Latest LCD Monitors (Last Updated Feb 2009)

Dell E228WFP 22" WIDE LCD

Dell steals the spotlight once again with the E228WFP  22" LCD monitor.  With words of praise and excellent ratings from reputable reviewers like CNET and PC World, this is "a no-frills monitor that offers solid performance". Better yet; its been tested with everyting from movies to spreadsheets, and seems to please even the most picky 'display snob'.  Competitivley priced when compared to other monitors in its class, you definitely will not be disappointed with this selection.

• Pro:
• Wide viewing angle of 160 degrees
• 1680x1050 resolution
• 3-year warranty
• 800:1 contrast ratio.

• Con:
• Limited adjustability
• no HDMI support

Acer 19" Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD Monitor

Taking 2nd place in Consumer Reports' 19" monitor category, the Acer P191W  is an excellent buy. With the highest possible ratings in display quality and ease of use, its not surprising this monitor ranks better than average.  Other attractive features include a lengthy warranty and a supplied DVI cable.

• Pro:
• 250 nits of brightness, 500:1 contrast ratio, 16 ms response time
• D-sub VGA connector
• VESA compliant and supports Kensington security locks
• Excellent Price

• Con:
• Mediocre viewing angle
• No HDMI support

Past LCD Monitors

Samsung SyncMaster 931C LCD

Bring out the champagne because it's time to celebrate one of the most advanced LCD monitors released to date. The most impressive feature about the Samsung SyncMaster 931C  is that rather than support only 82% of NTSC colors, it supports 97%; a first for LCDs. Not only that but it has a 1280x1024 resolution and a whopping 2000:1 contrast ratio. It's obvious that this monitor has what it takes to compete with all the big boys on the market, appealing in particular to graphic designers, videophiles, and photographers. Serious gamers will want to get ahold of one of these babies too once they hear about the 2ms response rate that will create some of the sharpest, flicker-free images around. In fact, this is the Official 2006 World Cyber Games.

• Pro:
• It costs as little as $300.
• 160 degree viewing angle.
• 30-81kHz horizontal and 56-75Hz vertical scanning frequency.
• Con:
• Doesn't support HD.
• Not widescreen.

ViewSonic VX2025wm

ViewSonic's recent VX2025  is 20-inch widespcreen capable LCD monitor that packs great value for its affordable price. The 1,680 by 1,050 resolution panel outperforms most comparale systems.

The VX2025 is very impress in both widescreen and regular modes. It uses ViewSonic's Amplified Impulse technology. This provides for its impressive 8-millisecond gray-to-gray pixel response. It also has some pleasant aesthetic features including a detachable shroud that covers cables and the audio, DVI and analog inputs.

This monitor also features embedded speakers, but does lack USB inputs. Though the speakers aren't exactly gangbusters, they get the job done. The manual image adjustment features contrast, brightness and color temperature adjustment settings as well as Manual Image Adjust options for users connected via analog connections.

• Pro:
• $380 price tag inexpensive considering the size and features.
• 176-degree widescreen rating.
• Impressive color output, high resolution capabilities

• Con:
• Lacks USB ports.
• Less feature-rich than some competitors.

Apple Cinema HD Display 30-inch

The 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display (model M9179LL/A ) is a stylish and well-designed monitor for watching and editing movies. The L-shape base is stable and sturdy. You can adjust the display with the smooth-motion hinge about 5 degrees forward or up to 25 degrees backward with very little effort. Despite its size, the display has a small footprint, and can be mounted on a wall as well. This option requires additional accessories including the Cinema Display VESA Mount Adapter ($29) and a VESA mount kit.

The large, bright screen feels similar to sitting in the front row at a movie theater. However, you will adjust to the display's size in time and revel in its sharp images, vivid colors, and crisp text. The viewable area is 29-7/10 inches, with an optimal resolution of 2,560X1,600 and support for up to 16.7 million colors. The viewing angle of 170 degrees horizontal and vertical allows you to view the display off-axis without distorting the image. The pixel response time of 16 milliseconds is amazing with little discernable ghosting or blurring of fast-moving images. For gaming fans, the Cinema HD Display is a good choice for playing 3-D games or viewing DVDs. A single cable accommodates all input types (FireWire 400, USB 2.0, DVI, and power), which helps reduce desktop clutter. The monitor's  Cinema HD Display includes two FireWire 400 ports, a Kensington security port, and a two-port, self-powered USB 2.0 hub, so you can connect a variety of peripherals, including a digital camera, scanner, camcorder, iPod dock, or iSight webcam.

• Pro:
• Extremely high-resolution display.
• Bright, sharp images.
• Consistent color from edge to edge and corner to corner.
• Rich blacks and crisp text, even at small type sizes.
• Con:
• Very expensive.
• Requires a dual-link DVI-capable graphics card.
• Only supports one input.

Dell UltraSharp 3007WFP Widescreen LCD Display

The Ultrasharp 3007WFP  is Dell's attempt at "shock and awe." The first striking element is the sheer size and resolution of the monitor. At a viewable 29.7 inches it has the same viewable screen area as 32-inch CRT televisions. The 3007WFP ships with a staggering 2560x1600. That's more than 4 million pixels, and it can display four 1280x800 windows concurrently.

The massive resolution requires the use of graphics cards with at least a single dual-link DVI transmitter. ATI's Radeon X1K family and NVIDIA GeForce 7800-series of cards carry at least one dual-link transmitter, as well as a handful of cards from each company's professional range. Please check with the card manufacturer before purchasing to see if your computer will support the higher resolution. Brightness and the contrast ratio both fall short of the figures quoted for the 2405FPW, which is surprising given that the 3007WFP came out this year. The monitor has an impressive response time of 11ms from grey-to-grey and 14ms from black-to-white.

Dell's 3007WFP  screen is great as a top-end gaming display. The initial problem with gaming at native WQXGA resolution is finding titles that support the resolution. Most games' resolution options are limited to 1600x1200 or 1920x1200. If you can find a game that can be run at 2560x1600, such as Far Cry, the result is nothing short of spectacular.

• Pros:
• The 30-inch panel's 2560x1600 resolution needs to be seen to be believed.
• View four WXGA windows on one screen.
• No evidence of smearing or ghosting.
• HDCP compliance makes the Dell 3007WFP ready for high-definition content, too, so it's "Vista-ready."
• Razor-sharp text and images are complemented by excellent moving-image performance, from fast-paced games to DVDs.
• Cons:
• Ticket price is prohibitive for most people.
• Gamers may also need to effectively window the number of games that don't support the panel's ultra-high native resolution.

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