DELL ST2220L Review · DIGIT-ARC

Guys this is my first review. pardon me for my mistakes.

So lets begin -

I was to get a monitor as a B'Day gift from my parents. i considered Samsung P2350, DELL ST2220L, Samsung B2230, Benq G2220HD. searched hard for samsung P2350 but it wasn't available anywhere at smcinternational.in, theitwares, primeabgb. B2230 reviews were good. benq reviews were ok. and at that time the ST2220L was a new entrant to the market. only one review was there which was good. so i decided to take risk and go with this.

Ordered this from smcinternational.in for 8750 including taxes. shipping was 200 bucks.

Product Website -
DELL Dell - ST2220L 21.5-inch Wide Flat Panel Monitor with LED : Monitors: Flat Screen LCD Computer Displays | Dell Canada

Product Specifications -

DISPLAY
Panel Size: 21.5"
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (16:9)
Panel Type: TN with LED backlight
Maximum Resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080 @60 HZ
Contrast Ratio: 8,000,000:1 (estimated)
Brightness: 250 cd/m2 (typical)
Response Time: 5ms typical
Viewing Angle: (160 vertical / 170 horizontal)
Color Support: 78% (CIE1976) / 68% (CIE1931)
Pixel Pitch: 0.248mm
Device Type: HD Monitor with LED

CONNECTIVITY
VGA
DVI-D (HDCP)
HDMI

DELL Dell - ST2220L 21.5-inch Wide Flat Panel Monitor with LED : Monitors: Flat Screen LCD Computer Displays | Dell Canada

Packaging -
The packaging is well done. no damage chances.
*img862.imageshack.us/img862/9206/image0049.jpg

Accessories -
*img109.imageshack.us/img109/5307/image0050s.jpg

These include a DELL notice, Product Information Guide, Product Setup Guide, VGA Cable, Driver CD, Power Cable.

The Monitor -
*img838.imageshack.us/img838/6594/image0052c.jpg

The Monitor -
*img854.imageshack.us/img854/1521/p3170001.jpg

The front has menu touch buttons, and a light at the bottom showing monitor status. when the light is white monitor is active and when its yellow monitor is in power saver mode.

*img405.imageshack.us/img405/8304/p3170005.jpg

I have not removed the covering on the sides. but its shiny surface when i remove it. you can see this in menu touch buttons pic.

The Stand -
*img535.imageshack.us/img535/6586/024bn.jpg
*img703.imageshack.us/img703/4531/025br.jpg
*img193.imageshack.us/img193/6655/p3170008q.jpg

The stand feels sturdy.

Connectors -
*img18.imageshack.us/img18/1723/022kt.jpg
*img231.imageshack.us/img231/6121/023imy.jpg

These include - HDMI, DVI, VGA, Audio IN and Audio Out.

The Menu -
Menu buttons are touch. very responsive. but they are not illuminated. though they are easily visible when in light.
*img851.imageshack.us/img851/9443/p3170011.jpg

The index -
*img25.imageshack.us/img25/88/p3170015z.jpg

The main menu -
*img801.imageshack.us/img801/796/p3170016.jpg

Navigation in the menu is with these using touch buttons-
*img710.imageshack.us/img710/6530/p3170017.jpg

The various options in main menu -
*img219.imageshack.us/img219/8225/p3170018.jpg
*img858.imageshack.us/img858/4987/p3170019.jpg
*img816.imageshack.us/img816/5000/p3170020.jpg
*img94.imageshack.us/img94/6497/p3170021.jpg
*img838.imageshack.us/img838/112/p3170022.jpg
*img23.imageshack.us/img23/3365/p3170023v.jpg
*img62.imageshack.us/img62/383/p3170024.jpg

The brightness/contrast menu -
*img534.imageshack.us/img534/794/p3170025.jpg

The preset menu -
*img141.imageshack.us/img141/5263/p3170026.jpg

Performance -

Movies -
*img10.imageshack.us/img10/7660/p3200017i.jpg

*img46.imageshack.us/img46/1940/p3200015v.jpg

*img202.imageshack.us/img202/8863/p3200014.jpg

*img834.imageshack.us/img834/8515/p3200012.jpg

Text -
*img831.imageshack.us/img831/2492/p3200027.jpg

Text is large enough and no straining of eyes.

