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-------------------------------------------------------------- This story was printed from ZDNet Australia. --------------------------------------------------------------
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As far as the eye can see: 8 LCD monitors tested September 29, 2003 URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/hardware/peripherals/soa/As-far-as-the-eye-can-see-8-LCD-monitors-tested/0,139023417,120278977,00.htm
 
This month we widen our scope a little, and look at LCDs with 18in or larger screens. Are they practical in an office environment? Perhaps. But don't you just want one?
As we mentioned in part one of this article last month we received so many LCD monitors that we needed to split them into two categories. Last month we looked at medium-sized 17in monitors for average desktop use. This month we're interested in the 18in and larger models. Unlike the 17in models we looked at last month, some of these monitors feature a swivel function that allows you to rotate the screen 90 degrees from landscape to portrait mode. This is particularly useful in the print or graphic design industry, enabling you to display the entire page you are working on in the same format and on the entire screen without needing to scroll up and down. We received eight LCD Monitors from the following manufacturers: BenQ, Eizo, IBM, LG, Mitsubishi, Phillips, Samsung, and Viewsonic. What's a pixel policy again? While LCD monitors were in their relative infancy, buyers were just expected to lump it if their monitors came with a few fixed pixels. These days, however, vendors realise this is a big customer issue, and most offer a replacement policy based on the number (and sometimes position) of problem pixels in the monitor. It's definitely worthwhile checking out these policies before you buy.
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| Product: | BenQ FP2081 |
| Price: | AU$2999 |
| Vendor: | BenQ |
| Phone: | 02 9714 6800 |
| Web: | www.benq.com.au |
| Interoperability: |
½
Has S-video and composite inputs as well as VGA and DVI. |
| Futureproofing: |
Older styling, but very flexible. |
| ROI: |
½Cheapest 20in unit tested and quality was quite acceptable. |
| Service: |
½3-year onsite warranty with poor pixel policy. |
| Rating: |
½ |
Eizo FlexScan L985EX
The L985EX is a very imposing looking monitor with a very slim black bezel surrounding the panel.
The contrast is excellent, the colours are amazing, and the sharpness of the image and depth of field in the fast video playback were exceptional. There were very few hints of pixellation, however the quality of the display actually showed up imperfections in the source.
The monitor itself can move between landscape and portrait displays easily and has a full field of movement via the base. Cable management is also unique in that the unit has a separate guide on the rear of the stand to route all cables through that does not intefere with the motion or movement of the display and allows them easily to pass back and forth as the monitor is adjusted.
If you are looking for the Rolls Royce in a fully adjustable professional display, then the Eizo FlexScan L985EX fits that bill perfectly.
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| Product: | Eizo FlexScan L985EX |
| Price: | AU$3650 |
| Vendor: | ARCADIA |
| Phone: | 02 9239 1590 |
| Web: | www.eizo.com.au |
| Interoperability: |
½
Has VGA and DVI inputs and landscape/portrait swivel. |
| Futureproofing: |
Stylish and quite versatile. |
| ROI: |
Best-quality image and not even the most expensive. |
| Service: |
½ 5-year warranty with average non-committal pixel policy. |
| Rating: |
½ |
IBM T860This monitor is encased in a very stylish slimline black bezel. The panel does not have the landscape/portrait swivel feature, but includes a very well designed base that allows virtually 180 degree rotation a very good height adjustment. It incorporates a very acceptable tilt forward/aft mechanism too.
The one frustrating thing we discovered was that the unit did not auto-detect the input signal source; we spent some time before we realised the only way to switch between the D-Sub and DVI inputs was manually. (All the other displays in this review automatically detected the input source signal.)
Despite our best efforts to adjust the monitor, the contrast was not as good as the majority of monitors tested here, with all the blacks/greys merging into one. Colours on the other hand were very good. Fast video playback was OK, however there was some slight pixelation, particularly during cuts between scenes, as well as a noticeable lack in the depth of field.
The handle makes this monitor relatively portable (it's still no lightweight), and it's very useful in a customer service environment such as a bank where staff may need to swivel the monitor to show the screen to customers.
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| Product: | IBM T860 |
| Price: | AU$1649 |
| Vendor: | IBM |
| Phone: | 1800 289 426 |
| Web: | www.ibm.com/au |
| Interoperability: |
VGA and DVI inputs only. |
| Futureproofing: |
Reasonably versatile. |
| ROI: |
½ Well priced compared to a 20in but still considerably smaller. |
| Service: |
½ 3-year warranty with poor pixel policy. |
| Rating: |
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LG Flatron L2010PThe LG is a seriously sexy piece of kit that we defy anyone not to drool over. The sleek modern styling with a slim silver bezel almost looks as if the picture is floating in air. This unit has a swivel feature that rotates the display panel from landscape to portrait view. Unfortunately there are no S-video or composite video inputs.
