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Innovation can take on many forms. For displays, things like resolution, refresh rate, color volume, size and features all combine to drive technology forward. But value is an innovation too. I’ve watched new technologies appear at the premium end of the price spectrum only to reach the budget sector a few years later.
Looking back over my entire database of display reviews, now numbering almost 400 monitors, I’ve never tested a product that cost less than $100 before this. The Philips 221V8LN, by far, delivers the most performance for the least money in my experience.
I only need to wrap this up with a simple checklist: contrast over 4,200:1, check; pixel density over 100ppi, check; refresh rate over 60 Hz, check; wide gamut color with 85% DCI-P3 coverage, check; Adaptive-Sync, half-check because it’s FreeSync only; accurate color out of the box, check; decent gaming experience, check. And the bonus – near-perfect gamma that’s better than almost every display I’ve ever tested. Yes, the overdrive could be a little better and the sRGB mode isn’t truly sRGB. But the 221V8LN only costs $70. From that perspective, I have to give it an Editor’s Choice.
If you’re looking to anchor a budget gaming system and are OK with a 22-inch screen, the Philips V-Line 221V8LN is only $70 and has no competition.
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