Envision G2219W1

CNET editors' review

Priced at $270, the Envision G2219w1 is a bit cheaper than the bulk of 22-inch LCDs that generally hovers around the $300 mark. The display, manufactured by AOC (the company sells monitors under both the AOC and Envision brands), performed well on most of our tests, but its lack of features and connection options diminish its overall appeal, particularly when viewed against the Dell SP2208WFP. Dell's 22-inch LCD costs only slightly more at $299, but that extra $30 nets you more connection options, better performance, and a longer list of features, including a Webcam.

Design
The Envision G2219w1's design is understated or, some might say, boring. The display is a monochrome black with a glossy reflective bezel on the front. The bezel itself is somewhat thick: 1 inch wide on the sides and top, and about 1.5 inches on the bottom. The 22-inch screen features a matte finish, which we prefer for working in Windows and other productivity-minded tasks. A glossy screen coating makes movies and graphics more vivid and smooth, but can result in annoying glare and reflections.

The stand has an oval-shaped foot that measures 11 inches wide and 9 inches deep. The display never feels unsteady, but this may be because the height of the screen is not adjustable. The screen rotates back about 35 degrees, but it does not rotate left or right.

The onscreen display (OSD) is easy to use and includes the usual brightness, contrast, and color options, as well as an OSD timeout option that allows you to choose how long the OSD stays on screen after your last button press. The OSD buttons are on the underside of the display on the bottom-right corner. The buttons are spaced with enough room between them so that each feels distinct and not cluttered. The only problem is that because the labels on each button are a bit too light, it can be slightly difficult to see which button is which, even in a room with normal lighting.

Manufacturer's specs:
Resolution: 1,680x1,050
Pixel-response rate: 5ms
Contrast ratio: 1,000:1
Connectivity: DVI, VGA
HDCP compliant? Yes
Included video cables? DVI, VGA

Features
In order to hit its aggressive price, the Envision G2219w1 skimps on features. You get DVI and VGA connections, but you'll have to do without an HDMI port, an increasingly common connection found on LCDs, including the Dell SP2208WFP. The Envision display also lacks USB ports--convenient for connecting a keyboard and mouse or digital camera--as well as a Webcam and speakers. The 22-inch screen has a native resolution of 1,680x1,050 and includes HDCP support for copyright-protected HD content.

Performance
The Envision G2219w1 showed uneven performance in CNET Labs' tests. It excelled on our DisplayMate-based sharpness tests, and the anecdotal tests we ran with World of Warcraft, and DVD and Blu-ray movies exhibited positive results. Unfortunately, the display had trouble reproducing color, particularly on the DisplayMate Color Scales test. This test evaluates a display's ability to render gradations in colors smoothly and accurately. The Envision showed many inaccurate off-tints in each color scale as well color compression at each end of the scale.

Its color difficulty in our DisplayMate tests translated into slightly bland color reproduction in the movie Kill Bill Vol. 1, in particular in the House of Blue Leaves scene, where there is a huge variety of colors. We saw similar errors with Swordfish on Blu-ray, though they were less noticeable. The display's sharpness and picture uniformity remained steady in all of our evaluation scenes from the movie, even in scenes with very fast action like the hill slide scene with Don Cheadle and Hugh Jackman.

We had no problems using the display for normal office use. Its viewing angle holds up at least to 45 degrees left and right, however, trying to the view text from above revealed some quality issues. Luckily, the display can be tilted back a good 35 degrees.

Find out more about how we test LCD monitors.

Service and support
Envision backs the display with a three-year parts-and-labor warranty and one-year coverage for the display panel. This also includes 24-7 toll-free phone technical support, and Envision's Web site includes links to drivers and the user's manual, which are both easy to find.