Product Reviews

If you asked the average computer user what screen they'd like in an ideal world, the answer would probably be "a large, high-resolution flat panel". But most of us gave up on ever owning one this spring, when 19" panels actually rose in price to over £500 and looked unlikely to come down much because of supply problems.

Over the past year LCD pricing has been as wildly unpredictable as the stock market. Flat panels are clearly in high demand, not just from computer users but from consumers of TVs and mobile phones too, but at the same time panel production is seeing huge growth and lowering of costs. Whether supply will outstrip demand or vice versa has been the subject of continual speculation. It remained highly unpredictable throughout the past year, especially when earlier this year the EU Committee on Excise Duties suggested a higher duty of 14 per cent (currently applied to TVs) might be applicable to LCD screens with a DVI input. Happily, despite all this, the recent price trend is downward, especially for the larger panels.

So, in

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the late summer of 2004 we can now say truthfully that there's never been a better time to buy a 19" LCD screen. And if we were to pick one such panel it would be Iiyama's virtually faultless ProLite E481S. It has superb picture quality, which helped it to sail through our rigorous tests in this month's Labs (see page 167). We were particularly impressed with the quality of the colours it displays; here it is still ahead of models launched since the E481S first appeared at the end of last year. Its fast response time makes it ideal for playing games or watching movies because there is no ghosting. Additionally, its slim profile and built-in speakers make for a tidy desk. It looks fairly good, with a bezel that's pleasingly thin at just 1.7cm, and the three-year onsite warranty gives you peace of mind.

Best of all, the Iiyama is exceptionally good value for a 19" LCD screen with DVI and D-sub inputs, costing just £405.

Even if you can't stretch to a luxury screen such as the ProLite E481S, the current downward trend in LCD prices is having an encouraging knock-on effect on cheaper screens. The shortlisted Philips is a great buy for a brand-name 17" LCD. But the cheapest way to enjoy a large 1,280x1,024 desktop display is with a 19" CRT screen such as the ADI P900 for £121 including VAT.

This isn't the first time Iiyama has won a monitor award. If it stays as aggressive on price as it is currently, it won't be the last.

EXPERT'S VERDICT

"Awesome picture quality and advanced features."

EDITOR'S VERDICT

"The kind of screen most people would love on their desk, and it doesn't cost the earth."