Photo gallery: Asus LS221HDesign and features
Billed as the "world's slimmest 22-inch widescreen" Asus spruiks: "Its diamond cut corners and glass edges fused with glossy black piano finish chassis and bottom dressed in genuine leather exude sophisticated elegance."
You can be forgiven for expecting a device dripping in bling but the Asus LS221H has a classy conservative style. Leather is restricted to a strip under the LCD featuring only the "Asus" brand name.
At 45mm thick we accept that it's the thinnest 22-inch screen available. Its image quality is excellent and for those who prefer lots of data on the screen at once, the 1,680x1,050-pixel display will bring welcome viewing. This screen provides brilliant colour — if anything, hues seem too intense at times. When comparing a colour test pattern on a notebook screen with the same image on the Asus LS221H LCD the comparison could be described as watercolours versus oil paints. Contrast performance is also pleasing. Blacks and whites are both vivid.
Connectivity is addressed with both VGA and HDMI inputs present.
The on-screen display provides plenty of options. Preset options exist for situations such as gaming, darkened rooms and scenery. The user can also easily customise contrast and brightness settings and set colour warmth.
Physically, its stand can only be tilted, or removed to allow for wall mounting. No options for swivel or height adjustment are available.
Perhaps the most impressive design quality of the stand is that it houses the power and video sockets, which are aligned horizontally. Typically, plugs for monitors must be pushed up into downwards facing sockets, which can be inconvenient as the stand and rear of the monitor often gets in the way of hands.
Verdict
The bevelled-edge glass front attracts plenty of fingerprints, but this complaint can be levelled at any glass surfaces. Image quality is well above average with the unit offering high resolution and a speedy 2ms response time.
The screen is well built and although it wobbles a bit, the stand itself remains firmly planted. Its rear facing, stand-mounted power and data sockets are a great idea.
Asus supports the LS221H with a three-year warranty including pick-up and delivery. A one year warranty applies against pixels going dull.
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