None of these monitors merits a stand-alone article, but they do merit your attention. From low-on-budget film fans over business users to “brand name” elitists, every single of these can choose between these five models.
Acer 1916WAs
Nec 70GX² Pro
Nec 190V
Nec 20WGX² Pro
Philips 190V7
Size
19" WIDE
17"
19"
20,1" WIDE
19"
Resolution
1440x900
1280x1024
1280x1024
1680x1050
1280x1024
Pitch (mm)
-
0,264
0,294
0,258
0,294
Panel
TN+Film
TN+Film
TN+Film
S-IPS
TN+Film
Viewing Angle H/V
150/135
176/176
160/145
178/178
160/160
Response time (ms)
5
2 GTG
8
6 GTG
8
Brightness (cd/m²)
300
400
270
470
300
Contrast
700:1
1000:1
550:1
700:1
600:1
Inputs
D-Sub
DVI, D-Sub
D-Sub
DVI, D-Sub
D-Sub
Price (€)
165
285
235
600
200
Acer AL1916
Another cheap widescreen monitor arrived, this time signed by Acer. As far as physical characteristics are concerned, there are no special surprises or features, even the black-grey looks are familiar. We commend the availability of a “quick-menu” which performs a quick optimization according to the displayed content (text, multimedia), but we are not so sure that exiting this menu really required automatic geometry reconfiguration. The lower side of the screen rim bends slightly during tilt-positioning (no swivel option here).
The precision with whom this monitor displays color impressed us even more than contrast, as well as the almost complete absence of backlight pervasion. Also, for a TN+Film monitor, the viewing angles are great – no remarks here. Even the response time will enable playing a couple of faster FPS games, and therefore cause no problems with video either.
NEC
We had three NEC models tested. 17” monitors are slowly fading away, but 70GX² Pro is a great reminder. Its exceptional production and high-quality materials made us think – are we missing out on certain things with this price downfall? OSD menu is navigated via a small joystick, and it is very ample – there is even the option of adjusting the LED intensity (and we are not talking about the on/off switch or 3 steps of intensity). Impressive, at the very least.
A USB hub with two ports on the left and two on the back is always a welcome addition. The rotating ring enables the swivel function. The glossy panel, however, ruins the picture of the great physical characteristics of this model. Color precision is fantastic, the best that can be expected form a TN+Film monitor. The same can be stated for contrast and brightness, so the general impression is great, as long as there isn't much light in the room.
When there is, however, the glossy screen finish displays itself in all its notoriety, expectedly acting like a mirror. Black color uniformity test did not go well precisely because of this, but we noticed no backlight penetration either. No flaws in the horizontal viewing angles, but the vertical ones reminded us that this is a TN+Film monitor, after all. The general impression is that viewing angles are all right for everyday use, but that they can be improved. The response time can hardly be improved any further, though, as the implemented overdrive technology provides smooth playback of all sorts of moving content. NEC is not a company whose main argument is price, but it seems that it will have to become, considering the current market situation.
The 190V model is supposed to be the best among the cheapest, but our testing showed that previous experience is needed for something like that. The standard black-gray color combination and a simple design are nothing new in this segment, and neither is the lack of swivel rotation. A solid result in the contrast test was void by a slight backlight visibility when the screen is completely black and color imprecision. The response time seemed ok at first, bug gaming tests discovered some ghosting here and there. Still, the viewing angle, which is the most important about these displays, is quite satisfactory.
All that we said about the 70GX² Pro can be applied to the 20WGX² Pro, the third NEC's monitor, as well, including the glossy panel. However, this model's performance is indisputable. Color display is perfectly precise, no perforations of backlighting, the viewing angles are great, and the response time up to the task. We've seen monitors that seemed to better, but the differences are on an academic level.
PHILIPS 190V7
A veteran on the low-price monitor market shows once again how to create a cheap monitor without much compromise with the 190V7. Even the boring black-and-grey exteriors were avoided, but other features are there, such as the simple but likeable design and (limited) monitor positioning options. The ingenious FlexiHolder is present as well, a paper holder incised in the upper bezel of the monitor. Color precision isn't much, but mistakes are not noticeable to an untrained eye.
Contrast and black uniformity, together with the lack of any sort of backlight issues, is enough for a monitor in this class. The same can be stated for the horizontal viewing angles, but not vertical, as the monitor loses contrast quite rapidly when going up. We didn't expect more anyway, so this monitor is a great choice for office computers, for example.
CONCLUSION
In this odd gathering of monitors there are certainly some interesting models. We have no remarks about Acer 1916W, and even if we did, who could possibly say anything against such a nice monitor with this price tag?! NEC gave us what we expected: high-end monitors (70GX² Pro and 20WGX² Pro) are homework for all other manufacturers in terms of production quality. The first one is a solid choice if you need a high-quality monitor while not caring too much about its size.
The other one is certainly one of the best on the market and should be a point of interest for all computer hedonists. In both cases, if you like glossy screens, this is the way to go. The third NEC did not leave us delighted, but just like all other TFT monitors, it will be perfect to someone for something. Otherwise, it's just a matter of price, where Philips 190V7 is an absolute winner.
