NEC MultiSync P221W
NEC adds the 22-inch P221W to its line-up of affordable widescreen displays

NEC has launched the P221W with the intention to satisfy creative professionals as well as the demands of industry CAD/CAM designers. High expectations indeed for a low-budget monitor.
The company fills the gap that lies between its own high-performance MultiSync 90 series and its more commercially based displays, the MultiSync EA series. Placed between these two, the P221W offers a more affordable option to cope with both demands.

The P221W’s specifications on paper give it a good first impression. Its 22-inch LCD display comes equipped with a high contrast ratio of 1,000:1. That’s good value for money, considering it has a price of £315 (excluding VAT) or $499. It also has an optimum resolution of 1,680 x 1,050, but all these impressive numbers don’t necessarily mean better results, and in the process of keeping its price to a minimum, NEC has had to compromise slightly on quality.

When profiling the monitor after powering it up, we found it lacked the tonal depth we’ve come to expect from widescreen LCD displays of similar specifications. It has a brightness of 300cd/m2, and with NEC’s AmbiBright technology the screen automatically adjusts brightness to suit the lighting conditions around it. This is done using an ambient sensor; however, when the monitor is set to 100% brightness using the menu, the screen reached its peak and couldn’t become brighter in dimmer lighting conditions. We pushed its brightness to the top, as the display is naturally dim from the offset. However, we’re being fussy because we’ve been spoilt with NEC’s amazing higher-end options, and it is worth remembering what you’re paying for here. While we might be disappointed with tonal depth, in comparison to its price peers this is still a cut above the rest.

The P221W produces lots of saturation in its colour and this is one of the strongest points to the monitor’s make-up. This does well to counteract the monitor’s lack of overall brightness. We boosted the contrast value through the menu to also give the display more vibrancy and strength in the highlights and shadows. As a consequence, this left the midtones looking somewhat flat and left behind, so it’s a personal preference on how you set up the monitor’s contrast values.

To add to the monitor’s naturally dim display, a bigger downfall of the P221W is its clarity. This seems to be the overriding issue and one of the most important aspects to a designer’s monitor. The display’s not blurry, just not pin-sharp. It’s more noticeable when working with text, where the definition of each letter isn’t precise. Cycling through the menu options, you can adjust the Fine control, which aims to straighten everything up. Thinking this would resolve the problem, we were proven wrong. Adjusting this control threw different areas of the screen out of focus. It was a matter of focusing the middle portions as best as we could.

The P221W is supplied with a 10-bit look-up table (LUT) for calibrating each colour channel of the RGB spectrum, and boasts high colour accuracy as well. Perhaps colour accuracy is the monitor’s rewarding trait, as compared to the quality of the other specifications, this seems to be its saving grace.
The P221W is manoeuvrable in three ways: it can be spun 90 degrees to a portrait position, it can slide up and down and it can be tilted, all depending on your desk space. This means that you can move it to your most natural way of working, which is a real bonus. The monitor’s on-screen menu is controlled with the array of buttons lined up around the bottom-right corner. NEC states in its release that the technology on board is a professional grade, and therefore it is ideal for graphic designers and photographers running Photoshop.

The P221W is affordable to those looking for a first-time buy, stepping out of the typical monitor setup that comes as standard with your PC on purchase. We felt there’s a slight unevenness to this monitor’s make-up. It’s a mixed bag, and what it lacks in tonal depth it makes up for in colour saturation. Photographers and designers who primarily work with black-and-white imagery wouldn’t benefit from the P221W, however, for graphic designers who need more space and brighter colours, it’s a real step up.

NEC has been environmentally conscious with the P221W, making an Eco Mode function to reduce the carbon footprint. Eco Mode works by reducing the brightness of the screen or by running in Power Save mode when it’s not in use. The monitor actually has a built-in Carbon Foot Print meter, which tells you what the current and accumulated savings in carbon dioxide add up to – it’s a nice touch.

Next to similarly priced 19-inch monitors, the P221W is a decent option. For amateur digital artists keeping to a tight budget and working with colour, this monitor would be ideal. If you’re a working digital artist who needs a versatile display, we recommend looking to NEC’s higher-end products, as you might find that you outgrow this monitor. 5