Touch-screen monitors have been around for years but until recently have been almost exclusively used for commercial purposes, most notably in information kiosks, banks, and the food service industry. Now, with Windows 7 and Windows 8 offering built-in support for multi-touch applications, touch-enabled monitors are finding their way into the mainstream in large numbers. One such model, the Viewsonic TD2220($239.38 at Amazon), is a 22-inch touch-screen monitor that offers multi-gesture touch capabilities as well as good color and small text quality. It doesn't cost much to run, either. It's missing an HDMI port and the picture loses luminance when viewed from an angle, however. And, although it works with Windows 8, it is not Windows 8 certified.
Design and Features
The TD2220 uses a 22-inch (21.5-inch viewable) TN panel with a 1,920-by-1,080 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The panel is a two-point touch panel, which means it can recognize two touch commands simultaneously and allows functions such as pinching and zooming. However, it is not Windows 8 certified. In order to become Windows 8 certified, a monitor must support at least five touch points. You'll pay more for the enhanced touch functionality though. For example, the Acer T232HL, which is Windows 8 certified, retails for $499.99. That said, the TD2220 will work with Windows 8 but does not offer an optimal Windows 8 touch experience.
The TD2220 is a fairly ordinary looking monitor. The sides of the screen are framed by thin (0.6-inch) matte black bezels frame, while the top and bottom bezels are slightly wider (0.7-inch). The cabinet is 2.6 inches deep, which is a tad thick for an LED backlit display, and weighs 8.73 pounds without the stand. You can place the TD2220 on a wall using the VESA mounting holes or use the included stand, which provides tilt adjustments but no height or swivel adjustments.
All I/O ports are located on the back of the cabinet and face downward. Here you'll find DVI and VGA video inputs, three USB ports (one upstream, two downstream), and an audio input. The TD2220 doesn't have an HDMI port, and while it's nice to have USB connectivity (and necessary for the touch technology) the ports would be more useful if they were easier to access, say, on the side of the cabinet.
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There are four clearly marked touch buttons and a power switch embedded in the lower bezel. Two of the buttons are hot keys for volume and brightness/contrast settings as well as navigation keys for the OSD (on screen display) menus. The OSD offers limited adjustments but it is easy to use; in addition to contrast and brightness settings you can adjust the color temperature, enable the dynamic contrast option, and select one of three Eco modes (standard, optimize, conserve). You can also manually change sharpness, horizontal size, and horizontal position settings when using an analog signal, select an input source, and mute the speakers. The speakers are standard monitor fare; they do get fairly loud but are too trebly and get a bit distorted at full volume.
The TD2220 comes with Viewsonic's typical three-year warranty which covers parts, labor, and backlighting. It also comes with DVI and VGA cables, an audio signal cable, a Quick Start guide, and a resource CD.
Performance
As a touch-screen monitor, the TD2220 performed without issue. The screen was responsive to single and double taps and had no trouble with zoom and pinch gestures. The glossy screen does get a little messy with fingerprints after a while, but that's true of just about every touch-enabled device.
The TD2220 delivers bright bold colors and a sharp HD image. Swatches from the DisplayMate Color Scales test appeared evenly saturated, progressing smoothly from one end of the scale to the other. My 1080p test clip, the Magic of Flight, was crisp and well defined. The panel had no trouble displaying shades of light gray on the 64-Step Grayscale test but dark grays were clipped at the end of the scale, making the two darkest shades appear black. As a result, shadow detail was a bit muddy in my test photos.
Despite the panel's smallish dimensions it did an excellent job of displaying small text. Fonts set to 5.3 points appeared clean and legible on the Scaled Fonts test. Viewing angle performance was less impressive; significant color shifting was noticeable at around 45-degrees from dead center and gets worse as you move to 90-degrees. Top and bottom viewing angles produce the dreaded dark screen, so make sure you position the TD2220 at eye level for the best possible picture quality.
The TD2220 used 16 watts of power during testing while in standard mode, which is quite efficient for a panel of this size. Its sibling, the Viewsonic VSD220, used 21 watts, while the NEC AS221wm used 25 watts. What's more, if you switch to Optimize Eco mode, power usage drops to 14 watts and the picture remains bright enough for viewing in a typical home/office lighting environment. This type of energy efficiency earns the TD2220 our Greentech stamp of approval.
The Viewsonic TD2220 brings touch-screen functionality to the desktop for a reasonable price. It offers solid color quality and does a good job of displaying small fonts, and its touch functionality is responsive and smooth. It doesn't cost much to run either. An HDMI port would be a welcome addition, however, and the panel's off-angle viewing performance could be better. If you'll be running Windows 8 you may want to consider the Acer T232HL, which is optimized for the Windows 8 touch experience. However, be prepared to spend close to $200 more for the added touch functionality.
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The Viewsonic TD2220 is a responsive 22-inch touch-screen monitor that delivers bold colors and crisp text. However, its off-angle viewing performance is less than optimal, and it is not Windows 8 certified, though it does work with the OS.
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