Slimming Down
Written: Dec 26 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Price, Contrast Ratio, Resolutions, Good Color
Cons: Weak Viewing Angle, No Speakers or USB
The Bottom Line: This is a good model for home/office use, but I would not recommend it for presentation uses because of the low viewing angle.
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| jumperless's Full Review: ViewSonic VA520 Ultra Thin LCD 15" Display |
My latest task is finding a good 15” LCD to replace some call center monitors and so far a strong option is the Viewsonic VA520 15” LCD. For about $400 retail, maybe even cheaper online, it’s an excellent option for home or office use. Like the VA720 I reviewed earlier, I was impressed with this models and typically like most Viewsonic models I work with.
Picture Quality
The VA520 has a contrast ratio of 400:1, an excellent ratio. I've seen ratios range from 200:1 on lower-end models all the way up to 600:1 on high-end models. The higher the number, the better color quality the monitor can produce. However, there really isn't a standard for LCDs making them prove the contrast ratio yet. But, I found the color on this model to be excellent, very bright. The black tones were crisp, dark and did not seem like a washed out gray. It has a viewing angle of 120 degrees horizontal and 100 degrees vertical. This is good for seeing the screen from other angles, rather than looking straight at it, the higher the angle, the better you can see it from more angles. I've seen lower-end models with 100 degree viewing angles and higher-end ones with 160 degree angles. If you're purchasing the monitor for presentation needs, like a show booth, you'll want the highest angle so more people standing around it can see it. But for home and office use, the angle on this model is enough, unless you're using it on an angled desk, then you may want to test it at that angle before purchasing or just look for a model with higher viewing angles.
The max resolution on this model is 1024 x 768, which is good for a 15" model. Most will only use 800 x 600.
The light source in this monitor is designed for long life, according to Viewsonic's specs, it should last 50,000 hours, or roughly 5.7 years of non-stop use. The anti-glare layer on the screen worked well, I did not notice any reflections on the screen from lights in the background. However, sunlight reflections can cause visibility issues, as with most monitors. I would not recommend putting it near a window that gets direct sunlight.
Size, Weight and Looks
The VA520 weighs about 8.1 lbs. It's 14 inches wide, 13.5 inches high and 7.9 inches deep. The VA520 looks good with the silver, metallic exterior. It sits on a black stand and has the controls in the lower center of the frame.
Controls
The VA520 has controls for contrast, brightness, auto image adjust, H and V position, size, color temp, sharpness, OSD, language and recall accessed through an OnView on-screen menu system that's easy to see and navigate. It has buttons for power, up, down and mute.
Connections
Since there are no speakers built in to this model, it just has the 15-pin analog video connector and power.
Warranty
This model comes with a 3-year parts and labor warranty. Because of the price, you may want to consider adding an extended warranty to it if you plan to use it for more than 3 years.
Overall
This is a good model for call center, office and home uses with slick looks and a fair price. But I would not recommend it for presentation uses because of the low viewing angle.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 399
Operating System: Windows and Macintosh
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jumperless
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Location: Northern California
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