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Big screen monitors
Still squinting at a tiny computer screen or using a chunky great machine? Well, PC monitors are getting bigger and prices smaller. A bigger, easier-on-the eyes LCD flat panel could be a very good investment. Andrew Stucken guides you through what is available
All new monitors are now LCD and as such are manufactured to be pleasingly wafer thin. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display and is a technology increasingly used in televisions as well.
Computer monitors can now of course be used for watching TV and films. If you are thinking of buying a large screen monitor, consider what you will be using it for.
If you want to watch films and videos, for example, think about the ease with which it displays fast moving pictures. If several people are going to be gathering around the screen, consider how well it can be viewed from a variety of angles.
Those for whom colour accuracy is important will want a monitor which displays colour clearly and consistently.
While monitors of 30" or more are now on the market, prices swell in line with the size of the screen.
Among the affordable models, decent 20" screens can be picked up for £150-200. In one respected review* of leading monitors, best buys are the Samsung SM-206BW, the LG Electronics L206WTQ-SF and the Viewsonic VG2030wm. The LG model costs just £141. For films and videos, the Samsung and LG monitors in question have the best screen speed.
At 19", another best buy is the Fujitsu Siemens D19-1, for £128.
None of these monitors are the most expensive in their class, so the maxim 'you get what you pay for' does not seem to apply here.
At 22", the top two monitors score equally: the Samsung SM-2232BW at £213, and the Dell E228WFP at £206.
To show you what is possible given deep enough pockets, the Samsung SyncMaster 275T comes in at a whopping 27 inches. One online review** states: "Satisfies the graphics and multimedia needs of picky users with its outstanding overall performance and its generous offering of premium features, such as picture-in-picture, USB hub and various video connectors."
But at £885 this one is out of range for most. Even then, it is far from the most expensive on the market – but if you do plan to spend big money, we recommend you go for this one.
Source: * Which? Computing, March 2008. ** PC Advisor, May 2008.
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