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Today we are looking at the latest VN247H from ASUS. This monitor will stand out in the crowd due to the super narrow bezel which measures less than 1 centimeter. The VN247H is VESA wall mount compatible and has a scratch proof rear panel for ultimate durability. Should this be next on your shortlist in 2013?
There is no doubt that the VN247H is designed from the ground up for gamers.
Asus are quoting an ultra fast 1ms (gray-to-gray) response time with a specially designed ultra thin surrounding bezel, ideal for multi screen solutions.
VN247H Overview:
- Ideal for a multi-screen solution with a super narrow frame.
- Best for work and play with Full HD 1080p visual quality and rich connectivity including dual HDMI and D-sub inputs.
- Ultra-fast 1ms (gray-to-gray) response time for amazingly blur-free multimedia experience.
VN247H Specification:
- Panel Size: Wide Screen 23.6″(59.9cm) 16:9
- True Resolution: 1920×1080
- Full HD 1080P: Yes (support 1080i/p by 1:1)
- Pixel Pitch: 0.272mm
- Brightness(Max): 250cd/m
- ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio (ASCR): 80000000:1
- Viewing Angle (CR?10): 170°(H)/160°(V)
- Response Time: 1ms SUPER-FAST Response time
- Display Colors: 16.7M
- Signal Input: 2x HDMI & 1x D-Sub (DVI-D Supported via HDMI-to-DVI cable)
- Stereo Speakers: 2W x2 Stereo RMS
- VESA: 100x100mm
- Kensington Lock: Yes
- Phys. Dimension with Stand(WxHxD): 548.6×394.9×194.2mm
- Weight: 3.7kg
- Warranty: 3yr
The Asus VN247H ships in a plain brown box, which is very thin. It is also very light, weighing only 5.8kg. Dimensions of the box are 602mm x 478mm x 128mm (WxHxD).
The bundle includes a VGA cable, audio cable, power cord, quick start guide, HDMI to DVI Cable and a warranty card. Strangely there is no HDMI to HDMI cable included.
The base is nicely finished and is quite light also, with a metal base underneath. It locks into the monitor arm with a large tool less screw, seen in the image above.
The VN247H is a very attractive, thin monitor which looks fantastic. We immediately noticed how thin the surrounding bezel was – an intentional design trait for multiple screen configurations. With the stand installed, it measures 548.6 mm x 394.9 mm x 194.2 mm (WxHxD). It weighs only 3.7kg.
We didn't get nine monitors, but the image above is taken from the ASUS website, to show the specific strengths of this screen in complex environments. The bezel surrounding the screen measures around 9mm.
The rear of the VN247H looks great under light thanks to the textured surface. According to the company this is scratch proof, although as the sample had to be returned we were unwilling to test the claims thoroughly.
From the side, the monitor is quite thin with the rear panel exhibiting a ‘bulge' in the middle section.
The stand can rotate on the axis to adjust the viewing position: 25° ( forward 5°, backwards 20° ) tilting angle.
The rear of the VN247H has a VESA mount to connect to a wall. Multiple VN247H panels could be wall mounted without a problem.
The menu key controls are on the rear panel which means you have to feel around from the front to press them. ASUS say this is ‘convenient', but I would have to disagree. The only benefit I can see is a cleaner front bezel appearance.
There are also two speakers on the screen, each capable of outputting 2 watts each. As we would expect these are rather gutless, but perhaps useful for an office environment when only basic audio output would be required.
All of the connectors are recessed into the bottom of the screen, accessible from the rear. The I/O port can be accessed easier if you remove the detachable rear cover.
On the right side are the following connectors –
Signal Input : HDMI x 2, D-Sub, DVI-D (via HDMI-to-DVI cable)
PC Audio Input : 3.5mm Mini-Jack
AV Audio Input : HDMI
Earphone jack : 3.5mm Mini-Jack
On this page we present some super high resolution images of the product taken with the 24.5MP Nikon D3X camera and 24-70mm ED lens. These will take much longer to open due to the dimensions, especially on slower connections. If you use these pictures on another site or publication, please credit Kitguru.net as the owner/source.
The ASUS menu interface is positioned bottom right of the screen, with the buttons only accessible if you move your fingers around to the back of the screen.
As mentioned earlier this helps to ensure that the front of the screen is uncluttered, but it is a little awkward to adjust the settings. ASUS class this as ‘convenient' (image above), but I don't agree.
The interface is easy enough to navigate, and ASUS include ‘Splendid Video Intelligence Technology'. This optimizes video performance and image fidelity by enhancing color, brightness, contrast, and sharpness. 6 preset video modes (Scenery, Theater, Game, Night View, sRGB and Standard) can be selected via a hotkey.
The five main submenu's include a wealth of settings to accommodate everyone but the most discerning of users. There are six built in ‘Splendid' modes which adjust the image in various ways. Theater mode worked well for high definition movie playback, enhancing the colour saturation a little.
