AOC e2352Phz

If you've been waiting for 3D monitors to break the $300 barrier, your wait is over. The AOC e2352PHz ($299 list) is a 23-inch full HD (1,920-by-1,080) monitor that delivers 3D content to your desktop using passive Film-type Patterned Retarder (FPR) technology. You get two pairs of lightweight glasses in the box as well as TriDef's 3D software, which lets you convert 2D movies, photos, and games to 3D, but with mixed results. The monitor does a good job of displaying real 3D content and delivers good overall 2D image quality as well. However, the e2352PHz couldn't reproduce small fonts cleanly, and it suffers from a few annoying design flaws.

Design and Features
The e2352PHz uses a relatively thin cabinet that measures 0.75 inch at the top and juts out to 1 inch toward the bottom, where the ports and speakers reside. The 2-watt speaker system is adequate for low volume listening but bass response is lacking. The rear panel is matte black and the screen bezels are glossy black. A shiny silver AOC logo is affixed to the bottom bezel. The panel is perched atop an oval base and mounting arm that is a bit wobbly but not to the point of tipping over. The cabinet has forward and backward tilt maneuverability but cannot be swiveled, pivoted, or height adjusted. At the rear of the cabinet are HDMI, DVI, and VGA ports, as well as an audio input and a headphone jack. This model does not offer USB connectivity.

On the bottom edge of the lower bezel are five buttons, one of which is a power switch. The button labels are etched into the black bezel and are virtually impossible to see in a normally lit room without shining a light directly on them, and even then they are ridiculously small and difficult to identify. There's a button that lets you toggle between 2D and 3D viewing modes, a volume control button, a source select button, and a menu button. Pressing the menu button launches the OSD (on-screen display), which is arranged along the bottom of the screen.

Luminance settings include contrast, brightness, gamma, dynamic contrast ratio, and eco mode. Eco mode is typically called picture mode on most other monitors and includes standard, movie, sports, text, game, and internet presets. Movie mode works well for dark room viewing but standard mode offers the best all around picture. Sports mode, on the other hand, is over-saturated and much too bright for everyday use. If you're using an analog signal you can adjust clock, phase, sharpness, and screen position.

The "Color" screen offers four color temperature settings (warm, normal, cool, sRGB) and a user defined setting. The DCB (Dynamic Color Boost) settings can be used to enhance skin tones, greens, and blues. Or, you can set it to enhance the entire picture, but I found that reds and greens are way too saturated in this mode. There's an off timer that you can set to have the monitor shut itself down at a predetermined time, or you can use the included e-Saver utility to tell the monitor when to power down, go to sleep, or activate s a screen saver. If you'd rather tinker with picture adjustments from the comfort of your keyboard, the included i-Menu utility lets you do so and is much easier than trying to figure out which buttons to press.

3D Performance
As with the Acer HR274H ($599 list, 3.5 Stars), the AOC e2352PHz uses a passive 3D technology known as Film-type Patterned Retarder, or FPR. It uses lightweight, polarized glasses to create depth, unlike active shutter glasses, which are battery operated and heavier. The e2352PHz comes with two pairs of lightweight glasses so you and a friend can get your 3D on right out of the box. It also comes with TriDef's 3D conversion software, which lets you view your 2D photographs, movies, and games in a simulated 3D mode. I watched clips from several (2D) DVD movies and was not impressed; the 3D doesn't have the depth that you get with real 3D content (content designed to be watched in 3D) and isn't very convincing. The same goes for converting photos to 3D: depth was lacking, and sometimes the conversion can make things look freaky. For example, I converted a picture of my son and me sitting together on a couch. The software pretty much left my image alone but brought my son's head to the foreground while the rest of his body remained in the background, sort of like a funhouse mirror. Other pictures looked good in 3D when the correct objects are given depth, but its hit and miss as to how the software will convert your photos.

Watching real 3D content is a whole different story. I hooked the monitor up to a 3D Blu-ray player and ran my test disc, Disney's 3D Showcase. The picture was bright and colors remained true, and the 3D imagery was top notch. You don't get nearly as much crosstalk (a double image effect) with passive 3D as you do with active shutter, but there was still a trace of it here and there, particularly when looking at text. Even so, the picture looked awesome.

Gaming in 3D mode was also a pleasure; the TriDef software supports over 600 games, including Far Cry 2, which I loaded up for a few rounds of action. As was the case with the Acer HR274H, the game looked great in 3D; there was minimal crosstalk while sitting directly in front of the screen but it became more apparent when viewed from a side angle. The picture remained bright and colors were unaffected by the glasses.

Performance
The e2352PHz performed quite well for a budget-class monitor. Its dark and light grayscale performance, as measured by the DisplayMate 64-Step Grayscale test, was relatively good for a TN panel good, but it was unable to display deep, inky blacks, such as what you get from the BenQ XL2420T ($549 list, 4 stars). Additionally, there was a smidgeon of green tinting in the middle of the grayscale.

Color quality was good; reds, greens, and blues were robust and evenly saturated and skin tones were natural looking. Small text could have been cleaner though; it looked fine at 6 points but smaller fonts set to 5.3 points were a little muddy but were still legible. Viewing angle performance was decent for a TN panel but colors were a bit off when viewed from an angle.

The e2352PHz used 33-watts of power, which is high for an LED backlit display. That's almost as much as the Acer HR274H (35 watts), which uses a much larger panel. The Lenovo LS2421P Wide ($219.99 direct, 4 stars), on the other hand, used only 16 watts.

AOC covers the e2352PHz with a three-year parts and labors warranty. The panel is only covered for one year. AOC's EASE Program provides a brand new monitor, with absolutely no cost to the customer, if the monitor malfunctions within the first three months.

Conclusion
The AOC e2352PHz is a good choice for 3D enthusiasts on a budget. For less than $300 you get solid 2D and "true" 3D performance, two sets of glasses, and the ability to view your photos and DVDs in a simulated, albeit low-grade, 3D mode. Moreover, the glasses are much more comfortable than battery operated active shutter glasses and look like a regular pair of shades rather than something from a sci-fi movie. If you prefer a 3D monitor with a larger screen and a highly adjustable stand, the Asus VG278H ($699 list, 4 stars) is an excellent choice, but it's more than twice the price of the e2352PHz and it uses active shutter technology.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the AOC e2352Phz with several other monitors side by side.

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