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Overall
Review of LG24M38-B
The LG 24M38-B boasts of a 1080p TN panel capable of 75Hz refresh rates which will please gamers who are on a bargain hunt for a decent set. That’s a good spec description for a sub $150 monitor which has long existed on retailer’s lists, but the age dictates some outdated specs which may seem dismal when compared to modern standards. It’s hard to argue with the price and the generic but clean looks, so a deeper look into the inner workings of the LG2438H-B is warranted for the benefit of our budget-conscious readers.
LG 24M38H-B Specifications
- Screen Size: 24 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 FHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: Twisted Nematic (TN)
- Refresh Rate: 75Hz
- Response Time: 5ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 200 cd/m²
- Built-in Speakers: No
- Stand: Height – No
- Stand: Tilt – Yes (-5°/+20°)
- Stand: Swivel – No
- VESA Compatibility: Yes
- Connectivity: HDMI 2.0 x 1, D-Sub x 1, 3.5mm
- Dimensions with Stand(WxHxD): 21.9″ x 2.4 “x 13.5”
- Weight: 6.2 lbs
Design and Features
At first glance, you can easily tell that the LG 24M38H-B is one of the brand’s entry levels due to the basic exterior design of the monitor. The matte black finish all over the product is a refreshing option since the company almost always uses their glossy or mirror finish on most of their display products, which we do not like since it attracts dust, scratches, and fingerprints easily. The bezels are reasonably sized on three sides, with the bottom strip slightly goes past an inch wide.
The LG 24m38H-B isn’t borderless like most would have liked, but for a 24-inch offering, you can consider the borders as one of the forgivable compromises you can live with in exchange for a small price tag. The cabinet surrounding the panel itself is reasonably thin at more or less an inch thick on the sides, but if you add the bulge of the controller at the back, you get another inch of depth. Overall, the whole thing is reasonably thin, much like some of LG’s best models.
From the back, you get an HDMI 2.0 port for your digital signal needs and D-Sub slot for legacy connections. The I/O layout is more than enough for decent basic rigs, but you don’t get speakers with the LG 24M38H-B, an exclusion we could still live with, even if competitors such as the BenQ GL2450HM offer a pair at roughly the same price. On a positive note, the assembly is a breeze since the stand, and the base snaps on with minimal effort, but so far, the proliferating complaint about the LG 24M38H-B is that it wobbles like a dancer from force coming from something as mundane as typing on the keyboard.
Display and Performance
The LG 24M38H-B features a 24-inch 1080p TN panel which can go up to 75Hz, which is already a great selling point in our book. However, the product drops the ball in pixel response since you get 5ms, which is dismal in this day and age for a TN panel. You also don’t get adaptive sync to go with the extended refresh rate, but adding that would have added to the price tag. The LG 24M38H-B shines in still pictures, movies, and general usage more than gaming. The clarity and cleanliness of the image is a testament to LG’s prowess in manufacturing high-grade panels for their products and their OEM partners.
Colors and contrast were mostly on par with competitors in the same bracket such as the BenQ GL2450HM we reviewed earlier, but in our Overwatch test some colors did appear bland, and we experienced trails of ghosting while running and gunning around the maps. Pixel response time is a critical aspect when considering TN monitors for purchase, but sadly, the LG 24M38H-B cannot count its speed rating for fast-paced games. At least, the 75Hz does offer an adequate improvement in motion fidelity.
Although, the LG 24M38H-B has excellent results in panel and brightness uniformity, which also indicates the quality control and strict processes LG had to go through to produce this model. Document processing and browsing felt comfortable with this model, even if it only has up to 200cd/m2 of brightness. If it weren’t for the wobbling issue, we would have rated the LG 24M38H-B higher for the sound quality and the tight fit of each seam and connection you can notice on the exterior.
Conclusion
The LG 24M38H-B is tough to review because it does great in one aspect, while it also entails dismal performance results in some cases. The build quality is robust for the cabinet itself, plus the thin chassis adds a touch of modernism to the profile of this model. However, the wobbly stand ruins these positive notes, much like how the slow pixel response time is detrimental to the refresh speed, clarity, and cleanliness of the panel for gaming.
The LG 24M38H-B is still a great product for basic home use if you can live with these misgivings, since judging from our experiences with the brand, the LG 24M38H-B should last you a while until you can save up for one of the best gaming monitors available today, like the Asus VG245H, which costs a bit more but packs stellar performance in its budget-oriented package.