Photo: Acer

The Acer AT2356 is a 23-inch monitor that displays both HD-ready and Full HD quality. It’s one of Acer’s multiple use products, where the screen can be used for computing purposes or television viewing. It has an integrated DVB-T HD tuner that provides you with a variety of Freeview channels. The design isn’t the best around, though, and the thick black plastic bezel makes it look outdated and rather cheap. The monitor is held up by a shaky-looking glossy stand, but it manages to keep the screen stable and does add a touch of style.

Getting to know the features

The Acer AT2356 is able to display 1080p resolution which will produce clear, crisp, detailed and vibrant pictures. But it’s also able to portray other resolutions like 1080i, 720p, 720i and more that increase other features like the contrast ratio from 1,000:1 to 20,000:1 for deeper black levels. The AT2356 has Adaptive Contrast Management which allows you to adjust the colour settings for a more balanced and natural effect. There are also preset picture modes already available if you don’t want to go through the hassle of changing the settings. It has a response time of 5ms which isn’t the highest around, but it cancels out blur effectively and gets rid of the motion lag.

What to expect

The Acer AT2356 may sound like it has some enhancing features, but it is a budget monitor that does have its faults. Although the contrast ratio can be increased considerably, quite a lot of grey still seems to be an issue in dark scenes, but colours are still conveyed with excellent quality. The sound is also a problem as it lacks some much needed bass and treble, and comes off very one dimensional and flat. The Acer monitor has a few connections including two HDMI inputs, and can support Full HD viewing from a Blu-ray player, a VGA PC input, headphone jack or a coaxial digital output. The AT2356 also has a USB port, but unfortunately it’s for service use only and not for transferring multimedia data.

Affordable and reliable

The Acer monitor has some nifty features like Freeview HD and contrast management. It’s ideal for a small room where the quality can be appreciated, or can be used as a day to day computer with some built-in accessible programmes. The Acer AT2356 also has a seven-day electronic programme guide, letting you schedule and auto tune shows you want to watch. On the downside, though, the Acer monitor struggles with dark scenes, and has some problems with the sound even with Dolby Digital. But if you’re looking for a budget monitor with versatile functions and Freeview HD, then the AT2356 is for you.