Asus MK241H 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor
Summary & Conclusion
Performance Summary: Even though the Asus MK241H includes a number of different image-quality presets for various content-type viewing scenarios, we found that most of the time the monitor's default settings were sufficient. That's not to say that tweaking the settings didn’t moderately improve the image quality under some circumstances, but that is typically true for most monitors. In our opinion, most of the "Splendid" presets add little value, and the user looking to make appropriate tweaks is better off using the more advanced color temperature, sharpness, and saturation settings. Unfortunately, the sharpness and saturation settings are not user accessible when the display is in Standard Mode--the mode we preferred to use the majority of the time.
The average cost for 24-inchs display is between about $325 and $400. With an MSRP of $499, the MK241H is pricier than most 24 inchers. Of course, the MK241H offers a number of bells and whistles that many other displays don't include, such as an HDCP-compliant HDMI connection, built-in speakers, and an integrated webcam and microphone. As to whether the MK241H is worth the extra money, depends on whether you'll see any direct benefit from these additional features. While we're unlikely to use the MK241H's speakers or webcam / microphone for our use, we have already taken advantage of the HDMI connection with an HDMI-capable laptop...Plus it's nice to know that we could hook up a Blu-ray player, DVR, or PS3 to it via HDMI if we wanted to.
Overall, the MK241H is a good monitor that displays great-looking images. It includes a number of features that we could do without, but often such features are personal preference--one person's annoyance is another's benefit. The price is a bit steep, however, for a 24-inch display--and it makes us wonder how much more affordable it could be if it didn't come with the speakers and webcam/microphone.
|
|
