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Although the AOC brand name isn't big in India, it is synonymous with good value-for-money displays for computer enthusiasts and system builders here. The Taiwan based display manufacturer has launched a new Aire Black range of slim LED backlit monitors that promise aesthetics both in form and function. In fact, the glossy piano-black Aire Blacks claim to count themselves as one of the world's slimmest display panels. That's a vague claim indeed, but the displays look quite svelte nonetheless. The range will be available in sizes of 20-inch (e2043Fk) for $129 (Rs. 5,900 approx.), 22-inch (e2243Fwk) for $149 (Rs. 6,800 approx.) and 23-inch (e2343Fk) for $179 (Rs. 8,100 approx.).

The slim display is WLED edge lit and comes with a built-in VESA mount and embedded Screen+ software, which lets the user divide the screen into four desktops. The Aire Black monitors have an advertised 50,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 5ms response time, and DVI-D input with HDCP, but it's sorely missing an HDMI input, which is a crying shame in this day and age. The monitor is EPEAT Gold Certified, which means it's quite frugal with power consumption. The 20-inch Aire Black has a resolution of 1366x768, while the other two are Full-HD displays (1920x1080).

There's no word on the local availability or price, but AOC's India centric website features the 22-inch Aire Black monitor, so it should hit the local market soon enough. Although the lack of an HDMI input would be a deal breaker, but knowing AOC, the monitor will be priced competitively.