HP 2011xi

The HP 2011xi ($189.99 list) is the latest affordable IPS (in plane switching) monitor to hit the market, following the LG IPS236V ($259.99 list, 4 stars) and, more recently, the Asus VS229H-P ($160 list, 4 stars). IPS technology is known for its deep, rich colors and wide viewing angles, and the 2011 xi gives you both, but it's not as energy efficient as its TN-based counterparts and it's missing a key video input. At $190, it is certainly a good deal for an IPS monitor, but the Asus VS229H-P has it beat.

Design and Features

With a slightly curved cabinet measuring 1.3 inches thick and rounded piano black bezels, the 2011xi is attractive without appearing too flashy. The 20-inch LED backlit screen has a maximum resolution of 1,600 by 900, which means it is limited to displaying HD content at 720p, and it has a non-reflective matte coating. A silver HP logo is embedded in the center of the lower bezel and to its right are four clearly labeled function buttons and a power switch that glows blue when the power is on.

The cabinet weighs 7 pounds and sits atop a rectangular piano black base with tilt capabilities. As with most affordable monitors, the 2011xi lacks pivot, height, and swivel adjustments. Around back are DVI and VGA connectors, but no HDMI, audio, or USB ports. In comparison, the Asus VS229H-P gives you VGA, DVI, and HDMI inputs as well as a headphone jack. Like the VS229H-P, the 2011xi does not have built-in speakers.

The OSD (on screen display) is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it a snap to adjust picture settings. Here you can tweak all the usual values including brightness, contrast, sharpness, and dynamic contrast ratio. There's also a setting for Video Overdrive that is supposed to help smooth out fast motion blurring, but I was unable to notice a difference whether it was on or off. Color temperature settings include Warm (5000k), Standard (6500k), Cool (9300k) and Custom (set your own RGB values). There are five picture modes (dubbed Quick View by HP), including Movie, Photo, Gaming, Text, and Custom. You can also choose between four gamma modes (Off, Low, Medium, or High) depending on your lighting environment.

Inside the box are VGA and DVI cables, a documentation CD, a cable management clip, and a warranty card. HP's one-year warranty is rather stingy compared to the three-year deal you'd get with other affordable monitors such as Acer's S230HL ($189 list, 3 stars) and NEC's AS221WM ($189 list, 3.5 stars).

Performance

The 2011xi's IPS panel performed as expected, delivering rich colors and good grayscale performance. While not as accurate as the more expensive professional-grade IPS models like the NEC PA241W ($1,049 list, 4 stars), the 2011xi did a good job of reproducing dark and light swatches on the DisplayMate 64-Step Grayscale test, with just a slight trace of compression at the dark end of the scale. Colors were robust and evenly saturated with no evidence of tinting or banding in the Color Scales test.

Small fonts set to 6 points were very clean and well-defined. When set to a smaller size (5.3 points) they were still completely legible but not quite as crisp; lower case e and a characters were filled in at the top. IPS panels are known for their excellent viewing angles, and the 2011xi did not disappoint. Color fidelity remained good when viewed from any angle, and, unlike most TN panels, there was no loss of luminance.

The 2011xi uses an e-IPS panel, an inexpensive iteration of IPS technology that requires less power than its more expensive S-IPS and H-IPS brethren. Still, it can't match the energy efficiency of panels that use TN technology. The 2011xi used 25 watts of power during my tests, which is a tad high for a 20-inch panel. The TN-based Lenovo LS2421p Wide ($219.99 direct, 4 stars) required only 16 watts and has a larger 24-inch screen. The CCFL backlit NEC AS221WM has a 22-inch panel and it also uses 25 watts, but it offers an ECO mode that brings that down to 18 watts while maintaining an acceptable brightness level.

Conclusion

With the HP 2011xi you get the benefits of IPS technology, including great color fidelity, excellent viewing angles, and better grayscale reproduction than you'll get from just about any TN panel in this price range, without spending a fortune. However, it comes up short in other areas, most notably the lack of an HDMI port and a relatively stingy warranty. If the lack of an HDMI port is a deal breaker, the Asus VS229H-P has one. It also has a larger screen with a higher resolution and it costs less than the 2011xi, which is why it remains our Editors' Choice for budget monitors.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the HP 2011xi with several other monitors side by side.

More monitor reviews:
??? HP 2011xi
??? Lenovo D186 Wide
??? Viewsonic VA2231wm-LED
??? NEC AS221WM
??? Acer S230HL Abii
?? more

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