HP 2311xi - Design, OSD, and Viewing Angles

HP managed to make the right choices with their 27” ZR2740w monitor, hitting a reasonable price point without sacrificing quality. Now HP has introduced their 2311xi monitor, a 23” IPS display with LED backlighting that is designed with value in mind. Even with their value target, they haven't cut back on features, with multiple inputs and a good amount of adjustments available inside of the display.

With a street price of $200, HP is aiming directly at value priced TN displays that have ruled the low-end of the LCD market for years. We finally might be starting to move to better panels, as the price of IPS continues to come down. Has HP managed to get enough quality into a $200 display that it can convince people to move from TN panels when looking for a value display, or have there been too many sacrifices made in order to hit this aggressive price point?

The HP 2311xi is a very simple monitor on the outside. The only inputs offered are DVI, HDMI, and DSub, with no DisplayPort input. The lower right corner of the screen houses the buttons for controlling the OSD and otherwise the screen is free of any other inputs or outputs. One other item that is missing from the screen are VESA mounting holes for those that wish to use their own stand or other mounting device. The included stand offers tilt adjustment and some swivel, but offers no height or pivot adjustments so there is no way to use the 2311xi in portrait mode.

The OSD system is okay but not great, as you use two buttons for both left/right and up/down control, which continues to be a pet peeve of mine. However it does have a full array of options, including three default color temperatures and a user adjustable one, overdrive, sharpness, dynamic contrast, and more. It also has a DDC mode that works quite well I found, so if your calibration solution supports DDC you can have it configured automatically for you.

As you would expect from an IPS panel, the viewing angles are quite good and far beyond what TN can give you. Moving far off-axis we don’t see any color shift but do start to see a shift in the contrast at the very extreme angles. With a 23” display you aren’t going to run into any issues with viewing angles on the 2311xi no matter how you have it configured on your desk, or likely even if you are watching a movie on it from a few feet away.

HP 2311xi
Video Inputs DVI-D, Dsub, HDMI
Panel Type e-IPS
Pixel Pitch 0.265 mm
Colors 16.7 Million, 72% Color Gamut
Brightness 250 nits maximum
Contrast Ratio 1000:1
Response Time 7ms GTG
Viewable Size 23"
Resolution 1920x1080
Viewing Angle 178 Horizontal and Vertical
Backlight LED
Power Consumption (operation) 29 Watts
Power Consumption (standby) < 0.6 Watts
Screen Treatment Anti-Glare Coating
Height-Adjustable No
Tilt Yes, 0 to 25 Degrees
Pivot No
Swivel Yes
VESA Wall Mounting No
Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) 16.4 x 24.49 x 6.26 in
Weight 9.25 lbs.
Additional Features  
Limited Warranty 1 Year Parts and Labor
Accessories DVI Cable, VGA Cable
Price $200 Online (7/15/2012)

Now that we’ve had a full overview of the HP 2311xi it is time to put it through our test bench and see how it performs. Calibration and dE measurements were done using ColorEyes Pro and an i1Pro spectrometer, and black and white level measurements were done using an i1DisplayPro and test patterns from CalPC.

HP 2311xi - Brightness and Contrast Ratios
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  • Khenglish - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    When I saw that a 23" version of a 27" screen was being released, I was hoping that it would be the same 2560x1440 resolution. Sadly it was not.

    Why can't anyone make a monitor with a pixel density higher than my 2002 CRT? A 19" 2560x1600 screen would be awesome and I would pay a lot for it. I'd rather not have to turn my head to look from one corner to the other with a 27" or 30" screen.
  • tecknurd - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    Manufacturing a CRT to display high resolutions like 2560 by 1600 does not require much. The electronics are what is require to handle resolutions. LCD on other hand, silicon cost a lot to make that amount of pixels and the high performance panel driver is then needed, so LCD has two pricey hardware to make a finish product. CRT just need the electronics.

    Using a 27 inch or 30 inch screen, you just need to sit further from it to see it all at once.
  • Sabresiberian - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    Really, the problem of price isn't as much of a barrier as we've been lead to think, as the influx of $300 (including shipping for S. Korea) 2560x1440 monitors has shown. Also, there are inexpensive phones and tablets that have far higher pixel densities than the monitors currently available.

    As far as using a bigger screen and sitting farther back - wut? That's, uh, not very practical and really makes no sense.

    ;)
  • Zoomer - Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - link

    These korean monitors get lower grade panels. In other words, panels that are rejected for inclusion in top brands like Apple, HP, Dell, etc. That's why they are priced at that point.

    Phones and tablets use must smaller screens, and therefore, exponentially easier to make without defects.
  • scarhead - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    They will come before long. There's already a 15" laptop with 2880 x 1800.
  • janderk - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    High res displays have been here for a long time. Problem is price.

    For the price of that Apple laptop you mentioned, you can buy 15 HP IPS monitors. What is a shame is that all other Apple laptops feature low quality TN displays.

    It is quite revolutionary that you can buy a good IPS display for $200. One with 1200 vertical pixels even. I remember paying 1600 Euro for my 23" HP 2335 IPS display some years ago.
  • janderk - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    Correction to myself: The display is 1080. Not 1200.
  • KZ0 - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    Macbook Pro Retina uses an IPS panel.

    http://www.anandtech.com/show/5998/macbook-pro-ret...
  • janderk - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    That's why I said "all other".
  • Tetracycloide - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    I believe that's the one scarhead was referring to and the one janderk was excluding when he said 'all OTHER Apple laptops.'

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