Samsung Syncmaster 920T

Samsung Syncmaster 920T

Samsung's SyncMaster 920t cuts a striking figure. The cords of this shapely silver model exit through the back of the stand, instead of through the back of the monitor, sparing the user the sight of cord spaghetti. The speakers, tidily situated in the two-footed stand, offer average sound for monitor speakers, but they're no match for a decent computer speaker system. Listeners may prefer to use the headphone jack instead. Both the headphone jack and the volume dial are located on the right side of the stand, within easy reach.

The 920t delivered strong across-the-board performance on our text test screens. For text quality, it placed among the top 20 percent of recently tested monitors, and it earned a rating of Very Good for text. Jurors didn't find the same blue-green tint on the 920t that they saw on Samsung's older 193P. The 920t's graphics quality was unremarkable; its middling scores earned it a rating of Good.

Upshot: Its attractive, headphone-friendly design and crisp text display make Samsung's SyncMaster 920t a good choice for text work in a noisy office.

Sony SDM-HS95P/B

Sony SDM-HS95P/B

It takes a moment to recognize the Sony SDM-HS95P as an LCD monitor. With its glossy screen and molten-looking bezel/stand, it might just as easily be a frame for an art print (Salvador Dali leaps to mind). The HS95P's performance on our graphics tests might make everyday visuals look more like art; its excellent detail in our group portrait photo test screen contributed to the highest overall graphics score we've seen for a 19-inch monitor lately. It beat out close competition to rank as the high scorer on text as well, becoming the first monitor in several months to garner an Outstanding rating for both text and graphics.

No aspect of the HS95P's aesthetic design is neglected; it includes a back cover and a clear plastic strap to keep cords tidy. The way the bezel curves down from the sides of the screen, appearing to drape to the work surface, provides easel-like stability as well as visual interest. That said, I'd have preferred more flexibility; this monitor provides only tilt adjustment. A monitor with such panache would look out-of-place set atop a phone book, but without height adjustment, that's exactly where it will be.

Upshot: The Sony SDM-HS95P displays graphics beautifully on a glossy screen, and the easel-like stand looks striking. Height (and swivel) adjustment is all that's lacking.

Hitachi CM721F

Hitachi CM721F

The CM721F by Hitachi has a tube using the technology called EDP (Enhanced Dot Pitch), or elliptical mask. This is based on the Shadow Mask, though it is different in several ways, notably in that it has a much finer horizontal pitch than a conventional shadow mask. On the CM721F, the pitch is 0.20 mm, which is very low, but typical of EDP monitors. The CM721F is not very well endowed when it comes to connections - it has an RGB 15-pin wired-in cable, no more, no less. So, for example, if you ever snap one of the pins, you'd have to send the whole monitor back for repair, which is not exactly convenient. A bandwidth of 205 MHz and refresh rate of 95 kHz give it a theoretical rate of 75 Hz in 1600x1200. And this rate holds in practice, too. This figure being the strict minimum for working in this resolution, we cannot recommend this monitor for those who need higher resolutions. For instance, all you get in 1920x1440 is a meager 63 Hz.
The CM721F performed well in the geometry tests. In 1024x768 and 1280x1024, it was very good and no major deformation appeared. Beyond this, you have to tweak it a lot to get something that's close to acceptable. The OSD is fairly conventional; you use four buttons to browse through the available options. They include adjustment of geometry, calorimetry, brightness, contrast, horizontal and vertical moiré, but not purity. As to its image quality, the CM721F is not unlike the LG915FTPlus. It has many of the good points of shadow mask and aperture grill tubes combined, so the tube seems completely flat and small characters are fully readable. Sometimes there is a bit of moiré, but this can be easily resolved with a few adjustments. Colors are warm and fairly faithful, and convergence is fine, requiring no adjustment at all.

