A great monitor from ViewSonic

This monitor comes as a replacement for a NEC LCD1712 I enjoyed for 3 years (no complains at all except for a dead pixel that did not really bother me too much.) What I wanted was to upgrade to a larger monitor in terms not of many more inches but of a wider aspect ratio with a faster video response as I happen to occasionally watch DVDs and do some amateur video editing on my PC so, I focused my search on widescreen, 19" monitors. At first I was about to settle for a Samsung Syncmaster which offered a decent quality picture for a relatively decent price but after a little more research on my part I found out that the Samsung was not as fast in terms of video response as a similarly priced ViewSonic I had first overlooked. I went back to the store and took a second look at this ViewSonic VG1930wm. I was pleasantly surprised by its 5 ms. video refresh rate (vs. the Samsung´s 8 ms.), its dual (DVI and VGA) inputs and its overall quality picture (which I didn't totally realize until I plugged the unit in at home).

What I first noticed was its brighter and more vivid colors and a much higher contrast rate (compared to my older NEC; I actually had to set the bright and contrast on the new monitor to about 40%.) Since I have an ATI video board in my home PC with both VGA and DVI outputs, I also purchased a (not included with the monitor) DVI-to-DVI cable, which is meant to avoid the digital-analog conversion step taking place when using the VGA port, for an even faster displaying. To test the new monitor's video response on my PC, I tried out a WMV-HD movie that used to give my older NEC a hard time displaying; the results: a crisper and more vivid picture playing smoothly throughout the test.

This ViewSonic also features built-in speakers which I yet have to try out (no need so far) and user controls located discreetly on the lower right side of the monitor. I also liked the ViewSonic´s design and style better than the Samsung´s; besides, before my previous NEC LCD I used to own a 17" CRT from ViewSonic so I already trust the brand.