Viewing Angle -
*img862.imageshack.us/img862/4954/p3200021.jpg

Viewing angle is very good for a TN panel.

Pros -
1. Crisp HD movies.
2. Gaming is fun. 5ms response time.
3. (dont know this is a pro or a con) Very very bright.
4. Strong build quality.
5. LED backlight.
6. Good viewing angles.
7. DVI cable supplied.

Cons -
1. Touch buttons not illuminated.

i am very happy with my purchase. :grin:

i will recommend this to everyone looking for a monitor within 8.5k. its strong value for money.

hi..how did u manage screen shots of that clarity? some software needed for it?

Really nice review. And excellent pictures. Which camera you used.

Something like needs a discrete GPU in DVI mode, which am sure you will get soon. Congratulations.

forgot to tell you...it is a very nice review..i bought a ST2220M last week..very similar to this..i think except the buttons everything is just superb..

nice review Jaskanwar, I am also planning to purchase this monitor. This will definitely help my decision to go ahead.

good screenshots. Does this support IPS..? or at-least a good display if viewed from different angle.?

Great purchase. I will be going to Balaji Solutions for the PC. Any other reputed shop?

^^Nope No IPS :grin:

Congrats nice review done.

Jaskanwar Singh said:
Cons -
2. Only VGA cable supplied.

Whaat..No DVI cable.....how could DELL dat be.... :-x

I got VGA,DVI....& Acer also gives HDMI...but these suppliers r theives...
they take out the HDMI & sell it in market..fooling the customers

No1 bundles TN panels with dvi cables anymore ever since they are falling from 11k downwards. Dell e228WFP and such models were one of the last to be bundled with them.

Tip: If you bought the stuff and are reviewing it, remove the S/N number from the product. If its an engineering/media sample, its all good.

Anyway, how much an HDMI Cable cost?

replaced one movie trailer image. it was corrupted.

asingh said:
Really nice review. And excellent pictures. Which camera you used.

Something like needs a discrete GPU in DVI mode, which am sure you will get soon. Congratulations.

thanks. i hope i will get a gpu soon.
camera used is an Olympus FE-4010.

vinayan said:
forgot to tell you...it is a very nice review..i bought a ST2220M last week..very similar to this..i think except the buttons everything is just superb..

thanks. yes yours is also almost same.

gagan007 said:
nice review Jaskanwar, I am also planning to purchase this monitor. This will definitely help my decision to go ahead.

thanks buddy

khmadhu said:
good screenshots. Does this support IPS..? or at-least a good display if viewed from different angle.?

thanks.
its a TN panel.yes viewing angles are good for a TN panel.

Rahim said:
Great purchase. I will be going to Balaji Solutions for the PC. Any other reputed shop?

thanks

Zangetsu said:
^^Nope No IPS
Congrats nice review done.

Whaat..No DVI cable.....how could DELL dat be....
I got VGA,DVI....& Acer also gives HDMI...but these suppliers r theives...
they take out the HDMI & sell it in market..fooling the customers

thanks. i will get a dvi when i get a gpu.

The Sorcerer said:
No1 bundles TN panels with dvi cables anymore ever since they are falling from 11k downwards. Dell e228WFP and such models were one of the last to be bundled with them.

Tip: If you bought the stuff and are reviewing it, remove the S/N number from the product. If its an engineering/media sample, its all good.

thanks for that sorcy.

Rahim said:
Anyway, how much an HDMI Cable cost?

i think 150 bucks.

Nice review mate.
:goodjob:

thanks ishu.

A

very very useful review for me.... thnx buddy.

you are welcome a2mn2002.

BTW added few more details.

