| Honeywell 22-Inch LCD Monitor MT-SY-HWLM2216 |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Monitor | HDTV | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Olin Coles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Friday, 25 April 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Honeywell MT-SY-HWLM2216Honeywell is brand new to the LCD monitor industry, which is why they called upon the expertise of SOYO. After making giant waves in the market with their 24-Inch DYLM24D6 ultra-affordable widescreen LCD, SOYO was put to work building an up-scale version with premium features. The end result of their work became the Honeywell Arius product line, which features an integrated webcam, microphone, speakers, and USB ports. The Honeywell Arius MT-SY-HWLM2216 22-Inch WSXGA+ widescreen LCD monitor boasts a quick 2ms response time. Benchmark Reviews has be fortunate enough to test this monitor in our labs, and we find out just how well it performs for hardcore gamers and casual PC users alike. Designed to provide the ideal display solution for a wide variety of applications at the office, home or school, the SXGA (Super Extended Graphics Array) technology delivers crisp, vibrant text and images while you are working on spreadsheets and reports, writing emails, preparing presentations, watching movies, playing games, or surfing the Internet. The Honeywell MT-SY-HWLM2216 makes for a perfect widescreen display regardless of your application. 
The Honeywell Arius 22-Inch widescreen LCD monitor incorporates superior TFT (Thin Film Transistor) display technology in a stylish compact design that frees up valuable desk space, with a wide-angle flat screen that offers a view of the screen from various angles without compromising image quality. Featuring high brightness, sharp contrast and vivid colors for hours of comfortable viewing, and Honeywell's built-in speakers deliver stereo-quality sound. 
About the company: Honeywell Consumer Electronic DivisionWhen it comes to applying leading-edge technology to solve the world's problems, few companies can rival our long record of achievement. It began in the 1880s. We pioneered a combination of sensors and actuators that gave birth to a new field of technology - automation and control. We have never looked back. Across twelve decades, Honeywell's employees and their inventions have been building a better world. We have created groundbreaking technology solutions for customers of our aerospace, transportation systems, and specialty materials businesses. And, yes, we are still the world's leader in automation and control solutions.
Honeywell International Inc. is a household name for most people, thanks to the long history of producing quality thermostats. On the commercial side of business, they has offered aircraft engines and aviation components for many years. These parts of the business won't be changing anytime soon, but a recent deal with SOYO has started the Honeywell Consumer Electronic Division and produced a new line of flat-panel televisions and monitors. SOYO designs and distributes these newly-designed products on behalf of Honeywell. SOYO Group, Inc. is a provider of consumer electronics such as, LCD Monitors, LCD Televisions, Bluetooth, Portable Storage, Home Theater Furniture and broadband telecommunications products and services. Headquartered in Ontario, California, with additional sales offices in South America, SOYO Group sells its products through an extensive network of authorized distributors, resellers, system integrators, VARs, retailers, mail-order catalogs and e-tailers. Products are sold under the SOYO, Go Video, Dragon, Onyx, Dymond, Honeywell, Le Vello, and Prive brand names. For more information, please visit the SOYO Group website.
Honeywell Arius Features22" Arius Series Widescreen WSXGA+ LCD Display with Built-In Webcam and DVI Input
Full Range of Motion:
Lightning Fast Response Times:
Additional Viewing Space:
1680 x 1050 pixel WSXGA+ resolution
700:1 contrast ratio with 2ms response time
Built-in 1.3 MP webcam with microphone
Provides full range of motion 4 ways to match any desired viewing angle
Monitor can tilt from landscape to portrait
16:9 aspect ratio
Brightness: 300 Nits
176º viewing angles
Built-in speakers deliver stereo quality sound
Connectors: 1 VGA, 1 DVI, 3 USB, 1 audio in (3.5mm)
3 year limited warranty
Includes power cord, VGA cable, audio cable and USB cable
MT-SY-HWLM2216 Specifications
Closer Look: Honeywell Arius ExteriorConsumers are becoming more streamlined with their product choices, and fewer devices are taking up desktop real-estate. Honeywell has done an excellent job of minimizing desktop clutter by integrating a webcam, microphone, and speakers into the small Arius TFT LCD frame. Even if you're not keen to using a webcam, the MT-SY-HWLM2216 ensures that you'll be preparred when that day finally comes. It wasn't really all that long ago that I first purchased a 17" LCD display. At the time I thought that my new purchase put me on top of the world. While watching movies on my computer I quickly discovered that if the monitor was just a little larger, I could really turn my system into a home theater PC. Here I am years later, and the price of LCD technology has dropped to such an affordable level that size is no longer restrained to income. 
