Nice Looking Space Saver

Author's Rating:

Pros: Crisp, price, looks

Cons: Max resolution, no DVI cable, warranty

The Bottom Line: 
Great LCD with excellent picture quality, just would like a DVI cable and longer warranty.

Author's Review
One of these days, I'll actually replace my dual 21" CRT monitors with flat panels, it'd free up a lot of space on my desk for the art pad and all my other junk. But, the price is still a little steep for me, so I'll just check out and drool over the ones I get to set up for work. But, price wise, a good 19" LCD is pretty close to a 21" CRT a few years ago.

Anyway, the latest LCD we purchased is the Viewsonic VX910 19" in a sleek black and silver color. For about $595, this is a crisp display I would seriously consider buying for myself. In the box was the monitor (duh), power cable, VGA cable and a manual. No DVI cable, if you need it, got to buy it separately.

Picture Quality
The VX910 has a contrast ratio of 500:1, lower end models typically have between 200 to 300:1, high end models 400 to 600:1, so that's an excellent ratio. The color quality on this model seems excellent, very bright white tones and crisp black tones. I notice on cheaper LCDs, black tones can seem more like a faded gray, not the case with this model. Text appears very sharp and easy to read. LCD response time is 16ms, which is excellent, mid range models will be more like 26ms.

The max resolution on this model is 1280x1024 with a refresh of 70Hz. And it seems that's the optimal resolution because lower resolutions seem a little blurry. That resolution is fine for me and my 21s, but not being able to go over that may be a problem for some. I know some that like 1600x1200 and that would not be an option with this model, but I haven̢۪t seen other 19" LCDs that support higher resolutions.

Size, Weight and Looks
The VX910 weighs about 15 lbs., is 17" wide, 18.4" tall and 8" deep. It's very sharp looking with a black frame around the screen, stainless steel frame around that and the controls and a metallic, squared stand. I like the modern looks, I get really tired of looking at plain beige monitors all day.

Controls
Most of the controls on the VX910 are accessed through an on-screen menu navigated by the up/down buttons on the front. In the menu are controls for brightness, contrast, analog/digital input, color adjustments, screen size and position. The menu is easy to navigate and can be done fairly quickly.

Connections
On the back there's the 15-pin VGA connection, DVI-D connection and power.

Warranty
The VX910 comes with a 1-year parts and labor warranty from Viewsonic. Not great, for such an expensive model, a 3-year warranty would be better.

Overall
I would seriously consider this model if I were replacing my 21s now. I do a lot of graphic work and gaming, so picture quality is a big concern and I was very impressed with the brightness and color on the VX910. If you̢۪re thinking of a flat panel, check this one out.