We're gradually coming round to the use of 1920 x 1080 resolution in 22in TFTs, largely because it's a step upwards from 1680 x 1050 - you're not losing out on pixels in the same way you are by replacing a 24in 1920 x 1200 screen with a 1080p panel.

Dell's latest, the S2209W, shares the same gloss-black styling of the IPS SP2209WA, but with a few concessions to affordability. The stand isn't height adjustable and the range of connections is more limited; in fact, it consists of just D-SUB and DVI with no built-in speakers, so it isn't going to be an ideal companion for a console or consumer Blu-ray player.

But for PC users there's plenty to like here. The control buttons are large and well-labelled, and the onscreen display is sensibly laid out and comprehensive. It even docks automatically to the bottom corner, which we'd like to be the default for all LCD menus, so you can see most of the screen as you adjust.

Not that we really needed to: the Dell comes set up to standard mode out of the box, and we liked it.

In our technical tests, the greyscale ramps were neutral with no unwanted colour tinting, while the topmost shades of grey were just visible against a white background. Colours were vivid, with only the orangey-red betraying the Dell's affordable TN panel.

It takes a PVA or IPS panel to get the blood-red you'd hope for, but that will cost you considerably more. In fact, the S2209W does a very good job of disguising its budget roots, with crystal clear 1080p video output and tremendous sharpness.

Wall-E looked as stunning as we know it can, with the muted yellows of earth giving way to the reds and greens of the spaceship interior. The only weakness that might put you off is the thin sliver of backlight bleed at both the top and bottom of the screen - 1080p films often do still have small black letterbox bars, so this is noticeable.

But at $299, this is a minor drawback to an otherwise impressive home monitor. With no HDMI port or integrated speakers, it isn't quite a match for the cheaper A-Listed BenQ E2200HD, but it's certainly a worthy contender.