The AOC IF23 is aimed at professional graphic artists or enthusiasts who want a bright and crisp display that has wide viewing angles.
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Specifications-wise the IF23 sports a 23-inch widescreen, promises a dynamic contrast ratio of 100000:1, a brightness of 250 cd/m2, a response time of 6ms, and a viewing angle of 178. It has a native resolution of 1920×1080 but only has a D-Sub and DVI-D port. It could have been better if AOC included a HDMI port on the device.
The IF23 sports a photo-frame design with a glossy blue front and a white back. Unlike other monitors, the cabinet is supported by a single-post stand that can be rotated to change the monitor’s angle (3 to 12 degrees).
This unconventional design may be ‘refreshing’ for some, but others would definitely want it in just plain black. Another thing that could put off users is its build quality – the monitor feels flimsy and the plastic just feels cheap.
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We connected the unit to a Windows PC (via DVI-D) and adjusted the monitor’s contrast and brightness to improve the image quality. The IPS (In Plane Switching) panel allowed us to see a photo at an angle without colour degradation. The colours were crisp and it was able to show more image depth, especially in dark photos and video clips. Static images were sharp and games played on the monitor showed minimal ghosting.
The directional keys found below the device also function as Hotkeys to adjust contrast, viewing mode, image ratio, and source. Pressing the power button displays various commands that allows a user to adjust luminance and colour temperature, turn on colour boost (full enhance, nature skin, green field, sky blue, auto detect) or colour boost (frame size, brightness, contrast, H. position, V. position, and bright frame on/off), adjust the OSD settings, or reset the monitor to default.
The unit also comes with six eco modes that automatically adjust the settings according to the source. This includes Standard, Text, Internet, Game, Movie, and Sports. The IF23’s DCR (Dynamic Contrast Ratio) can also be enabled or disabled.
For $399 you get a great monitor that produces great image quality at any viewing angle. The only problem is if you do not like how it looks – the IF23 is only available in glossy blue and sports a picture frame design. It tries its best to stand out from the crowd, but has a hard time convincing people otherwise.