NEC MultiSync FE991SB-SK

NEC MultiSync FE991SB-SK

We approve of almost everything about NEC's MultiSync FE991SB 19-inch CRT. The flat-screen tube rests on a solid tilt-and-swivel stand; has simple, capable onscreen menus; and looks sophisticated in its all-black shell. Plus, it displays colors accurately and comes with impressive support policies, as well as a helpful, readable manual, all for less than $400. But image quality counts most, and unfortunately, the FE991SB doesn't live up to its promise, particularly in displaying text. If spreadsheets and memos are your bread and butter, stop right here, and try the two-year-old Samsung SyncMaster 900NF instead; of the monitors we've reviewed, it's still the best for text.We approve of almost everything about NEC's MultiSync FE991SB 19-inch CRT. The flat-screen tube rests on a solid tilt-and-swivel stand; has simple, capable onscreen menus; and looks sophisticated in its all-black shell. Plus, it displays colors accurately and comes with impressive support policies, as well as a helpful, readable manual, all for less than $400. But image quality counts most, and unfortunately, the FE991SB doesn't live up to its promise, particularly in displaying text. If spreadsheets and memos are your bread and butter, stop right here, and try the two-year-old Samsung SyncMaster 900NF instead; of the monitors we've reviewed, it's still the best for text.
The eyes have it
Hooking up the MultiSync FE991SB to a PC takes little effort. The unit doesn't come with drivers or any special software; just plug the permanently attached VGA cable into the graphics controller on your PC, then flick on the power. Using the powerful DisplayMate Multimedia with Motion Edition, CNET Labs tested the FE991SB on a 730MHz Dell Dimension 4100 with an Nvidia GeForce4 Ti 4600 graphics controller and 128MB of memory. Using 1,280x1,024 resolution and 32-bit color at an 85Hz refresh rate, we at first observed a bright, attractive display with rich colors on the 18-inch (diagonal) viewable area. Of course, at that high a refresh rate, the image looked rock solid. The FE991SB's 0.25mm-to-0.27mm aperture grille pitch can handle resolutions of up to 1,792x1,344, though 1,600x1,200 is probably as dense as you'd want to go; at that resolution in 32-bit color, the FE991SB can refresh at an adequate 76Hz.
When we took a closer look at the screen, however, we began to notice weaknesses. Text seemed blotchy, and negative space (the areas inside curves and closed letterforms) appeared gray instead of white, even at ordinary 12- and 14-point font sizes. Also, when bright areas abutted dark expanses, the bright areas tended to bulge into the dark. That imperfect control, in combination with persistent moiré patterns, softened the display's detail, shading, and contrast enough to interfere with text and intricate illustrations. Colors, on the other hand, maintained their hues fairly well over a range of intensities; color shading and transitions in photos looked quite attractive.
Big is beautiful
Image quality aside, the FE991SB is a masterpiece. Though it weighs a hefty 50 pounds, the monitor swivels and tilts effortlessly on a sturdy stand and easily maintains its positioning. The coal-black case (a white version is also available) looks both understated and dramatic, and it makes the monitor less intrusive on your desk. You'll still need 18 inches of desk space to accommodate its long tail, however.
Thanks to the FE991SB's onscreen menus (which you access via the hierarchically organized buttons just under the screen), you can easily drill down to and adjust monitor settings. They also give you control over a wide range of geometric and color distortions. If you crank up your graphics controller to a setting that the display can't handle, the screen goes dark and posts an out-of-range warning--a marvelous feature since most monitors just let you fry the circuitry without notification. The NEC's dark glass and glare coating minimize the effects of reflected light, and when you want a better look at something that appears dark onscreen, you can push the SuperBright button on the front bezel--a particularly useful feature for viewing scanned photos. One more plus: the default brightness setting, which is plenty bright, is less than 50 percent of maximum; over the years, as the monitor's screen phosphors darken, there will be plenty of room to bump up the brightness.

