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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  • fishman - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    Sorry, but a 16:9 monitor? Great for a TV, but not for a general purpose computer.
  • kyuu - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    And here I was hoping we'd get one monitor review without 16:10 snobs popping up...
  • seapeople - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    Ok, then go buy the 1200p monitor for the same price.

    Oh wait.

    You can't.
  • risa2000 - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    I guess I might have googled it, but I wonder why it is not mentioned anywhere? Are there really no other panels than 60Hz nowadays?
    I am working now on old 19" ThinkVision (excellent LCD, with 75Hz refresh) and 60 to 75 makes difference.
  • kyuu - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    Yep, monitors are 60Hz pretty much exclusively nowadays, unless you're looking at monitors meant for 3D that do 120Hz.
  • cheinonen - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    Unless it is mentioned, I would assume 60Hz for a refresh rate. With the use of an HDMI input, and not specifically being an HDMI input that supports beyond 1080p, it's likely the internal electronics only support a 60Hz input anyway, even if the panel could support higher.
  • Jumangi - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    Bestbuy has this on sale for $169. Yea its got compramises but for that price the basic display you get is a darn good deal.
  • jaydee - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    Here are all the 23" IPS monitors that I've seen (there could be more) with features listed. It would be great to to get a roundup of all of them... AT has already reviewed the top two on the list.

    AOC i2353ph, 1080, DVI/HDMI, no USB, speakers
    HP 2311XI, 1080, DVI/HDMI, no USB, no speakers
    NEC EA232, 1080, DVI/DP, no USB, speakers
    Dell U2312HM, 1080, DVI/DP, USB hub, no speakers
    LG IPS231B, 1080, DVI/HDMI, no USB, speakers
    LG IPS235V, 1080, DVI/HDMI, no USB, no speakers
  • EddieBoy - Monday, August 13, 2012 - link

    I think this is a good idea. How about putting together a round up of displays so it is easier to compare their pluses and minuses?
  • mikato - Thursday, August 16, 2012 - link

    +1
    IPS monitor roundup! There are so many people out there with their eye on IPS monitors, but since they cost a bit more, these people are careful and do their research. They would definitely like a roundup like this.

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