Formac Gallery 1900 TNX Platinum

Looking more like an elaborate picture frame than a 19in TFT, this display has clearly been influenced by Apple styling. Luckily, the Gallery 1900 TNX Platinum is compatible with PCs too.

The transparent Perspex frame will divide opinion between those who consider it cheap-looking and those who adore its minimalism. The rear foot is adjustable back and forth for different viewing angles, and all three feet are covered with rubber to avoid slippage. In practice, however, this makes it awkward to slide the stand.

All the connections are made via one captive cable handling the upstream USB, DVI connector and hooking up to the external power supply. The USB cable feeds the two downstream ports on the rear.

Once we hooked the 1900 TNX Platinum up to our test rig, we were impressed by the strong white level it produced. It's quoted as 280cd/m2 - not the highest we've seen - but on a plain white screen it's a match for anything we've tested in recent months. The only physical controls are touch-sensitive brightness buttons, so you could lower it a little if necessary.

Unfortunately, the results aren't quite so impressive at the low end, as the 700:1 contrast ratio can't match that of the Philips. It isn't the black level itself that's the issue, but the range of tones within that black. In our contrast test, we saw little discernable difference between pure black and dark grey, and in photos and videos this renders shadow as inky mush.

Other than that, colours are strong, and it's a very vibrant and powerful display. The 3ms response time means fast-moving video and games posed no problem at all, and the brightness remains high even at reasonably wide viewing angles. It has the edge over the Philips price-wise by £21, but if you're looking for the more professional TFT we'd lean towards the 190P7.

Author: David Bayon