Acer Acer AL2423Wdr

The glossy screen performed admirably when I watched scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. I did have to adjust the overly bright initial setting for this generally dark-toned movie. After this tweak, skin colors gained more definition. What initially looked like uniform skin tones in the characters began to pop out more, particularly with the tanned Jack Sparrow character. Lighter tones were just a subtle shade on the side of blue, but still pleasing overall. My adjustment also increased the realism of the sunset scene, making highlights less blown out and sequences in the shade not as washed out. Colors were muted, but still rich and with a satisfactory saturation. But extremely dark scenes or backgrounds proved a distraction akin to someone aiming a laser pointer at the screen in a movie theater. I couldn't help but notice my own vague silhouette on the reflective screen during sequences enveloped by darkness.

Acer includes Portrait Displays's PivotPro software (a $40 value when purchased separately) to help you manage the pivoting feature of the monitor. Installing this software enables you to rotate your operating system's desktop to match the screen's orientation, such as 90 degrees for a vertical "portrait" mode. The stand is height adjustable and includes a lock at the bottom of the base. Unlike with some monitors that let you easily move the display panel up and down without a lock, you'll need to stand up, push down on the bezel, and then pull the monitor's lock to the left to release it. The AL2423Wdr does not come with a lot of other extras. But for the price, it may just be what people on a budget are looking for.

Roy Santos