ASUS' 23-inch VG236H 3D monitor gets reviewed: pricey, but a real looker
By Darren Murph 
posted July 19th 2010 11:36AM
posted July 19th 2010 11:36AM
Delve into an Immersive 3-Dimensional World with the ASUS VG236H Monitor
A Full HD monitor with Trace Free II Technology for an Ultra-smooth 3D Experience
Today marks the launch of the ASUS VG236H-a new 23" Full HD 1080p display that boasts market-leading NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ and Trace Free II technologies. It features a 2ms (gray-to-gray) response time and a double-speed 120Hz refresh rate to deliver ultra-smooth 3D visuals in Full HD.
The VG236H lets users enjoy uncompromised, vibrant colors through Color Shine technology with 400 nits ultra-brightness. This ergonomically-designed monitor comes with swivel, tilt angle, and height adjustments to ensure viewing comfort even after prolonged periods of use. It is the ideal display to experience the internet, Blu-ray movies, and games in 3D.
An Immersive Stereoscopic 3D Experience with NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ Technology
The 23" VG236H Full HD 120Hz monitor takes users into a 3D movie and gaming world. Through the use of market-leading NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ technology*, the VG236H takes advantage of active shutter glasses, alternate-frame sequencing, and 120Hz refresh rate to deliver the action at 120fps.
There is no shortage of games either, there are currently hundreds of NVIDIA® 3D Vision™-compatible PC game titles** available on the market.
Driven to Perform in the Most Intense Action Scenes
The ASUS-exclusive Trace Free II Technology combines a 120Hz refresh rate with a 2ms (gray-to-gray) response time to yield smooth, clear visuals.
The double speed 120Hz refresh rate beats conventional 60Hz monitors hands down and is capable of delivering frame rates at 120fps. The ultra-fast 2ms response time effectively eliminates ghosting and tracers to ensure a smooth gaming and movie experience.
Optimized with Ultra-vivid Colors
ASUS Color Shine Technology and 400 nits ultra-brightness ensures users enjoy brilliant and vibrant colors in 3D. Color Shine Technology uses multiple color film coats instead of a single film layer to ensure an exceptionally smooth panel that reduces the diffusion of light. This improves image clarity while at the same time enriching color density and saturation.
ASUS Splendid™ Video Intelligence Technology optimizes color fidelity with five pre-set modes (gaming, theater, night view, scenery and standard). In gaming mode, it automatically lightens up dark, hard-to-see areas while leaving well-lit ones untouched to help gamers locate enemies lurking in dark corners without washing out the colors of the entire scene.
Ergonomically-designed for Viewing Comfort
To ensure user comfort even after prolonged periods of viewing, the VG236H is easily adjustable to cater to almost any viewing angle. It can swivel 150-degrees, height adjustments of 100mm, as well as tilt-angle adjustments.
The entertainment possibilities with the VG236H are endless, it features YPbPr and HDMI ports as well as Dual-link DVI ports for 3D playback. It comes with a built-in cable management feature that helps conceal wires for clutter-free desktops.
I just grabbed a VW266H last week, and I was suprised at the quality of ASUS monitors. Blows my old 22inch LG out of the water really.
@216
Even in the 3D the price is larger than life.
@216
I've had the VK266H for a year (your model + the webcam) and it's okay.
The first one I got had this issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOGpd7Hg5UU , but I got it replaced. The only thing I really can't stand is the viewing angle. It's so big, you cannot fill the screen with a single color and actually have it show up as that color from top to bottom. That, and the monitor has been crashing from time to time, requiring pulling the power plug for a couple seconds for it to start working.
@MGore32 -- meh, its only about $100 more than the other 23"s I bought recently... and I need the nVidia kit, anyways... so $180 + $320 = $500 makes sense to me
Ugh. Throw on a 'Buzz' word and it drives up the price. Just how HD was a year or two ago; toss 3D into the name and you can charge twice as much.
@bandsaw -- Right, because HD does nothing to improve entertainment as we know it. And Color? c'mon, just another gimmick... It's not like we see in Color, or HD, or 3D!? The human eye was not meant to see this crap, so why would I pay a premium for it??
@216
I got 2. They suck. One of them now keeps changing scenic modes at random.
@216 I also have a 22" (Samsung ToC LCD) and need a bigger screen to play games, 23" looks exciting. Since this is a 3D monitor, I wonder if there is an option to switch to 2D so I can still use this monitor without wearing the 3D glasses. If this is the case this would be great. I heard Sony and other brands are selling 3D displays where you don't need glasses, but I saw them and the 3D is good but no as good as when you wear 3D glasses. Although 3D is a great technology it should be handled with care since it can cause eye problems if it's used more than 2D displays (ex. 8 hours per day)
@gabrielhernandez -- IDK why people think that 3DTVs or Monitors are 3D-Only displays!? Of course not... It's only 3D when you tell it to be...
