LCD Monitors: Bigger, Better, More
Clever designs, glossy screens, and slick software grace the latest 19-inch LCDs.
A screen star and an aspiring speedster: NEC's MultiSync LCD1970GX (left) and ViewSonic's VX924.
If you don't have a 19-inch LCD on your desk yet, just you wait. Most 19-inch LCDs have dropped in price so radically that they now cost roughly what a 17-inch model did a year ago. Many of these monitors--even the bargain ones--produce image quality that will please all but the most particular user. And new 19-inch units offer such tantalizing features as sharper and more colorful displays, faster screens, fancier designs, and easier control adjustments. But for many buyers, determining which of these attractions are really helpful and which are merely hype can be a daunting task.
This month we tested seven new 19-inch LCD monitors. Two--the NEC MultiSync LCD1970GX and the ViewSonic VX924--reached our ranked chart (see "Screens Shiny and New Top the Chart"), largely owing to their excellence in displaying sharp, legible text and accurate, detailed graphics. Although some other new models had similar specifications and features, few impressed our judges with their text or graphics image quality as much as those that made our chart did--and none of the also-rans offered the right mix of performance and features. Acer's AL1932d, CTX Technology's P972, Hyundai's ImageQuest L91D, Planar's PX1910M, and Samsung's SyncMaster 193+ underwent our testing, but they did not score high enough to enter the Top 10.
In this article:
Behind the Screens
Sony's SDM-HS95P strikes a slinky profile, and its glossy screen looks great head-on.
Easily the most noticeable trend we've seen in 19-inch LCDs is the growing number of models that employ a glossy, clear screen coating. Different manufacturers--such as BenQ, NEC, and Sony--sell this screen technology under different names, but all monitors that had the coating performed noticeably well in our image-quality tests, displaying brighter, richer colors and crisper text than did most standard screens. For example, all three monitors in our Top 10 that have glossy screens--the chart-topping NEC MultiSync LCD1970GX, the Sony SDM-HS95P, and the BenQ FP91V+--earned test scores of Outstanding or Very Good for their text quality as well as their graphics display.
However, we discovered that models with glossy screens also reflect more ambient light (especially from bright overhead lighting) than do those with standard antiglare screens. Consequently, you may find that glossy screens are best suited to settings where you have control over the lighting, such as in a home rather than in an office. You must carefully consider the environment in which you'll be using an LCD in order to decide whether a glossy or standard screen is better for your needs.
Like watching movies on your screen? Then it's important that your monitor display moving images accurately. An LCD screen's pixel response time determines how clearly it can show moving images such as scrolling text, video, or action games. In theory a lower response time means less streaking and fewer ghosting effects in moving images. Although a response time of 25 milliseconds was once typical for 19-inch LCDs, several of the latest monitors claim much faster speeds of 12ms, 8ms, and even 4ms.
Unfortunately display manufacturers report response time in different ways. A measurement known as "rise-and-fall"--the time it takes a pixel to change from black to white (rise) and from white back to black (fall)--has been used as the traditional LCD industry standard. But some vendors now employ another method called "gray-to-gray," which can reflect various ranges of shades with response times that are totally different from rise-and-fall measurements--and possibly different from other gray-to-gray measurements. As a result, one vendor's 6ms monitor may be another's 12ms monitor (for more details, see "LCD Specs: Not So Swift").
To help you better compare monitors' specs, we're reporting the manufacturer's rise-and-fall and gray-to-gray response-time specifications in our chart whenever possible. It's worth noting, though, that all of the monitors on this month's chart earned the same basic rating of Average in our motion-display tests. And despite the broad range of reported response-time specs, the variation in the models' motion performance was negligible. On most applications, many users may not even perceive a difference.
Design Basics and Beyond
Physical adjustments help you manipulate the monitor to fit your viewing needs. All of the 19-inch LCD monitors we've tested let you tilt the screen vertically, and most also allow you to adjust the height for your ergonomic well-being. Less common are the ability to swivel the panel horizontally--handy for showing your work to colleagues--or to pivot it from landscape to portrait orientation, which is useful for displaying pages that have more height than width. When reading long documents or browsing the Web, for example, you'll likely find that a monitor in portrait mode saves you scrolling. Although these ergonomic and usability capabilities can add to a monitor's cost, they are worth the extra dollars when they enable you to work more comfortably and productively.
Three of the monitors on our chart--the Dell UltraSharp 1905FP, the Eizo FlexScan L768, and the Samsung SyncMaster 920t--offer the full range of tilt, swivel, pivot, and height functions. The SyncMaster 920t also comes bundled with screen-pivoting software, which you may need to purchase for other models unless your graphics card provides its own built-in screen-pivoting function. The LG Flatron L1981Q's screen can pivot and bend backward on its stand, and a built-in sensor can automatically gauge the unit's physical position, allowing included software to switch the orientation of the screen from landscape to portrait mode or rotate it up to 180 degrees.
