NEC MultiSync EA273WM

The NEC MultiSync EA273WM ($499 list) adds yet another branch to the NEC MultiSync family tree of monitors. This versatile 27-inch monitor delivers solid color and small text reproduction and is equipped with a boatload of features, including multiple I/O ports, an ergonomic stand with pivot abilities, and some nice management tools. And even if its grayscale abilities could be better, it still earns our Editors' Choice.

Design and Features
The EA273WM's 1920 x 1080 TN+ panel sits inside a matte black cabinet with thin (.75-inch) bezels. The upper bezel has an NEC logo on its left corner and the MultiSync EA273WM badge on the right. The 9.5-pound cabinet is 2.5-inches deep at its thickest point but is around .75-inch around the top, bottom, and sides. The panel has a matte finish and is supported by a round base and telescoping arm assembly. The stand lets you adjust panel height and orientation (pivot) and has swivel and tilt capabilities, allowing users to position the screen for maximum viewing comfort. Unlike the high-end NEC MultiSync PA301W ($2,299 list, 4.5 stars), the EA273WM does not automatically change the screen orientation when you pivot the panel; you'll have to go into the graphics control panel and change that yourself.

Two USB ports are conveniently mounted on the lower left side of the cabinet making it easy to plug and unplug thumb drives and other peripherals. Two more USB ports are located on the rear of the cabinet along with an upstream (monitor to PC) USB port and an audio input for the embedded 1-watt speakers. Video ports are plentiful and include DisplayPort, HDMI, VGA, and DVI inputs. Two small ports resembling the audio input are used for NEC's Control Sync cable (included) which allows IT personnel to grab the settings from one EA273WM and apply them to five additional EA273WM's quickly and easily. This comes in handy for multi-screen environments such as what you might find on a trading floor.

There are five touch sensitive buttons positioned along the right side of the lower bezel including a power switch, a menu button, an input select button, and left/right navigation keys. Three additional buttons located on the bottom of the right hand bezel include up/down navigation keys and an ECO button that lets you switch between different power settings. Pressing the Menu button launches a menu bar with icons for picture settings, display modes, sound and aspect ratio adjustments, language and OSD settings, a carbon savings calculator, and display information such as resolution, model and serial number, and which input is being used.

A motion sensor and an ambient light sensor are embedded in the center of the bottom bezel. If the motion sensor does not detect movement it will put the display into one of two power states; you can set it to enter low brightness mode (for moderate energy reduction) or power-saving mode (for more enhanced energy reduction). The light sensor can be used to automatically adjust brightness in a variety of ways; it will detect the current lighting environment and adjust brightness levels accordingly, or it can be set to adjust the brightness depending on white content on the screen. You can set it to do both, or turn it off completely.

Picture settings include brightness and contrast as well as five Dynamic Visual (picture) modes (Standard, Movie, Photo, Text, Gaming, Dynamic). Here you can adjust the threshold of the motion sensor and the wait time before the panel enters its designated power saving mode. ECO mode has three settings; Off, setting 1 (meets Energy Star requirements) and setting 2 ( up to 50-percent power savings). When set to setting 2 the panel used just 17-watts of power. At setting 1 it used 26-watts, and with ECO disabled it used 34-watts. I found that setting 1 offered more than enough luminance for my office environment but thought setting 2 was a bit too dim. Regardless, the EA273WM's many energy reduction features and low power usage earn it our Greentech stamp of approval.

Performance
The EA273WM does most things very well but is not without issues. It aced the DisplayMate Color Scales test, delivering bold, evenly saturated colors throughout the scale. Skin tones looked natural and there were no tinting issues. Grayscale performance however, was decent but not stellar; there was compression at the light end of the scale which made the three lightest swatches appear white instead of light gray. Dark grays were slightly better but the two darkest swatches were indistinguishable. Given the fact that the EA273WM is geared toward business use, the grayscale errors will most likely go unnoticed while running office apps, browsing the web, and performing most business-centric tasks. If you do require precise grayscale accuracy you should be looking at NEC's PA line of monitors. The PA301W, for example, offers outstanding grayscale performance, but its list price of $2,299 is out of reach for most business users.

The EA273WM handled small text with aplomb, clearly displaying fonts set to 5.3 points on the DisplayMate Scaled Fonts test. Viewing angle performance was also good with very little color shifting or change in luminance. The panel's 5-millisecond (b-w) pixel response did an admirable job of handling video as well; an episode of River Monsters (streamed via Netflix) played smoothly with sharp detail and excellent color quality.

With its highly adjustable stand, USB hub, and multiple video inputs, the NEC MultiSync EA273WM is an excellent choice for business users seeking an ergonomic big screen display that'll help reduce cable clutter and cut down on power usage. IT personnel will appreciate its management features as well. Its solid color and text performance are ideal for office productivity and web surfing tasks, but if you're looking for accurate grayscale performance in the Apple Thunderbolt Display ($999 direct, 4 stars) is a better, albeit more costly, 27-inch alternative. Despite its so-so grayscale abilities, the NEC MultiSync EA273WM's overall performance, robust feature set, and energy saving characteristics earn it our Editors' Choice for large screen business displays.

COMPARISON TABLE
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