Honeywell has accurately determined that the middle-market demographic is ripe with opportunity, because it allows the every-man/woman to indulge within their financial means. I operate a successful business, and yet I still cannot seem to justify the thousand-dollar plunge into an expensive display, such as the Planar PX2611W 26-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor we reviewed some time ago. Matched more to my style and frugal spending budget, is the Honeywell Arius 22-Inch widescreen 2ms LCD Monitor MT-SY-HWLM2216, which costs just over $300. 
The Arius series has struck the gamers sweet-spot, since this 22-Inch widescreen LCD monitor delivers excellent field of view while reducing graphic card loads at the same time through a 1680x1050 WSXGA+ resolution. Although Honeywell offers a larger 24" LCD display, the added cost is matched by an increased resolution which drops video game frame rate for some graphic cards. Ultimately, the MT-SY-HWLM2216 is perfect for the person who wants to enjoy widescreen field of view while saving desk space with integrated speakers, webcam, and microphone. 
In addition to the space saving features the Arius delivers, there are additional functionality perks which make this Honeywell 22-Inch widescreen LCD even more enticing. The monitor stand offers a telescoping range of height adjustment, lifting the SY-HWLM2216 up or down a 3.5" level. The stand also allows the entire unit to swivel 180°, which is great for environments where turning the monitor around to show someone else (such as a customer) what you're working on. 
Mid-level pricing doesn't mean that you'll have to settle for less, though. Honeywell proves that you can get a lot mroe than what you pay for in the Arius, as the 22" widescreen TFT LCD also rotates 90° to work well with long reports, ledgers, and spreadsheets. I found that this is probably the best kept secret for anyone who uses the built-in webcam, since the widescreen display cuts out distracting side clutter.
Honeywell has included mounting points at the back of the MT-SY-HWLM2216 to match the VESA 100 (100mm x 100mm) mounting format. Since the stand offers a hefty 30° upward and 15° downward tilt, there wasn't much immediate need for a compatible VESA 100 system. MT-SY-HWLM2216 Detailed FeaturesSOYO successfully engineered their own widescreen LCD monitor last year, and when they developed the Honeywell MT-SY-HWLM2216 many of the same technologies were used. The 22" Arius widescreen monitor is built upon the Twisted Nematic LCD technology, similar to the SOYO DYLM24D6. TN display panels are the common in budget monitors, and yet still offer excellent response times to reduce ghosting in fast-motion video or games. While the TN panel used in the HWLM2216 offers a fast 2ms response time, contrast and color are low grade and the viewing angle is the worst of any LCD panel technology. One downside inherent to the TN panel technology is a reduced color gamut. Unlike most 8-bit panels (which include S-IPS/S-PVA/MVA technologies), TN panels are only capable of 6-bit and are unable to display all 16.7 million colors available in 24-bit true color. Instead, TN panels must use dithering to match the 16.7 million colors of 8-bit panels, which will often degrade image quality.
You won't notice it right away, but nestled into at the top of the Honeywell Arius bezel frame is a built-in 1.3 Megapixel web cam. This unit is a Windows XP Plug-and-Play device, which connects from the USB 2.0 "B" input located at the back of the LCD panel. Once Windows recognizes the webcam as a "USB 2.0 Camera", you're ready to start using it with your favorite instant messenger and communication programs. Honeywell doesn't waste effort developing value-added software for this function, which helps keep installation simple while reducing production costs. The integrated microphone is located at the lower-right corner of the LCD bezel, beside the power indicator LED. The included 3.5mm audio cable connects to the pink microphone input connection at the rear of the monitor. This microphone isn't incredibly sensitive, so I enabled microphone boosting in Windows. With this configuration the microphone worked well in both the horizontal and vertical panel positions. 
TN Panels have become a popular technology for LCD manufacturers because of the reduced production cost of the unit, and consumers like them just as much because they are very inexpensive. Presently the TN display technology is used only in 22-inch widescreen LCD panels, which is a tremendously popular size for the middle market. Since many consumers base their monitor purchase solely on size and price, most 22" TN panels cost less than other 20" monitors using different panel types. Since the 2MP integrated webcam depends on a USB 2.0 for functionality, it only makes good sense that Honeywell includes additional USB ports on this monitor. At the left side of the Arius there are two Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ports made available, which I discovered to work perfectly with flash drives and cameras. Perhaps by design, this also worked out well for the Honeywell SecuraDrive that I position beneath my monitor for quick grab-and-go travel. As USB peripherals grow in number, I would hope to see future monitor designs make this a basic feature to the same extent as it has become on motherboards.