Compaq S9500

Compaq S9500

The Compaq S9500 monitor is an economical 19" (18" viewable) FST CRT that offers exceptional front-of-screen performance in an affordable carbon and silver cabinet. The 0.26mm trio dot pitch, 0.22mm horizontal dot pitch and anti-glare and anti-static coatings make it a pleasure to look at. It supports resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 at 75Hz and 1280 x 1024 at 85Hz.
• Economical 19" (18" VIA) CRT display for mainstream business users
• Large screen enables multiple views, improves productivity, reduces eyestrain
• .26 mm trio dot pitch delivers crisp focus and image clarity
• Plug and Play and On-Screen Display simplifies setup and configuration
• Standalone or attachable JBL Platinum Series Speakers deliver crisp sound and digital audio jack.
• Coloreal™ enabled technology ensures color accuracy from the Internet to your PC.
• Asset Control makes it easy to track assets across your network

Display
Tube Type Color, Conventional FST, multi-frequency
Picture Tube Size (diagonal) 19 in (48.3 cm)
Viewable Image Area (diagonal) 18 in (45.7 cm)
Trio Dot Pitch 0.26 mm
Horizontal Dot Pitch 0.22 mm
Horizontal Frequency (kHz) 30 to 96 kHz
Vertical Frequency (Hz) 50 to 160 Hz
Maximum Pre-set Resolution 1600 x 1200 @ 75 Hz
Preferred Flicker Free Resolution: 1280 x 1024 @ 85
Preset Graphic Modes 1600 x 1200 1280 x 1024 1024 x 768 800 x 600
NOTE: All modes are non-interlaced unless specified otherwise. @ 75 Hz @ /85 Hz and 75 Hz @ 85 Hz and 75 Hz @ 85 and 75 Hz
640 x 480 720 x 400 @ 60 Hz and 85 Hz @ 70 Hz
User-Modes: Yes, 8 modes
Anti-Glare/Anti-Static Yes/Yes
AssetControl: Yes, supported
Plug and Play: Yes
Icon Based On-Screen Display Controls: Yes
User Controls Brightness, Contrast: Yes
Size and Positioning: Yes
Pincushion (barrel): Yes
Trapezoid: Yes
Moiré Correction: Yes
Tilt (rotation): Yes
Selectable Color temperature: Yes
Parallelogram: Yes
Pincushion Balance: Yes
Exit: Yes
Degauss: Yes
Factory Reset/Recall: Yes
Current Display Mode: Yes
Approvals/Certifications
UL/CSA/CUL Approval: Yes
ISO9241-3, -7, -8 VOT Guidelines Approval: Yes
MPR-II Compliant: Yes, select models
TCO ‘99: Yes, select models
FCC Approval: Yes
Microsoft WHQL Certified: Yes
Energy Star Compliant: Yes
CE: Yes
Maximum Pixel Clock Speed 210 MHz
Power Supply Universal; 100 to 240 V, 50 ± 3Hz and 60 ± 3Hz European Models: 200 to 240 V AC
Maximum Power Rating 130 Watts
Low Power Sleep Mode < 5W
Signal Cable 15-pin miniature D-sub, attached, 5.9 feet (1.8 meter)
Size/Weight
Dimensions (H x W x D) Unpacked 18.5 x 17.9 x 18.7 in (47.0 x 45.5 x 47.5 cm)
Packaged 23.4 x 21.9 x 24.0 in (59.5 x 55.5 x 61.0 cm)
Weight Unpacked 44.0 lbs (20.0 kg)
Packaged 66.1 lbs (30.0 kg)

Dell M992

Dell M992

While CRTs and LCDs still have tradeoffs, you wouldn't be unwise to select this monitor. A few years from now, this assessment probably won't hold true. LCDs are soon going to be the Germany to France’s CRTs. But we're not there just yet, so hold that thought.

Over at CNET, they're working themselves into a frenzy complaining about the 17”-caliber 1024x768 resolution of this monitor. And they should be - running that low-res on a 19", you might as well hook a 1970s-era television up to your computer and sit five feet away. Hey, I've got TV-Out, so I might give it a try. On second thought, I need to get the 1280x1024 that I was promised on this 50-lb behemoth, or I'm going to be tempted to bludgeon somebody with it. (sdpedro, in the home office, with the Dell monitor - you won't need too many clues to figure that one out.)