Several monitors have jazzed-up designs that enhance their look or functionality. The elegant Sony SDM-HS95P features a curved, frame-like, integrated bezel and base that provides rock-solid stability. Other lovely-to-look-at monitors, such as the Acer AL1932d and the ViewSonic VX924, offer flashy blue LEDs, gleaming metallic accents, semitransparent bezels, or other visual flourishes that add pizzazz to your desk space. Just make sure not to sacrifice comfort or flexibility for beauty's sake. None of these three units provides height, swivel, or pivot adjustments; this omission, combined with a dearth of other features, kept the Acer off the chart entirely. Some dazzlers, like the seventh-ranked LG, provide a balance of good looks and ergonomics.
Some LCD monitors come with built-in speakers, which can reduce desktop clutter. But while convenient for Windows prompts and the occasional tune, monitor speakers don't hold a candle to a powerful set of stand-alone speakers with a subwoofer. Built-in USB 2.0 ports are another nice extra that make it easier to plug in other peripherals, such as a digital camera or a USB drive.
Most of the 19-inch LCD monitors we've tested have dual video interfaces--both analog (D-Sub) and digital (DVI) inputs. Our test results show that a digital connection generally produces a better-quality image and requires less adjustment than an analog interface does. Of course, your system must have a DVI port to be able to use the interface--but even if your PC lacks DVI for now, bear in mind that an LCD with a dual interface will provide flexibility for future graphics board and system upgrades. All of the 19-inch LCDs in our chart have dual video interfaces except for the analog-only IBM ThinkVision L190--although it should be noted that this budget model earned a rating of Very Good for its text quality.
If you're interested in a dual-monitor setup (see "Broaden Your View With Dual Displays"), consider a pair of LCD models with ultrathin bezels, so as to place them as close together as possible. Some users prefer wide, handsomely finished bezels that resemble photo frames.
Mouse-Driven Monitors
For years the only way you could adjust an LCD monitor's brightness, contrast, color, and other image controls was by pressing buttons--typically located on the front panel--to access an on-screen display (OSD) of various menus and adjustment options. But four of the models on our ranked chart--the Eizo FlexScan L768, the LG Flatron L1981Q, the NEC MultiSync LCD1970GX, and the Samsung SyncMaster 920t--supply software either in the box or as a download that allows you to make monitor adjustments via mouse. Some users find this approach quicker and more convenient than pressing traditional front-panel buttons, while others find it less intuitive at first blush.
Software to replace on-screen display menus, such as LG's ForteManager, offers easy-to-make, button-free screen adjustments--and aesthetics that outshine dowdy-looking OSDs.
Most OSD-replacement software offerings provide similar features for adjusting a screen, but some give you more controls or unique functions. For example, the LG Flatron L1981Q's ForteManager software (click on image) includes both automatic pivot and automatic mirroring (180-degree pivot) functions that you can turn on or off.
We've covered only some of the basics of shopping for an LCD, but the best advice is the most basic of all: Don't be swayed by a monitor's specifications or by capabilities that you will never use. Select a model with features that make the most sense for you, and--if possible--take a long, close look at it in person.
See our chart, "Screens Shiny and New Top the Chart."
Broaden Your View With Dual Displays
The Ergotron DS100 stand fits two screens onto a small desk space.
If you want to get more work done in less time, consider a dual-monitor setup. By extending your desktop across two monitors--such as a pair of 19-inch LCDs--in either portrait or landscape mode, you'll gain more screen area for displaying multiple applications or windows. With two monitors you can easily edit text or images on one while viewing a presentation, database, or Web page on the other. You can also stretch one application, such as a large spreadsheet, across the two screens to see more information at once.
Setting up a dual-monitor arrangement couldn't be easier: Simply connect two monitors to a single graphics card that supports multiple outputs (such as dual analog and digital inputs) or to two separate graphics boards installed in the same system. All versions of Microsoft Windows XP have easy-to-use display options for selecting multiple displays, and many graphics cards include driver software for optimizing dual monitors.
For easier placement and use, you can mount two LCD panels on a single stand made by a third-party vendor. I tested the Ergotron DS100 with two Eizo FlexScan L768 19-inch LCDs and quickly became addicted to using this space-efficient setup. But even without a special hardware mount, the small footprint and ultrathin bezels of many LCDs make them ideal for edge-to-edge use right out of the box. (See also "Two Monitors, One Stand, Less Cash.")