In order to keep a clean appearance on the front bezel, all of the buttons are located at the right side of the monitor. The basic five, which includes the menu and directional arrows along with auto-adjust and power, are displayed below: 
The menu display is reminiscent of just about every other monitor I have set-up over the years, with an easy to navigate layout matched by my familiarity with the controls. While I clearly realize this is a product aimed for the middle market, it seems like Honeywell has loaded many premium extras to the arsenal. While DVI is the de-facto standard anymore, I am eager for the day that HDMI becomes a common features on even the most basic budget model. 
In addition to the digital video input, there is also a legacy analog video graphics port included. For those who wish to take advantage of the 2W stereo speakers (pictured below), there is a color-coded input beside the VGA port. Further down the line is a USB input for the Plug-n-Play webcam, and an additional USB port for peripheral connections. Finishing out the connections is a color-coded microphone jack, for connection directly to the PC.
Like most electronics sold in America these days, this Honeywell Arius MT-SY-HWLM2216 is made in the Republic of China under SOYO's manufacturing license. This unit arrived without a single problem, and the picture quality was very good with no bleeding or fading at the edges. The 2ms response time was put to the test right away, as I was tasked with benchmarking the ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB Video Card with a collection of video games. After hours of actual game-play with Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty 4, and Crysis, I never once found a single sign of image ghosting. Graphics Performance TestingThe Honeywell Arius MT-SY-HWLM2216 proved to a reliable widescreen monitor, with only one dead pixel detected after testing with several free software tools. Several of these tools did nothing more than produce moving text or objects across the screen to test for ghosting, while others displayed solid color patters to test for dead pixels. Once the calibration and pixel tests were complete, it was time for another break; and by break, I mean test the monitor with some popular benchmarks. All I ever do is work... Test System
Benchmark Applications
MT-SY-HWLM2216 ResultsThe Honeywell Arius MT-SY-HWLM2216 proved to a reliable widescreen monitor, with only one dead pixel detected after testing with several free software tools. Several of these tools did nothing more than produce moving text or objects across the screen to test for ghosting, while others displayed solid color patters to test for dead pixels. Once the calibration and pixel tests were complete, it was time for another break; and by break, I mean test the monitor with some popular benchmarks. All I ever do is work... 
I began with a few rounds of World in Conflict, but realized that the game is a little past its shelf life and decided to mix it up with some fresh blood. I turned to Assassin's Creed, but while the monitor made the game look fantastic there was just no way to benchmark the game since it lacked an in-game tool or cut-scenes. So I finally rested on Crysis, and I'm glad that I did. Because I wasn't expecting a whole lot more picture beyond the 1600x1200 which I have become familiar with, it came as a surprise to me that when I began to play Crysis at 1680x1050 there was a noticeable performance gain. Perhaps I should qualify this "performance gain", since the monitor doesn't exactly boost the graphics frame rate. More specifically, the reduced number of pixels (1.92 MP vs 1.76 MP) reduced the workload placed on the video card. Even though the impressive field of view allowed me to play fast-motion video games with rich landscapes, I could now increase the graphics to include higher post-processing effects if I wanted. While this probably won't mean much to many people right away, if you look at the benchmark results there is a particular advantage to moving from standard aspect ratio displays to widescreen. 