Here's the deal - every 19" ever made in the history of desktop computing runs at 1280x1024. Dell, the shrewd marketing vehicle that it is, naturally caters to this reality. You go to Dell, you go to customize, you scroll down to monitor, and you select "help me choose" and a little pop-up tells you that the M992 runs at 1280x1024 @ 75Hz. No surprises there – if there were, everyone would save some cash and pick up the cheaper 17” CRT. 19” models would pile up in warehouses, eventually reach critical mass, and open up a wormhole into a parallel universe without internet review sites. Our loss.

After the ordeal at Dell’s customization site, you finally get your hands on a M992, and that’s right about when everything goes south. You're staring at a huge sticker taped to the face of the monitor that says 1024x768. Thinking this is a mistake, you fire up the computer only to have the monitor itself tell you, under menu-help-recommended resolution, to "set resolution to 1024x768 using pc."

Schwhatever. It’s time to question authority. Ignore CNET's asinine refusal to crank up the resolution. Forget that Dell says one thing when they're selling it to you and another after you've signed for it. Sacrifice the 10 Hz bonus you get from running at 1024x768 @ 85, and turn up the juice to 1280x1024 @ 75. CNET says it's blurry. Six-point font is blurry at both resolutions, so why suffer at the lower one?

You can even crank this overgrown oscilloscope all the way up to 1600x1200. I haven't tried because I don't want to get an angry phone call from Michael Dell wondering why I didn’t pony up for the 21”. CNET chimes in and aptly points out that most 19"s go up to 1900xsomething. Cool. As long as I can run this piece on a resolution better than I got on my 14" laptop, I'm happy.

Resolution controversy notwithstanding, everything seems in order with this equipment. I'm keeping the pixel-count turned up high because if I put it back down to what the monitor recommends, I'm going to start thinking I'm in preschool again with all the big block letters staring me in the face. I’m going to be writing with those really thick pencils that force you to spin the big hole in the sharpener all the way around and playing with Duplo come recess. (You know, those really huge Legos that Danish babies play with in utero.) It’s just not for me. But go right ahead make those pixels fat if you're still stuck in one of those weird Freudian states. The major advantage of this monitor is that it caters to all types.

I'm sure there are better CRTs out there but for the price I didn't even bother shopping around. In the year 2006, we'll all have flying cars and 20" LCDs. The M992 (the “M” stands for “monitor”) will tide you over until then.

Philips 109B43

Philips 109B43

Good controls (Color esp.: RGB, color temp slider for many gradients from 9300-5500K); Above Average software, controls, and documentation; Flat screen; Low cost; Reasonable refresh rates at high res.

Weaknesses: Missing some controls such as Pincusion and Moire; Lattice-style screen produces an aliasing effect and limits image acuity; Monitor physical depth is somewhat inconvenient.
Overall Evaluation: After my Dell M990 began to break down, I searched and finally decided on this monitor for home use. Overall I am satisified with it, and for most purposes the picture looks great. However, if you demand perfect visual acuity, its somewhat difficult to recommend this monitor. The PCWorld review is correct--it looks great all things considered--yet there is a fundamental issue with the display. I don't know the proper term, but if you peer very closely at the screen you see that there is a noticeable lattice arrangement of pixels-- a very thin diagonal crosshatch pattern between the active pixels. This produces a natural aliasing effect that is most noticeable on text and sharp lines, and increases at higher resolutions. At 1280x1024, lines become somewhat blurred, at 1600x1200 they shimmer; upon closer inspection it is easy to see that this natural lattice aliasing is the problem. Despite this major issue, the monitor is indeed a good value for a 19" monitor. Its color controls are very thorough, and despite the stated average dot pitch, the monitor is very flat. Overall I am satisfied. For comparison, the current Syncmaster 955DF is a valid rival to this mointor, though it suffers from slight washout unlike the 109B43. In sum: With all its advantages, the 109B43 is definitely at the high end of the budget monitor tier, but the lattice aliasing keeps it from being an exceptional value for a mid-, high-end crowd like the M990 or Syncmaster 950P were.