Brightness and volume can be controlled directly via two of the buttons on the rear panel. Sound quality from the onboard system is mediocre, but it may prove useful in some situations.
Asus include a ‘QuickFit Virtual Scale' with the VN247H. This allows the user to preview photos and documents on screen in their actual size prior to printing.
Above you can see how this looks live on the monitor. It can be activated via a monitor hotkey, and serves as a guide to accurately view and edit photos in their native size.
To test today, we are using a LaCie calibration gun along with specific software to accurately measure the readings. We also test the monitor in real world conditions, with an AMD HD7950 and Quadro 4000M discrete graphics.
We measured the Gamut out of the box and the Asus VN247H returned a reading of 2.18 which is very good. We manually adjusted the gamma to 1.8 and the panel returned a 1.79 result.
Colour response is good at the default settings, and depending on the ‘Splendid' mode selected the colours can be under, or over saturated. We feel it is important to spend a little time calibrating the VN247H to get the most from it.
It is clear that this panel is not designed for professional, mission critical colour work however the overall impression of the image quality is positive, with a great depth to the colours, especially when gaming.
Text focus is sharp and backlighting is reasonably consistent across the full width of the panel. The out of the box sharpness settings seem a little high, we reduced it to '40' and the edges of small text were less aliased. There is some bleeding at the edges and corners of the screen, although this is to be expected at such a low price point.
Panel Linearity is average, but perfectly fine for the intended use, which is gaming.
Black Definition is very good considering the budget price point with a relatively clean image presented, even when watching high definition films. Both SunShine and Moon delivered a punchy image with good focusing and rich colour saturation. The VN247H won't match leading panels in the £250 price bracket, but I found the overall image to be pleasant and convincing.
We measured a variable between +10% to +18% in the middle section of the panel, with the corners running between 20% +23%. To the naked eye there was a slightly noticeable shift bottom right.
White purity wasn't quite as impressive, although again this is rarely noticeable when gaming. Critical analysis when playing high definition bluray content (HDMI 1 connection) via the OPPO BDP95 did highlight an image which could seem slightly ‘dirty'. This was obviously more pronounced when viewing media shot outdoors in bright conditions. Again, it didn't look too bad to the naked eye, but immediately noticeable if you are moving from a panel with superior characteristics in a higher price bracket.
Panel Uniformity rated as good, with some distortion, close to the sides and more pronounced on the right. Colour accuracy rates above average for this price sector. Some of the preset options can greatly change the output intensity of colour, so it is worth spending some time adjusting them to suit. Gradients were reproduced well, with only a little banding evident.
Viewing angles were average, with some colour shift on both vertical and horizontal planes.
The screen returned a fantastic result in our real world gaming tests. I noticed absolutely no motion blur or artifacting with a variety of fast moving first person shooters and racing games.
The VN247H is an extremely efficient 24 inch screen, demanding around 30 watts when it is calibrated. Out of the box, it was taking around 34 watts at the socket.
The Asus VN247H Super Narrow Bezel LED Monitor is surely one of the best value for money screens available today. At only £149.99 inc vat from Overclockers UK and Scan UK it would be one of my first choices for a gamer building to a tight budget, but one not willing to compromise greatly on image quality.
The 9mm bezel (yes we measured it) ensures that multi screen configurations look very appealing indeed. It is fantastic to see ASUS are spending time thinking about what gamers really want. The thick bezel on many monitors really does get in the way of creating an immersive 3 or 6 screen setup.
Technically, there is no doubt that the VN247H cannot be rated in the same category as a class leading £250 monitor, but the overall image quality is likely to please most people, especially gamers. If you are a designer or photographer with colour critical demands, then we strongly advise you to look at one of the ASUS Pro Art screens instead. You can only save so much money before you are compromising on the accuracy of the colour rendition. The VN247H sacrifices colour accuracy and replaces it with vibrancy and impact to enhance the gaming experience.
Black Definition is above average and ensures that high definition movies create plenty of impact. White purity isn't quite as noteworthy however we feel it doesn't detract too much from the overall image presented.
If you are looking for an inexpensive monitor for a new system with a main focus on gaming and HD movies, then we can certainly recommend the VN247H. The super narrow bezel really looks great when running in a multi screen configuration. Three of these monitors would only set you back £450 which seems like a really good deal to me.
EDIT: 23rd January – Both OCUK and SCAN had this screen on offer at time of original publication. The pricing is now under £180 from OCUK and from SCAN.
Pros:
- Price.
- decent all round image quality.
- very light.
- super narrow bezel is very attractive.
- ideal for multi screen system.
- fast refresh for gamers.
Cons:
- white purity.
- no HDMI-HDMI cable in the box.
Kitguru says: We really do rate the VN247H highly. We hope to see more manufacturers focusing on reducing bezel size.
