CNET Editor's rating: 7.1 out of 10
Reviewed by
Matthew Wood
Review date: 03/08/07
The good: Inexpensive; solid performance for the price; HDCP-compatible DVI port.
The bad: No extras such as speakers or USB ports.
The bottom line: Acer AL2216W is a bare-bones LCD monitor, but it represents a good value with its low price and relatively solid performance.
LCD monitors aren't just displays anymore--they often come with a full suite of extras such as speakers, USB ports, and yes, even an iPod dock. While the extras are nice, they have a habit of driving the price of the display up and if you already have PC speakers and plenty of USB ports, just a plain monitor may be all you need. That's where the Acer AL2216W (also sometimes called the AL221Wbd) fits in, offering 22 inches of screen real estate with a list price of $330--although we've seen it going for as low as $280 online. That's a heck of a deal, and we were pleasantly surprised to see that the AL2216W did pretty well in our testing as well. Sure, the lightweight styling might strike some as cheap, but we actually liked it. In all, the price is right on the AL2216W, and its basic feature set will suit many people who just need a monitor.
Design
As we mentioned, the first thing you might notice about the AL2216W is that there aren't any extra features, just the power plug, VGA, and DVI ports around back. The stand itself is extremely light and slim, and it almost felt like it was a "fake" monitor. While its lack of weight may make it feel cheap to some, it didn't bother us, and we liked being able to easily move it. What did bother us was that there was very little ability to adjust it--absolutely no swivel and a small amount of backward and forward tilt. On the other hand, we didn't have any problems with the onscreen display controls and found them easy to use.
Performance
Anytime you see a 22-inch display at this price, you begin to become a bit suspect of how it will perform. Well, for the most part, you can lose those suspicions as we found the AL2216W to perform fairly well--especially for the price. Overall, it scored a 72 on the CNET Labs' benchmark test, which puts it in good standing versus similar displays. We didn't see any evidence of ghosting or streaking in our gaming tests, and DVDs looked pretty good. Sure, we've seen stronger performance on games and DVDs from more expensive displays, but it's perfectly fine for the vast majority of people who will just do everyday computing. Text was readable at 7.5 font size, although stepping down 6.8 made it very hard to read.
At the end of the day, the Acer AL2216W is a fairly good value stacked up against the competition. Overall, the AL2216W wound up getting a higher score than the Viewsonic VX2235wm, which is a very similar monitor but costs more. Sure, there are no built-in speakers, but savvy consumers might not want to spend the extra money for built-in speakers that almost always sound pretty weak. It would have been nice to have some handy USB ports on the stand, but we're betting the low price and relatively good performance will more than make up for that for many consumers.
The Acer AL2216W comes with an industry standard, three-year parts and labor limited warranty, which includes the backlight. Additionally, similar to all Acer displays, the AL2216W is backed by toll-free service and support, and there also is online support with a knowledge base, downloadable manuals, and drivers.
Intro:
The Acer AL2216WBD is a 22 in, flat panel computer monitor.Compared to other flat panel monitors on the market, it is very inexpensive at around $240.This model features a 1680x1050 native resolution.Weighs 10.6 lbs.
Noteworthy Features:
Has 1680x1050 resolution, which is higher than some similarly priced monitors.By way of comparison, the typical cost of a product with this high a resolution is $345.Its wide viewing angle (170 degrees) is useful whenever the screen is being viewed by more than one person at the same time.Accepts DVI input, which allows for greater signal clarity than traditional VGA.
Weaker Features:
None noted, given available product data.
Suitability:
A flat panel monitor, suited for those who want a high-end display for movies, presentations, or design work.The 5 ms response time of this screen makes it ideal for fast-moving games and for watching movies.
Value:
In view of its very inexpensive price, this monitor has great features for the money.In terms of viewable size, flat panel monitors with comparable viewable size have an average cost of around $325.
Suggestions:
(1) Before purchasing an LCD monitor, consider visiting your local store for a live demo to ensure that its overall image quality, color, and sharpness meets your expectation.(2) Since this monitor is DVI-capable, you might want a DVI-enabled graphics card in your PC to connect with it -- this will pass the digital video signal directly without converting it to analog, making for better performance.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Well worth the money
For $300, you can't beat it. It's a very nice monitor. I have been using a 15" CRT ...
For $300, you can't beat it. It's a very nice monitor. I have been using a 15" CRT for a long time and it really affecting my eye sight. This LCD monitor is bright and clear, very easy on the eyes. What more can I ask for the money. Hmm, perhaps a rotate stand for portrait mode?
8 out of 10 - Excellent excellent picture
I have the AL 1916W, which is in the same family of products. I got it at Circuit City for $...
I have the AL 1916W, which is in the same family of products. I got it at Circuit City for $179 after rebates, and I've had it for 10 months. So far it has given me no trouble, just delivered a beautiful picture when required, (landscape photos) that is also accurate. The text is also very readable no matter what font I am using. It is also very good for videos, though I don't care for watching them on a computer monitor. My only complaints with it are the lack of adjustments to the stand, and to the picture, and it's complete no frills nature. I must also admit that, given my horrible experiences with Acer computers, I am VERY surprised it hasn't blown up by now. And I have to mention the "manuals". They send 2, "AL1916W LCD Monitor" and "Acer eColor Management." Each is 44 pages long. The ENGLISH in each manual is TWO PAGES, which is maybe barely enough to get the basics across to someone who is computer illiterate. To me it says that the company DOES NOT care enough about their customers to send out a well written, understandable owner's manual, leaving it instead to 4 pages and a disc that, oh wait, I have to get the monitor working before I can find out what's on the disk!!
