14 DAY TRIAL // In the midst of all those strange and new displays, I-O Data brings a dose of normality by releasing fairly common monitors that still keep up with the times.
The new LCD-MF242E might not be quite as refreshing as some would like, though, not with the price it sports.
Granted, we've seen monitors and TVs that cost a lot more than $237, or 178.54 Euro (according to exchange rates).
Nevertheless, that amount of money may not be considered a worthwhile trade for a screen of 23.6 inches.
Still, that is the sum I-O Data expects prospective customers to come up with.
The LCD-MF242E uses a TN panel (the standard type of LCD) and supports a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels.
In other words, it is similar to all the other LCDs of the past year and a half. Full HD support is pretty much standard at this point.
Moving on, the brightness is of 300 cd/m2, which is decent, knowing that others make do with 250 or even 200 cd/m2.
Furthermore, while the static contrast ratio is of 1,000:1, the dynamic contrast ratio is 5,000,000:1 (DCR).
Not only that, but I-O Data also tossed in a pair of 2W speakers and the necessary video inputs: DVI, D-Sub and HDMI.
Finally, for energy efficiency, the company implemented LED backlighting and the ability to work in an ECO power-saving mode.
The Japanese company's LCD-MF242E LED-backlit monitor will start selling around the middle of next month (April, 2012) in black and white versions. Considering the response time of 5ms, it should be suitable for all sorts of customers, be they gamers, video/film lovers, web surfers, etc. The price may or may not change in the meantime, and we hope it does.
In related news, I-O Data also made some anti-glare HD displays, but we'll talk about them separately, so stay tuned.