiSync PA301W . The panel's 5-millisecond (gray-to-gray) pixel response kept motion artifacts at bay, while I tore up the road playing Burnout Paradise on my Sony PS3 console.

The VG23AH used 34 watts of power during testing, which is exactly what the 23-inch NEC MultiSync EA232WMi used. Neither model can match the energy efficiency of the Lenovo LS2421P Wide (16 watts), which uses a slightly larger TN panel. The VG23AH has an ECO mode setting that is supposed to save power by dimming the brightness setting, but enabling this feature did not affect power consumption, nor did it change the brightness level.

Like any IPS monitor worth its salt, the Asus VG23AH offers good color and grayscale performance and wide viewing angles, and it is 3D ready. Throw in two pairs of glasses, an ergonomic stand, and a pair of HDMI ports and you've got a pretty good deal for a sub-$300 IPS monitor. Unfortunately, its 3D picture quality deteriorates if you stray too far from the sweet spot (dead center) and its speakers could use some help from a subwoofer. For a better all around 3D experience, the 27 inch Asus VG274H is your best bet as it offers a much larger screen and a 120HZ panel. However, it's more than double the price of the Asus VG23AH.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Asus VG23AH with several other monitors side by side.

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