BenQ V-Series 15mm LED Screens First Look

Whether you live in a small apartment, have a nook for an office, or just want to impress your friends, there is nothing better than a thin display. They are practically the new Rolex. As thinner displays are released almost daily, it is only a matter of time before you can one-up your friends with the latest, uber thin display. While there is little that can beat OLED for pure thinness, they are crazy expensive and have very limited offerings. No, if you want to go thin, there is nothing thinner these days than LED LCDs.

BenQ has announced their thinnest displays to date with a record (in class) 15mm thick V-series displays. The V2220H is 21.5" and retails at a very reasonable $248 and the V2420H is 24" and retails for an equally impressive $299. So if you are on a budget and are looking to impress your friends, the BenQ V-Series should be on your list.

But price and depth are not all that BenQ is touting. The V-Series was recently awarded the prestigious 2010 iF Design Award from International Forum Design. They are leading the industry in energy efficiency as well as contrast ratio (a reported 10 million to 1). An HDMI 1.3 input is on board as well as a 5ms response time, and a headphone jack. The 1080p displays, according to BenQ, "have zero light leakage, are clarity tested, have ultra-extreme DCR and the ability to display ultra-intense blacks, super bright whites, and near-infinite color variations on the 250-nit screens."

The V2220H and V2420H both have Senseye 3. This is a proprietary sensor and calibration combination which corrects contrast, color and clarity according to the mode you choose. There are six modes - Game, Movie, sRGB, Standard, Photo, and Eco. While most true audioholics are looking for a highly configurable user mode that allows you to dial in the color to exacting standards, most people will probably be happy with one of the auto calibration options. For those that are interested in saving power, the Eco mode conserves 65.6% of energy while maintaining image quality.

There are some things to consider when buying a flat-panel - especially an LED LCD. First, the most desirable type is the backlit version which offers the best performance in maintaining consistent black levels and color across the entire panel. What is generally the case is that if a manufacturer specifies their panel is LED backlit - it is. If the don't specify, it is edge-lit. While there is nothing inherently wrong with edge-lighting, there tend to be more black level and consistency problems with this type of lighting. The bonus is that they are cheaper than the other types of LED panels and often are the thinnest.

The contrast ratio claim of 10 million to 1 is obviously a bit of marketing fluff. The fact is that when compared to zero (which is how much light is coming out of a panel when the LEDs are off), the contrast is infinity (anything over zero is infinity) to one. The strange thing is that the contrast ratio in the specs on the BenQ site list it as 1000:1 - quite a difference.

Conclusion

Obviously the new V-Series BenQ displays are not marketed to home theater enthusiasts but with more and more content being available online, most users will be viewing movies and TV shows with them. The 15mm thickness of the V2220H and V2420H will certainly entice consumers as will the LED buzzword and reasonable price. At sub $300 for a 24" display (and a street price which is sure to come down), consumers should be lining up. While we'd love to see true LED backlighting with local dimming, for the price, we have little to complain about. We look forward to getting a unit in for review.

For more information, please visit www.benq.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.