BenQ M2400HD LCD monitor

Designed to stand out from the crowd with its gloss white and silver colour scheme, and a detachable, 2-megapixel webcam, BenQ's M2400HD is a full HD 24in LCD monitor. An HDMI input means its ideal for high definition content, and its image quality is above average.

The BenQ M2400HD LCD monitor attempts to strike a chord with potential users by moving away from the standard gloss or matte black colour schemes of most LCD monitors on the market. Instead, BenQ has opted for a gloss white and silver colour that tends to give it a more Mac-like feel. The bezel is glossy but doesn't reflect too much light, and the screen itself has a matte finish, so using this screen in an office environment is recommended. The angled stand and base matches the monitor design although it does creak in certain places when pressed, suggesting build quality could be improved. The M2400HD LCD monitor is wall mountable using a standard VESA mount.

The angled bottom edge of the bezel houses the power button while the rest of the controls are located on the right bezel. The controls are better placed than most other models in BenQ's range, including the BenQ G2412HD — they aren't backlit, but they are clearly labelled and easy to press, providing good tactility.

The BenQ M2400HD LCD monitor has a native resolution of 1920x1080 — Full HD. Combined with its 16:9 aspect ratio and HDMI input, it means this monitor is great for watching high-definition movies. We hooked it up to both a Blu-ray player and Microsoft's Xbox 360 games console and the results were impressive. We were particularly pleased with this monitor's ability to display fast motion — with a 2ms response time, motion is smooth with no visible ghosting when viewing any of our source material. Like BenQ's G2412 LCD monitor, we did encounter some slight image noise when using the HDMI input.

For regular computer use, the BenQ M2400HD has DVI and D-Sub connections and provides good image quality and performance. Colour reproduction is excellent and the overall image is sharp and clear. Fine dark details are sometimes lost and skin tones are slightly over-saturated. For office use, the BenQ G2412HD LCD monitor displays text crisply with no visible aberrations.

The BenQ M2400HD's viewing angles are rated at 160/170 degrees, but there is noticeable colour shift and detail loss when viewing the screen from off-centre. These viewing angles aren't any better or worse than most TN panels on the market, so it isn't a huge detraction.

Annoyingly, BenQ doesn't include a DVI or HDMI cable in the sales package, though there is a USB cable, audio cable and the standard VGA cable.

The BenQ M2400HD does include a number of extras for its price, including a detachable 2-megapixel webcam. The camera offers adequate performance and is styled to perfectly compliment the white bezel design of the monitor. It connects via a top mounted USB port and is tilt-adjustable but best of all it works as a stand-alone webcam with any PC or notebook. The BenQ M2400HD also includes dual speakers, two side mounted USB ports, a USB input, a standard 3.5mm audio jack, and a side mounted headphone jack.

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