Once I had enjoyed my fun, it was time to resume work and get some solid performance numbers for comparison. 3DMark06 did an excellent job of comparing the performance burden each monitor resolution places on the video card. Without question, a widescreen monitor will almost always benefit a player in video games. If you take into consideration those users like myself who use larger 4:3 ratio displays with high-resolutions, there's an even bigger advantage than just a wider field of view. Honeywell Arius Power ConsumptionWhether you do your part to conserve energy as an effort to heal our planet, or just want to save expenses on the energy bill, power consumption is a heavy concern for consumers. There are a lot of reasons to make energy efficiency a cornerstone to the consumer decision-making experience, since the energy costs directly effect the total cost of ownership. Choosing a model that is not efficient just to save a few dollars at the time of purchase could equal the difference in cost of a much higher-cost model when TCoA is compared a year later. To measure power consumption I used the Kill A Watt EZ (model P4460) made by P3 and tested each unit during two different power states. The tests began after a full ten minutes of white-screen display to generate a "warm" reading. Next, the system was allowed to place the monitor into a "standby" mode, and minutes later the cold reading results were recorded. The results are displayed below:
After all of the smoke cleared, and several hours of real-motion movie and fast movement game testing had been completed, I was very pleased with the solid performance of the Honeywell Arius 22-Inch widescreen monitor. The power consumption statistics don't make me feel too bad, but they aren't very ultra-conservative either. Ultimately the MT-SY-HWLM2216 consumers more electricity than the compared monitor sizes; especially the 20.1" Samsung. MT-SY-HWLM2216 TemperatureI first learned my lesson regarding heat and LCD's when I reviewed the Sharp AQUOS LC-52D62U 52" 1080P HDTV last year. Then again several months back I was reminded of how much heat a monitor can produce when I reviewed the SOYO 24-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor DYLM24D6 which still managed to put off considerable heat. This is something that you should plan for if you have a confined space in mind for your monitor. I have recorded the surface temperatures using an Extech 450 IR Thermometer and display the results below:
Wow! Take another look that the data displayed above, because if you weren't paying close attention you might have missed that this monitor operates at nearly the same temperature as the ambient room temperature. The Honeywell Arius MT-SY-HWLM2216 really had very few warm spots, and absolutely no hot spots. From my readings, the edges of the LCD panel have a slightly higher temperature. Around the back, on the left-side of the unit (as you're looking at it from the back) where the integrated power supply vents out, the highest temperatures were recorded. Even at it's hottest, the Arius emitted a mere 5° C over the ambient room temperature... very impressive. Honeywell Arius Final ThoughtsConsumers are becoming more streamlined with their product choices, and fewer devices are taking up desktop real-estate. The Arius series has done an excellent job of minimizing desktop clutter by integrating a webcam, microphone, and speakers into the small Arius TFT LCD frame. Featuring a 22" widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio 2ms LCD screen, Honeywell has struck the gamers sweet-spot, since this monitor delivers excellent field of view while reducing graphic card loads at the same time through a 1680x1050 WSXGA+ resolution.
If your desk cannot offer the accommodations for this 22" monitor, Honeywell also offers a smaller 19" Arius widescreen with a relaxed 1440x900 resolution. On the other hand, if you're out for big fun, the Arius 24" LCD offers all of the same great extras with an additional 1920x1200 resolution. Much like the multifunction desktop printers that also fax, scan, and copy, the Honeywell Arius is leveraging a new name for multifunction monitors with quality speakers, webcam, and microphone built in. MT-SY-HWLM2216 ConclusionThe packaging offered a clear presentation of the contents and product specifications, while still remaining attractive and inviting to consumers. Compared to the retail packaging other monitors are boxed in, Honeywell is clearly pro-consumer by sparing us the myriad of marketing pointers and sticking to the facts. For a mid-level widescreen display, the MT-SY-HWLM2216 certainly offers a tremendous amount of premium features and functionality while also remaining elegant with an appearance that could fool the most discerning shopper. The integrated speakers are top-firing from the back-side of the enclosure, while the webcam and microphone are small enough to allow the frame bezel to remain thin. The telescoping stand also allows the panel to twist, tilt, and turn its way into the perfect position. Construction is surprisingly clean and refined. SOYO manufactures the Arius for Honeywell, and it appears that they have focused on bringing quality to the consumer electronics market. Quite apparent from the excellent craftsmanship in this 22-inch widescreen monitor, SOYO has helped maintain the prestige of the Honeywell name. In regards to product functionality, the Honeywell Arius series sets a new standard for monitors. In fact, it practically establishes a whole new product line of multifunction monitors. Even though the TN panel LCD still proves itself very capable at it's core: high-quality widescreen pictures with good color and brightness and nearly no ghosting visible, there is still much more to be gained from the wide range of functions offered in this product. The Honeywell Arius series is just making its way to market, and there are already a few online retailers offering the MT-SY-HWLM2216. Most of these early listings place the purchase price around $370, but there are two locations offering this 22" widescreen LCD for a modest $349.
In summary, I find myself very much impressed by the SOYO's clean delivery and design for Honeywell. The 22" widescreen Arius is much more than just another LCD monitor, and goes well-beyond expectations by offering decent speakers for basic sound reproduction and a very capable 1.3 MP Plug-n-Play webcam with built-in microphone. Honeywell may be among the very first to offer a "multifunction monitor", and they've done a great job in the $349 Arius model MT-SY-HWLM2216. Pros:
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