Cream of the crop
Written: Oct 31 '02
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Pros: Real estate and lots of it! Compact, thin design; analog AND digital inputs.
Cons: True black isn't; built-in speakers are worthless; stuck pixel frustration.
The Bottom Line: Sony continues its legacy of top-drawer multimedia displays. Great size, great picture, great price!
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| el_mattador's Full Review: Sony SDM-M81 18 inch LCD Monitor |
Sony has always set the standard for CRT monitors with its Trinitron line of computer and TV displays; having had three such displays before and being thrilled with each one of them, I didn't hesitate to go back to Sony for a big 18" LCD when I finally decided I wanted a bigger screen. I still haven't regretted it.
Worried about blurry LCDs?
I was a bit concerned making the switch to a flat-panel LCD monitor, having seen lots of poor examples in the past: fuzzy, dim, blurry things that I couldn't imagine having to work on for more than five minutes.
Unlike tube monitors which can work with several different resolutions without loss of clarity (simply by enlarging and refocusing their beam), LCDs have a fixed number of pixels (called the 'native resolution') used for displaying things. If you ask it to perform at a lower resolution than this number, it must split each output pixel between two or more physical pixels on the screen. The result: jagged, blurry images. The remedy: run your LCD at its highest, native resolution.
So while I was worried that an LCD wouldn't be as sharp as my old Trinitron CRT, in fact, the picture seems much sharper on my new LCD!
The problem with many LCDs: most 17" LCD displays have a 1280x1024 native resolution, as does this 18" monitor. But the 17" models have less space to fit the same number of pixels, so text at the native, sharp resolution is pretty small, hard on the eyes. The extra inch on the Sony display is worth it: even at its highest resolution, text is perfectly readable, even comfortable.
Moreover, the colors are very vivid and the picture is brilliantly bright - so much so that I've turned down the backlight on mine. The viewing angle is very generous - I'd estimate around 160-170 degrees - so you don't have to be sitting directly in front of it to see what's on.
Digital options
Unlike many of its competition at the time, the SDM-M81 offers both an analog (HD15) and a digital (DVI) interface. I'm running mine on analog, and I love how it looks; but every so often I have to fiddle with the "pitch" setting on the monitor to re-sync the image when the focus isn't uniform. It's a minor annoyance, and one that would probably disappear if I had a video card with DVI.
The DVI digital interface has been said to provide an even sharper, clearer, and more vivid picture, thanks to the fact that it can control each pixel individually in time, rather than the scanning and interlacing of a usual analog signal. I'm looking forward to getting a DVI video card; I love the picture the way it is, but if it could be even better, wow.
Some minor squabbles
The black level of the monitor isn't quite black; you can always detect some illumination, which might be a problem for a more serious graphic designer. Also, as with any LCD monitor, full-motion video, while not nearly as much so as some of its competition, nevertheless winds up a little ghosty, especially in areas of high contrast, and especially in full-screen mode. A DVI interface might help this a little as well.
The built-in speakers, thanks to their small size and thin-ness, are tinny and weak. One of mine actually appears to have blown out, a week or so out of the box. Bottom line: they won't replace your nicer, "real" multimedia speakers.
A common LCD problem
Stuck pixels, the bane of every LCD monitor maker, are the biggest frustration of making the switch. Mine had none right away, but after a couple of days I noticed that, indeed, I had one pixel in the center of my screen that was stuck on green. It's only noticeable on a black screen, but for a perfectionist like me it's a silent frustration. However, I've seen much worse - I've worked on NEC monitors that have handfuls of stuck pixels that were fixed on red, and their pixels seemed bigger and more noticeable somehow. Anyway, don't be too disappointed if your new monitor has a stuck pixel of two - there's little you can do about it (though there are suggestions, including massage, on how to try -- search online to find them).
The experience
Installation and setup was an absolute breeze, and Sony includes software in the box you can use to adjust your new monitor to the height of its brilliance and sharpness. It has a very small footprint and generous tilt angles. I find it ironic how many LCD monitors are enclosed in thick, clunky plastic cases that make them nearly as unwieldy as their CRT cousins; this Sony is much more sleek, small, and svelte. It's also pretty light - a one-arm job. (Though I always use two - I like it too much to risk dropping it!)
The controls and adjustments are numerous and easily accessed and understood. Thankfully, you don't need to use them very often, as the monitor generally adjusts its own picture to within the right limits of size and position, and remembers its settings fairly reliably.
The verdict
Sony has always been a purveyor of can't-miss electronics, especially computer monitors. The SDM-M81/B is no different. And at its price, it's a real deal. You can't go wrong.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 799
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
el_mattador
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Reviews written: 7
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