Rating: 
Summary: No DVI as advertised.
Review: In all honesty I was impressed with how expansive the SDM-M81 felt. Racking up the res to 1280x1024 usually makes me feel like things are getting too small on my 18.0" viewable viewsonic CRT behemoth. But not on the M81. But I do have a major problem with the dvi interface. They only supply an analog DB15 to analog DVI cable. Why not include a dvi to dvi cable? In my case, I feel it is because getting Sony's DVI to DVI won't work or only works in limited situations. I have a belkin dvi to dvi cable and when I hook up to the dvi out from a sony Vaio Desktop (pcv-rx462 with DVI out no less!) nothing happens. (The supplied analog to analog/digital works but it's not worth the money, Trust me. [Edited 10/15/02] - Correction, the image quality IS Beautiful once you set the res to 1280x1024 and refresh rate higher than 72 Hz. You'll never want to go back to CRT again. Opinion of Sony Tech Support still stands] Plus Sony tech support is the worst on this planet. The only reason they can get away with such horrible customer support is because Sony makes so much money to fuel this inane branch of their business. Getting dvi to work is a major hassle. Go to Sony's web site and go see for yourself that they haven't even bothered to put out drivers for XP (currently only 60 Hz is available on all resolutions as opposed to advertised 85 Hz). [Edited 10/25/02 - Get the new driver's for your Vid Card and that will not be a problem]
Rating: 
Summary: Great display - weak speakers
Review: The image on this display is stunning. Color is better than expected, and backlight is nice and uniform. Dual input for both audio and video, including DVI, is very handy. Switching between sources is just a button away. The easy to use controls at the upper right also give direct adjustment of brightness, contrast, and speaker volume. By pressing a 'Menu' button, you also get a host of other less needed adjustments. The display is very automatic, and only needed three adjustments after a day's use: I had to turn *down* the brightness, I needed to turn *up* the volume, and I had to tweek the phase adjustment. The phase adjustment wasn't required at all until I got to the "Shutdown" Windows screen that had dithered shading. All other screens, including line art, graphics, as well as high-res photos, was rock solid. The only flaw is the built-in 1W speakers which are very underpowered, and have no base response at all. The only advantage of having them in this unit is to keep your desk neat, but if you're going to listen to anything for an extended period, consider external speakers or another model display. Another alternative is to just plug in headphones in their handy jack at the bottom edge. For me, this worked just fine. In all, the trendy styling and great LCD have me very happy.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing Analog Performance
Review: When fed by an analog (VGA) signal, this monitor is painful to look at. There's horizontal ghosting (characters and lines are slightly smeared), and the contrast and brightness are mediocre. I played with an SDM-M81 at a computer store for over an hour. I hooked it up to two different computers (Sony VAIO's), reset the monitor to factory defaults, tweaked its settings, etc--same results. I tested it at 1280x1024--its native resolution. I went into Windows Paint and created a series of 1-pixel vertical lines about 1/2 inch high and 6 inches long. Regardless of the monitor's settings, I could see "waves" going horizontally. (This didn't happen in the vertical direction.) The "Phase" monitor setting could change the frequency of the waves, but couldn't make them disappear (the factory defaults gave the "best" results). Very disappointing--the price is right for a monitor with a DVI-I connector ("DVI Integrated" => DVI + VGA in one connector). At the same place, I checked out a Viewsonic VA800 (now known as the VG-175 I believe)--much much better. Sharper, more contrast and brightness--a pleasure to look at. Pity it didn't have a DVI input...
Rating: 
Summary: OUTSTANDING!!!
Review: wonderful monitor, I spend up to 8+ hours a day on my computer during the week, and this is all the screen you could ever want, i love it more than my 19" Trinitron which, besides being a pain in the @ss to clean, but also weighs some 55-60 lbs and is just begging to be dropped when moved anywhere. the joints on my trinitron always took minutes to adjust when this LCD takes just seconds. it weighs 12 lbs which is wonderful, and I can finally put some space between me and my monitor because it's just a few inches thick...outstanding color contrast, brightness is never an issue, and the built in speakers are impressive, especially considering no subwoofer. dont waste money on a 19-21" CRT that is already out of date, invest in a quality piece of hardware that will never let you down, and spare the eye strain.
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