Killer Display, Kind Price
Written: Jun 17 '03 (Updated Jun 17 '03)
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Pros: Huge, cheap, beautiful
Cons: No S-Video without adapter
The Bottom Line: The specs speak for themselves, and my subjective experience has been great. Spend some time bargain hunting and you can find amazing deals on this great LCD.
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| Andyman's Full Review: Planar PL201M 20 inch LCD Monitor |
I've been using the Planar PL201M for a few weeks now and it is truly luscious. The specs on this display all hit the bullseye, and the price is deliciously right. So far I have zero complaints to offer, but I'll walk you through what I know.
I'll walk through the specs, explaining what they are and how the PL201M stacks up for each.
Dot-pitch:
PL201M: .255mm
This is the width, in milimeters, of a single element of the LCD. In rough terms, how small are the pixels? You want this number to be small, because the smaller the elements, the denser and crisper the image.
.28mm is a fairly standard measurement for a middling display. .26mm and below is better, and the Planar PL201M weighs in at .255. This is pretty darn good, especially in a larger monitor. Usually, as monitor size increases, dot pitch does as well. The PL201's image is crisp and sharp, no complaints there.
Max Resolution:
PL201M: 1600x1200
Literally, how many image pixels can fit on the monitor? At 1600x1200, the PL201M feels quite roomy. At that resolution, known as UXGA, you can pretty much fit two full-page documents next to each other and read them side-by-side. It's a lot of space.
However, as resolution increases, refresh rate decreases, and at maximum resolution, the PL201M's refresh rate is 60Hz. This is probably the minimum refresh you'd want to operate on, as your eyes will sense flickering below there. But I don't find it noticeable at all. Flicker and ghosting are negligible.
Digital or Analog Interface?:
PL201M: both
How the monitor connects to your computer is also important. Obviously, the display information begins as a digital signal inside your computer, but with a CRT or "tube" monitor, it's converted to an analog signal by the video card, and then transmitted through the cable to the display.
However, with newer LCD flat-panels, the image signal stays digital all the way through. This removes one opportunity for image degradation, and results in a spectacularly crisp and even image. This interface is commonly known as "DVI."
To use a monitor in digital mode, via the DVI interface, you must have a video card that supports it. The cable is completely different, the port is completely different. Most mid-to-high end video cards have both interfaces nowadays, but if you really want to get the most out of this monitor, you should use a DVI-capable video card.
The good news is that if you don't have one, the Planar PL201M supports both analog VGA and digital DVI interfaces. In fact, if you want to, you can hook a different computer up to each port, and switch between them, effectively using the same gorgeous monitor for 2 computers. Both cables ARE included.
One of the nice things about operating an LCD in digital mode is that the display doesn't get all tweaked out after you switch resoltions. I play games, which means I switch back and forth to the 640x480 resolution, and I'm happy to report that I never wind up with black space around my desktop. Very nice.
Aspect Ratio:
PL201M: 4:3
What shape rectangle is it? Wide-screen? Or more narrow? The PL201M is a 4:3 aspect ratio, which means it's basically the same shape rectangle as your TV. Some large LCD monitors, Apple's Cinema line, for example, come in a widescreen 16:9 ratio, which might be more to your liking if you plan on watching a lot of widescreen DVDs, or you just like the idea of a wide desktop that's not as tall. This is more a matter of preference.
Contrast Ratio:
PL201M: 500:1
This ratio compares the darkest areas of the screen to the lightest. It's a self-referential number. In simple terms, it means "how black are the blacks, and how white are the whites?" The higher the number, the richer and more realistic the image.
Other displays I compared with this one had a typical contrast ratio of 300:1. Especially considering the low price of the PL201M and its impressive dot pitch, I was pleased to learn it had such a high contrast ratio as well. The specs on this monitor seem really well rounded and solid in every department to me.
Audio
PL201M: Built-in Speakers
The speakers are small, a little tinny. When I got my PL201M I unplugged my speakers and subwoofer, intending to use them in another room of the house. I think I'll probably plug them back in, since the Planar's speakers just don't have any punch. However, I've been meaning to do this for a week and haven't yet, so it's obviously not a huge problem. If you'd like to get rid of your satellite speakers, or don't care too much about high-quality audio, you may be happy with them. They're kinda like laptop speakers. Better than nothing.
Once nice audio feature the monitor provides is a headphone jack right in front. Previously, I've been unable to use my headphones with my computer, because their cable isn't long enough to reach all the way to the rear of my PC, which sits on the floor.
Impressions:
The PL201M's image is crystal-clear and razor-keen. Colors are rich and consistent. There's no distortion at the corners, nor does the monitor wash out as you move your head side to side. DVDs look amazing, and high-res photos ooze out of the screen. It's also extraordinarily bright. I'm always turning up the brightness of my monitor to the maximum to get the most punch out of the image, but not with the PL201M. It's got too much punch. I keep the contrast turned up and the brightness a little lower than maximum.
The monitor surface has a nice matte finish to it, which reduces the horrible glare I have in my home office. There are windows behind my back, and with my glass-surface CRT, the glare was almost intolerable. It's still not great, but it's an improvement. However, this matte surface is delicate. Touch it and you will get a reminder that there's liquid in there! Keep your fingers to yourself.
The stand is ok. It doesn't take up a ton of room, and the tilt is easy to operate, but I like stand designs that put some open space underneath the monitor. I'm thinking about getting a wall mount.
I'm always fearful of bad pixels, but I seem to have lucked out. There is one pixel which looks a tiny bit green when it's supposed to be painted black, but I'm not even convinced for sure that it's bad yet. I need to look again. It's so small I almost didn't notice it.
I almost forgot to mention the software installation, because there wasn't one. My Windows 2000 Pro just picked it right up, via the DVI on my nVidia card. No problemo.
Shortcomings:
There's not much to say here, but:
-No S-Video. If you're going to commit the money to an LCD this big, you may expect S-Video. The PL201M won't give it to you, unless you fork over $100 for an adapter that will add S-Video and TV tuner input. At least it's available, I guess. If you don't know what S-Video is, trust me, you don't need it.
-Tinny speakers. Covered above.
Conclusion:
I'm no expert in color matching or fidelity. This is perhaps the most esoteric realm of monitor evaluation, but I can tell you the monitor looks fabulous. For general use, including watching movies and working with images, I find it amazingly satisfying. It brings me joy.
Best of all, I was able to pick this monitor up for $800 including shipping by keeping an eye on Dell's promotions. They ran a special 10% discount on peripherals, combined with free shipping. I was also able to apply a stackable coupon code found at bensbargains.net, and came away with an amazingly sweet deal on a very sweet monitor.
I highly doubt you'll regret buying one.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 800
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
Andyman
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Member: Andy Hilal
Location: Oakland, CA
Reviews written: 131
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