The stand and base for this unit has a good range of movement for both swivel and tilt, and also has a telescopic action to assist with the screen swivel. This could be handy for users to raise the display, even in landscape mode, to their preferred height--certainly looks classier than the old telephone book routine. The image quality, particularly brightness, was not up to the same level as the higher end products we looked at, in fact even with the brightness set to 100 percent, it still needed to go further to be configured correctly. The playback of fast moving images was excellent.
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| Product: | LG L2010P |
| Price: | AU$3700 |
| Vendor: | LG Electronics |
| Phone: | 1800 725 375 |
| Web: | www.lge.com.au |
| Interoperability: |
½
Has VGA and DVI inputs and landscape/portrait swivel. |
| Futureproofing: |
Stylish and quite versatile. |
| ROI: |
½ Quite stylish but relatively expensive. |
| Service: |
3-year warranty with pixel policy not provided (currently under review). |
| Rating: |
½ |
Mitsubishi DV200BIts base has good forward/aft tilt and left/right swivel motion. The monitor has no landscape/portrait swivel function.
Contrast was slightly below average, despite our efforts to adjust the settings several times. The colours also were acceptable, however nothing to really set this unit apart from the others. Fast video playback also was not a strong point.
The Mitsubishi is a relatively old-looking LCD with its only real outstanding features being the S-video and composite inputs.
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| Product: | Mitsubishi DV200B |
| Price: | AU$3499 |
| Vendor: | Mitsubishi Electric |
| Phone: | 02 9684 7777 |
| Web: | www.mitsubishi-electric.com.au |
| Interoperability: |
½
Has S-video and composite inputs as well as VGA and DVI. |
| Futureproofing: |
Older styling, but very flexible. |
| ROI: |
Poor price/feature comparison with other monitors. |
| Service: |
½ 3-year onsite warranty with poor pixel policy. |
| Rating: |
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Phillips 80P2The 180P2 is quite a different looking LCD monitor, with a new-style slimline bezel, and speakers built into the base.
The panel has a portrait/landscape display swivel feature. The right-to-left adjustment is rather rudimentary, but worse still, there is no angle or tilt adjustment. The lack of these features leaves us wondering how on earth any operator would be able to use such a large monitor comfortably.
Even with its brightness set to 100 percent, it looked like it still needed some more brightness to get the calibration correct, but the contrast seemed better. Fast motion video was acceptable, however the colours were muted with too much green and/or red depending on the sequence being displayed.
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| Product: | Philips 180P2 |
| Price: | AU$1549 |
| Vendor: | Philips |
| Phone: | 1300 363 391 |
| Web: | www.philips.com.au |
| Interoperability: |
½
Has VGA and DVI inputs and landscape/portrait swivel. |
| Futureproofing: |
Reasonably versatile. |
| ROI: |
½ A big improvement over the 17in pack from last month. |
| Service: |
½ 3-year warranty with excellent pixel policy. |
| Rating: |
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Samsung SyncMaster 213TIf you thought that the LG L2010P was the master of looks, check out the Samsung 213T. Its 21in screen uses a 16:9 widescreen format, so we can guess it's aimed at either viewing or producing widescreen video. It also packs in a portrait/landscape panel swivel.
This unit also requires the brightness level to be turned up to almost 100 percent to achieve a decent image, and the contrast levels were nothing exceptional. Colours were excellent, and for such a large viewing area, the fine lines and text were very sharp and clear even when viewed up close. Fast video playback was also very good with brilliant depth of field.
Interestingly, after using this panel for a while we tended to get sore eyes from having to look around the screen so much. Perhaps it's a case of being almost too large, kind of like sitting in one of the front rows in an Imax cinema and trying to watch a movie.
The base is cleverly designed to allow very good movement on all axes except unfortunately the height.
Overall this monitor would be very hard to pass up, providing you really need such a large unit that is. Perfectly suited for monitoring applications or cameras, or for the larger multiscreen applications such as CAD/CAM or video production.
