X-bit labs

Closer Look at the 19" Monitor Features. Part III (page 11)

Category: Other

by Oleg Artamonov

[ 03/30/2005 | 01:45 PM ]

The onscreen menu has become more colorful and easier to use. It allows to change the gamma compensation coefficient (the third slider in the snapshot above), while the other options are quite ordinary.

The appearance and the contents of the LightView menu have changed: the six presets are now accompanied with two more items (marked with numbers 1 and 2 in the snapshot above) which the user can set up to his/her taste.

The backlighting is rather uniform, although not perfect. Yet, the L1930SQ would win a comparison with the Acer AL1912, which is also based on a TN+Film matrix, in this parameter. Of course, the type of the matrix shows up immediately, especially in the viewing angles. If you deflect your head just a little below the center of the screen, you’ll see the top of the screen becoming dark. The narrowness of the horizontal viewing angle is felt, too, especially in comparison with S-IPS and MVA/PVA matrices, although this angle is wider than the vertical one. In fact, the first thing you notice when switch from the L1930SQ to a monitor on some other type of the matrix is the much better (due to the wider viewing angles) uniformity of the image.

The color reproduction setup is good, except the excessive blue in the middle of the range which results in a high color temperature of gray. In other words, if white looks normally, gray will have a cold bluish hue. And if you bring the color temperature of gray to the norm using the menu settings, white becomes too warm as you have reduced its temperature, too.

If you read the previous review of LCD monitors on our site called Closer Look at 17" LCD Monitor Features. Part V, you may remember one of my complaints about LG’s monitors, namely that their real response time was 16 milliseconds, although there was a loud advertisement campaign going, proclaiming new 12ms matrices. Alas, the L1930SQ is just like the junior models: despite the specified response time of 12 milliseconds (not only the monitor’s certificate, but also the beautiful label in the top right corner of the monitor’s case informs you about that) the monitor actually uses a 16ms matrix, with a typical response time graph thereof. Frankly speaking, the speed of this monitor isn’t far slower than that of 12ms models, but I distaste the very fact that the specification and advertising materials claim wrong numbers and actually mislead the users.

The contrast ratio of this monitor is excellent, considering the type of its matrix. What’s good, it complies with the specification – I don’t often see such a compliance in my tests. Even though the contrast ratio went down along with the reduction of the screen brightness, it still remained very good.

Overall, the Flatron L1930SQ proved to be a highly remarkable device with in fact two drawbacks: too high color temperature of gray and rather narrow viewing angles. The latter thing, however, is the common drawback of all TN+Film matrices. I don’t count in the response time – 4 milliseconds worse than specified – among the drawbacks as 12ms and 16ms matrices are very close in real performance. But I do have complaints about LG’s misleading the users in the advertisements.

The L1930SQ is going to make a good and inexpensive home or office monitor. It suits for everything – games, movies (thanks to its excellent contrast ratio and high speed) and work. Of course, monitors on S-IPS and PVA matrices can be a better choice in many cases (the former technology features better color reproduction and viewing angles at a comparable speed, while the latter has better contrast and excellent viewing angles, too), but the L1930SQ will do for undemanding users, especially considering its low price. At the time of my writing this review it cost less than $500.