Viewsonic’s VX1932wm computer monitor follows the lead being set by flat panel TV makers by employing LED backlighting to advance its green credentials. It follows its living room brethren in another performance area too, stating dynamic contrast at a ridiculous 10,000,000:1 (that’s ten million to one). This is something of a pointless figure, as the human eye can’t discern differences between black and white of more than a million to one. What Viewsonic actually means by the number is that its monitor is pretty good at reproducing “true-to-life picture depth and clarity”.
The 19 inch 1440 x 900 pixel monitor claims to use “50 percent less power” and although Viewsonic doesn’t specify what this compares to (Ferrari? Vacuum cleaner? Nuclear launch rocket?), it’s enough to earn it a five-star Energy rating, which is one shy of the six-star high. This is supported by a power reducing eco mode which, used frequently enough, extends the life of the LED backlights.
Audio is handled by a pair of two watt speakers, connections include a 15 pin mini D-sub and a DVI-D, response time is rated at 5 milliseconds, and there’s a handy feature that adjusts widescreen and 4:3 content to fit the screen, without distortion. It costs $249.
