AOC i2367fh

Not long ago, the thought of a budget monitor conjured up images of bland designs and cheap TN (twisted nematic) panels with oversaturated colors and poor viewing angles. Not anymore. The advent of inexpensive IPS technology has allowed manufacturers to produce budget-class monitors that actually deliver good color, wide viewing angles, and much better grayscale reproduction than ever before. One such monitor, the AOC i2367FH, is a shining example of today's low-cost monitor offerings. This 23-inch IPS monitor not only performs like a champ but it looks much more expensive than its price tag would indicate, which is why it is our newest Editors' Choice for budget monitors.

Design and Features
The i2367fh sports the same sleek look as its bigger brother, the AOC i2757fh. There are no top and side bezels to speak of save for a thin 2mm (0.07 of an inch) strip of glossy black plastic around the top and sides that holds the 23-inch panel in place. Along the bottom edge is a 0.75-inch strip of brushed metal with a shiny AOC logo in the center. The rear of the cabinet is done up in a glossy black finish on the bottom and a lightly textured matte black finish on the top.

The panel has a 1,920-by-1,080 resolution and as such can display true high definition (1080p) content. It has a matte anti-glare coating that is non-reflective and doesn't showcase fingerprints and other smudges. The eight-pound cabinet is supported by a rectangular base with the same brushed metal finish as the lower bezel. You can tilt the panel forward five degrees and backward 23-degrees but you can't swivel it or adjust the height.

There are two HDMI inputs and a VGA (analog) input at the rear of the cabinet facing outward, which makes it easy to plug and unplug cables. There's also an audio input and a headphone jack back there. You won't find any USB ports on this model, nor is there a webcam. The two-watt speakers are reasonably loud but way too trebly to be cranked all the way up. You won't find any function buttons on the lower bezel; instead, the five keys are on the back of the cabinet on the right side, which makes adjusting picture settings a bit awkward. In addition to a power switch there are Menu, Volume, Source Select, and Eco hot keys that are also used for navigating the OSD (on screen display).

As with previous models, AOC calls their preset picture modes Eco modes, which can be confusing. In fact, the i2367fh does not offer a built-in Eco (power saving) feature, other than an off timer and a power management software utility. You get six picture presets; Standard, Text, Internet, Game, Movie, and Sports. Other picture settings include Brightness, Contrast, Gamma, DCR (Dynamic Contrast Ratio), and Overdrive, which lets you adjust pixel response if you're experiencing motion artifacts. This monitor also offers color temperature settings and AOC's DCB (Dynamic Color Boost) technology that can be used to punch up colors. I'd suggest leaving this feature disabled as colors appear too bright and oversaturated.

The i2367fh comes with a three-year warranty as well as a resource CD, an audio cable, and a VGA cable. HDMI cables are not included in the box.

Performance
The i236fh performed surprisingly well for a budget monitor. Colors had that IPS richness and were fairly accurate out of the box. As is the case with most desktop displays, greens ran a little dark but not to the point where they caused grayscale or flesh tone tinting.

Although the panel did a good job of displaying all shades of gray from dark to light, the swatches were not as well defined as what you get from a more expensive IPS panel, such as the one used on the NEC PA301W. Viewing angle performance was excellent; there was no color shifting and the picture remained bright from every angle.

The i2367fh handled fast motion video with aplomb, thanks to a five-millisecond (black-to-white) pixel response. Burnout Paradise, a fast-moving street racing game for the PS3, played smoothly without lag or motion artifacts. Likewise, the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest on Blu-ray looked superb; the panel delivered good shadow detail and inky blacks.

The i2367fh used 27 watts of power during testing, which is decent but not what you would call highly energy efficient. Although it used less than the AOC i2353ph (31 watts) it couldn't match the Acer T232HL, which used 26 watts in standard mode but only 18 watts in Eco mode.

Conclusion
The AOC i2367fh may be short on features but it delivers very good color and grayscale performance for a $180 monitor. Dual HDMI ports make it easy to connect to things like external optical drives, gaming consoles, and set top boxes, and the IPS panel's wide viewing angles means you can enjoy rich, robust colors no matter where you sit. Solid performance, a stylish cabinet, and a very reasonable price tag make the AOC i2367fh a shoo-in as our newest Editors' Choice for budget monitors.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the AOC i2367fh with several other monitors side by side.

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