@gabrielhernandez
Sony, LG, and others also partnered with RealD to release TVs and monitors using the RealD circular polarization system, and cheap $2 passive glasses (same exact ones you wear in theatres, but they'll also be available in cooler stylings and better fit which is really my only complaint with the theatre glasses). These TVs have good viewing angles, and only cost $400-500 more than the same TV otherwise. There's an extra, transparent, LCD layer on top that does the polarizing, eliminating the active glasses requirement (and the nausea inducing flickering caused by covering each eye interchangeably, especially when not 100% perfectly synced)
Is this really that expensive for new tech? Aren't the 3D tv's like $3k?
@dardub
No. This comes with $175 3D glasses from Nvidia, can actually accept and display 120hz input unlike all HDTV lcd's, and has an adjustable stand. It costs what you'd expect with Acer's barebones model costing $375.
@dardub
Thats why the plastic looks really cheap.
So you get a 3D monitor but still need glasses?
Count me out.
@Ninjakid4
Consider yourself out till you grow a third eye on your forehead then.
@Ninjakid4
do you need active glasses with this set or is it like the 3ds and as long as you are looking at it straight on, it looks good and is 3d
@dswatson83 -- and a 3DS-like 3D screen of this size would cost you 4xs as much. This is really nothing more than a 120-240Hz LCD monitor with firmware/hardware specific to communicate with nVidia's 3D Kit... Most DLP TVs and 120+Hz TVs can do the same with the correct set-up.. which is why this monitor only costs you about $320 (which is $80-$150 more than a high-quality 23" 60Hz LCD).
@Ninjakid4
Yea, with a TV glasses (of some sort, active or passive depending on the technology in the TV) are needed because where you sit in relation to the screen is a big unknown. For a PC monitor, we pretty much know where your head will be, so a glasses-required screen is dumb, especially one needing active glasses, emitters, and for what, FPS games???
As for active/passive, There will be no 3D in my house requiring active glasses. RealD has circular polarizing films that have been embedded into sample TVs (LG and others, now available), making them usable with simple polarized glasses, the same $2 exact ones you use in the theatre (and the TV comes with 10 pair). It takes a 240hz TV running at 120hz to show a 60fps movie, but I'd pay a $1,000 premium to be able to use $2 glasses instead of a $200 premium and need 5 pairs at $100 which will; get broken repeatedly and become useless when company comes over unless I have numerous spares.... The spec is BlueRay compatible as well.
I'm just waiting about 2 years, until we redo the living room and build in a permanent ET center, then we're adding a 50 or 60" RealD TV.
@Ninjakid4
Physically, it's going to take some sort of technological leap to get 3D without glasses and I think TV's won't look what they do now. My guess is that the only way you can do without the glasses is to have some sort of projected image in space that can be viewed from all angles. So the true 3DTV might be a device that sits flat and projects the video from above or below (a bit like what you see in some sci-fi movies), but how you control the projection will be interesting.
Do want! I just bought two additional 2233rz's off eBay for $241/ea. For $1,500, I think I'll stick with 5040 x 1050. :)
@Smurf
You mean to say $500. Way to pricey! I'd rather get a 2x24 from Samsung or Asus themselves. Will only get 3D when the tech takes off for good!
PC use is normally single user and you tend to stay in roughly the same place...*cough* 3DS style monitor GOOOOooooo!
Wow, that looks like an actual picture on the screen and not some photoshop.
I only paid 240 pounds for screen and glasses in April this year, for the Samsung 2233 not full hd but near, plus NVIDIA glasses....
BUT WILL IT PLAY CRYSIS?
@crak
Yes, even without a CPU or GPU. Just tape the disc to the back of the monitor and you'll get 60 fps no problem.
@Bandigolo
But it's 120Hz, I want 120 fps.
the price is not so bad considering it includes that $180 kit
Best money ever spent on a monitor.
Sincerely Me.
**YAWN**
..."nicest looking TN (boo) ..." What's 'TN'? and why 'boo'?
@nothing
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=tn+panel
@Ninjakid4
At least they're included...
I've started thinking about a big screen 3D upgrade and Sony doesn't include them in sets 10x the price (though they run promos/discounts to maybe offset cost, plus Sony tax).
My last "two" laptops have been Asus "Ensembles/G Series" - they've been good enough and always pushing the envelope on performance versus price.
I'm not sure my next will be an Asus but I'll look, and I'm half considering this monitor (versus potentially a Mac display if I go that route for my next laptop)
Is 3D Bluray capable on monitors that use N-Vision, I haven't found an answer. I know the drive I have and the software I can get will enable 3D, but I don't know if it uses N-Vision or it's expecting a 3D HDTV rather than a monitor. I'd also love for my consoles to be able to use this monitor in 3D, but that won't work I don't believe.
