Expert's Rating
Pros
- LED backlight
Cons
- Disappointing screen performance
- Design lacks ergonomic flexibility
Our Verdict
The 242HL’s price and specs may be attractive, but its mediocre on-screen performance should have shoppers looking elsewhere.
The problem isn’t with its specs: This 24-inch, matte, LED-backlit display with 1920-by-1080-pixel resolution has DVI, HDMI, and VGA connectors. Its 250 cd/m2-rated brightness is lower than that of some high-end models, but matches about half the displays we’ve tested lately. And unsurprisingly, as with many inexpensive monitors, adjustability is limited to a few degrees of tilt.
What really sinks the S242HL is the quality of its display. Our jury gave it the worst grades in our recent roundup of 23- and 24-inch monitors, assigning it Fair scores in color quality, screen uniformity, viewing-angle range, and motion. It earned a Good rating only in text legibility.
Ultimately it’s hard to recommend the Acer S242HL. If you are looking for a bargain-priced 24-inch display, you can certainly find less-expensive, better-performing alternatives, including the Asus VS247H-P and Samsung E2420L.