Awesome, cheap display for PC/360 use?

[iindigo]

So basically, I'm looking for a monitor that matches the following criteria:

- Is cheap ($159 is my ceiling)
- Has both DVI and HDMI ports
- Has audio out (for pushing Xbox audio from HDMI to analog speakers)
- Has audio in (for passing along PC audio to the monitor's audio out along with Xbox audio)
- Runs at 1920x1080
- Is between 20" and 23" in size

I have a few candidates at the moment, mainly Asus products, but some of the low-star reviews on them worry me and I'd love to hear about good alternatives. Also, if there's another better way to grab the Xbox audio while using a non-HDMI monitor, feel free to suggest great deals on DVI-only monitors as well.


Thanks for reading!

 

[LtGoonRush]

I would say that this Asus VS229H-P for $159.99 is probably your best option. It's new so there aren't too many reviews yet, but it has the key advantage of being an IPS panel, which don't suffer from color shift as the viewing angle changes. It has an HDMI input, supports audio over HDMI, and has an analog audio output. It also uses an LED backlight, which means better colors and lower battery life. It uses a matte panel (as opposed to glossy) which may be an upside or downside depending on your preference.

 

[iindigo]

Thanks, that looks like a great monitor!

The only concern I have is this - without an audio input, how can I have both the sound from my Xbox 360 AND my PC's sound coming through the same speakers?

 

[LtGoonRush]

360 audio to PC line in, unmute it in the PC mixer, then PC line out to speakers? That may or may not add perceptible latency though, depends on your soundcard and drivers. Alternatively you could get a cheap audio mixer. The downside of trying to do this on a monitor is it pretty much forces you to get a cheaper TN panel, which means you lose the viewing angle advantages.

 

[Dark Shroud]

Thanks, that looks like a great monitor!

The only concern I have is this - without an audio input, how can I have both the sound from my Xbox 360 AND my PC's sound coming through the same speakers?

First you're going to need an adapter for the 360 audio cables. These are not expensive. Then either you plug them into the audio in port on you Sound Card/motherboard and change settings accordingly. Otherwise depending on your speaker's in ports you might need another adapter.

I know a few people that just use a cheap 1080p TV to connect both their PC & game system too.

 

[iindigo]

So I'd need an RCA --> minijack adapter and have my Xbox set up to route sound through them instead of HDMI? Seems like more of a pain than just being able to hook my PC up sans adapter, but it could work I suppose.

A TV isn't really an option in my case. My desk has no room for any sort of display over 23" in size and all the TVs that size or smaller are outside of my price range and lack a DVI input.

 

[Dankk]

I would say that this Asus VS229H-P for $159.99 is probably your best option.

14ms response time?

 

[iindigo]

14ms response time?

I read in a review that it's not actually 14ms; the box lists 5ms instead. You also have to keep in mind that IPS response time is measured differently than TN response time is.

 

[Vesku]

In terms of an IPS monitor 14ms is decent and like all technology they have implemented ways to compensate for areas where TN has an advantage. It will depend on your particular sensitivities but I haven't noticed the differences in displaying motion from a TN panel.

As mentioned you do get truer colors and better viewing angles with IPS panels.