ASUS ML248H: Thin for the Win?
by Chris Heinonen on October 27, 2011 12:00 AM ESTIntroduction and Hardware Impressions
The stand for the ML248 is unlike any monitor stand I’ve seen before. Comprised of a pair of rings that lock together and then into the rear of the display, this allows for tilt and swivel adjustments but no height adjustment. It is dead simple to install, though, which is nice. The back of the display is a white plastic that stands out compared to the standard black, though likely it won’t be seen much of the time. Perhaps because of the slim profile of the display, there is only a single HDMI input and one D-sub input, but no DVI or DisplayPort inputs available. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack for listening to audio carried over HDMI, but no integrated speakers or USB hub in the display. Of course if you were to wall mount this, good luck in getting to that headphone jack.
The front of the display is a shiny black with a fairly thin bezel around the top and sides of the screen, but a very large bezel at the lower half of the display. Perhaps the large bezel at the bottom is necessary to house the electronics and inputs while keeping the overall thin profile, but it causes a couple of issues in my use. The first is that it raises the display up by a few inches compared to if it had no bezel at the bottom. Depending on the height of your desk this might not matter, but for me it puts the display at such a height that I can’t get the angle I want on the display; it makes placement a bit harder and more limited in my experience compared to no bezel.
Another complaint is that the ML248H has LED lit controls that are touch sensitive buttons, but they’re annoying to use in practice. The labels of the buttons disappear until you hit a button to light them up, but that also causes a menu to pop up on the screen. Since you can’t see which menu option you’re selecting until after you touch the panel, you almost always have to back out of that initial menu and then pop up the correct one. Having the initial touch just light up the buttons and the second touch pop up the menu would be far more user friendly. I’m still a fan of actual buttons over touch sensitive ones for my display adjustments as well, but that would ruin the look of the ASUS. On the bright side, the buttons are accurate in responding to touches and I didn’t find myself having to hit them repeatedly to get them to respond.
The one final issue caused by using such a thin display is that the monitor can’t use a standard IEC cord but instead has an external power brick that you will now have to hide away as well. I’m sure most people won’t have an issue hiding the cord and adapter away, but it does make for more of a wiring mess than a typical IEC power cord would.
Here’s an overview of the full display specs:
ASUS ML248 | |
Video Inputs | HDMI 1.3, D-sub |
Panel Type | TN |
Pixel Pitch | 0.2768 mm |
Colors | 16.7 Million |
Brightness | 250 nits (Typical) |
Contrast Ratio | 1,000:1 (Typical) |
Response Time | 2 ms (GTG) |
Viewable Size | 24" |
Resolution | 1920x1080 at 60 Hz |
Viewing Angle | 170 degrees horizontal, 160 degrees vertical |
Backlight | LED |
Power Consumption (operation) | < 30 W |
Power Consumption (standby) | < 1W |
Screen Treatment | Antiglare with hard-coating 3H |
Height-Adjustable | No |
Tilt | -5 degrees to +20 degrees |
Pivot | No |
Swivel | -20 degrees to +20 degrees |
VESA Wall Mounting | Yes: 100 mm x 100 mm |
Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) | 572mm x 431mm x 221mm |
Weight | 9.04 pounds with stand |
Additional Features | Headphone Jack (rear) |
Limited Warranty | 3 Years Limited Parts and Labor |
Accessories | Power adapter, VGA cable, HDMI to DVI Cable |
Price | $200 |
OSD Menus
The OSD menus for the ASUS are pretty well designed overall. The touch sensitive buttons are well spaced and respond well to touches, so you don’t have to hit them multiple times to get an input or worry if you’re hitting the correct one. The main issue, as noted above, is that since the labels for the buttons are hidden until you actually press a button, and you don’t know which one to hit for the menu until you actually try one. That might put you into the brightness or contrast adjustments, and then you have to navigate back out into the main menu. I wish the labels would either stay illuminated (well, that might be a different sort of annoying), or better would be to have the first touch light up the menus instead of selecting an option.
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Arbie - Friday, October 28, 2011 - link
How can a major company produce any monitor today without a height adjustment? And especially an ultra-thin product, where the mechanical parts required to do so would be minimal. This immediately rules it out of the workplace (where there are legal ergonomic concerns), and off most other people's desktops. Get a clue, Asus. Garden-variety Samsungs have lift, tilt, and even rotation.
JonnyDough - Friday, October 28, 2011 - link
I won't buy anything under 120Hz these days. I do however like the 2ms response time. That meets my standard. Anything over 5ms is a no go for sure. I aim for 2 usually.marraco - Saturday, October 29, 2011 - link
The first and most important aspect I look for on any monitor review is blurring of moving images.This article is completely worthless to me.
shashank7040 - Tuesday, November 1, 2011 - link
Asus Eee Pad with slide out QWERTY.........http://goo.gl/B4rJUm0nsier - Saturday, November 5, 2011 - link
I bought the 21.5in version of this monitor (ML228H) for a mere $133 AR. It is surprisingly light and thin. I use it as a portable display for my PS3 (HDMI) which is where the headphone jack comes in handy. It also works well as a second monitor for my laptop, which also uses HDMI. A beautiful display for my gaming/office/web browsing needs, and much better quality than another brand 22" I purchased 2yrs ago. Note: I am not a graphic artist so i cannot compare my experience to an IPS.As for the omission of DVI, my ASUS monitor came with a DVI to HDMI cable for connecting to DVI out, as well as a VGA cable. Both cables approximately 6ft in length. Perhaps the AT reviewer also lost this cable when he lost his screw. Even so you can buy DVI to HDMI adaptors for pocket change.
mbryans - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
Bisakah Anandtech making review about Samsung SyncMaster S23A750D? This monitor seems to be reincarnation of the SyncMaster PX2370.TN Panel (probably hybrid), LED backlit, 23-inch, 1920 x 1080, 2 ms, 120 Hz (3D only for AMD 3D HD), 100% sRGB, and DisplayPort 1.2 (probably first DP 1.2 monitor).
I am interested in the color accuracy of this monitor will be displayed at 120 Hz.
mbryans - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
I mean: Can Anandtech review about Samsung SyncMaster making S23A750D? This monitor seems a to be Reincarnation of the SyncMaster PX2370.