jadison
02-13-2002, 9:00 AM
This 18-inch LCD provides digital and analog inputs and solid image quality for less than a grand.
http://neotech.8m.net/images/viewsonicvg181.jpg
WHAT'S HOT: The top-rated 18-inch LCD monitor in our March 2002 roundup, ViewSonic's VG181, offers good-looking images, fine features, and a comparatively low price. Both analog and digital video inputs are provided. The unit's sturdy base allows the screen to swivel and tilt very smoothly, and it easily rotates from landscape to portrait mode (an added plus when viewing word processing and desktop publishing documents). The base is height-adjustable, an ergonomic benefit that's missing from most LCD monitors, including ViewSonic's smaller VG171. The VG181 boasts around-the-clock tech support.
WHAT'S NOT: Tested in its analog mode, the VG181's cumulative scores for image quality were not as impressive as those we saw from monitors tested in digital mode. Overall, it ranked in the middle of the pack in our text and graphics tests. Judges found the colors in photos and Web pages rather dark, and text not as sharp as it could be at the smallest sizes. However, it still earned a Good rating for its overall image quality and shared the top score on our fonts test with the premium-priced Eizo Nanao FlexScan L685. The same screens looked similar in digital mode: Text looked clear and evenly weighted except at the smallest size of 6.8 points; colors in photos looked very saturated, and dark areas looked too dark and lost some detail. At a weight of 22 pounds, this unit is among the heaviest of the 18-inch models we reviewed.
WHAT ELSE: Like its sibling, the VG171, the VG181 provides five simple buttons on its front panel and easy-to-understand screen controls that include auto-adjust, color, and other common settings. Two additional manual image controls, Fine-Tune and Sharpness, are uncommon and nice to have. The case includes a Kensington antitheft slot to discourage sticky fingers.
Although the printed documentation is slim, the monitor comes bundled with a well-organized CD-ROM-based manual. The unit ships with software for color calibration and for full-page viewing in portrait mode. Judges noted that this model couldn't display the differences between the darkest shades in color scale tests, and saw a yellowish cast on an all-white screen. The VG181 uses in-plane switching to provide 160-degree viewing angles, both horizontally and vertically (as measured by ViewSonic). The unit has no USB ports (either built-in or optional), and it lacks speakers.
UPSHOT:
The under-$1000 VG181 is a big-screen bargain that includes strong features and great support for business and home users alike. Although other monitors of this size can beat its image quality, few can beat its price.
OVERVIEW:
18-inch screen, 1280 by 1024 native resolution, 18.1 by 9.5 by 18.1 inches, 22 pounds, active-matrix TFT panel, analog and digital inputs, TCO '99 compliant; Colorific and True Internet Color software. Three-year warranty (including backlight); 24-hour daily toll-free support.
Price:
$949
Purchasing Info
http://www.viewsonic.com/
800/688-6688
*Courtesy of PCWorld HERE* (http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,82483,tk,prx,00.asp)
http://neotech.8m.net/images/viewsonicvg181.jpg
WHAT'S HOT: The top-rated 18-inch LCD monitor in our March 2002 roundup, ViewSonic's VG181, offers good-looking images, fine features, and a comparatively low price. Both analog and digital video inputs are provided. The unit's sturdy base allows the screen to swivel and tilt very smoothly, and it easily rotates from landscape to portrait mode (an added plus when viewing word processing and desktop publishing documents). The base is height-adjustable, an ergonomic benefit that's missing from most LCD monitors, including ViewSonic's smaller VG171. The VG181 boasts around-the-clock tech support.
WHAT'S NOT: Tested in its analog mode, the VG181's cumulative scores for image quality were not as impressive as those we saw from monitors tested in digital mode. Overall, it ranked in the middle of the pack in our text and graphics tests. Judges found the colors in photos and Web pages rather dark, and text not as sharp as it could be at the smallest sizes. However, it still earned a Good rating for its overall image quality and shared the top score on our fonts test with the premium-priced Eizo Nanao FlexScan L685. The same screens looked similar in digital mode: Text looked clear and evenly weighted except at the smallest size of 6.8 points; colors in photos looked very saturated, and dark areas looked too dark and lost some detail. At a weight of 22 pounds, this unit is among the heaviest of the 18-inch models we reviewed.
WHAT ELSE: Like its sibling, the VG171, the VG181 provides five simple buttons on its front panel and easy-to-understand screen controls that include auto-adjust, color, and other common settings. Two additional manual image controls, Fine-Tune and Sharpness, are uncommon and nice to have. The case includes a Kensington antitheft slot to discourage sticky fingers.
Although the printed documentation is slim, the monitor comes bundled with a well-organized CD-ROM-based manual. The unit ships with software for color calibration and for full-page viewing in portrait mode. Judges noted that this model couldn't display the differences between the darkest shades in color scale tests, and saw a yellowish cast on an all-white screen. The VG181 uses in-plane switching to provide 160-degree viewing angles, both horizontally and vertically (as measured by ViewSonic). The unit has no USB ports (either built-in or optional), and it lacks speakers.
UPSHOT:
The under-$1000 VG181 is a big-screen bargain that includes strong features and great support for business and home users alike. Although other monitors of this size can beat its image quality, few can beat its price.
OVERVIEW:
18-inch screen, 1280 by 1024 native resolution, 18.1 by 9.5 by 18.1 inches, 22 pounds, active-matrix TFT panel, analog and digital inputs, TCO '99 compliant; Colorific and True Internet Color software. Three-year warranty (including backlight); 24-hour daily toll-free support.
Price:
$949
Purchasing Info
http://www.viewsonic.com/
800/688-6688
*Courtesy of PCWorld HERE* (http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,82483,tk,prx,00.asp)