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| Product: | Samsung SyncMaster 213T |
| Price: | AU$3499 |
| Vendor: | Samsung |
| Phone: | 02 9763 9700 |
| Web: | www.samsung.com.au |
| Interoperability: |
½
Has VGA and DVI inputs and landscape/portrait swivel. |
| Futureproofing: |
Great style plus widescreen format. |
| ROI: |
Excellent value for the style and features. |
| Service: |
½ 3-year warranty with excellent pixel policy. |
| Rating: |
½ |
Viewsonic VP201mbSimilar to the BenQ, Viewsonic has a very large black bezel, more reminiscent of the older-style LCD panels than the new slimline bezel units. There is also the bonus of integrated multimedia speakers.
The Viewsonic has the ability to switch between landscape and portrait views and the base is well designed giving a good range of movement; the only movement that could be improved is the height adjustment.
The brightness and contrast don't need to be set to maximum to achieve a good image, therefore allowing further adjustment in both directions should it be required. The contrast is good, however all the colours tend to bleed into each other towards the top end of the scale. Fast video playback was good with good depth of field.
In summary, the Viewsonic seems to lack some of the finer details that one would expect a monitor of this type to have. If your organisation is looking for an all-round decent monitor that has the ability to rotate the screen from landscape to portrait and includes multimedia speakers, then the Viewsonic may be worth evaluating.
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| Product: | Viewsonic VP201mb |
| Price: | AU$3999 |
| Vendor: | Viewsonic |
| Phone: | 1300 653 333 |
| Web: | www.viewsonic.com |
| Interoperability: |
½
Has VGA and DVI inputs and landscape/portrait swivel. |
| Futureproofing: |
Older styling and quite flexible. |
| ROI: |
½ The most expensive of the lot. |
| Service: |
½ 3-year onsite warranty with no pixel policy provided. |
| Rating: |
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Monitor |
BenQ FP2081 |
Eizo FlexScan L985EX |
IBM T860 |
LG L2010P |
Vendor |
BenQ |
ARCADIA |
IBM |
LG |
Price as tested (inc GST) |
2999 |
3650 |
1649 |
3700 |
Phone |
02 9714 6800 |
02 9239 1590 |
1800 289 426 |
1800 725 375 |
Web | ||||
Warranty |
3 years on site |
5 years |
3 years |
3 years |
Pixel policy |
Bright dot <5, dark dot <5 |
Panel to be replaced upon evaluation within the warranty period |
<5 fixed dots with no two adjacent |
Currently under revision |
Response time (ms) |
25 |
40 |
50 |
16 |
Connectors |
VGA, DVI, S-video, composite |
VGA, DVI, USB |
VGA, DVI |
VGA, DVI, USB |
Horizontal frequency (Hz) |
+31-81 |
Analog 24-94, Digital 31- |
+31-81 |
96 |
Vertical frequency (Hz) |
+56-76 |
Analog 49-86, Digital 59-61 |
+55-75 |
85 |
Contrast ratio |
350:1 |
400:1 |
300:1 |
350:1 |
Brightness (cd/m2) |
250 |
250 |
250 |
250 |
Viewable area (inches diagonal) |
20 |
21.3 |
18.1 |
20.1 |
Native resolution |
1600x1200 |
1600x1200 |
1280x1024 |
1600x1200 |
Colour depth |
16 million |
16 million |
16 million |
N/A |
Viewing angle (horizontal/vertical) |
160°ing angle (horizontal/vertical) |
170°ing angle (horizontal/vertical) |
160°ing angle (horizontal/vertical) |
176°ing angle (horizontal/vertical) |
Weight (kg) |
10.5 |
10.2 |
8.6 |
9.9 |
Monitor |
Mitsubishi DV200B |
Philips 180P2 |
Samsung SyncMaster 213T |
Viewsonic VP201mb |
Vendor |
Mitsubishi Electric |
Philips |
Samsung |
Viewsonic |
Price as tested (inc GST) |
3499 |
1549 |
3499 |
3999 |
Phone |
02 9684 7777 |
1300 363 391 |
02 9763 9700 |
1300 653 333 |
Web | ||||
Warranty |
3 years on site |
3 years |
3 years on site (within 25km of CBD) |
3 years on site |
Pixel policy |
Bright dot <5, dark dot <10 |
Bright dot <1 |
Fixed dot <3, or <1 if located in the centre of the screen |
N/A |
Response time (ms) |
45 |
<30 |
<25 |
<30 |
Connectors |
VGA, DVI, S-video, composite |
VGA, DVI |
VGA, DVI |
VGA, DVI |
Horizontal frequency (Hz) |
+30-80 |
+30-82 |
+30-81 |
30 |
Vertical frequency (Hz) |
+56-76 |
+56-76 |
+56-75 |
50 |
Contrast ratio |
350:1 |
350:1 |
500:1 |
600:1 |
Brightness (cd/m2) |
250 |
250 |
250 |
250 |
Viewable area (inches diagonal) |
20.1 |
18 |
21.3 |
20.1 |
Native resolution |
1600x1200 |
1280x1024 |
1600x1200 |
1600x1200 |
Colour depth |
16 million |
16 million |
16 million |
N/A |
Viewing angle (horizontal/vertical) |
80°wing angle (horizontal/vertical) |
175°ing angle (horizontal/vertical) |
170°ing angle (horizontal/vertical) |
170°ing angle (horizontal/vertical) |
Weight (kg) |
10.5 |
8 |
5.1 |
13 |
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Interoperability
How will the monitor work with your existing equipment; which connectors does it have?