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by roadtoad54 (see profile) -
October 9, 2007
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 out of 10 - Perfect Amazing Deal!!
This monitor is amazing!! Big, bright, and sharp. Not to mention, affordable. Text was a little fuzzy at first, but ...
This monitor is amazing!! Big, bright, and sharp. Not to mention, affordable. Text was a little fuzzy at first, but a little tweaking to the setting cleared that up right away. Highly recommended.
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by cpearcy (see profile) -
April 10, 2007
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 out of 10 - Abysmal Don't buy any products from Acer
I purchased my monitor in September and have had to return it AT MY OWN EXPENSE 2 times. Acer will ...
I purchased my monitor in September and have had to return it AT MY OWN EXPENSE 2 times. Acer will not provide me with a new monitor. The monitor makes a popping sound and stops working. The 2nd time, it also had a burning smell.
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by nlnymark (see profile) -
March 4, 2008
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
2 out of 10 - Terrible Acer use to make good things but not NOW
end of the story pay little more and you can get a better one than Acer AL2016W. I got to ...
end of the story pay little more and you can get a better one than Acer AL2016W. I got to change twice and the third time different brand.I thought acer were good but not this time.In the beginning it looks nice and nice Picture Q. but if you like to use it for 6 months or 500hrs then you will see the "good" side of the Acer. DON"T BUY this Acer AL2016W
Updated the picture Q sucks.Acer usually makes good thing but not this time.This AL2016W sucks in many ways.Fuzzy Picture after 300-350 hrs of operation in 9 months.Spend little more you can get a better one.Never buy Electronics when they have longer Guaranty like 3yrs.
1 out of 10 - Abysmal Bad Customer Service.
I bought this monitor around the end of January. It setup and worked good for a little more then a ...
I bought this monitor around the end of January. It setup and worked good for a little more then a month, then it was dead. None of the customer service information in the box was correct. No phone number and website had changed, but I found it on line. Filled out all the online info... returned it and waited.. got it back still didn't work. I have spent hours talking to people from Acer on the phone. The third person admitted their repair notes show a screw up in there information so they just sent it back with out checking it. They sent a call tag to ship it back the 3rd time and that took a week to get the call tag. I have only had the monitor for about one month of the three I have owned it.
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by John Thayer (see profile) -
April 29, 2008
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Great value, great product
I got this from Office Depot for $249.95 (as listed on web site). I found an Office Depot close ...
I got this from Office Depot for $249.95 (as listed on web site). I found an Office Depot close by that had it in stock but in store price was $269.95. After showing WWW listing it was reduced to lower price. It pays to ask. You can find it cheaper but then you pay shipping. I just paid tax. Six of one, half dozen of another. Great image, lots of real estate.
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by Mike in SC (see profile) -
December 6, 2007
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular What a deal!
I use more expensive Dell and Viewsonic LCD monitors at work, but I much prefer my Acer 22-inch widescreen at ...
I use more expensive Dell and Viewsonic LCD monitors at work, but I much prefer my Acer 22-inch widescreen at home. It's picture is better in every way. I have good speakers and plenty of USB ports, so I didn't want to pay for features I don't need. The stand, for me, is plenty stable. I wish it had height adjustment, but that hasn't been a major issue. This is the first LCD monitor I've purchased for home use and I couldn't be happier with it.
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by grandforker (see profile) -
October 5, 2007
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Unbelievable!!!
This is an absolutely crystal clear clean monitor. I compared the clarity to many many other and this still beats ...
This is an absolutely crystal clear clean monitor. I compared the clarity to many many other and this still beats them out, plus the price is remarkable for what you're getting. Best bang for your buck hands down!
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by chim784 (see profile) -
January 27, 2007
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
3 out of 10 - Poor Do yourself a favor and get a better monitor. Well worth the extra cash.
I thought it was me and my eyes until I returned the monitor and got my self a Samsung instead (...
I thought it was me and my eyes until I returned the monitor and got my self a Samsung instead (alas, for 200 euros more). True, my setup is not the most straightforward in the world but my new monitor handles it just fine. This ACER monitor is WSXGA+ and I connected it to my laptop which is SXGA+. My laptop's card handled the resolution fine but the brightness was uneven, text was very blurry (in some areas on the screen it was less blurry than others, but it wasn't really sharp) and the flickering, especially with a dark background, could make you seasick. I'm not anti ACER in any way - in fact my laptop (the most important component of my setup) is ACER and it's the best I've ever had. So please hear me out. I decided to buy a large screen after working on a 24" iMac for about a week. Now that I have a 21" Samsung monitor (215TW-WSXGA+), no more Mac envy for me.
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by constantine_gr (see profile) -
March 31, 2007
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