The Sony SDM-M51 15.1in display is one of the better looking low-cost LCDs we've seen, with an attractive, two-tone, ultraslim profile and a good feature set.
But the display's AU$1399 price is on the high side for this class. Given that the display's image quality is just average, it's a style choice more than anything else.
Weighing 4.6kg, the SDM-M51's good features include built-in stereo speakers and stereo input, simple height and tilt adjustments (but, alas, no swivel), and an earphone jack.
There's even a Kensington-compatible lock system. Setup is easy with the nicely illustrated manual. The SDM-M51 can attach to the VGA port of either a Mac or a PC; just snap off the rear cover, connect the video, audio, and power cables, and close the cover.
Unfortunately, the space is a little tight under the cable cover, which kept popping off unless seated just right.
The SDM-M51's display specs and features are typical for its class. Like most other 15in LCDs, its native resolution is a comfortable 1024 x 768 pixels with a 75Hz refresh rate.
Its viewing angles of 140 degrees horizontal and 120 degrees vertical are also within the typical range. Seven tiny buttons sit in the upper right corner of the unit.
Three of these control power, contrast, and brightness; the other four activate, navigate, and confirm adjustments via the onscreen menu. Onscreen commands are fairly easy to navigate, but you may want to consult the manual to understand what arcane commands such as phase and pitch stand for.
We found, however, that the factory adjustments produced a decent picture without further intervention.
The SDM-M51's merely decent picture is its main problem, if you'd call it that. While the average image quality will serve most users adequately, it fails to live up to the display's stylish presentation-and its price.
In our Lab's DisplayMate benchmark tests, text samples looked generally sharp on the Sony SDM-M51, even at small point sizes. Looking at greyscale images, however, we noticed some purplish tones in midrange and dark areas.
And although colour photos looked vivid, flesh tones seemed a little washed out. Like most good LCD displays, the Sony was essentially free of image distortion. We did notice a slight brightness variation from top to bottom, however, which is something you don't usually see on such a small display.
To Sony's credit however, the company provides a good service and support package for the SDM-M51. The SDM-M51 is covered by a three-year onsite warranty, but this excludes the backlight which is covered by a one year warranty.
You can also find plenty of product information and support at Sony's Web site, including driver updates, FAQs, e-mail access to technicians, and an automated fax on demand system.
The Sony SDM-M51 gets better points for style than for performance. Fashion-conscious users will find it serves their display needs satisfactorily-and looks good doing it.
| Product: | Sony Multiscan SDM-M51 LCD monitor |
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| Price: | AU$1399 |
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| Vendor: | Sony |
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| Phone: | 1300 13 SONY (7669) |
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| Interoperability: |  Video Connector: 15-pin mini D-sub; Stereo Mini-jack, headphone jack. |
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| Futureproofing: |  More points for style than performance. |
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| ROI: |  Average image quality will serve most users, but fails to live up to its pre-sentation and price. |
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| Service: |  Three-year on site warranty excluding backlight which is covered by a one-year warranty. |
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| Rating: |  |
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