Review Press Release:

AOC 2212Ph Widescreen LCD Monitor Awarded "Editors' Choice" by NZ PC World Magazine (May 2008)

Sydney, Australia (4 June 2008) - Although the 2212Ph, a 22-inch widescreen LCD monitor, is a "previous generation" model from AOC (with an array of newer models recently showcased at CeBIT in Sydney), it still garnered a 9.5 score and Editors' Choice Award in a comparative test of widescreen monitors published in the May 2008 issue.

The review was sprinkled with enthusiastic turns of phrase, including "all aces", "a perfect all-rounder", "great features", "an absolute steal", "a great monitor", "a perfect setup", "great output", "very enjoyable", "great display performance" and "it wins hands down".

Competing products included models from LG, Philips and Samsung. As the "house brand" of TPV, the world's largest manufacturer of computer monitors for many years, AOC has a brand awareness that belies its substantial origins. Such gushing praise against a trio of illustrious global household names must surely be welcome at AOC.

More exact terms included "the slimmest of all the monitors tested", "the only monitor we tested that had an HDMI input" and "the least amount of backlight bleeding of all the monitors we tested".

Product features highlighted in the review include:
• Low street price
• Built-in stereo speakers (3W each)
• Slim body (13mm)
• HDMI, DVI-D, VGA, Component inputs with "source select" button
• HD-compatible display

The monitors in the comparative review (with their overall scores) were: AOC 2212Ph (9.5), LG Flatron 2252TQ (8.5), Philips 220BW8 (8.0), Samsung SyncMaster 225UW (7.5) and Viewsonic VP2250WB (8.5).

Full Review Text:

AOC 2212Ph
The AOC 2212Ph is not the newest monitor from AOC, and it’s also one of the cheapest monitors we tested with a recommended retail price of $559. It’s worth noting too that with a quick browse of the web we were able to find this monitor at around the $420 mark, making it an absolute steal.

AOC seems to have skimped a bit on the design of its monitors, and compared to the others in our test, it did look a bit old. However, we’re not one for judging a book by its cover, and the 2212Ph turned out to be a great monitor in a mediocre disguise.

The bottom of the monitor holds two 3-watt speakers, with the rest of the frame measuring just 13 millimetres, the slimmest of all the monitors tested. Around the back of the monitor we found a whole new bag of tricks. The 2212Ph was the only monitor we tested that had an HDMI input, as well as DVI-D VGA analogue, and composite. HDMI is becoming an increasingly popular port to put on video cards, and there is the added bonus of being able to hook up your other HDMI-equipped hardware to your monitor. We imagined a perfect setup with a PC connected via DVI-D and a Playstation 3 connected via HDMI. There’s even a source button on the front that would let you switch between the two. Of course, it’s worth noting that 22-inch monitors like the AOC with a 1680x1050 resolution aren’t able to natively display full 1080p, but you still get an HD-compatible display.

The AOC also impressed us when we started our testing. Despite a response time of 5ms, we had little problem with ghosting or blurring during our DVD and game testing. The smallest fonts became a bit blurry when we tested text, but overall the screen had a great output. The AOC also had the least amount of backlight bleeding of all the monitors we tested. The provided buttons on the front also make for easy adjustment and calibration.

The contrast ratio on the 2212Ph is 2000:1, and watching videos on it was very enjoyable. Brightness is another specification that comes into play with monitors, and the AOC monitor has 300cd/m2 (candelas per square metre). 300cd/m2 is a typical number when it comes to brightness in modern LCDs. However, its definition and test methodology is again hard to quantify, and therefore not something to hinge your purchase on.

We were very impressed with AOC’s 2212Ph. When it comes to value for money, it wins hands down. Add a great display performance and features like an all important HDMI port, and it’s the winner of our coveted Editors’ Choice Award.