Rahim said:
Anyway, how much an HDMI Cable cost?

china made costs u less....i bought Belkin HDMI @rs550 :smile:

Question: How do the fonts look on this? do they happen to look too small, considering the high resolution on a relatively small monitor ?

also is it matte or glossy ?

cute.bandar said:
Question: How do the fonts look on this? do they happen to look too small, considering the high resolution on a relatively small monitor ?

Dont worry Font looks as per aspect ratio of resolution.... :grin:

cute.bandar said:
also is it matte or glossy ?

mine is matte....

Dont worry Font looks as per aspect ratio of resolution...

yes but on my fridns 15" laptop , the native resolution is 1400xsomething and the fonts look too small.

cute.bandar said:
Question: How do the fonts look on this? do they happen to look too small, considering the high resolution on a relatively small monitor ?

also is it matte or glossy ?

its matte.

its very very comfortable to read. the monitor size is big enough for full hd. i will try a text pic.

Good review, especially for a first timer.

Tips:
This looks more like a showoff than a review. Pics do the talking, but a little more text is needed.

Eg: when you say accessories included and post a picture, do write what accessories are included too.

This is constructive criticism only. I really like the fact that you posted a review. I have been very lazy in this department. Maybe I should post too. Thanks a lot for posting.

its matte.

its very very comfortable to read. the monitor size is big enough for full hd. i will try a text pic.

Thanks! awaiting the text pic.

@jassy, nice detailed review buddy :razz:

Krow said:
Good review, especially for a first timer.

Tips:
This looks more like a showoff than a review. Pics do the talking, but a little more text is needed.

Eg: when you say accessories included and post a picture, do write what accessories are included too.

This is constructive criticism only. I really like the fact that you posted a review. I have been very lazy in this department. Maybe I should post too. Thanks a lot for posting.

thanks krow. appreciate that. :smile:

Sam said:
@jassy, nice detailed review buddy

thanks sammy. :smile:

guys check it out again. i have added cam shots for movies which i should have done before. didn't knew. sorry.

and added text and viewing angle pics.

Thanks for adding extra pics. Can you post a "Print Screen" Screenshot rather than from a camera, which will give us better idea of the texts?

rahim check this out -
*img847.imageshack.us/img847/5329/94750663.th.png

jassy, avoid using imageshack. pics are not displayed properly.

sam you using chrome? i faced the prob with opera but not chrome.
and just register with imageshack. the prob vanishes.

Jaskanwar Singh said:
rahim check this out -
*img847.imageshack.us/img847/5329/94750663.th.png

Thanks and text looks good too

I hope you are keeping a distance from the monitor to protect your eyes.

Jaskanwar Singh said:
sam you using chrome? i faced the prob with opera but not chrome.
and just register with imageshack. the prob vanishes.

yes. from Chrome. now the pic appeared.

will check in opera also.

rahim you are welcome

and i have lowered the brightness to 15. doesn't strain :-D

sam i will say register also. to avoid any future probs.

Rahim said:
Thanks for adding extra pics. Can you post a "Print Screen" Screenshot rather than from a camera, which will give us better idea of the texts?

A print screen will not give you a good idea of how text is displayed on the screen coz it will capture the image rendered from the motherboard, not the one shown on the monitor. If that is tough to understand, then let me put it this way, you can take a print screen even with the monitor switched off, right? The text will look as good as it looks on your own monitor. Hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

A dell 21.5" Full HD for 8.5k is a good deal. Nice that you posted a review.
A DVI cable is not really expensive and need not be used unless you have a GPU.

^Tusi great ho.

Excellent review man.Keep it up

thanks amartya

wow...great review...was planning to buy one myself...will consider it looking at your review....

thanks ronnie

A

I think it don't have a wall mount option.!
My question is how to do the same with it ?

a2mn2002 said:
I think it don't have a wall mount option.!
My question is how to do the same with it ?

i think u get the lcd wall mounting kit in the market..have seen it few times...u can buy the wall mounting kit separately i think....

really really nice review jassy
just read it....
btw what is the relation between gaming and response time on a monitor?

