Philips 234EL2SB / 23inch / LED Monitor with SmartTouch

After spending quite some time researching for a new 23" monitor I came across this Philips 23" LED backlit display. I was looking at about five different brands of monitors and it seemed that every time I found a monitor that had good features, it was let down by poor build quality.
The reason I spent quite a lot of time researching monitors is because I don't just need a computer monitor. I was after something that would look good with an Xbox connected with HDMI and my Macbook Pro connected with DVI (Since there's no advantage running a Macbook Pro with HDMI at present). I was also after a monitor that would look good for watching films from my Macbook or Xbox.
My first impression of this monitor was that it is much better built than any other monitor in this price range that I've seen. I took a gamble on this since when I was looking at other similar monitors I went and looked at them in shops first, and I didn't get to see this monitor in person, prior to purchase. The gamble payed off because it's a very sturdy monitor, none of this horrible wobble that some other brands have from flimsy stands.
It's not overstated in it's looks and it does the job perfectly. There's nothing fancy about the look of this monitor, and I see that as a positive thing because I'd rather be paying for a well built display rather than fancy, quirky designs. The slim and sleek design of the monitor is practical and suitable for what it needs to be.
The only real let down of this monitor are the built-in speakers. They are very poor quality; tinny with no bass. Thankfully I didn't intend on using the built in speakers anyway since I already have Creative Gigaworks speakers (which I highly recommend for good quality/low price speakers).
The monitor comes with calibration software which is PC only - This is kind of to be expected, but still annoying, especially given the amount of people that use alternative operating systems to Windows. Although the saving grace here is that this software is not essential.
The monitor comes with a VGA cable, power cable and instruction manual CD. Some might criticise that the manual is on a disk, but as soon as you plug this monitor in to your computer it will work. You may have to adjust your resolution on your computer but other than that it really is just 'plug and play'.
When I plugged my Xbox into the monitor with HDMI, I immediately had great picture quality. I adjusted the brightness a little on the monitor but that's all. Perfect. The colours looked vibrant and due to the high resolution of the monitor the detail was outstanding.
My Macbook immediately recognised the brand and model of monitor and activated a colour profile specifically for the Philips 234EL2. I then used the controls on the monitor to adjust the brightness and contrast to my liking. This is very easy to do and doesn't require any kind of user manual as the options menu on the monitor is clearly laid out. This monitor scores very highly for 'plug and play' ease of use.
Viewing angles are good with the Philips 23EL2. You can view it from quite extreme angles from the left and right and it maintains the same contrast, however if you view it from too low down or too high up the contrast starts to distort a little. A quick adjustment of the tilt in the stand sorts this out easily.
The touch buttons are fine, although I've never been a huge fan of this kind of technology on monitors and TVs as I don't think it's practical, however the touch buttons on this monitor are very responsive.
Ease of use, sleek design, good picture quality and nice selection of inputs make this monitor a strong competitor in this price range, although the poor quality speakers are a let down.

The Screen has fanatastic quality, just remember to adjust your resolution settings on your pc to the recomended settings (personalise / display).
The monitor comes with a power cord and VGA cable, i recomend investing in an HDMI cable, you can get a decent one for only a fiver on this site.
The LED is VERY powerful, i had to lower my LED's settings cause its so much more potent than my previous monitors.
The built in speakers are very nice, but for those of you who insist on massive Bass you may have to invest towards a pair of speakers.
In summary its a fantastic piece of kit for the money, featuring a lovely 5ms and 1920 x 1080 resolution, i would recomend it to anyone looking for a wide screen monitor in this price range.

It is very high quality moitor for a very reasonable price. It has clear view, good sharpness and vivid colors. And in addition it is LED and has and HDMI port and it is a respected brand. May be the best price/quality buy.
I was also very impressed with the delivery. It took only two days and I was given 1 hour timeslot, so I dont wast my whole day waiting for the courier to arrive.
Highly recommended

this is an absolute beast of a moniter.. would recomend to anybody! :)

The resolution is awesome (it is better than my TV even) as its full HD. It was more than I expected from such a low price, and even if I compare it to more expensive monitors, it is amazing. I just wish it had a tv tuner as well. But yeah, no regrets, the screen is awesome, the viewing angle; amazing. The sound isn't better than my built-in motherboard even, but its not bad either (for a monitor). It comes with a regular audio cable so you can connect the monitor to your PC even if you dont have HDMI. Im using this with a really crap computer, the monitor has boosted up its graphics somehow, its just, perfect.