REVIEW: Eizo S2242WH-GY Part 7

Information

This menu allows the user to call up precise information about the image signal, model name, serial number, and duration of usage or if DDC/CI is active.

Language

The last menu allows the user to choose one of nine languages for the OSD menu.

After a short period of getting used to it, the user will manage very well with the OSD of the Eizo S2242WH; there are certainly OSD menus which are less clearly laid out than this one. If you would prefer something more convenient, you can install the Screen Manager Pro software, found on the CD provided and change screen settings with ease using the software. Some of the functions of this software were presented in the Prad review of the Eizo HD2442W-TS.

Image quality

Eizo uses an S-PVA panel with a 10-bit LUT (look-up table) and an extended colour space in the S2242WH. 350 cd/m² brightness and a contrast of 1,200:1 sound very promising on paper at least. In fact, the image impression is very good. The colours (factory setting of Red: 98, Green: 98 and Blue: 99 percent) are very saturated and look a little gaudy as a result – not unusual for a monitor with an extended colour space. The factory setting of 100 percent brightness ensures clear, contrast-rich image display, but is too bright for long-term use - at least in rooms that are not flooded with sunshine.

Depending on the application, one of five image modes can be selected at the touch of a button. These have a visible effect on the colour display and thereby also the image display. The image mode "Custom" is selected as standard, which offers the most balanced colour display. We tested the subjective image quality of the Eizo S2242WH using various test images. The S2242WH can display grey gradients well. With the aid of a grey gradient test image, we established that grey values from level eight to about 252 can be differentiated. Colour gradients are also not a problem for the Eizo S2242WH. It is interesting that slight banding can be seen for a colour gradient of green or yellow after black. Test images with other colour gradients do not demonstrate this effect.

Grey levels and colour gradients on the Eizo S2242WH.

In addition, we took a close look at the colour gradient display of the Eizo S2242WH. Suitable test images showed that green gradients from six to 248 can still be distinguished clearly from the background. For blue, things do not look so good: Only from level 16 to 248 can colour gradients be distinguished clearly from one another. The result for red is rather poor. The display area is smallest here and only ranges from six to about 192. This result confirms the subjective impression that image content with a high share of red appear dominant and over-saturated, but there is no red tint in image display.

As we have already mentioned, more settings are available than usual for changing the image display in the OSD of the Eizo S2242WH. As well as brightness, contrast and the RGB channels, the colour temperature, gamma value, colour saturation and hue can be changed. Especially by reducing the colour saturation, the gaudy image display can be offset somewhat. Unfortunately, this measure has the effect that clear banding appears quickly for colour gradients.

The pre-defined image modes are also unable to balance out the pre-defined image modes. Quite the contrary: the image mode "Movie" causes blue and grey levels to be discarded at the upper end of the scale, whilst the image mode "Text" reduces the brightness to 35 percent and the image display takes on a yellowish-grey tint and colour gradients demonstrate clearly visible banding. This mode can really only be recommended for reading text; the image quality is considerably better if the brightness is simply reduced a little in image "Custom".

The dominance of the colour red can be reduced through calibration to sRGB or AdobeRGB, but it cannot be stopped completely. Afterwards, the image display looks visibly more natural, but the red section still only displays up to 232 colour gradients. For users who have no option to calibrate the Eizo S2242WH, we recommend the following RGB settings: Red: 93, Green: 94, Blue: 100.

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