14 DAY TRIAL // Until several years ago, display solution developers focused, for the most part, on enabling as sharp and detailed an image as possible on their monitors and TVs. As technology evolved, however, even the more affordable displays started to achieve high degrees of image clarity and sharpness and, with the economic turmoil, companies begun to place effort into refining other aspects. Enhancing power efficiency, widening viewing angles and optimizing brightness were the main endeavors of note, and they are now among the primary elements that determine a product's appeal.
I-O Data decided it was time to unleash a more or less affordable monitor that could also brag about being gentle on the power bill. To be more specific, only 21.9W are consumed during regular operation, whereas 0.5W are drawn during standby. Known as the LCD-MF231X, the product has a screen size of 23 inches and a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full High-Definition).
For those interested in the performance numbers, I-O Data's latest creation has a response time of 2ms and a contrast ratio of 1,000:1 (dynamic contrast ratio of 800,000:1).
Additionally, the maximum brightness is of 250 cd/m2, not exactly the best in its class but sufficient for a screen that will never make it outdoors. Furthermore, a pair of 5W speakers are built into the frame, making auxiliary speakers unnecessary. As for connectivity, the company implemented DVI, HDMI and D-Sub inputs.
As it has already become apparent, the LCD-MF231X is aimed at those end-users that want a Full HD video experience without having to drain their bank accounts. Shipments are, currently, slated to commence, in Japan at least, at the beginning of next month, with a price set at roughly $325. There is no word on when, if ever, availability actually spreads to other regions.