At only £130 it’s one of the least expensive displays in our group test, yet offers a level of style, build quality, features and performance which belie its entry-level price. See what’s the best display? This 23in display has a slim, frameless design finished with metallic details and a brushed aluminium style texture – of course, at this price it’s actually made from plastic; but the overall look is highly convincing and could most certainly be described as ‘premium’ rather than ‘budget’. To the rear we find the largest selection of inputs of any display in the group test: VGA and DisplayPort connectors are complemented by a pair of HDMI inputs, one of which also supports MHL for connection to an Android device. There’s also an analogue PC audio input and a headphone jack should you prefer this option over the built-in speakers. Below the standard VESA75 mounting point, an IEC power cable plugs directly into the back of the display, so there’s no external power supply box to lose. If you pushed us to find a fault with this display, it would be that the headphone socket is at the back of the screen, rather than at the side. Control and set-up of the monitor is achieved via a row of physical push-buttons which access a very large on-screen menu which stretches along the bottom of the screen. It’s both clear and easy to use. Performance-wise, the AOC i2369Vm is excellent. Its IPS panel ensures great colour reproduction and wide viewing angles, but this display out-performs all others by some considerable margin by achieving the highest measured contrast ratio of any of the IPS displays. More importantly, this was the only display in the group test to come factory pre-calibrated, requiring almost no correction during the calibration process. You can just plug in this monitor and start work, knowing that you’re getting the very best picture straight out of the box. The i2369Vm is backed by a full three-year warranty.
