LG Flatron L1810B

Although TFT technology offers clear benefits over CRT for general use, high prices are still offputting. Six months ago, an 18in TFT with DVI and USB would have set you back almost £900. Now, you can buy LG's DVI- and USB-equipped 1810B for only £599.

At this price, the 1810B costs £140 more than NEC's 17in MultiSync LCD1700NX (see below). It's also only £60 more than the A-Listed Eizo FlexScan L565. For the extra money, you get an inch more on the viewable diagonal and a USB hub with one upstream and two downstream ports. If this alone isn't convincing enough, LG has also added DVI-I and D-SUB inputs and opted for an IPS panel, similar to those in the Eizo and NEC.

Image quality is excellent too. For testing, we connected the 1810B to the DVI output of a Matrox Millennium G450 graphics card at its native resolution of 1,280 x 1,024. The DisplayMate Multimedia Edition tests were all handled well. Sharpness was excellent, thanks to the digital connection, and the screen was bright.

The Eizo L565 and NEC 1700NX both excelled with colour fades and blends, and the 1810B compares well. That said, there was some mild stepping in colour blends, and low-end greyscales lacked extension. Colour purity also wasn't spot on, with darkening in the corners.

Poor viewing angles have been a problem with TFTs in the past, but recent models such as the NEC 1700NX showed huge improvements. The 1810B makes the grade too, being readable practically side on and vertically.

Movies and gaming are handled well too, thanks to a reasonable response time of 40ms. However, for quick gaming, the Eizo L565 is still the panel to beat.

The LG Flatron L1810B offers superb value for money, combining a two-port USB hub, DVI and an 18in viewable diagonal for just £599. If you want the extra viewable area, it's the best 18in TFT. However, NEC's 1700NX offers better image quality and the same native resolution, but costs £140 less.

Author: Gareth Ogden