Acer AL2216W: a worthwhile compromise?

Color Gradients

Taking a look at the ability to reproduce a smooth color gradient on all of the displays, the Acer does better than it did in the viewing angle tests. Those interested in comparing the Acer AL2216W to previously tested displays can open their gradient images via the following links:

Dell 2405FPW
Dell 2407WFP
Dell 3007WFP
Gateway FPD2485W

Click to enlarge

The Dell 3007WFP ranks at the top of the chart, followed closely by the 2407WFP. The Acer AL2216W comes next, and it's also about the same as the 2407WFP. Despite using the same panel, the Gateway FPD2485W doesn't do as well in the gradient tests, most likely due to the brighter backlighting. The older Dell 2405FPW also shows some banding issues when viewing gradients, particularly in the darker colors. Depending on how you use a display, banding issues may or may not be a serious concern; we weren't particularly bothered by any of the monitors, but other users may be more demanding.

Prior to calibrating the displays, many of the results were quite a bit worse. The Gateway FPD2485W is almost unacceptable without calibration, although further tweaking of the display settings would probably improve matters for that display. Trying to provide a good representation of what gradients look like is also quite difficult, as you can't take a normal screenshot and using a camera to photograph the display is like making a copy of a copy. After a bit of trial and error, we were able to get images that at least convey the general impression, but it's still no substitute for viewing a display in person.