Great 19" monitor
Written: Apr 02 '03 (Updated Apr 04 '03)
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Pros: Great picture, quality construction, uniform image
Cons: DVI cable not included
The Bottom Line: Great monitor - for the current price of a good 17" you get a plain but excellent quality 19" monitor which excels where it matters - the image quality.
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| kocho's Full Review: Planar PL190M 19 inch LCD Monitor |
The 190M model seems to be very similar to the 191M which has great reviews at CNET.com. The 190 does not have a USB hub and the base is different. Also has both analog and DVI inputs. The base is adjustable for tilt and rotation. The monitor feels well built and sturdy. The included analog cable looks cheap and thin though. An audio cable is included too.
Only tried the analog input - the picture is very good, the brightness is very uniform even at the edges (much more than on my Samsung 15 incher or my laptops (IBM T23 and some Dell). The brightness is also quite good and the contrast is excellent. I read that if one uses the DVI the picture gets even better. One can use both analog and dvi connections and switch b/w two computers via the onscreen display menu - a handy feature.
Video response is indeed fast, although I have not tested it extensively with video.
The only complaint I have is that if you are too close to the monitor (15 inches or less), due to the large size, the corners may look a bit darker than the center. Not a problem if you are at a more normal distance for such a large monitor.
There is an autoadjust button which does about all you'll need to perfect the picture (just make sure you are at the native resolution). The manuals are precise and accurate, though I only read them out of curiosity after I had setup the monitor - everything was intuitive and worked fine the first time.
Got it through Dell - $590 shipped (after $40 rebate, 5% off peripherals, and free shipping). There was also additional $30 from Planar for bringing the price down to a total of $560 - not bad for a very good quality 19" LCD with DVI!
Support - I had to call Planar to clarify if the DVI is supported an that all I needed was a cable and they gave me a call back promptly.
Warranty - one of the better ones out there (3 years, fast replacement, minimum defective pixels, backlight ...)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 560
Operating System: Windows and Macintosh
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Epinions.com ID:
kocho
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Member: Kocho Chestimenski
Location: Maryland, USA
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 3 members
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