Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 230SB

...the monitor up; now here Mitsubishi wins big marks, no more fiddling with tiny little buttons with intriguing menu structures. The whole thing can be controlled by software, downloaded free from Mitsubishi’s monitor site. You need to have a DDC\CI (Direct Data Channel\Command Interface) compatible graphics card but most modern cards support this, but its best to check yours if this feature is important to you. The software is called Naviset and it ...
...text is required, then the Mitsubishi is sharp but not super sharp. I say this because I see a very slight softness with the text. However my eyes are not as sharp as they used to be so this may be a factor. Its difficult to judge this as this could make or break the monitor for someone. I work with monitors for textual based work for as much as 12 hours a day! And what I can say is this, it is significantly sharper than the average monitor but it ... more

Mitsubishi’s 230 SB 22” is a bit of a very good but ever so slightly flawed bag. Let me explain. I have had a 17” monitor for a number of years but always wanted a bigger monitor. Prices for 20+ monitors have come down to the price 17” were a couple of years ago, so I plumped for one and after a lot of research and very little hard factual reviews I went for this Mitsubishi.

First off is it isn’t going to win any style awards, this is strictly functional stuff and if people are not walking into your study and going “Wow, look at the size of that monitor.” Then its unlikely they are even going to realise its there as its no looker ! Its 620 mm x 630 mm x 600 mm and weighs 35 kg, this monitor is heavy and when receiving it take this into consideration as you can easily put your back out with it. It’s a good idea to get a (strong) friend around when it is delivered.

Setting the monitor up; now here Mitsubishi wins big marks, no more fiddling with tiny little buttons with intriguing menu structures. The whole thing can be controlled by software, downloaded free from Mitsubishi’s monitor site. You need to have a DDC\CI (Direct Data Channel\Command Interface) compatible graphics card but most modern cards support this, but its best to check yours if this feature is important to you. The software is called Naviset and it allows you tweak the monitors setting from your Windows desktop to your hearts content, and I mean to your hearts content! You could potentially spend hours tweaking and adjusting.

There are all sorts of settings (also available from the On Screen Menu), pincushion amplitude, vertical colour convergence, moiré cancel, linearity settings etc, it’s a big list and it allows you to tweak your monitor the way you want. This in itself is fantastic, but in a brainstorming session that went way beyond the call of duty, they actually supply a set of test cards for each setting so you can get the optimum results everytime. For example for one of the linearity settings, it has a grid with arrows and advises you when it is set correctly arrows should not be S-shaped. Fantastic.

If like me you use your computer to watch movies every now and then, then there is an interesting facility which this monitor supplies you with, a super bright mode which makes it easier to watch dvd’s etc from a distance. This is not advised for normal use of the monitor for two reasons firstly it blurs the writing on the screen and secondly it is painfully bright up close. It also has an intermediary mode between normal adjustable brightness and super bright movie mode called super bright picture mode, for photo’s and the like! Both modes are very good for their designated purpose.

It has a sRGB setting for digital camera buffs and this is not adjustable. This is incredibly useful as my camera uses the sRGB colour space so when using this mode I have a far better idea ot what my photo’s are going to look like! There are also some predefined colour settings which you can adjust.

Ok so what about text quality? If you are using office tools and working with lots of text is required, then the Mitsubishi is sharp but not super sharp. I say this because I see a very slight softness with the text. However my eyes are not as sharp as they used to be so this may be a factor. Its difficult to judge this as this could make or break the monitor for someone. I work with monitors for textual based work for as much as 12 hours a day! And what I can say is this, it is significantly sharper than the average monitor but it might not be sharp enough for the most discerning and demanding user. To them I would recommend a viewing prior to buying or possibly an LCD! I have discovered that if you let the monitor auto set the screen size for you the text sharpens a tiny bit more making it even more useable. However the auto setting sizes the screen with almost an inch border around which kind of defeats the purpose of going for a 22 inch monitor.

However gamers should head to the nearest internet shop site and buy! I don’t know what it is about this monitor maybe it is the 22 inch screen but it transforms games into Hollywood blockbusters. Watch the beginning of a mission in Homeworld 2 where your fleet hyperspaces in and be emotionally moved and awe inspired at how fantastic the monitors presentation is. Play Splinter Cell and feel enveloped by the thick claustrophobia of some of the environments. Play Unreal Tournament 2004 and try to move back in your seat as a manta (very fast hover vehicle), guns a blazing, hurtles towards you. It seems like the whole monitor was dedicated to create the most visually immersive experience possible and in my opinion it truly succeeds.

For me playing and working on 22 inches is the pinnacle of computing, at least until 36 inch High Definition TV is here ;-) ! Yes it takes up a lot of desk space, is very heavy and is no looker but as an office tool it is very very good but slightly let down in my opinion by a very slight softness to the text. But as a gamer this monitor comes into its own with an uncanny ability to take computer graphics and make them jump out at you. Couple that with a variety of resolutions upto 1920 x 1440 @ 76 Hz, the Naviset monitor tweaking tools with a fantastic set of test cards rounds out to a package that is just too hard to beat for affordability and performance. I looked at LCD but found the price/performance point too costly to justify or feel completely happy buying one. In the end a convenient desk saving size just couldn’t carry it. So I am a very happy and proud owner of a huge 22” Mitsubishi monitor!  Now wheres that manta?
 

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