Piyush said:
btw what is the relation between gaming and response time on a monitor?

Gaming needs 5ms or less response time....in movies it doesnt matter :grin:

thanks baba

the response time indicates how fast it can display moving images. the faster the less ghosting in fast paced scenes.

thanks both of you guys

you are welcome baba

Hmm, really nice review there. Good shots too

. I am gonna change my Monitor next month, but totally confused between this and Dell Ultrasharp 23'' ! and can you please tell me how the separate modes work and how many of them are there? I meant different modes like Gaming-Movies and etc..
Thanks in advance.
PS- What does this DVI cable do? I always have it but never used it, what's the difference with VGA cable?

ithehappy said:
Hmm, really nice review there. Good shots too . I am gonna change my Monitor next month, but totally confused between this and Dell Ultrasharp 23'' ! and can you please tell me how the separate modes work and how many of them are there? I meant different modes like Gaming-Movies and etc..
Thanks in advance.
PS- What does this DVI cable do? I always have it but never used it, what's the difference with VGA cable?

thanks

the different preset modes include built in settings for different usages.

but i will recommend to properly calibrate the display using win7 calibration.

dvi offers better quality on lcd monitors as compared to vga.
read more - DVI vs. VGA - NVIDIA Forums

So should I now start to use DVI instead of VGA?

^you have a great gpu. use dvi.

K. Thanks.

you are welcome

A

@jas
does it have any
1. bleeding
2. Backlight
3. Dim edges (reported by a website)

A

please reply jas.

I like this review very much :goodjob:

I am waiting to get more reviews from you buddy...nice uploads...thanks! :lol:

A

please reply jas.

a2mn2002 said:
@jas
does it have any
1. bleeding
2. Backlight
3. Dim edges (reported by a website)

yes there is a little backlight bleeding at lower left and right corner of the screen.
but no dim edges.

TSPatange_1309 said:
I like this review very much
I am waiting to get more reviews from you buddy...nice uploads...thanks!

thanks.

D

Will it be an upgrade from my current Samsung SyncMaster P2250 ?

deathgoddg said:
Will it be an upgrade from my current Samsung SyncMaster P2250 ?

no, you already have one of the best monitors.

N

Hey bro!

Your review is really good!! Am thinking of buying this or the Samsung B2230.

1) Could you post a pic showing the edge dimming/bleeding? is it bad?

2) How is this monitor on the eyes. You set the brightness to 15, does it get very bright above that? I know LEDs can be a strain on the eyes.... A pic of the monitor in normal room light will give a better idea.

3) B2230 uses 45W power, what about this one?

Pls help me decide between the 2 monitors.

Thanks

damn i paid Rs 17000 for my DELL SP2208WFP 3 yrs ago and everyone thought i was mad

and it is still the matter of envy even at 1600*1050

nayanpr77 said:
Hey bro!

Your review is really good!! Am thinking of buying this or the Samsung B2230.

1) Could you post a pic showing the edge dimming/bleeding? is it bad?

2) How is this monitor on the eyes. You set the brightness to 15, does it get very bright above that? I know LEDs can be a strain on the eyes.... A pic of the monitor in normal room light will give a better idea.

3) B2230 uses 45W power, what about this one?

Pls help me decide between the 2 monitors.

Thanks

thanks.

1) there are no dim edges. very little bleeding at lower left corner.
2) its ok for my eyes at lower brightness. yes it gets very bright at higher settings.
3) B2230 is also good.

get the cheaper one.

N

Thanks for response!!

Is it possible for you to upload a pic of the monitor in normal room light conditions? I have worked for Dell and am very inclined to go for that one, as it provides very good quality products. That one pic will really help me decide...

Thanks

N

nayanpr77 said:
Thanks for response!!

