ASUS VH242H Delivers Performance In Line With Its Price
Pros: Nice feature set for bargain pricing
Cons: Low build quality, backlight bleeding issues, and flemsy stand is a constant reminder of the low price
NOTE:
I purchased this monitor as a Newegg Open Box deal. My price paid is much lower than what this monitor normally goes for. For this reason, I am reviewing it based on the typical street price of ~180 USD.
Build Quality/Initial Impressions
The VH242H is part of Asus's value line of TN monitors, hence the "V" at the beginning of the model number. Upon opening the box, I was pleasantly surprised at the numerous accessories that were included such as a VGA, DVI, mini-TRS audio, and power cable. The monitor was nicely packed from the factory.
As I took the monitor out of the packaging, I noticed it was quite light compared to my Dell 2005fpw. The first sign of this monitor being a lower end offering was the included stand. It is literally an 8" plastic disk that the monitor snaps into. The only adjustment that can be made is the tilt.
After unpacking and setting up the monitor, it became quite clear that the stand would constantly be a pain to deal with. Unlike my Dell 2005fpw, the stand is not up to the task of isolating the monitor from movements in the table that are induced from typing. While I type the monitor jiggles, which can be very annoying. Luckily, this is a secondary monitor. I would recommend getting a replacement stand or choosing a different monitor if this will be your primary, unless you can deal with the constant jiggling.
OSD Settings and Color Calibration
Like many monitors, the VH242H comes from the factory set very bright. The brightness, contrast, warmth, and individual color channels can be adjusted through the monitor's OSD settings. Sharpness can also be changed. After fiddling with the monitor for about 30 minutes, I came to the understanding that it tends toward cooler colors unlike my 2005fpw, which is a warmer monitor.
Image Quality and Back Lighting
After setting the gamma, color correction, and contrast/brightness, the image quality was adequate. The monitor still exhibits a tendency to over saturate colors.
The main problem is with back light bleed. The edges all the way around the monitor have poor bleeding which contributes to color gradation and uneven images when portraying a dark scene. I would not recommend this monitor for gaming because of this issue. Playing darker games or games that involve night scenes cause the bleeding issue to be very apparent and break the immersion for me.
Overall
The Asus VH242H is a low end monitor for a low end price. It does nothing great, but for the price you can't expect much. It does offer a large viewing area, numerous inputs, and decent calibration control. However, the back light bleeding, flimsy stand, and low end build quality could kill the deal for most enthusiasts. I can really only recommend this monitor as a secondary monitor or for someone that is on an extremely tight budget.
Taking price into account, this is a solid 3/5.
I purchased this monitor as a Newegg Open Box deal. My price paid is much lower than what this monitor normally goes for. For this reason, I am reviewing it based on the typical street price of ~180 USD.
Build Quality/Initial Impressions
The VH242H is part of Asus's value line of TN monitors, hence the "V" at the beginning of the model number. Upon opening the box, I was pleasantly surprised at the numerous accessories that were included such as a VGA, DVI, mini-TRS audio, and power cable. The monitor was nicely packed from the factory.
As I took the monitor out of the packaging, I noticed it was quite light compared to my Dell 2005fpw. The first sign of this monitor being a lower end offering was the included stand. It is literally an 8" plastic disk that the monitor snaps into. The only adjustment that can be made is the tilt.
After unpacking and setting up the monitor, it became quite clear that the stand would constantly be a pain to deal with. Unlike my Dell 2005fpw, the stand is not up to the task of isolating the monitor from movements in the table that are induced from typing. While I type the monitor jiggles, which can be very annoying. Luckily, this is a secondary monitor. I would recommend getting a replacement stand or choosing a different monitor if this will be your primary, unless you can deal with the constant jiggling.
OSD Settings and Color Calibration
Like many monitors, the VH242H comes from the factory set very bright. The brightness, contrast, warmth, and individual color channels can be adjusted through the monitor's OSD settings. Sharpness can also be changed. After fiddling with the monitor for about 30 minutes, I came to the understanding that it tends toward cooler colors unlike my 2005fpw, which is a warmer monitor.
Image Quality and Back Lighting
After setting the gamma, color correction, and contrast/brightness, the image quality was adequate. The monitor still exhibits a tendency to over saturate colors.
The main problem is with back light bleed. The edges all the way around the monitor have poor bleeding which contributes to color gradation and uneven images when portraying a dark scene. I would not recommend this monitor for gaming because of this issue. Playing darker games or games that involve night scenes cause the bleeding issue to be very apparent and break the immersion for me.
Overall
The Asus VH242H is a low end monitor for a low end price. It does nothing great, but for the price you can't expect much. It does offer a large viewing area, numerous inputs, and decent calibration control. However, the back light bleeding, flimsy stand, and low end build quality could kill the deal for most enthusiasts. I can really only recommend this monitor as a secondary monitor or for someone that is on an extremely tight budget.
Taking price into account, this is a solid 3/5.