I always thought that 3D is always dictated by the content, not the hardware. So, how does this monitor make things 3D? It's still a flat 2D surface.
@bathellfire -- It displays a separate image for each eye that is viewing a scene from a slightly different angle than the other (much like your eyes do in real-life). It flips between these so fast that its nearly impossible to tell. The lens in the glasses are synced to close each eye in sequence so that only one eye sees the angle it is intended to see. nVidia's graphic cards and 3D kit automatically handles the syncing and rendering of the games (or movies). The 3D capable monitor displays nothing more than images, just at a faster rate. The effect is an illusion of depth. It can be very convincing. Pretty much all 3D displays (regardless of tech) trick your eyes into seeing two different images. Glasses free 3D displays use the viewing angle of your eyes, and this one uses the active shutter lens system. The source can normally be the same, it just depends on the display and the set-up.
Anyone know if this is HDMI 1.4 or not? Doesn't say in the article so I guess not.
If it has neither HDMI 1.4 or displayport 1.2 I would advise waiting to anyone wanting a 3D monitor.
@petebob796
I'd advise waiting even if it does. RealD has partnered with LG, Samsung, Sony, and others and is already releasing TVs that use the same passive circular polarization glasses used in theaters. They should have PC screens in 6 months or less. It appears to add about $500 to the cost of the screen (considering 4 active glasses cost that much, it's a bargain!) These are all HDMI 1.4 equipped due to requirements of the RealD codec.
Hmmm, I've been looking for an excuse to replace my current Asus 24" that has a strange line in the top right corner. This might be my excuse.
I just bought the NEC MultiSync LCD2690WUXi2-BK earlier this month, which is a 26" 1920x1200 (16:10) H-IPS monitor with wide color gamut:
http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Product/?product=8899a96d-28dc-484f-a4de-14309a636738
http://www.nec-display.com/ap/en_display/lcd2690_2/index.html
Normally retails for $1200 without the color calibration bundle, but I got it for ~$930 shipped. Meant for a family member with eye fatigue and other problems. It does look great and all, but I'm wondering if it's too expensive a monitor given that he only deals with text/office apps and has no need for wide color gamut. Could he have gotten by with a cheaper 1080p (16:9) TN panel like these 23" ASUS/Acer monitors? Or perhaps a 1080p HDTV?
Note that professional monitors like this NEC model don't usually come with consumer features like HDMI input, webcam, speakers, or even USB ports...
@beq
P.S. I didn't get a 30" monitor because unfortunately his ThinkPad X300 laptop only has VGA-out which does not support the 2560x1600 resolution (such resolution would require DisplayPort, HDMI, or dual-link DVI, as well as support in the graphics chipset and driver).
A 20" + display that is not at least 1200 lines vertical will never grace my desk. 1080 vertical is for TVs, not PCs. My 3 year old (nearly 4) Acer screen is a 22" wide and 1920x1200, and it was only $240 new, has HDMI, DVI and VGA (even came with a dual-link DVI cable and HDMI in the box!), and is HDCP compliant. 23 and 24" screens now being sold in lower resolutions, no cables, and for more money is just complete BS.
If I'm buying 20-23" I expect 1200v
at 24-27" I'd expect 1440v (currently Apple is one of the few to oblige this).
At 27-30", there's no excuse not to have 1600v.
If all you want is a bigger screen at the same resolution you've had for years, FUCKING SIT CLOSER. Buying a bigger screen in the same resolution is pointless, unless you're going blind and need larger print. You don't get any more usable space from larger screens without more pixels.
@zelannii
Abuuhh? You have 1080p 19" screens? I don't know why you EXPECT 1200 vertical pixels from a 20" monitor.
And 1280x1024 19" screens are an entirely different aspect ratio.
I'd also like to note that 2560x1440 is also 16:9, and 2560x1600 is the 16:10 version of that.
I think this looks like a solid monitor. Pricing is about right even for a standard HD capable monitor of similar scale, and with the discounted nVidia 3D vision kit (about $20 off standard price) it looks to be a good deal to me.
Has anyone compared this to the : LG W2363D
We need some tests :)
@SpeedyJDK I bought a monitor that cost about $550 over two years ago. 1080p 24" and was a top of the line consumer model. I'm willing to spend the same amount for a good 3D monitor, so long as it looks better than this one. I would be terribly upset if for example the contrast was lower, the sharpness wasn't as great. 2 years is a long time and monitors should have doubled in quality by now, hopefully I can see this monitor in person and see for myself if it's truly worth it.
I will look into the LG W2363D but from my experience I haven't seen any LG monitor that has wowed me.
"...whether it be 2D, 3D, work or play."
*imagining word processing in 3D*
oh my god, the words are flying at me!...