By John R. Delaney Whether you're working with multipage documents, surfing the Web, or playing the latest first-person shooter games, it's always better on a big-screen monitor. However, the cost of all that extra screen real estate has been prohibitive for users on a budget. Not anymore. The Acer H276HL ($249.99) is a 27-inch monitor based on In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel technology that provides solid all-around performance and stylish aesthetics for just under $250 list price. Features are limited on this model, and it has a somewhat reflective screen, but neither gripe prevents the H276HL from earning our Editors' Choice for affordable big-screen monitors.
Design and Features
The monitor's sleek design belies its affordable price. The 1,920-by-1,080 panel sits inside a bezel-free cabinet that is only 1.3 inches thick and has a matte-black textured finish with a thin band of glossy-black trim around the edge. The 11-pound cabinet lacks VESA mounting holes, but is supported by a textured black base. The stand provides tilt adjustability, but does not support height, swivel, or pivot adjustments. The screen has a glossy coating that helps give colors a bit of pop, but its reflective properties can be distracting, especially when displaying a dark background.
On the back of the cabinet are HDMI, DVI, and VGA video ports, an audio port, and a headphone jack. You won't find any USB ports on this monitor, nor does it have a webcam or a DisplayPort input, but the HDMI port doubles as a Mobile High-definition Link (MHL) port and will display content from a compatible smartphone or tablet while charging it (an HDMI-to-MHL cable is not included). The H276HL also has a pair of 1.5-watt speakers that aren't very strong and lack bass; you'd be better off with a decent set of desktop speakers if you'll be watching movies or playing games.
There are five function buttons and a power switch mounted below the lower bezel. As with most Acer monitors, such as the Acer FT200HQL and the Acer B276HU, pressing any function button brings up an on-screen menu with labels for each button. From this menu you can select one of five picture presets (Standard, Eco, User, Graphics, and Movie), adjust speaker volume, select an input source, or enter the Main Menu. From the main menu, you can adjust Brightness, Contrast, and Color Temperature settings, as well as Focus, Clock, and Screen Position settings for when you're using an analog signal.
The H276HL comes with a three-year warranty on parts, labor, and backlight. It also comes with HDMI, DVI, VGA, and audio cables, a resource CD, and a printed User Guide.
Performance
The H276HL's colors were surprisingly accurate for a low-cost monitor. The chromaticity chart below shows red, green, and blue measurements (represented by the colored dots) in relation to their ideal CIE coordinates (represented by the boxes). As you can see, red and blue were inside their respective boxes, while green was just a little bit off, which is not uncommon in low-end and midrange monitors.
Color quality while watching The Wolverine on Blu-ray was excellent, and dark and light image detail was sharp, particularly in the scene where Logan protects Yashida from the nuke in the darkened underground cell. The fine shadow detail is a result of the panel's ability to display all shades of gray, which was apparent on the DisplayMate 64-Step Gray-Scale test. Granted, the H276HL's gray-scale performance can't compare with that of a high-end IPS monitor like the NEC MultiSync PA242W-BK, but it's very good for a low-cost display. IPS monitors are known for their wide viewing angles and the H276HL is no different. Colors remained true, and the panel remained bright when viewed from every angle.
The H276HL's 5-millisecond (gray-to-gray) pixel response did an adequate job of handling fast-action video while playing Aliens vs. Predator, but blurring artifacts did pop up from time to time. Chances are, this will go unnoticed by all but the most hardcore gamers, though.
The H276HL used 24 watts of power during testing while set to the Standard picture preset and 22 watts while set to the Eco preset. That's more energy-efficient than both the Acer K272HUL (38 and 30 watts, respectively) and the BenQ EW2740L (34 and 23 watts, respectively).
Conclusion
What the Acer H276HL lacks in features, it more than makes up for in bang for the buck. Its 27-inch IPS panel offers rich, accurate colors and better-than-average gray-scale performance for a monitor in the $250 price range. Moreover, its bezel-free design and slim cabinet make it look more expensive than it is. It can't match the performance or pixel count of its high-resolution sibling, the Acer K272HUL, but it is $200 cheaper and is an outstanding value. All that is why it earns our Editors' Choice for affordable big-screen monitors.
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