Futureproofing
Does the monitor support emerging standards and different inputs? Will it look -old" very quicky?
ROI
Does the monitor provide good value for money and do the features justify the price?
Service
How long is the warranty and what is the vendor's policy on repairing the monitor if it has dead pixels?
We used DisplayMate for Windows Video Edition to adjust each monitor according to the application's instructions and patterns. Once setup was completed, we looked at subjective image samples, movie clips, and patterns to get a feel for the image quality and clarity. Our test rig stayed the same for all units, comprising of a Intel 875 mainboard and Pentium 4 3GHz CPU, 512MB DDR RAM, 120GB SATA drives, and a 128MB GeForce 3 Titanium video card with DVI, S-Video, and 15-pin D-Sub outputs. Wherever available we used the best connection, which is DVI. If DVI was not an option on a particular model, then we used the 15-pin D-Sub output.
As we said last month, if you are looking to upgrade from a CRT monitor to an LCD, particularly in the larger sizes, it's worth checking if your existing graphics card has a DVI port on it, or buying a graphics card that supports it. The difference in image reproduction on some monitors between the 15-pin D-Sub port and the DVI port is amazing; somewhere around a 10 to 15 percent improvement in visible image sharpness.
When buying an LCD monitor, look out for...
Approximate budget:Â $4000 per monitor.
Requires:Â 25 LCD monitors.
Concerns:Â Image quality, impressive looks, and ease of adjustment are all important factors.
Best solution: The winner here is clearly the Eizo FlexScan L985EX: its functionality and configurability have been implemented impeccably; it would be very hard to find fault with this display.
Company: WhizBang Productions. This media production company wants to install 20in LCD monitors for its video and animation workstations.
Approximate budget:Â $3000 per monitor.
Requires:Â 5 LCD monitors.
Concerns:Â Suitability for graphics work is the most important consideration.
Best solution: The Samsung SyncMaster 213T is perfect for its sheer flexibility and presentation. The 16:9 format is perfect for media production and is the way of the future.
Editor's Choice: Eizo FlexScan L985EX, Samsung SyncMaster 213T
Eizo's FlexScan L985EX is a well-designed LCD monitor with impressive image quality and all the adjustments you could ask for. If nothing else, it has great show-off value, which can be very important in a customer service context. Samsung's SyncMaster 213T with its widescreen format and excellent picture is an ideal choice for media production or (dare we suggest) displaying DVDs in widescreen format. An object of desire, no doubt.
Final Words
If you are in the business of graphic art, design, marketing, or journalism, then the portrait/landscape swivel mounted displays would be well worth your consideration. Alternatively if you do a lot of digital image editing and you are tired of having to run dual displays, then the 20in and larger LCDs may have space for both your work and your palettes and tool windows. The 18in units are very hard to place, really. While obviously significantly cheaper than their 20in cousins and slightly more expensive than their 17in counterparts, they sort of fall into a black hole when the decision needs to be made which way to go. If you definitely need a larger-than-average display panel in your office, then it may be worthwhile in simply going the whole hog and getting a 20in panel. That way you will never need to wonder "What if... ?" That is, until the 30in units start to ship.
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RMIT IT Test Labs is an independent testing institution based in Melbourne, Victoria, performing IT product testing for clients such as IBM, Coles-Myer, and a wide variety of government bodies. In the Labs' testing for T&B, they are in direct contact with the clients supplying products and the magazine is responsible for the full cost of the testing. The findings are the Labs' own--only the specifications of the products to be tested are provided by the magazine. For more information on RMIT, please contact the Lab Manager, Steven Turvey.
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BenQ FP2081