Is it possible for you to upload a pic of the monitor in normal room light conditions? I have worked for Dell and am very inclined to go for that one, as it provides very good quality products. That one pic will really help me decide...

Thanks

Jas bro, still waiting for your reply...... :neutral:

nayanpr77 said:
Jas bro, still waiting for your reply......

i am really sorry for late reply.

what type of pic? just monitor with blank screen? or showing something?

N

Jaskanwar Singh said:
i am really sorry for late reply.

what type of pic? just monitor with blank screen? or showing something?

Hi, thanks for reverting back. Not a blank screen, I'm sure they will all look the same!! :wink:

I was hoping you could take a snap with the monitor's brightness and contrast at 50% each, and one with your preferred settings, from a distance of about 4 feet in normal room lighting please?

Thanks

^
50-50
*img339.imageshack.us/img339/2724/p2080008.jpg

20-50
*img341.imageshack.us/img341/7342/p2080006z.jpg

N

Jaskanwar Singh said:
^
50-50

*img339.imageshack.us/img339/2724/p2080008.jpg

20-50
*img341.imageshack.us/img341/7342/p2080006z.jpg

Hey Jas bro, thank you so much for the pics!

This monitor doesn't look too bad with regards to brightness, at least in these pics... I have made up my mind, its Dell for me n not Samsung....

BTW, people in Mumbai, the price of this monitor on Lamington Rd was Rs. 8000/- last week, much cheaper than LetsBuy price...... and from what I understood, this monitor also seems to be going out of production soon. So people might want to grab it while its available.

^you are welcome

what brightness/ contrast level you use on this monitor, jas ?

icebags said:
what brightness/ contrast level you use on this monitor, jas ?

20/50

N

Thank you so much Jas bro for the review and for the additional pics! I finally got this monitor today and I am SO SO GLAD I chose this one!! Don't know why but today the price was hiked to Rs.8250/-. I guess demand supply funda.

This monitor is a delight to use! Colors are vivid and so lifelike, images are crisp and bright, it's just amazing! Wow!! Whatever I read about dimming and bleeding at the edges was all crap, no issues whatsoever. People who are considering buying this monitor, don't look elsewhere. You just can't go wrong with this one. You may find the price a little higher than 22' monitors of other brands, but trust me, you get what you pay for. This monitor is worth every rupee and more!

Dell finally noticed, listened to customers and is now shipping a DVI cable in the box.

Bro, I did not find any warranty card in the package and it did not seem to be part of the contents. I think the warranty is for 3 years, but without the card how is it supposed to work? Could you share any info on this?

Are regular (non HD) movies like 624x340 res movies supposed to appear pixellated on this monitor? Will getting a full HD graphics card make any difference? (I still use my onboard graphic adapter and HD movies work ok, not very smooth though)

Your help is much appreciated bro!

Nice review indeed.

nayanpr77 said:
Thank you so much Jas bro for the review and for the additional pics! I finally got this monitor today and I am SO SO GLAD I chose this one!! Don't know why but today the price was hiked to Rs.8250/-. I guess demand supply funda.

This monitor is a delight to use! Colors are vivid and so lifelike, images are crisp and bright, it's just amazing! Wow!! Whatever I read about dimming and bleeding at the edges was all crap, no issues whatsoever. People who are considering buying this monitor, don't look elsewhere. You just can't go wrong with this one. You may find the price a little higher than 22' monitors of other brands, but trust me, you get what you pay for. This monitor is worth every rupee and more!

Dell finally noticed, listened to customers and is now shipping a DVI cable in the box.

Bro, I did not find any warranty card in the package and it did not seem to be part of the contents. I think the warranty is for 3 years, but without the card how is it supposed to work? Could you share any info on this?

Are regular (non HD) movies like 624x340 res movies supposed to appear pixellated on this monitor? Will getting a full HD graphics card make any difference? (I still use my onboard graphic adapter and HD movies work ok, not very smooth though)

Your help is much appreciated bro!

nice to hear that buddy.
removed the dvi cable con and added a pro. :))

for warranty you just need to have the bill.

dont use fullscreen for those small resolution i think. and for full hd just get a entry level gpu if you dont game at all.

j.j said:
Nice review indeed.

thanks buddy.

