BenQ V2400W review

BenQ isn't a name you'd traditionally associate with aesthetic perfection, but its new BenQ V2400W monitor is a radical attempt by the company to move into a more stylish area of desktop computing.

This 24in widescreen monitor measures just 2.44in at its thickest point. BenQ is claiming the BenQ V2400W is "the world's thinnest monitor". With its black reflective bezel, silver touch-sensitive control panel with glowing blue buttons and a distinctive offset stand, the V2400W offers a distinctive look that BenQ says is a "bold yet charming statement of modern simplicity".

But is the underlying quality any good? For most users it offers reasonable quality for the money. The image quality is adequate although contrasts were fairly weak and viewing angles poor. However, the BenQ V2400W does come with dynamic image processing which has a profound impact on the quality (it even has a built in demo that splits the screen in half so you can visibly tell the difference).

With this mode enabled the BenQ V2400W becomes great for gaming, movie playback and general use. Professional designers will want to look further up the food chain though - partly because it is a glossy display.

However, for the home user the BenQ V2400W is a well-specced monitor with D-SUB, DVI-D and HDMI input signals. It also has a built in earphone socket on the side of the unit that can output audio from a connected DVI cable.

In all, the BenQ V2400W is a reasonably priced, large widescreen monitor with good looks and respectable quality for the home user. Sadly, much of this goes to waste because the unit has a cheap plastic feel. Especially the grey plastic stand that lacks any movement other than 'tilt' and feels like it's made out of much cheaper material than the rest of the unit. Frankly, the stand belongs elsewhere on a much cheaper monitor.

It doesn't help that one of the key components of the monitor (the offset stand) only serves to draw attention to what is the cheapest looking part of it. This impression of 'cheapness' is compounded by the fact that BenQ only includes an older VGA signal cable, rather than the newer DVI or HDMI (which you're more likely to use these days).