22-inch Viewsonic LCD doubles as 720p HDTV for $229.99 shipped

(Credit: ViewSonic)

A 22-inch LCD monitor for $200 is a solid deal. A 22-inch LCD with a built-in HD tuner for just $30 more is, arguably, even better. OnSale has the ViewSonic N2230W-S (refurbished) for $229.99 with free shipping, no rebates required.

Viewed solely as a desktop monitor, the N2230W-S has some solid specs: a 4000:1 contrast ratio, a 5ms response time, an HDCP-compliant HDMI port (meaning it's suitable for pairing with Blu-ray players), and built-in speakers.

Like most monitors of this size, it has a native resolution of 1,680 x 1,050. Unlike most monitors of this size, it includes an ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner, meaning it can receive both analog and digital TV. That makes it a great choice for a den or dorm room, or for any PC that doesn't have its own TV tuner.

Reviews? I haven't found many. A few scattered user reviews dinged the monitor for lacking either a VGA or HDMI cable and for having a flimsy stand, but otherwise it came out OK. Because it's a refurbished model, it comes with only a 90-day manufacturer's warranty (more than enough time to spot any dead pixels, IMHO). If you've been eyeballing a bigger monitor, why not choose one that can pull double duty as a TV?

[tbtedder]

Why not buy it? Because it is absolute junk. I purchased one of these thinking it would double as a monitor and a HDTV. The TV can only be seen in 16:10, not 16:9, so everything is stretched vertically on the screen. 16:9 is not an option. And as a monitor...the text is so fuzzy that you can't even look at it. And yes, it is this way at the native 1680x1050 resolution. I'm pretty tech-savvy, and I tried every tweak possible, including a clear type tweaking tool. No success. I emailed viewsonic to get assistance and finally got a response...47 DAYS LATER. No joke. And their very "helpful" (insert sarcasm) response said to change the resolution. By the time I received their response I had already tossed this junk in the dumpster. I'm not the only one. Do a quick search and you'll see that this sort of thing is the norm...

[j_a_s_p_e_r]

Where is that dumpster? I wouldn't mind getting this for free

[j_a_s_p_e_r]

Did you use a VGA connection? That may explain the fuzzy appearance even at the native resolution. I would be curious how this performs with DVI or HDMI

I don't have this display, but I'm a perfectionist when it comes to tuning my display and I can never get the VGA quite right, while the DVI is usually not a problem (unless output is not at native res).

[kevsmail]

Seriously, you were actually so upset you threw it away instead of returning it for a refund? Things that make you go hmmm...

Thanks for the review though!

[aka_tripleB]

Something that most people don't know is some channel actually use a picture taller than 16:9. If it's 16:10, I'm not sure, but I have noticed that when I compare shows viewed on the Samsung LN-T3253H and my CRT TV with the DTV Pal the the Samsung TV does cut off a portion of the picture. The reason I even checked that is because when I watch the local Fox channel, you can clearly see the the TV cuts off the Fox watermark.

[skaorsk8]

Wow, I'm glad I read TB Tedder's comment. I almost purchased it because I'd like a new monitor (my 17 inch is too small now) and wanted to get something I could hook up my xbox to in our spare bedroom.

Any other people say this one is junk?

[rickbroida]

Agreed... thanks for the mini-review, tbtedder! I obviously can't have hands-on experience with every product I post, so it's good to hear yays and nays from readers. Keep the product feedback coming!

[umbrae]

ViewSonic has been lacking quality products for the last few years. The last ViewSonic I bought had dead speakers and dead pixels with zero support from ViewSonic. My next monitor will NOT be a ViewSonic.

A shame since they used to be extreme quality products...

[skaorsk8]

You know, even though it's been given a crappy review from TBTedder .. I'm thinking maybe he got a bad apple. I really like this deal. ARGH.

[rickbroida]

Yeah, that's the rub: It's definitely a compelling buy. Do take note that OnSale WILL NOT ACCEPT A RETURN of this product for any reason, so if you order one, you're stuck with it.

[fiver0013]

It's $50 more for a new model after rebate at Buy.com. I bought one last week and it just arrived yesterday. Use as an HDTV is good thus far, and I haven't even had the time to calibrate it properly. The speakers are only tolerable, but there's a minijack audio out to connect to the AUX input on your stereo.

Unfortunately, my stash of VGA cables were all bad and the digital PC connection is only through HDMI (I lack an DVI to HDMI adapter at the moment). Thus I cannot attest to the monitor quality until I pick up the proper cabling. Still, no dead pixels on my unit.

I'm impressed thus far considering the functionality and price paid. Consider it a 22 inch monitor well above cheap brand quality (but below Samsung and the like) plus HDTV functionality and good external connectivity for less than a $100 premium on a cheap 22 inch LCD monitor. Nonetheless, I bought the new unit over a refurb precisely because there were few reviews online: a certain warranty and a little flexibility on returns. Good luck in your decisions.

[rich966]

@ tbtedder: Dumpster?!? Seriously!?! How retarded do you have to be to throw a working (even though you didnt like it) piece of electronics in the dumpster??? Either from an environmental standpoint (all electronics need to be recycled and connot legally be thrown away) or from a just plain common sense standpoint, someone would like to have that monitor. That's what friends, charities, public schools and craigslist are for.

[Plano1]

Have you never heard of sarcasm or figurative speech? Do you think he really literally tossed it in a dumpster? Would you interested in buying a bridge I have for sale?

[impatientinventor]

Rich966

Recycling is the law??? What country are you in? Germany has mandated recycling but as far as I knew you didn't have to recycle outside of California or Boulder Colorado where the liberal hippies have convoluted daily logic with misunderstandings. Trash is trash and recycling is something you get paid to do because someone wants to pay you for it. Proper disposal of hazardous materials is not recycling and an LCD has much less hazardous materials in them than a compact florescent which is ending up in land fills by the tens of thousands? If I bought a crap monitor I would at least want to hear the satisfying crunch at the bottom of an empty dumpster when I finally stomached the idea of wasting 250 bucks. I did the same thing with my Gateway all in one PC that had about the same review as this monitor. Everyone that says it is a good idea doesn?t own one and the only people who do actually have personal experience say it is a POS.

3 ? Possibly it is so cheap because the free market works and crap monitors sell for an almost loss to clear their inventory of defective or inferroir equipment. I agree that Viewsonic has gone down hill over the years but independent of that I have never bought the cheapest version of anything and been satisfied with my purchase. I would advise against it.

[alegr]

LCD monitor DOES have a compact fluorescent inside.

[mdhopeful]

So if I buy this and don't like it I can return for a full refund within 90 days? Do I have to return it to viewsonic or can I return it to OnSale? Also, do you know if this monitor can be easily wall mounted?
Thanks.