Is there any back-light bleeding in your monitor mate?

N

Xccentricity said:
Is there any back-light bleeding in your monitor mate?

Absolutely nothing whatsoever. No bleeding or dimming at the edges. I didn't find this monitor too bright to be uncomfortable at all. But that could be because I spend 9 hrs in the office staring at a Dell Ultrasharp monitor, so maybe I got used to it :mrgreen:

. But no strain on the eye at all.

Cheers

Jaskanwar Singh said:
nice to hear that buddy.
removed the dvi cable con and added a pro.

for warranty you just need to have the bill.

dont use fullscreen for those small resolution i think. and for full hd just get a entry level gpu if you don't game at all.

thanks buddy.

Thanks for the quick reply! The bill is from a local hardware dealer and not an authorized Dell reseller, is that going to be a problem?

Could you suggest a decent graphic card around 3-4k? Will be mostly for HD movies and some old games like CS Source and Hitman series. I am not into playing the very latest games and on max specs, though I won't mind if that is also possible :lol:

.

Thanks

nayanpr77 said:
Thanks for the quick reply! The bill is from a local hardware dealer and not an authorized Dell reseller, is that going to be a problem?

Could you suggest a decent graphic card around 3-4k? Will be mostly for HD movies and some old games like CS Source and Hitman series. I am not into playing the very latest games and on max specs, though I won't mind if that is also possible .

Thanks

you are welcome

that bill will do i think. but why not confirm from that shopkeeper only?

whats your rest of configuration including psu?

N

Jaskanwar Singh said:
you are welcome

that bill will do i think. but why not confirm from that shopkeeper only?

whats your rest of configuration including psu?

My mistake, I didn't notice that my system was not staying on 1920x1080. It was immediately switching to 1600x900 after changing, hence the bad picture quality for non HD movies :-?

. Today it somehow is able to stay on full HD res, huh. Now the non HD movies appear fine (bit hazy, but that's expected)

I would still like to have a decent graphic card. My system specs are:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5050e 2.6 GHz
Asus M2N-MX SE Plus
Kingston 1GB DDR2 667 MHz
Onboard NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE (512MB shared)
PSU Circle CPH693 400W

Do you think adding RAM will do the job or am I better off having a dedicated graphic card?

Thanks

PS: I think I would prefer an ATI over nVidia...

get a HD6670 @ 5k + Corsair CX430 V2 @ 2.3k
you need a good psu..

@jaz, Hello buddy, I had a query.
I have an ST2220M model.
How is it, and in what sense different from the L one?
.
Oh and very nice review. Short, simple and effective.
Keep it up.

N

toad_frog09 said:
@jaz, Hello buddy, I had a query.
I have an ST2220M model.
How is it, and in what sense different from the L one?
.
Oh and very nice review. Short, simple and effective.
Keep it up.

Hey buddy, the M model is the exact same as the L as far as the display resolution and quality goes

. The only difference is that L has an HDMI port, an Audio In and an Audio Out port and M does not. You can attach a sound bar to the L model and use the audio port. Check the pic I took from the Dell website...

*i.imgur.com/69Tlw.jpg

*support.dell.com/support/edocs/monitors/st222xl/en/ug/GRAPHICS/f_audio.gif

Jas bro, I hope you didn't mind me replying to this one....

^^^he certainly wont.
Thanks for the quick heads up nayanpr77.

0

I'm planning to buy it from Infibeam for 8.3K? Should I go ahead of search locally?

V

I have one query; Dell has a product line of ST series as ST2220L, ST2320L & ST2420L.....so they are having same specifications except screen sizes....so why ST2320L is having some bad reviews & many on the forum aren't recommending it when ST2220L is good product. I am confused between these two monitors & cann't decide which one to buy. Help guys!