PRINCETON DIGITAL 19 IN TFT LCD ( LCD19D )

Rating:
Summary: Decent monitor, some annoyances
Review: At its native resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels, this monitor seems to be capable of only 16-bit color quality, instead of the much nicer 32-bit color quality. It can reach 32-bit color quality only at the lower resolutions of 1024 x 768 and 800 x 600 pixels.

(Perhaps it would be different if I used DVI instead of the analog VGA port, but I doubt it.)

The volume of the built-in speakers have to be adjusted using the OSD (on-screen display) buttons on the bezel, which is the same place where you'd adjust brightness, contrast, position, and the other display settings. This may be a rather cumbersome method of adjusting volume, especially to those who prefer to adjust volume using a physical knob on the base. Some other LCD monitors have these volume knobs, but this LCD monitor doesn't.

Be careful when you slide the monitor across a wooden desk. The bottom of the base doesn't have padding thick enough to prevent scratching on the table surface.

Rating:
Summary: BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Review: I bought the Costco version and didn't need the speakers but the unit buzzes!

So I returned it and picked up another one. And it buzzes!

I called Princeton and they told me "it's a problem" and they are working on it. Guess I'll be returning this one too.

Rating:
Summary: It's time!
Review: I've lived happily with a 19" CRT monitor for the last several years because the flat screens were expensive and had some performance drawbacks. But this monitor is a great price for a 19" LCD and has lots of great features (especially the wider viewing angle). The picture is crystal clear and it uses much less energy than CRT's do.

I'm running it with the all-digial DVI connection and I am very happy with the performance. I have read some reviews from people who use the older (but still common) analog connection, and some of them seem less happy with the image quality.

It's a nice big screen with a clear picture and I am very happy to reclaim a big piece of desktop space that used to be covered up with my big CRT.

Rating:
Summary: Not Good for Gaming/Movies
Review: If you play games or watch movies on your monitor this is NOT the monitor for you. I bought the Costco version (VL1916). It is identical to the LCD19D (except the 19D has a 3 year warranty instead of 1 for the VL1916). The response time is 25ms which is too slow for gaming and/or video. There is a LOT of ghosting when playing games and enough while watching movies that I found it annoying and had to return the unit.

Be careful when you read reviews of LCD monitors by end users. Most people don't judge them very carefully, they're just impressed by the bright, sharp pictures.

For everyday use (browsing the web, reading email, Word, Excel, etc.) this monitor is fine. It does have bright (very bright) colors and the display is sharp. However I would strongly recommend getting an LCD with a 16ms or lower refresh rate for gaming and/or video.

Rating:
Summary: Great Monitor at a great price
Review: It was only two or three years ago when 15 inch flat screen montiors sold for more than $450. I consider myself fortunate to pick up this unit up for about the same price I paid for mine NEC 17" last year ($360). For those who just want a monitor for professional uses and occassional gaming, this is a great buy.

Unless you have been using 21" monitors for a while, the first thing you will notice about this monitor is how big the screen is. 19" LCD actually feels alot bigger than 19" CRTs (tube monitors) because LCDs have trimmed edges while CRTs have an additional inch or so of plastic around the actual viewable screen. After you turn on the monitor you will notice that the display is very bright, and the images are very sharp. One feature I wish this monitor had included would be a sharper resolution. 19" and 21" monitors should support 1600x1400 resolution. But then again, had this monitor supported a better resolution the price would be much higher.

Now onto the applications. So far I have noticed that this monitor is great for MS Office and web browsing. As for gaming the high display latency (25ms) would put the user at a slight disadvantage for First Person shooter games (the average human reaction time is said to be around 80-100ms). Since I am not a hardcore FPS gamer, I do not care about this factor. I have spent quite some time with this monitor to play other games such as Real-Time strategy games and Role Playing Games. This monitor worked great for the later types of games since latency plays a much lessor role here and you typically cannot get good frames per second rates out of these games anyway.

I have not tested this monitor to watch movies or listen to music. I noticed that this monitor does have two build-in speakers but I don't think they would satisfy any music fans.

In conclusion I would recommend this monitor to anyone who is not a serious FPS gamer. My only regret with this product is that it does not support an even higher resolution. Be sure to look for rebates on this product. I bought mine with $100 rebate from Princeton (the rebate expired by late nov 2004).

Rating:
Summary: Good digital monitor - watch out for rebate scam
Review: Monitor is good, in fact Monitor is better than the 2 stars I gave it when used with DVI digital out. I especially like the dual analog and digital inputs. Analog input was a little fuzzy and I wondered whther it was a mistake to have purchased the LCD. Fortunately I had a Radeon 9600 card with digital out to install. Plugged in the card and fired up the computer with the digital DVI cable connected. The difference was like night and day. Fuzzy unclear image became a crisp, sharp and the colors stand out. Great digital out performance.
Sound control is poor. The monitor's sound volume is very loud at the lowest settings.

Now regarding the rebate, be careful and read everything. The Princeton scam is with the expiration date versus the "must be submitted in 14 days". They are in conflict so don't get caught by reading the "due by end of month" scam. The monitor took a few days to arrive coupled with the Christmas holiday season. By the time I filled out the form 15 days had passed since I had purchased product and Princeton denied the $100 rebate. B@$t@rd$! I won't be purchasing from them again, even if it not my money.

If you don't have a digital out from your video card forget this monitor. If you do and don't mind little control for the sound volume, go for it. If you really want the rebate, watchout cause Princeton is counting on you missing 2 week deadline. B@$t@rd$! Poor strategy for a struggling manufacturer to $#@#w its customers rather than provide good product and good service.

Rating:
Summary: love it love it love it.
Review: picked one up elsewhere for 400 bones.... games are great, movies are great, the only thing you can't do is read text while scrolling up or down a page.
this thing feels huge. previously i used a 19" crt (@ 1152x864) and the screen was right up at the front of my desk. this 19" LCD is running at 1280x1024, sitting at the back of my desk, and the screen and fonts are still bigger. i can strech my legs, lean way back and still read the screen. great monitor.

Rating:
Summary: Great Monitor
Review: Pro: Great value for huge LCD monitor

Con: speaker can be louder

I got this monitor (...) This is a great monitor, 19" LCD. No dead pixel. The package includes 2 cables, 1 analog and another DVI. Only bad thing I can think of is the speaker volumn is too low. Yet, other LCDs cost much more and do not include speakers.

Great product, great value.