ViewSonic set its sights on hard-core gamers and movie enthusiasts with the ViewSonic VX2255wmb 22” widescreen display, but it lacks some features that both target audiences demand. Its native resolution is too low for some HD formats, and its video input options are on the skimpy side. It has only a single digital video input and no downstream USB ports.
On the plus side, the built-in 1.3-megapixel camera and microphone will please online gaming fans. Images are on the grainy, low-contrast side, as you’d expect, but they’re fine for gaming, video calls, and capturing quick snapshots to email to friends and family.
- Fast response time for gaming and video.
- Built-in 1.3-megapixel camera.
- Built-in microphone and headphone jack.
- Package includes all cables (VGA, DVI, USB, audio).
- Limited input capabilities.
- No downstream USB ports.
- Doesn’t directly support all HD formats.
- Glossy black bezel smudges easily.
- 1680x1050 native resolution
- 5 ms pixel response rate
- VGA and DVI-D video inputs
- Three-year warranty
The ViewSonic VX2255wmb is a decent quality display at a relatively reasonable price, but it doesn’t offer much to make it stand out from the crowd.
This 22” widescreen display has a native resolution of 1680x1050, which is typical for its class. Its contrast ratio is 700:1 and its brightness rating is 280 nits, both of which aren’t bad for a consumer-level display. The 5 ms pixel response time helps eliminate ghosting and blurring in fast-moving images, a plus for playing fast-action games or watching movies. Image quality is good to very good, with fairly even luminance across the panel, and good contrast and detail.
The ViewSonic VX2255wmb’s stand has a flat, round base that’s a good place to store odds and ends. The stand supports tilt and height adjustments, and can swivel up to 360 degrees, which makes it easy to plug and unplug cables. A pair of 2W speakers hidden in the thin bezel that surrounds the display are of typical quality; they’re serviceable, but not robust enough to stand up to loud sound effects or music.
Video inputs are surprisingly limited for a gaming/multimedia display. The ViewSonic VX2255wmb has a VGA port and a single HDCP-enabled DVI port, plus a USB port for the web cam. There are no additional A/V ports, and no downstream USB ports for connecting other peripherals.
Despite having one eye on the movie enthusiast market, the ViewSonic VX2255wmb’s native resolution of 1680x1050 is too low for two HD formats: 1080i, one of the HD broadcast standards, and 1080p, the HD-DVD and Blu-ray standard. When you view either of these HD formats, your graphics card or DVD playback software will have to perform some scaling to get the video to fit within the confines of the display.
