Product Reviews

Although TFT monitor prices remain relatively high compared to CRT, the benefits of extra sharpness, low power and perfect geometry have lured users in all sectors. NEC-Mitsubishi has traditionally focused on the corporate sector and with plenty of success too, but now it's decided to widen its scope to cover the growing SME and consumer spaces. The 1860NX is its new high-spec 18in TFT boasting 10-bit gamma correction and an IPS panel, and it's targeted at the more discerning user.

The 1860NX is also available in a black bezel design, but we chose to review the standard, beige model. That said, it still looks good, with a thin 17mm bezel that's actually more silver than beige matching up nicely with the new range of CRTs, such as the Diamond Pro 930SB (see opposite). Other ergonomic features include a height-adjustable stand, cable management system and rotating base.

As expected on a high-end TFT, a digital DVI-D input is included alongside the standard analog D-SUB input. Unfortunately, NEC only supplies a D-SUB cable in the box, meaning you'll need to add the cost of a DVI-D cable (approximately £25) to the asking price.

Initial configuration is a breeze thanks to a clearly laid-out menu system. The 1860NX is also compatible with NEC's NaViSet utility (available for download from www.nec-mitsubishi.com),

ADVERTISEMENT

which lets you adjust the settings from within Windows, providing you have a DDC/CI-compatible graphics card and, to be honest, nearly all are these days. This includes the ability to set colour temperatures and use NEC's OmniColor system, which includes individual RGB, cyan and magenta adjustments.

Those users deciding not to use the preferred DVI-D input are also well catered for with NTAA (Non-Touch Auto Adjustment), which compensates for signal drift and also senses signal changes and automatically re-adjusts.

The 1860NX uses an 18in IPS panel that gives good maximum horizontal and vertical viewing angles and is still readable when viewed side on. That said, contrast tends to fall off early, detracting from the otherwise evenly lit image. First impressions of the screen are that it's quite dull-looking too, particularly in comparison to the Eizo L367 (see opposite).

Further testing also highlighted a slight ghosting effect when switching between different windows. However, the 1860NX wins a few points back for having 10-bit gamma correction, which results in smooth colour and greyscale fades, with only minor visible stepping. High-end greyscale extension is good too, although darker shades are truncated. The real benefit to this feature is for image and video viewing, and the 1860NX is great at displaying DVD movies. Response times are average at 30ms, though, and we noticed some lag. This affects gaming too, taking the edge off the otherwise smooth colour blending.

Although prices for large TFT panels are coming down, a quality 18in TFT monitor is still going to dent the wallet. NEC-Mitsubishi lessens the hit somewhat by offering the 1860NX for an aggressive £599. There's no doubting the 1860NX is a great-value 18in TFT, but in terms of image quality we prefer the 17in Eizo FlexScan L565 (see Labs, issue 93, p118), which offers the same native resolution for £100 less.