Acer's AL2216w widescreen LCD is an attractive offering at an attractive price, but does it live up to its promise? We put it through its paces using LaCie Blue Eye Pro and Acer software suite in order to assess whether this screen deserves your investment.
The AL2216w comes packaged in an impressively slim box. Compared to some of the larger screens we've reviewed recently, this one packs less of a punch with plenty of cables including UK, Europe and US power leads, VGA and DVI cable options; even its base unit snaps into place without needing screws!
Out of the box, the OSD default brightness settings for this monitor is set at 77% - an appropriate level that provides comfortable reading conditions during everyday use. Furthermore, its color profile of "warm" gives vibrant yet not overly warm hues like some monitors can offer.
This standard resolution screen measures 1,680 x 950 pixels, making it suitable for office work and web browsing tasks. However, its lack of video or gaming support makes it less suitable than alternatives; so this large monitor may be better used by those seeking high resolution but who don't require its full functionality.
As can be expected, TN Film-based panels do not produce optimal viewing experiences when watching movies. There are better options out there with VA or IPS based panels offering significantly superior image quality and contrast ratio.
However, when watching movies and TV on this screen, its viewing angles are relatively good for a TN Film display. Nearly any angle from front to back can be observed without experiencing graininess even at extreme angles.
When we examined the AL2216w with a calibrator, it performed very well in terms of accuracy. It reproduced the full sRGB color gamut perfectly while our tests with LaCie Blue Eye Pro revealed uniform and saturated colors across its screen; artefacts like banding were nonexistent while over saturation wasn't an issue either. Unfortunately though, its color gamut wasn't as precise as some other monitors we have reviewed.
Overall, the Acer AL2216w monitor offers outstanding value at its price point and is well worth consideration if you're in the market for an upgrade to a larger screen. Our only criticism was with its display being not as crisp and clear as some of the other 24in displays we have reviewed; nonetheless, for those seeking a quality, affordable monitor this one deserves consideration. If wider color gamut support is important to you, then consider the Viewsonic VX2245WM or IIyama EM325. Otherwise it makes for an ideal option whether for office or general usage.
